Daily Readings - Wed Sep 27 2023

⁵And at the evening sacrifice, I rose up from my affliction, and, having torn my cloak and my tunic, I fell to my knees, and I reached out my hands to the Lord, my God⁶And I said: "My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to you. For our iniquities have been multiplied over our heads, and our offenses have increased, even up to heaven⁷from the days of our fathers. But also, we ourselves have sinned gravely, even to this day. And for our iniquities, we ourselves, and our kings and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, just as it is also in this day⁸And now, to a small extent and for a moment, our petition has been made with the Lord our God, so that they may leave us a remnant, and so that a secure place in his holy land may be given to us, and so that our God may illuminate our eyes, and may give us a little life in our servitude⁹For we are servants, yet in our servitude our God has not forsaken us, but he has inclined mercy upon us in the sight of the king of the Persians, so that he may give us life, and may raise up the house of our God, and repair its desolations, and give us a hedge in Judah and Jerusalem

Luke

Chapter 9

¹Then calling together the twelve Apostles, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases²And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the infirm³And he said to them: "You should take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor traveling bag, nor bread, nor money; and you should not have two tunics⁴And into whatever house you shall enter, lodge there, and do not move away from there⁵And whoever will not have received you, upon departing from that city, shake off even the dust on your feet, as a testimony against them.⁶And going forth, they traveled around, through the towns, evangelizing and curing everywhere

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful moments of surrender and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Ezra captures a moment of deep humility and repentance. Ezra, a leader of the Jewish people after their return from exile, confesses the sins of his people before God. He acknowledges their failures and expresses shame, yet he also recognizes God’s mercy and faithfulness. Ezra’s prayer reminds us that true repentance involves not only acknowledging our sins but also trusting in God’s steadfast love and forgiveness. The reading invites us to reflect on our own relationship with God, encouraging us to approach him with humility and openness, even in the face of our shortcomings. The Gospel reading from Luke shifts our focus to Jesus sending out the Twelve Apostles to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. Jesus instructs them to travel lightly, without extra provisions, trusting that God will provide for their needs. This passage highlights the importance of detachment and reliance on divine providence. The apostles are called to be messengers of God’s love and mercy, and their mission is not about self-sufficiency but about trusting in God’s plan. This teaching challenges us to examine our own lives: Do we trust God enough to let go of our need for control? Are we willing to step out in faith, even when the path ahead is uncertain? Both readings remind us that our lives are not our own, but are part of a larger story of God’s work in the world. Ezra’s prayer teaches us to approach God with humility and gratitude, while the Gospel calls us to live with courage and trust, knowing that God will provide. As we go about our daily lives, let us strive to imitate this surrender and trust. May we, like the apostles, embrace our mission to share God’s love, and may we, like Ezra, humbly acknowledge our dependence on God’s mercy. In doing so, we open ourselves to the transformative power of his grace, allowing him to work through us in ways we cannot yet imagine.