Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 8, 2022
First Reading: Titus 2.1-8, 11-14
1But you are to speak the things that befit sound doctrine2Old men should be sober, chaste, prudent, sound in faith, in love, in patience3Old women, similarly, should be in holy attire, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teaching well4so that they may teach prudence to the young women, so that they may love their husbands, love their children5be sensible, chaste, restrained, have concern for the household, be kind, be subordinate to their husbands: so that the Word of God may be not blasphemed6Exhort young men similarly, so that they may show self-restraint7In all things, present yourself as an example of good works: in doctrine, with integrity, with seriousness8with sound words, irreproachably, so that he who is an opponent may dread that he has nothing evil to say about us11For the grace of God our Savior has appeared to all men12instructing us to reject impiety and worldly desires, so that we may live soberly and justly and piously in this age13looking forward to the blessed hope and the advent of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Jesus Christ14He gave himself for our sake, so that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse for himself an acceptable people, pursuers of good works
Psalm 37
1A Psalm of David himself. Do not choose to imitate the malicious; neither should you envy those who work iniquity2For they will quickly wither away like dry grass, and in like manner to kitchen herbs, they will soon droop3Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches4Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart5Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it6And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday7Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice8Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious9For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land10Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing11But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace12The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him13But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come14The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart15Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken16A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners17For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just18The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity19They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied20for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away21The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates22For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish23The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way24When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him25I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread26He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing27Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever28For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish29But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever30The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment31The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted32The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death33But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged34Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see35I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon36And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found37Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man38But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away39But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation40And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him
Gospel: Luke 17.7-10
7But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, would say to him, as he was returning from the field, ‘Come in immediately; sit down to eat,8and would not say to him: ‘Prepare my dinner; gird yourself and minister to me, while I eat and drink; and after these things, you shall eat and drink?9Would he be grateful to that servant, for doing what he commanded him to do10I think not. So too, when you have done all these things that have been taught to you, you should say: ‘We are useless servants. We have done what we should have done.’
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the call to live a life of integrity, humility, and service. The first reading from Titus emphasizes the importance of sound doctrine and virtuous living. St. Paul exhorts the early Christian community to live in a way that reflects the grace of God, with older men and women setting an example of prudence, faith, and love. Younger men are urged to self-restraint and integrity, while all are called to good works and a life of piety. This passage underscores the transformative power of God’s grace, which enables us to reject worldly desires and live justly and soberly as we await the hope of eternal life.
The Gospel from Luke complements this message with a parable about a servant and his master. Jesus challenges us to embrace humility and recognize that our service to God is not about seeking praise or reward but about fulfilling our duty as His disciples. When we have done all that is required of us, we should not expect gratitude but rather acknowledge that we are merely doing what is expected. This teaching humbles us, reminding us that our efforts, no matter how great, are always a response to God’s prior gift of grace.
Reflecting on these readings, we are called to live with integrity and humility in our daily lives. Whether in our families, workplaces, or communities, we are to be examples of virtue and love, not for our own glory but for the sake of God’s kingdom. Let us approach our responsibilities with gratitude, recognizing that everything we do is a response to the boundless grace of our Savior. In doing so, we grow in holiness and become the kind of people who bring light and hope to a world in need.