Daily Readings - Sat Oct 07 2023
Baruch
5Be ever more peaceful in soul, O people of God, the memorial of Israel6You have been sold to the nations, not into destruction, but because of this, in resentment, you provoked God to wrath, and so you have been delivered to adversity7For you have exasperated him who made you, the eternal God, by sacrificing to evil spirits, and not to God8For you have forgotten God, who nurtured you, and you have saddened Jerusalem, your nurse9For she saw the wrath of God approaching you, and she said, "Listen, region of Zion, for God has brought upon me great sorrow10For I have seen the captivity of my people, my sons and daughters, which the Eternal has led over them11For I nurtured them with joy, but I sent them away with weeping and sorrow12Let no one rejoice over me, a widow and a desolation, for I am forsaken by many because of the sins of my sons, because they strayed from the law of God27Be ever more peaceful in soul, sons, and call out to the Lord, for you will be remembered by him who led you away28For as much as you thought to go astray from God, ten times as much again he will require of you when converting29For he who led you into evil, he himself will again lead you to eternal happiness with your salvation.
Luke
17Then the seventy-two returned with gladness, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us, in your name.18And he said to them: "I was watching as Satan fell like lightning from heaven19Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the powers of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you20Yet truly, do not choose to rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.21In the same hour, he exulted in the Holy Spirit, and he said: "I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them to little ones. It is so, Father, because this way was pleasing before you22All things have been delivered to me by my Father. And no one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and those to whom the Son has chosen to reveal him.23And turning to his disciples, he said: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see24For I say to you, that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things that you see, and they did not see them, and to hear the things that you hear, and they did not hear them.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between sin, redemption, and the ultimate joy of being in communion with God. In the first reading from Baruch, we hear the lament of Jerusalem, personified as a mother mourning the exile of her children. She acknowledges that their suffering is a consequence of their sins, which led them away from God. Yet, even in the midst of sorrow, there is hope: the call to repentance and the promise that God will restore His people. This passage reminds us that sin separates us from God, but His mercy is always available to those who return to Him with humble hearts.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples after their successful mission, reminding them that their true joy should not come from the power to cast out demons, but from the fact that their names are written in heaven. He rejoices in the Holy Spirit, thanking the Father for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to the "little ones"—those who are humble and open to God’s truth. This passage emphasizes that our ultimate happiness comes not from earthly accomplishments or even spiritual successes, but from our relationship with God and our trust in His plan.
Together, these readings teach us to approach life with humility and gratitude. Like the disciples, we may experience moments of triumph, but we must not let these distract us from the deeper joy of knowing and loving God. Like Jerusalem, we may face the consequences of our sins, but we are always invited to return to God with repentant hearts. Let us remember that our true identity and happiness lie in being children of God, and let us strive to live in a way that reflects this truth in our daily lives.