Daily Readings - Fri Oct 06 2023

¹⁵And you will say, ‘To the Lord our God is justice, but to us is confusion of our face, just as it is this day for all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem¹⁶even for our kings, and our leaders, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers¹⁷We have sinned before the Lord our God and we have not believed, lacking confidence in him¹⁸And we have not been submissive to him, and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, so as to walk in his commandments, which he has given to us¹⁹From the day that he led our fathers out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, we were unfaithful to the Lord our God, and, having been scattered, we fell away. We did not listen to his voice²⁰And we joined ourselves to many evils and to the curses which the Lord established through Moses, his servant, who led our fathers out of the land of Egypt, to give us a land flowing with milk and honey, just as it is in the present day²¹And we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, according to all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us²²And we have gone astray, each one after the inclinations of his own malignant heart, serving strange gods and doing evil before the eyes of the Lord our God

Luke

Chapter 10

¹³Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that have been wrought in you, had been wrought in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in haircloth and ashes¹⁴Yet truly, Tyre and Sidon will be forgiven more in the judgment than you will be¹⁵And as for you, Capernaum, who would be exalted even up to Heaven: you shall be submerged into Hell¹⁶Whoever hears you, hears me. And whoever despises you, despises me. And whoever despises me, despises him who sent me.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on sin, repentance, and divine judgment. The first reading from Baruch is a heartfelt confession of the Israelites' unfaithfulness to God. They acknowledge their refusal to listen to His commandments and their pursuit of evil inclinations, leading to their suffering. This text, likely written after the Babylonian exile, serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, condemning their lack of repentance despite witnessing miracles. He contrasts them with Tyre and Sidon, suggesting that even these historically sinful cities would have repented under similar circumstances. This passage underscores the gravity of rejecting the Gospel message, emphasizing that to reject Jesus' disciples is to reject Jesus and the Father. Both readings highlight the importance of heeding God's word and repenting from sin. Baruch's confession shows the consequences of sin, while Luke's narrative illustrates the severity of ignoring God's call. In our daily lives, we are often given opportunities to hear God's word, yet we may choose to ignore it, much like the cities in Luke. The moral lesson here is clear: repentance is not just a historical concept but a present call. Let us reflect on our own response to God's word, seeking to turn away from sin and towards Him, lest we face the consequences of our indifference. May we embrace humility and faithfulness, ensuring that our hearts remain open to His message.