Daily Readings - Fri Nov 12 2021
Wisdom
1But all men are vain, who are not under the knowledge of God, and who, from these good things that are seen, were not able to understand he who is, nor, by paying attention to the works, did they acknowledge he who was the artisan2Instead, they had considered either the fire, or the air, or the atmosphere, or the circle of stars, or the great sea, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world3If they, being delighted by such sights, supposed them to be gods, let them know how great the Lord of them is in splendor. For he who created all things is the author of beauty4Or, if they wondered at their power and their effects, let them understand by these things, that he who created them is mightier than they are5For, by the greatness of the creation and its beauty, the creator of these will be able to be seen discernibly6Yet, up to this point, the complaint about this is lesser. For perhaps they made a mistake in this, while desiring and seeking to find God7And, indeed, having some familiarity with him through his works, they search, and they are persuaded, because the things that they are seeing are good8But, then again, neither can their debt be ignored9For, if they were able to know enough so that they could value the universe, how is it they did not easily discover the Lord of it
Luke
26And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of man27They were eating and drinking; they were taking wives and being given in marriage, even until the day that Noah entered the ark. And the flood came and destroyed them all28It shall be similar to what happened in the days of Lot. They were eating and drinking; they were buying and selling; they were planting and building29Then, on the day that Lot departed from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and it destroyed them all30According to these things, so shall it be in the day when the Son of man will be revealed31In that hour, whoever will be on the rooftop, with his goods in the house, let him not descend to take them. And whoever will be in the field, similarly, let him not turn back32Remember Lot’s wife33Whoever has sought to save his life, will lose it; and whoever has lost it, will bring it back to life34I say to you, in that night, there will be two in one bed. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind35Two will be at the grindstone together. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind. Two will be in the field. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind.36Responding, they said to him, "Where, Lord?37And he said to them, "Wherever the body will be, in that place also, the eagles shall be gathered together.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between creation, judgment, and our ultimate encounter with God. In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we hear a critique of those who fail to recognize the true God despite the beauty and order of creation. The author laments that people often mistake the works of God’s hands—like the sun, moon, and natural elements—as gods themselves, rather than acknowledging the Creator who surpasses all His creation. This passage reminds us that creation is not an end in itself but a pointer to the One who brought it all into being. It warns against the idolatry of forgetting the transcendent God in favor of lesser, finite realities.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses the examples of Noah’s flood and the destruction of Sodom to warn His listeners about the suddenness of God’s judgment. He emphasizes that life will seem normal—people will be eating, drinking, buying, and selling—right up until the moment of reckoning. Jesus calls His followers to be vigilant and detached from worldly concerns, urging them not to look back or cling to earthly possessions when the time of reckoning comes. The passage concludes with the enigmatic image of eagles gathering where the body is, suggesting that true discipleship requires a radical orientation toward God’s will.
Together, these readings challenge us to live with a deeper awareness of God’s presence and purpose in our lives. While the first reading warns against reducing God to His creation, the Gospel warns against becoming so consumed by the world that we fail to recognize the signs of God’s action. In our daily lives, this means cultivating a sense of detachment, not in the sense of rejecting the world, but in the sense of not being controlled by it. It means seeking God in all things, recognizing His hand in creation, and staying attentive to His call. Ultimately, these readings remind us that our true home is not in this world but in the eternal life that God offers. Let us strive to live with our hearts fixed on Him, ready to respond whenever He calls.