Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 8, 2018
First Reading: Philippians 3.3-8a
3For we are the circumcised, we who serve God in the Spirit and who glory in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh4Nevertheless, I might have confidence also in the flesh, for if anyone else seems to have confidence in the flesh, more so do I5For I was circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew among Hebrews. According to the law, I was a Pharisee6according to zeal, I persecuted the Church of God; according to the justice that is in the law, I lived without blame7But the things which had been to my gain, the same have I considered a loss, for the sake of Christ8Yet truly, I consider everything to be a loss, because of the preeminent knowledge of Jesus Christ, my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of everything, considering it all to be like dung, so that I may gain Christ
Psalm 105
1Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, and invoke his name. Announce his works among the nations2Sing to him, and sing psalms to him. Describe all his wonders3Be praised in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice4Seek the Lord, and be confirmed. Seek his face always5Remember his miracles, which he has done, his portents and the judgments of his mouth6you offspring of Abraham his servant, you sons of Jacob his elect7He is the Lord our God. His judgments are throughout the entire earth8He has remembered his covenant for all ages: the word that he entrusted to a thousand generations9which he assigned to Abraham, and his oath to Isaac10And he stationed the same for Jacob with a precept, and for Israel with an eternal testament11saying: To you, I will give the land of Canaan, the allotment of your inheritance12Though they may have been but a small number, very few and foreigners there13and though they passed from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people14he allowed no man to harm them, and he reproved kings on their behalf15Do not be willing to touch my Christ, and do not be willing to malign my prophets16And he called a famine upon the land, and he crushed every foundation of the bread17He sent a man before them: Joseph, who had been sold as a slave18They humbled his feet in shackles; the iron pierced his soul19until his word arrived. The eloquence of the Lord inflamed him20The king sent and released him; he was the ruler of the people, and he dismissed him21He established him as master of his house and ruler of all his possessions22so that he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his elders prudence23And Israel entered into Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham24And he helped his people greatly, and he strengthened them over their enemies25He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal deceitfully with his servants26He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, the one whom he chose27He placed with them signs of his word, and portents in the land of Ham28He sent darkness and made it conceal, and he did not afflict them with his speech29He turned their waters into blood, and he slaughtered their fish30Their land brought forth frogs, even in the inner chambers of their kings31He spoke, and there came forth common flies and gnats, in every region32He gave them a shower of hail and a burning fire, in the same land33And he struck their vineyards and their fig trees, and he crushed the trees of their region34He spoke, and the locust came forth, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number35And it devoured all the grass in their land, and it consumed all the fruit of their land36And he struck all the first-born in their land, the first-fruits of all their labor37And he led them out with silver and gold, and there was not an infirm one among their tribes38Egypt was joyful at their departure, for the fear of them lay heavy upon them39He spread a cloud for their protection, and a fire, to give them light through the night40They petitioned, and the quail came; and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven41He ruptured the rock and the waters flowed: rivers gushed in the dry land42For he had called to mind his holy word, which he kept near to his servant Abraham43And he led forth his people in exultation, and his elect in rejoicing44And he gave them the regions of the Gentiles, and they possessed the labors of the peoples45so that they might observe his justifications, and inquire about his law
Gospel: Luke 15.1-10
1Now tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to him, so that they might listen to him2And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This one accepts sinners and eats with them.3And he told this parable to them, saying4"What man among you, who has one hundred sheep, and if he will have lost one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the one whom he had lost, until he finds it5And when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing6And returning home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them: ‘Congratulate me! For I have found my sheep, which had been lost.7I say to you, that there will be so much more joy in heaven over one sinner repenting, than over the ninety-nine just, who do not need to repent8Or what woman, having ten drachmas, if she will have lost one drachma, would not light a candle, and sweep the house, and diligently search until she finds it9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying: ‘Rejoice with me! For I have found the drachma, which I had lost.10So I say to you, there will be joy before the Angels of God over even one sinner who is repentant.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on what it means to seek and find God. The first reading from Philippians reveals St. Paul’s dramatic conversion of heart. Once a Pharisee who trusted in his own righteousness and achievements, Paul came to realize that all his earthly credentials were worthless compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ. He describes his former life as “dung” in comparison to the treasure of union with Jesus. This is not a rejection of his Jewish heritage but a recognition that true righteousness comes not from outward observance but from a living relationship with Christ.
The Gospel from Luke complements this theme through the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. These stories, told in response to the Pharisees’ criticism of Jesus for dining with sinners, reveal the heart of God as a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep and a woman who sweeps her house tirelessly to recover a single lost coin. These parables are not just charming tales; they are profound revelations of God’s relentless love for each individual, especially those who feel lost or marginalized. The joy celebrated in heaven over one repentant sinner far exceeds the comfort of those who think they are already righteous.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Are there areas where we, like Paul, cling to false sources of security or identity? Do we, like the shepherd and the woman, value each person as uniquely precious to God? Let us ask for the grace to let go of what is lesser so that we might gain what is truly lasting. And let us remember that no one is beyond God’s reach. His love is always seeking us, always rejoicing when we return to Him.