Daily Readings - Sun Sep 25 2022

¹Woe to you who have been wealthy in Zion, and to you who have confidence in the mountain of Samaria: aristocrats, heads of the people, who advance with a retinue into the house of Israel⁴You sleep on beds of ivory, and you are lustful on your couches. You devour lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the herd⁵You sing to the sound of stringed instruments; they consider themselves to have the musical abilities of David⁶You drink wine in bowls, and you anoint with the best ointments; and they suffer nothing over the grief of Joseph⁷Because of this, now they will depart at the head of those who go into captivity; and the faction of the lustful will be removed

1 Timothy

Chapter 6

¹¹But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and truly pursue justice, piety, faith, charity, patience, meekness¹²Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you have been called, and make a good profession of faith in the sight of many witnesses¹³I charge you, in the sight of God, who enlivens all things, and in the sight of Christ Jesus, who gave the testimony of a good profession under Pontius Pilate¹⁴to observe the commandment, immaculately, irreproachably, unto the return of our Lord Jesus Christ¹⁵For at the proper time, he shall reveal the blessed and only Power, the King of kings and the Lord of lords¹⁶who alone holds immortality, and who inhabits the inaccessible light, whom no man has seen, nor even is able to see, to whom is honor and everlasting dominion. Amen

Luke

Chapter 16

¹⁹A certain man was wealthy, and he was clothed in purple and in fine linen. And he feasted splendidly every day²⁰And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, covered with sores²¹wanting to be filled with the crumbs which were falling from the wealthy man’s table. But no one gave it to him. And even the dogs came and licked his sores²²Then it happened that the beggar died, and he was carried by the Angels into the bosom of Abraham. Now the wealthy man also died, and he was entombed in Hell²³Then lifting up his eyes, while he was in torments, he saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom²⁴And crying out, he said: ‘Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to refresh my tongue. For I am tortured in this fire.²⁵And Abraham said to him: ‘Son, recall that you received good things in your life, and in comparison, Lazarus received bad things. But now he is consoled, and truly you are tormented²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chaos has been established, so that those who might want to cross from here to you are not able, nor can someone cross from there to here.²⁷And he said: ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers²⁸so that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torments.²⁹And Abraham said to him: ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.³⁰So he said: ‘No, father Abraham. But if someone were to go to them from the dead, they would repent.³¹But he said to him: ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe even if someone has resurrected from the dead.’

Sermon

The readings today challenge us to reflect on how we live our lives in relation to God and others. In the first reading from Amos, we hear a stern warning to those who live in luxury and indifference to the suffering of others. Amos condemns the complacent and self-indulgent, who feast on fine foods and drink while ignoring the poor and the afflicted. This passage is set in a time when Israel had turned away from God’s covenant, embracing instead a life of excess and injustice. Amos calls them to repentance, urging them to seek justice and humility rather than material comfort. The second reading from 1 Timothy complements this message by encouraging us to pursue virtue and faith. St. Paul exhorts Timothy to "fight the good fight of faith," to live a life marked by justice, piety, faith, charity, patience, and meekness. This reading reminds us that our ultimate goal is eternal life, and we must remain faithful to God’s commandments, even in the face of challenges. It emphasizes the importance of living a life that reflects our commitment to Christ, who is the source of all life and power. The Gospel from Luke presents the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, a powerful lesson about the consequences of failing to love and serve the poor. The rich man, who lived a life of luxury and ignored Lazarus at his gate, finds himself in torment after death, while Lazarus is comforted in the bosom of Abraham. This parable underscores the reality of judgment and the importance of how we treat others during our time on earth. It warns us that our actions—or inactions—have eternal consequences and that we cannot ignore the needs of those around us. These readings remind us that our faith must be lived out in love and compassion for others. We are called to avoid the trap of complacency and self-indulgence, instead choosing a path of justice, humility, and generosity. Let us ask ourselves: How do I respond to the needs of those around me? Do I use the resources God has given me to serve others, or do I allow myself to become consumed by my own desires? May we strive to live in a way that reflects the love and mercy of God, knowing that our actions will ultimately be measured by how we loved and served Him in the least of His brothers and sisters.