Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 9, 2019
First Reading: Jonah 4.1-11
1And Jonah was afflicted with a great affliction, and he was angry2And he prayed to the Lord, and he said, "I beg you, Lord, was this not my word, when I was still in my own land? Because of this, I knew beforehand to flee into Tarshish. For I know that you are a lenient and merciful God, patient and great in compassion, and forgiving despite ill will3And now, Lord, I ask you to take my life from me. For it is better for me to die than to live.4And the Lord said, "Do you really think you are right to be angry?5And Jonah went out of the city, and he sat opposite the east of the city. And he made himself a shelter there, and he was sitting under it in the shadow, until he might see what would befall the city6And the Lord God prepared an ivy, and it ascended over the head of Jonah so as to be a shadow over his head, and to protect him (for he had labored hard). And Jonah rejoiced because of the ivy, with great rejoicing7And God prepared a worm, when dawn approached on the next day, and it struck the ivy, and it dried up8And when the sun had risen, the Lord ordered a hot and burning wind. And the sun beat down on the head of Jonah, and he burned. And he petitioned for his soul that he might die, and he said, "It is better for me to die than to live.9And the Lord said to Jonah, "Do you really think that you are right to be angry because of the ivy?" And he said, "I am right to be angry even unto death.10And the Lord said, "You grieve for the ivy, for which you have not labored and which you did not cause to grow, though it had been born during one night, and during one night perished11And shall I not spare Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand men, who do not know the difference between their right and their left, and many beasts?
Psalm 86
1A Prayer of David himself. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear me. For I am needy and poor2Preserve my soul, for I am holy. My God, bring salvation to your servant who hopes in you3O Lord, be merciful to me, for I have cried out to you all day long4Give joy to the soul of your servant, for I have lifted up my soul to you, Lord5For you are sweet and mild, Lord, and plentiful in mercy to all who call upon you6Pay attention, Lord, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplication7In the day of my tribulation, I cried out to you, because you heeded me8There is no one like you among the gods, O Lord, and there is no one like you in your works9All the nations, which you have made, will draw near and adore in your presence, O Lord. And they will glorify your name10For you are great, and you perform wonders. You alone are God11Lead me, O Lord, in your way, and I will walk in your truth. May my heart rejoice, so that it will fear your name12I will confess to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart. And I will glorify your name in eternity13For your mercy toward me is great, and you have rescued my soul from the lower part of Hell14O God, the iniquitous have risen up against me, and the synagogue of the powerful have sought my soul, and they have not placed you in their sight15And you, Lord God, are compassionate and merciful, being patient and full of mercy and truthful16Look down upon me and have mercy on me. Grant your authority to your servant, and bring salvation to the son of your handmaid17Make me a sign of what is good, so that those who hate me, may look and be confounded. For you, O Lord, have helped me and consoled me
Gospel: Luke 11.1-4
1And it happened that, while he was in a certain place praying, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.2And he said to them: "When you are praying, say: Father, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come3Give us this day our daily bread4And forgive us our sins, since we also forgive all who are indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on prayer, compassion, and the relationship between our desires and God’s will. In the first reading from Jonah, we see the prophet’s frustration and anger when God spares the city of Nineveh. Jonah had grown attached to a plant that provided him shade, and when it withered, he was inconsolable. God used this moment to teach Jonah a lesson about compassion and the value of life, pointing out that Jonah grieved for a plant he did not even cultivate, while God was merciful to an entire city of people who did not know right from wrong. This story highlights Jonah’s limited perspective and God’s boundless mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer, as it has come to be known, is a model of simplicity and depth. It begins with reverence for God’s name, a longing for His kingdom, and a request for daily bread. It then moves to forgiveness and protection from temptation. This prayer reminds us that our relationship with God should be rooted in humility, trust, and a recognition of our dependence on Him. It also calls us to live in harmony with others, forgiving as we are forgiven.
These readings connect in their emphasis on aligning our hearts with God’s will. Jonah’s anger and attachment to the plant reveal a lack of trust in God’s plan, while the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to seek God’s will above our own. In our daily lives, we are often like Jonah, clinging to things that are fleeting or focusing on our own desires rather than God’s larger purpose. The readings encourage us to pray with sincerity, to trust in God’s mercy, and to cultivate compassion for others, just as God has shown compassion to us. Let us strive to live with humility, gratitude, and a heart open to God’s will.