Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 4, 2020
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 4.1-5
1Accordingly, let man consider us to be ministers of Christ and attendants of the mysteries of God2Here and now, it is required of attendants that each one be found to be faithful3But as for me, it is such a small thing to be judged by you, or by the age of mankind. And neither do I judge myself4For I have nothing on my conscience. But I am not justified by this. For the Lord is the One who judges me5And so, do not choose to judge before the time, until the Lord returns. He will illuminate the hidden things of the darkness, and he will make manifest the decisions of hearts. And then each one shall have praise from God
Psalm 37
1A Psalm of David himself. Do not choose to imitate the malicious; neither should you envy those who work iniquity2For they will quickly wither away like dry grass, and in like manner to kitchen herbs, they will soon droop3Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches4Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart5Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it6And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday7Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice8Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious9For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land10Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing11But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace12The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him13But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come14The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart15Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken16A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners17For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just18The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity19They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied20for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away21The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates22For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish23The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way24When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him25I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread26He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing27Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever28For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish29But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever30The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment31The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted32The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death33But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged34Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see35I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon36And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found37Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man38But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away39But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation40And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him
Gospel: Luke 5.33-39
33But they said to him, "Why do the disciples of John fast frequently, and make supplications, and those of the Pharisees act similarly, while yours eat and drink?34And he said to them: "How can you cause the sons of the groom to fast, while the groom is still with them35But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast, in those days.36Then he also made a comparison for them: "For no one sews a patch from a new garment onto an old garment. Otherwise, he both disrupts the new one, and the patch from the new one does not join together with the old one37And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine ruptures the wineskins, and it will be poured out, and the wineskins will be lost38Instead, the new wine is put into new wineskins, and both are preserved39And no one who is drinking the old, soon wishes for the new. For he says, ‘The old is better.’
Sermon
In today's readings, we are reminded of the importance of humility and trust in God's plan. The first reading from 1 Corinthians encourages us to see ourselves as ministers of Christ, faithful stewards of God's mysteries. Paul emphasizes that our judgment is not in human hands but in God's, urging us to avoid premature judgments and trust in His timing. This teaches us to focus on our own faithfulness and leave the rest to God.
The Gospel from Luke presents Jesus addressing critics who question His disciples' practices. Using parables of the groom, patching garments, and wineskins, Jesus illustrates that His ministry brings new life and vitality, which cannot be confined by old traditions. This calls us to embrace the newness Christ brings, being open to change and growth in our spiritual lives.
Together, these readings remind us to live with humility, trusting in God's judgment and being receptive to the new ways He works in our lives. Let us focus on our own walk with God, avoiding judgment of others, and remain open to the fresh insights and transformations He brings.