Daily Readings - Mon Oct 03 2022

⁶I wonder that you have been so quickly transferred, from him who called you into the grace of Christ, over to another gospel⁷For there is no other, except that there are some persons who disturb you and who want to overturn the Gospel of Christ⁸But if anyone, even we ourselves or an Angel from Heaven, were to preach to you a gospel other than the one that we have preached to you, let him be anathema⁹Just as we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone has preached a gospel to you, other than that which you have received, let him be anathema¹⁰For am I now persuading men, or God? Or, am I seeking to please men? If I still were pleasing men, then I would not be a servant of Christ¹¹For I would have you understand, brothers, that the Gospel which has been preached by me is not according to man¹²And I did not receive it from man, nor did I learn it, except through the revelation of Jesus Christ

Luke

Chapter 10

²⁵And behold, a certain expert in the law rose up, testing him and saying, "Teacher, what must I do to possess eternal life?²⁶But he said to him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?²⁷In response, he said: "You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from all your strength, and from all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.²⁸And he said to him: "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.²⁹But since he wanted to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?³⁰Then Jesus, taking this up, said: "A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he happened upon robbers, who now also plundered him. And inflicting him with wounds, they went away, leaving him behind, half-alive³¹And it happened that a certain priest was descending along the same way. And seeing him, he passed by³²And similarly a Levite, when he was near the place, also saw him, and he passed by³³But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came near him. And seeing him, he was moved by mercy³⁴And approaching him, he bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. And setting him on his pack animal, he brought him to an inn, and he took care of him³⁵And the next day, he took out two denarii, and he gave them to the proprietor, and he said: ‘Take care of him. And whatever extra you will have spent, I will repay to you at my return.³⁶Which of these three, does it seem to you, was a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?³⁷Then he said, "The one who acted with mercy toward him." And Jesus said to him, "Go, and act similarly.

Sermon

The readings today remind us of the importance of staying true to the Gospel and living out its teachings in our lives. In the first reading from Galatians, St. Paul expresses his astonishment that the community is so quickly turning away from the Gospel they first received. He emphasizes that the Gospel he preached is not of human origin but comes from God, revealed to him through Jesus Christ. Paul’s words are a strong reminder that our faith must be rooted in the truth of God’s Word, not in the changing ideas or pressures of the world. He warns that even if an angel were to preach a different gospel, it would not be worthy of belief. This reading calls us to fidelity to the Gospel and to discernment in identifying false teachings that may lead us astray. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the essence of love and neighborliness through the parable of the Good Samaritan. When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus affirms the commandment to love God and neighbor. But when pressed to define who a neighbor is, Jesus challenges conventional thinking by telling the story of a Samaritan who shows compassion to a stranger in need, while others pass by. The Samaritan’s actions demonstrate that being a neighbor is not about proximity or familiarity but about showing mercy and kindness to all, regardless of differences. This parable invites us to reflect on how we treat others, especially those we might otherwise ignore or exclude. Together, these readings call us to live out our faith with integrity and compassion. St. Paul urges us to remain steadfast in the Gospel, while Jesus shows us that living the Gospel means loving and serving others without reserve. In our daily lives, this means staying grounded in the teachings of Christ and allowing His love to flow through us in tangible ways. Let us ask ourselves: Are we faithful to the Gospel in our words and actions? Do we see Christ in our neighbors, especially those who may seem different or inconvenient? May we, like the Good Samaritan, be moved by mercy and go out of our way to care for others, reflecting the love of God in all we do.