Daily Readings - Fri Nov 02 2018

⁶And the Lord of hosts will cause all the peoples on this mountain to feast on fatness, to feast on wine, a fatness full of marrow, a purified wine⁷And he will cast down violently, on this mountain, the face of the chains, with which all peoples had been bound, and the net, with which all nations had been covered⁸He will violently cast down death forever. And the Lord God will take away the tears from every face, and he will take away the disgrace of his people from the entire earth. For the Lord has spoken it⁹And they will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord! We have endured for him. We will exult and rejoice in his salvation.

Revelation

Chapter 14

¹³And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: "Write: Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord, now and hereafter, says the Spirit, so that they may find rest from their labors. For their works follow them.

Luke

Chapter 24

¹³And behold, two of them went out, on the same day, to a town named Emmaus, which was the distance of sixty stadia from Jerusalem¹⁴And they spoke to one another about all of these things that had occurred¹⁵And it happened that, while they were speculating and questioning within themselves, Jesus himself, drawing near, traveled with them¹⁶But their eyes were restrained, so that they would not recognize him¹⁷And he said to them, "What are these words, which you are discussing with one another, as you walk and are sad?¹⁸And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, responded by saying to him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?¹⁹And he said to them, "What things?" And they said, "About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a noble prophet, powerful in works and in words, before God and all the people²⁰And how our high priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death. And they crucified him²¹But we were hoping that he would be the Redeemer of Israel. And now, on top of all this, today is the third day since these things have happened²²Then, too, certain women from among us terrified us. For before daytime, they were at the tomb²³and, having not found his body, they returned, saying that they had even seen a vision of Angels, who said that he is alive²⁴And some of us went out to the tomb. And they found it just as the women had said. But truly, they did not find him.²⁵And he said to them: "How foolish and reluctant in heart you are, to believe everything that has been spoken by the Prophets²⁶Was not the Christ required to suffer these things, and so enter into his glory?²⁷And beginning from Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them, in all the Scriptures, the things that were about him²⁸And they drew near to the town where they were going. And he conducted himself so as to go on further²⁹But they were insistent with him, saying, "Remain with us, because it is toward evening and now daylight is declining." And so he entered with them³⁰And it happened that, while he was at table with them, he took bread, and he blessed and broke it, and he extended it to them³¹And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their eyes³²And they said to one another, "Was not our heart burning within us, while he was speaking on the way, and when he opened the Scriptures to us?³³And rising up at that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven gathered together, and those who were with them³⁴saying: "In truth, the Lord has risen, and he has appeared to Simon.³⁵And they explained the things that were done on the way, and how they had recognized him at the breaking of the bread

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the hope of eternal life and the ultimate triumph of God’s plan. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear of a future feast on Mount Zion, where God will destroy death forever and wipe away the tears of his people. This passage is a beautiful expression of messianic hope, pointing to a time when suffering and sorrow will be no more. It reminds us that God’s ultimate plan is one of salvation and restoration. The second reading from Revelation reinforces this hope, declaring that those who die in the Lord are blessed and will find rest from their labors. This passage encourages us to trust in God’s promise of eternal life, even in the midst of trials and hardships. The Gospel from Luke tells the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, who were filled with sadness and doubt after the crucifixion of Jesus. Their encounter with the risen Christ transformed their despair into joy and hope. Jesus opened their eyes to the truth of the Scriptures and revealed that his suffering and death were necessary steps toward his glory. This story reminds us that even in moments of uncertainty and grief, God is at work, and his plan is always one of love and redemption. The disciples’ hearts burned within them as Jesus explained the Scriptures, and their recognition of him in the breaking of bread symbolizes the Eucharistic encounter we have with Christ today. These readings call us to live with hope and trust in God’s plan, even when the path seems unclear. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are invited to walk with Christ, to listen to his Word, and to find him in the breaking of bread. Let us allow the promise of eternal life and the truth of the resurrection to transform our fears and sorrows into joy and hope. May we, like the disciples, rise up and return to Jerusalem with renewed hearts, ready to share the good news of God’s love and salvation.