Daily Readings - Wed Sep 25 2019

⁵And at the evening sacrifice, I rose up from my affliction, and, having torn my cloak and my tunic, I fell to my knees, and I reached out my hands to the Lord, my God⁶And I said: "My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to you. For our iniquities have been multiplied over our heads, and our offenses have increased, even up to heaven⁷from the days of our fathers. But also, we ourselves have sinned gravely, even to this day. And for our iniquities, we ourselves, and our kings and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, just as it is also in this day⁸And now, to a small extent and for a moment, our petition has been made with the Lord our God, so that they may leave us a remnant, and so that a secure place in his holy land may be given to us, and so that our God may illuminate our eyes, and may give us a little life in our servitude⁹For we are servants, yet in our servitude our God has not forsaken us, but he has inclined mercy upon us in the sight of the king of the Persians, so that he may give us life, and may raise up the house of our God, and repair its desolations, and give us a hedge in Judah and Jerusalem

Luke

Chapter 9

¹Then calling together the twelve Apostles, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases²And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the infirm³And he said to them: "You should take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor traveling bag, nor bread, nor money; and you should not have two tunics⁴And into whatever house you shall enter, lodge there, and do not move away from there⁵And whoever will not have received you, upon departing from that city, shake off even the dust on your feet, as a testimony against them.⁶And going forth, they traveled around, through the towns, evangelizing and curing everywhere

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound reflections on trust and faith. The first reading from Ezra 9:5-9 presents a heartfelt prayer of confession, where Ezra acknowledges the sins of his people and humbly recognizes God's enduring mercy. This passage, set in the post-exilic period, highlights the Israelites' efforts to rebuild their lives and faith after captivity. Ezra's prayer underscores the importance of humility and trust in God's providence, despite past failures. The Gospel from Luke 9:1-6 shifts our focus to Jesus sending out the twelve apostles, empowering them to heal and preach. Jesus instructs them to travel lightly, relying solely on God's provision. This mission emphasizes trust and dependence on divine grace, teaching the apostles to embrace simplicity and faith. The act of shaking dust off their feet serves as a testament to those who reject the message, illustrating the consequences of turning away from God. Both readings beautifully intertwine, reminding us of the necessity of trusting God in all circumstances. Ezra's confession and the apostles' mission call us to live with humility and faith, recognizing our dependence on God's grace. As we navigate our daily lives, let us embrace this trust, allowing it to guide our actions and decisions. May we, like the apostles, be faithful witnesses, trusting in God's providence and living with hearts open to His will.