Daily Readings - Wed Sep 22 2021

⁵And at the evening sacrifice, I rose up from my affliction, and, having torn my cloak and my tunic, I fell to my knees, and I reached out my hands to the Lord, my God⁶And I said: "My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to you. For our iniquities have been multiplied over our heads, and our offenses have increased, even up to heaven⁷from the days of our fathers. But also, we ourselves have sinned gravely, even to this day. And for our iniquities, we ourselves, and our kings and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, just as it is also in this day⁸And now, to a small extent and for a moment, our petition has been made with the Lord our God, so that they may leave us a remnant, and so that a secure place in his holy land may be given to us, and so that our God may illuminate our eyes, and may give us a little life in our servitude⁹For we are servants, yet in our servitude our God has not forsaken us, but he has inclined mercy upon us in the sight of the king of the Persians, so that he may give us life, and may raise up the house of our God, and repair its desolations, and give us a hedge in Judah and Jerusalem

Luke

Chapter 9

¹Then calling together the twelve Apostles, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases²And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the infirm³And he said to them: "You should take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor traveling bag, nor bread, nor money; and you should not have two tunics⁴And into whatever house you shall enter, lodge there, and do not move away from there⁵And whoever will not have received you, upon departing from that city, shake off even the dust on your feet, as a testimony against them.⁶And going forth, they traveled around, through the towns, evangelizing and curing everywhere

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of humility, trust in God, and the call to mission. In the first reading from Ezra, we encounter a moment of profound repentance and confession. Ezra, a leader of the post-exilic Jewish community, humbly acknowledges the sins of his people before God. He expresses deep sorrow for their failures, recognizing that their suffering and exile were consequences of their disobedience. Yet, even in the midst of affliction, Ezra holds onto hope, trusting that God’s mercy and faithfulness can restore and renew His people. This passage reminds us that true humility involves acknowledging our limitations and sins, while also trusting in God’s grace and providence. In the Gospel, Jesus sends out the Twelve Apostles with a radical mission. He instructs them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick, but He also tells them to take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no money, not even an extra tunic. This command is a call to complete trust in God’s providence. The Apostles are to rely not on their own resources but on the generosity of those they encounter. This teaching challenges us to let go of our attachment to material security and to embrace a life of simplicity and faith. It also reminds us that our mission as disciples is not about self-sufficiency but about dependence on God and openness to the needs of others. Both readings encourage us to live with humility and trust in God. Ezra’s prayer shows us that acknowledging our sins and limitations is the first step toward healing and restoration. The Gospel, on the other hand, calls us to step out in faith, trusting that God will provide for us as we serve others. In our daily lives, we are invited to embrace these virtues: to humbly recognize our need for God and to trust Him as we carry out our own mission of spreading love and hope to the world. Let us ask for the grace to live with humility and faith, knowing that God’s mercy and providence are always at work in our lives.