Daily Readings - Sat Oct 05 2019
Baruch
5Be ever more peaceful in soul, O people of God, the memorial of Israel6You have been sold to the nations, not into destruction, but because of this, in resentment, you provoked God to wrath, and so you have been delivered to adversity7For you have exasperated him who made you, the eternal God, by sacrificing to evil spirits, and not to God8For you have forgotten God, who nurtured you, and you have saddened Jerusalem, your nurse9For she saw the wrath of God approaching you, and she said, "Listen, region of Zion, for God has brought upon me great sorrow10For I have seen the captivity of my people, my sons and daughters, which the Eternal has led over them11For I nurtured them with joy, but I sent them away with weeping and sorrow12Let no one rejoice over me, a widow and a desolation, for I am forsaken by many because of the sins of my sons, because they strayed from the law of God27Be ever more peaceful in soul, sons, and call out to the Lord, for you will be remembered by him who led you away28For as much as you thought to go astray from God, ten times as much again he will require of you when converting29For he who led you into evil, he himself will again lead you to eternal happiness with your salvation.
Luke
17Then the seventy-two returned with gladness, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us, in your name.18And he said to them: "I was watching as Satan fell like lightning from heaven19Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you20Yet truly, do not choose to rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.21In the same hour, he exulted in the Holy Spirit, and he said: "I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them to little ones. It is so, Father, because this way was pleasing before you22All things have been delivered to me by my Father. And no one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and those to whom the Son has chosen to reveal him.23And turning to his disciples, he said: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see24For I say to you, that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and they did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and they did not hear them.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the interplay between sorrow, repentance, and the ultimate hope of salvation. In the first reading from Baruch, Jerusalem mourns the exile of her children, lamenting their suffering as a result of their sins. She acknowledges that their estrangement from God has brought about their captivity, yet she encourages her children to remain peaceful and to call out to the Lord, trusting in his mercy and the promise of restoration. This passage reminds us that while sin and rebellion can lead to darkness, God’s love and forgiveness are always available to those who return to him.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to his disciples after their successful mission, cautioning them not to rejoice merely in their power over evil spirits but to find true joy in the fact that their names are written in heaven. He emphasizes the Father’s delight in revealing divine truths to the humble and the “little ones,” rather than to the wise and powerful. This teaching underscores the importance of humility and trust in God’s plan, rather than relying on human strength or accomplishments.
Together, these readings remind us that our true strength and joy come not from our own efforts or victories, but from our relationship with God. Like the exiles in Baruch, we are called to acknowledge our sins and return to the Lord with humility. Like the disciples in Luke, we are invited to trust in God’s plan and to find our ultimate happiness in the knowledge that we belong to him. Let us, therefore, approach each day with a contrite heart, seeking to deepen our union with God and to live in accordance with his will.