Daily Readings - Mon Oct 08 2018

⁶I wonder that you have been so quickly transferred, from him who called you into the grace of Christ, over to another gospel⁷For there is no other, except that there are some persons who disturb you and who want to overturn the Gospel of Christ⁸But if anyone, even we ourselves or an Angel from Heaven, were to preach to you a gospel other than the one that we have preached to you, let him be anathema⁹Just as we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone has preached a gospel to you, other than that which you have received, let him be anathema¹⁰For am I now persuading men, or God? Or, am I seeking to please men? If I still were pleasing men, then I would not be a servant of Christ¹¹For I would have you understand, brothers, that the Gospel which has been preached by me is not according to man¹²And I did not receive it from man, nor did I learn it, except through the revelation of Jesus Christ

Luke

Chapter 10

²⁵And behold, a certain expert in the law rose up, testing him and saying, "Teacher, what must I do to possess eternal life?²⁶But he said to him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?²⁷In response, he said: "You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from all your strength, and from all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.²⁸And he said to him: "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.²⁹But since he wanted to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?³⁰Then Jesus, taking this up, said: "A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he happened upon robbers, who now also plundered him. And inflicting him with wounds, they went away, leaving him behind, half-alive³¹And it happened that a certain priest was descending along the same way. And seeing him, he passed by³²And similarly a Levite, when he was near the place, also saw him, and he passed by³³But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came near him. And seeing him, he was moved by mercy³⁴And approaching him, he bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. And setting him on his pack animal, he brought him to an inn, and he took care of him³⁵And the next day, he took out two denarii, and he gave them to the proprietor, and he said: ‘Take care of him. And whatever extra you will have spent, I will repay to you at my return.³⁶Which of these three, does it seem to you, was a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?³⁷Then he said, "The one who acted with mercy toward him." And Jesus said to him, "Go, and act similarly.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on the integrity of our faith and the call to live out that faith in love and compassion. The first reading from Galatians finds St. Paul astonished that the community has so quickly turned away from the Gospel they first received. He emphasizes that the Gospel is not a human invention but a revelation from God, and he warns against any distortion of this truth, even if it comes from an angel or an apostle. Paul’s passion underscores the importance of remaining faithful to the authentic message of Christ, untainted by human opinions or worldly influences. The Gospel from Luke presents us with the parable of the Good Samaritan, a timeless lesson on love and neighborliness. When a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus turns the question back to the law and then expands its meaning through this parable. The Samaritan, often considered an outcast, becomes the true neighbor because he acts with mercy and compassion toward a stranger in need. This story challenges us to move beyond our biases and comfort zones to recognize that our neighbor is anyone we encounter, especially those who are suffering or marginalized. Together, these readings remind us that our faith must be both authentic and active. St. Paul calls us to guard the integrity of the Gospel, while Jesus shows us that living the Gospel means putting love into action. In our daily lives, we are called to remain steadfast in our commitment to Christ’s teachings and to embody that commitment by serving others with kindness and generosity. Let us ask ourselves: Am I staying true to the Gospel? Am I seeing Christ in those around me, especially in those who may seem different or difficult to love? May we, like the Good Samaritan, allow God’s love to flow through us, transforming both our hearts and the world around us.