Daily Readings - Thu Oct 13 2022

¹Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus²Grace and peace to you from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ⁴just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and immaculate in his sight, in charity⁵He has predestined us to adoption as sons, through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the purpose of his will⁶for the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has gifted us in his beloved Son⁷In him, we have redemption through his blood: the remission of sins in accord with the riches of his grace⁸which is superabundant in us, with all wisdom and prudence⁹So does he make known to us the mystery of his will, which he has set forth in Christ, in a manner well-pleasing to him,¹⁰in the dispensation of the fullness of time, so as to renew in Christ everything that exists through him in heaven and on earth

Luke

Chapter 11

⁴⁷Woe to you, who build the tombs of the prophets, while it is your fathers who killed them⁴⁸Clearly, you are testifying that you consent to the actions of your fathers, because even though they killed them, you build their sepulchers⁴⁹Because of this also, the wisdom of God said: I will send to them Prophets and Apostles, and some of these they will kill or persecute⁵⁰so that the blood of all the Prophets, which has been shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation⁵¹from the blood of Abel, even to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. So I say to you: it will be required of this generation⁵²Woe to you, experts in the law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves do not enter, and those who were entering, you would have prohibited.⁵³Then, while he was saying these things to them, the Pharisees and the experts in the law began to insist strongly that he restrain his mouth about many things⁵⁴And waiting to ambush him, they sought something from his mouth that they might seize upon, in order to accuse him

Sermon

In today's readings, we hear from the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians and from Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Paul writes about the abundant blessings and spiritual gifts God has bestowed upon us, emphasizing that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. He speaks of our adoption as sons and daughters of God, the redemption we have through Christ’s blood, and the wisdom and understanding God has shared with us. This passage is a beautiful expression of God’s love and plan for us, inviting us to live in gratitude and awe of His grace. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses the Pharisees and scholars of the law, criticizing them for honoring the prophets with tombs while rejecting the message of the prophets—and even persecuting those sent by God. Jesus points out the irony that while they build monuments to the prophets their fathers killed, they themselves fail to listen to the prophets and even prevent others from doing so. This passage serves as a warning against hypocrisy and spiritual blindness, urging us to examine how we respond to God’s word and messengers in our own lives. Both readings remind us of the great gift of faith and the responsibility that comes with it. Paul’s letter calls us to live in a way that reflects the holiness and love we’ve received from God, while Jesus’ words challenge us to be honest about our own spiritual state. Let us ask ourselves: Are we truly living as children of God, or are we like the Pharisees, more concerned with appearances than with the truth? May we embrace the wisdom and grace God offers, and may our lives bear fruit in accordance with His will.