Daily Readings - Fri Oct 04 2019

¹⁵And you will say, ‘To the Lord our God is justice, but to us is confusion of our face, just as it is this day for all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem¹⁶even for our kings, and our leaders, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers¹⁷We have sinned before the Lord our God and we have not believed, lacking confidence in him¹⁸And we have not been submissive to him, and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, so as to walk in his commandments, which he has given to us¹⁹From the day that he led our fathers out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, we were unfaithful to the Lord our God, and, having been scattered, we fell away. We did not listen to his voice²⁰And we joined ourselves to many evils and to the curses which the Lord established through Moses, his servant, who led our fathers out of the land of Egypt, to give us a land flowing with milk and honey, just as it is in the present day²¹And we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, according to all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us²²And we have gone astray, each one after the inclinations of his own malignant heart, serving strange gods and doing evil before the eyes of the Lord our God

Luke

Chapter 10

¹³Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that have been wrought in you, had been wrought in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in haircloth and ashes¹⁴Yet truly, Tyre and Sidon will be forgiven more in the judgment than you will be¹⁵And as for you, Capernaum, who would be exalted even up to Heaven: you shall be submerged into Hell¹⁶Whoever hears you, hears me. And whoever despises you, despises me. And whoever despises me, despises him who sent me.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the importance of responding to God's revelation with humility and openness. In Baruch, we hear a heartfelt confession of sin, acknowledging the people's unfaithfulness and failure to listen to God's commandments. This passage, set against the backdrop of the Babylonian exile, serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. The people recognize that their suffering stems from their disobedience and hardness of heart, urging us to examine our own relationship with God. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, lamenting their lack of repentance despite the miracles they witnessed. He contrasts their response with that of Tyre and Sidon, suggesting that even those considered less privileged would have repented. This serves as a stark warning about the dangers of complacency and the failure to recognize God's presence in our lives. Jesus emphasizes that rejecting His message is not just a personal choice but also a rejection of the One who sent Him. These readings call us to a life of repentance and faith. In our daily lives, we are constantly presented with opportunities to respond to God's grace. Whether through blessings or challenges, we must remain attentive and open to His will. The moral lesson here is clear: hardness of heart leads to judgment, while humility and repentance open the door to healing and restoration. Let us reflect on our own response to God's revelation, seeking to live with hearts that are receptive and obedient to His call.