Daily Readings - Sun Aug 19 2018

¹Wisdom has built a house for herself. She has hewn seven columns²She has immolated her victims. She has mixed her wine and set forth her table³She has sent her maids to call out to the tower and to the fortified walls of the city⁴"If anyone is little, let him come to me." And to the unwise, she has said⁵"Approach. Eat my bread, and drink the wine that I have mixed for you⁶Leave behind childishness. And live and walk by the ways of prudence.

Ephesians

Chapter 5

¹⁵And so, brothers, see to it that you walk cautiously, not like the foolish¹⁶but like the wise: atoning for this age, because this is an evil time¹⁷For this reason, do not choose to be imprudent. Instead, understand what is the will of God¹⁸And do not choose to be inebriated by wine, for this is self-indulgence. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit¹⁹speaking among yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, singing and reciting psalms to the Lord in your hearts²⁰giving thanks always for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God the Father

John

Chapter 6

⁵¹I am the living bread, who descended from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he shall live in eternity. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world.⁵²Therefore, the Jews debated among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?⁵³And so, Jesus said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you⁵⁴Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day⁵⁵For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink⁵⁶Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him⁵⁷Just as the living Father has sent me and I live because of the Father, so also whoever eats me, the same shall live because of me⁵⁸This is the bread that descends from heaven. It is not like the manna that your fathers ate, for they died. Whoever eats this bread shall live forever.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful invitations to embrace spiritual nourishment and wisdom. The first reading from Proverbs personifies Wisdom as a gracious host who has prepared a feast, urging the simple and the unwise to come and partake in her offerings. This imagery calls us to seek understanding and prudence, leaving behind childish ways. The second reading from Ephesians exhorts us to live wisely, avoiding the foolishness of the world, and instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This filling manifests in worship, gratitude, and a deep connection with God. The Gospel from John presents Jesus as the living bread, emphasizing that true life comes from partaking in His flesh and blood, a profound sacramental truth that transcends physical sustenance. These readings interweave the themes of spiritual nourishment and wise living. Proverbs sets the stage by inviting us to the table of Wisdom, Ephesians guides us on how to live in accordance with that wisdom, and John’s Gospel reveals the ultimate source of spiritual food in Jesus Christ. Together, they remind us that our faith is not just about belief but about how we live and nourish our souls. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to seek wisdom in our decisions, to live with virtue, and to find strength in the Eucharist. They remind us that spiritual growth is an active process, requiring us to embrace God’s will and to cultivate a life of gratitude and worship. The moral lesson is clear: true life and wisdom come from embracing Jesus, the living bread, and living in the Spirit, allowing His presence to transform and guide us each day.