Daily Readings - Sat Feb 25 2023
Isaiah
9Then you will call, and the Lord will heed; you will cry out, and he will say, "Here I am," if you take away the chains from your midst, and cease to point your finger and to speak what is not beneficial10When you pour out your life for the hungry, and you satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will rise up in darkness, and your darkness will be like the midday11And the Lord will give you rest continually, and he will fill your soul with splendor, and he will free your bones, and you will be like a watered garden and like a fountain of water whose waters will not fail12And places that have been desolate for ages will be built up by you. You will raise a foundation for generation after generation. And you will be called the repairer of hedges, who turns the roadways into quiet places13If you restrain your foot on the Sabbath, from doing your own will on my holy day, and if you call the Sabbath delightful, and the Holy of the Lord glorious, and if you glorify him, while you do not act according to your own ways, and your own will is not found, not even to speak a word14then you will find delight in the Lord, and I will take you up, above the heights of the earth, and I will nourish you with the inheritance of Jacob, your father. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken
Luke
27And after these things, he went out, and he saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the customs office. And he said to him, "Follow me.28And leaving behind everything, rising up, he followed him29And Levi made a great feast for him in his own house. And there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others, who were sitting at table with them30But the Pharisees and scribes were murmuring, saying to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?31And responding, Jesus said to them: "It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who have maladies32I have not come to call the just, but sinners to repentance.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful messages about living out our faith through compassionate actions. The prophet Isaiah challenges us to move beyond superficial religious practices, emphasizing that true fasting involves setting the oppressed free, sharing with the hungry, and comforting the afflicted. This call to justice and mercy is not just a suggestion but a divine imperative. In the Gospel, Jesus scandalizes the Pharisees by dining with tax collectors and sinners, declaring that he came not for the self-righteous, but for those who recognize their need for repentance.
Both readings highlight the importance of living out our faith in tangible ways. Isaiah's message is set in a context where the people were practicing fasting, but their actions did not reflect a commitment to justice and care for the vulnerable. Similarly, in Luke's account, Jesus challenges the Pharisees' hypocrisy, pointing out that their focus on external purity missed the heart of God's mercy and love. These passages remind us that our faith must be expressed in how we treat others, especially those on the margins of society.
As we reflect on these readings, let us examine our own lives. Are we content with outward displays of piety, or do we allow our faith to transform us into instruments of God's justice and love? Let us seek to be like Levi, who left everything to follow Jesus, and like Jesus himself, who reached out to those society had rejected. May we find joy in serving others and may our lives be a reflection of God's light in a world that often lives in darkness.