Daily Readings - Thu Oct 15 2020

¹Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus²Grace and peace to you from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ⁴just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and immaculate in his sight, in charity⁵He has predestined us to adoption as sons, through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the purpose of his will⁶for the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has gifted us in his beloved Son⁷In him, we have redemption through his blood: the remission of sins in accord with the riches of his grace⁸which is superabundant in us, with all wisdom and prudence⁹So does he make known to us the mystery of his will, which he has set forth in Christ, in a manner well-pleasing to him,¹⁰in the dispensation of the fullness of time, so as to renew in Christ everything that exists through him in heaven and on earth

Luke

Chapter 11

⁴⁷Woe to you, who build the tombs of the prophets, while it is your fathers who killed them⁴⁸Clearly, you are testifying that you consent to the actions of your fathers, because even though they killed them, you build their sepulchers⁴⁹Because of this also, the wisdom of God said: I will send to them Prophets and Apostles, and some of these they will kill or persecute⁵⁰so that the blood of all the Prophets, which has been shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation⁵¹from the blood of Abel, even to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. So I say to you: it will be required of this generation⁵²Woe to you, experts in the law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves do not enter, and those who were entering, you would have prohibited.⁵³Then, while he was saying these things to them, the Pharisees and the experts in the law began to insist strongly that he restrain his mouth about many things⁵⁴And waiting to ambush him, they sought something from his mouth that they might seize upon, in order to accuse him

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on God’s plan for humanity and the call to live out our faith authentically. The first reading from Ephesians reminds us of the abundant blessings God has poured out upon us in Christ. Paul writes that before the foundation of the world, God chose us to be holy and blameless in his sight, predestining us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ. This passage emphasizes God’s eternal plan of love and grace, which culminates in the redemption we have through the blood of Christ. It is a beautiful reminder of our identity as beloved children of God and the profound wisdom of his will to unite all things in Christ. The Gospel from Luke presents a stark contrast to this divine plan of love. Jesus addresses the Pharisees, criticizing them for honoring the prophets with tombs while rejecting the message of the prophets—and ultimately, the message of Jesus himself. He condemns their hypocrisy, pointing out that while they claim to reverence the prophets of old, they are complicit in the same spirit of rejection and violence that led to the prophets’ deaths. Jesus also rebukes the lawyers for taking away the key of knowledge, preventing others from entering the kingdom while refusing to enter themselves. This passage serves as a warning against religious hypocrisy and the dangers of knowledge without humility or action. Together, these readings call us to reflect on how we live out our faith. The Ephesians passage invites us to embrace our identity as beloved and blessed children of God, while the Gospel challenges us to examine whether our words and actions align with the truth of God’s love. Are we living as true followers of Christ, or are we like the Pharisees, more concerned with appearances than with the substance of faith? Let us ask ourselves: Do we use our knowledge and gifts to build up others, or do we hoard them? Do we recognize the grace God has given us, or do we take it for granted? As we go about our daily lives, let us strive to live with integrity and humility, mindful of the great love God has shown us. May we not only hear the Word of God but also put it into practice, allowing the grace of Christ to transform us and guide us in all we do. In this way, we can truly honor God and fulfill our calling as his children.