Daily Readings - Mon Nov 16 2020

¹The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, in order to make known to his servants the things that must soon occur, and which he signified by sending his Angel to his servant John²he has offered testimony to the Word of God, and whatever he saw is the testimony of Jesus Christ³Blessed is he who reads or hears the words of this Prophecy, and who keeps the things that have been written in it. For the time is near⁴John, to the seven Churches, which are in Asia. Grace and peace to you, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are in the sight of his throne

Chapter 2

¹"And to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write: Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands²I know your works, and your hardship and patient endurance, and that you cannot stand those who are evil. And so, you have tested those who declare themselves to be Apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars³And you have patient endurance for the sake of my name, and you have not fallen away⁴But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity⁵And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent

Luke

Chapter 18

³⁵Now it happened that, as he was approaching Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the way, begging³⁶And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what this was³⁷And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by³⁸And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me!³⁹And those who were passing by rebuked him, so that he would be silent. Yet truly, he cried out all the more, "Son of David, take pity on me!⁴⁰Then Jesus, standing still, ordered him to be brought to him. And when he had drawn near, he questioned him⁴¹saying, "What do you want, that I might do for you?" So he said, "Lord, that I may see.⁴²And Jesus said to him: "Look around. Your faith has saved you.⁴³And immediately he saw. And he followed him, magnifying God. And all the people, when they saw this, gave praise to God

Sermon

In today's readings, we explore themes of faith, love, and spiritual perseverance. The first reading from Revelation addresses the Church of Ephesus, commending their endurance and discernment but urging them to rekindle their initial fervor for God. This serves as a reminder to the early Church, and to us, to maintain our spiritual passion amidst challenges. The Gospel from Luke presents a blind man whose persistent faith leads to his healing by Jesus, emphasizing the transformative power of unwavering belief. Both readings highlight the importance of maintaining our spiritual roots. The Ephesians, despite their endurance, had lost their first love, a lesson for us to regularly assess our spiritual state. Similarly, the blind man's persistence despite opposition teaches us that true faith leads to spiritual sight. These stories encourage us to hold fast to our faith and love, ensuring they remain vibrant in our lives. As we reflect on these passages, let us consider our own spiritual journeys. Have we, like the Ephesians, allowed our initial fervor to wane? Let us strive to rekindle our love for God and maintain steadfast faith, just as the blind man did. In doing so, we may experience spiritual renewal and draw closer to God. Let us remember that faith and love are not static but dynamic, requiring nurture and attention to flourish.