Daily Readings - Wed Nov 03 2021
Romans
8You should owe nothing to anyone, except so as to love one another. For whoever loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law9For example: You shall not commit adultery. You shall not kill. You shall not steal. You shall not speak false testimony. You shall not covet. And if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself10The love of neighbor does no harm. Therefore, love is the plenitude of the law
Luke
25Now great crowds traveled with him. And turning around, he said to them26"If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple27And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple28For who among you, wanting to build a tower, would not first sit down and determine the costs that are required, to see if he has the means to complete it29Otherwise, after he will have laid the foundation and not been able to finish it, everyone who sees it may begin to mock him30saying: ‘This man began to build what he was not able to finish.31Or, what king, advancing to engage in war against another king, would not first sit down and consider whether he may be able, with ten thousand, to meet one who comes against him with twenty thousand32If not, then while the other is still far away, sending a delegation, he would ask him for terms of peace33Therefore, everyone of you who does not renounce all that he possesses is not able to be my disciple
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the essence of Christian living and the radical commitment required to follow Christ. The first reading from Romans reminds us that love is the fulfillment of the law. Paul lists several commandments, but he sums them all up in one: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This love, he says, does no harm to others and is the very essence of living a Christian life. It’s a powerful reminder that our faith is not just about rules and regulations, but about how we treat one another with compassion and care.
The Gospel from Luke presents a stark and challenging message about the cost of discipleship. Jesus tells us that to follow Him, we must be willing to “hate” our family and even our own life. This doesn’t mean literal hatred, but rather a willingness to prioritize our relationship with God above all else. He uses two parables to emphasize the need to count the cost of discipleship: building a tower and going to war. Both require careful planning and a commitment to see things through to the end. Jesus is asking us to consider whether we are willing to renounce all that we possess—our comforts, our attachments, our very lives—in order to follow Him.
These readings are deeply connected. In Romans, we see that love is the heart of the Christian life, while in Luke, we are reminded that this love requires sacrifice and commitment. Together, they call us to live in a way that prioritizes God and neighbor above all else. In our daily lives, this means being willing to let go of our own desires and comforts when they get in the way of loving and serving others. It means being mindful of how our choices impact those around us and striving to live in a way that reflects the transformative power of God’s love. The moral lesson is clear: following Christ is not easy, but it is worth it. Let us pray for the grace to love without reserve and to embrace the challenges of discipleship with courage and faith.