Daily Readings - Mon Oct 09 2023
Jonah
1And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying2Rise and go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach in it. For its malice has ascended before my eyes3And Jonah rose in order to flee from the face of the Lord to Tarshish. And he went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. And he paid its fare, and he went down into it, in order to go with them to Tarshish from the face of the Lord4But the Lord sent a great wind into the sea. And a great tempest took place in the sea, and the ship was in danger of being crushed5And the mariners were afraid, and the men cried out to their god. And they threw the containers that were in the ship into the sea in order to lighten it of them. And Jonah went down into the interior of the ship, and he fell into a painful deep sleep6And the helmsman approached him, and he said to him, "Why are you weighed down with sleep? Rise, call upon your God, so perhaps God will be mindful of us and we might not perish.7And a man said to his shipmate, "Come, and let us cast lots, so that we may know why this disaster is upon us." And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah8And they said to him: "Explain to us what is the reason that this disaster is upon us. What is your work? Which is your country? And where are you going? Or which people are you from?9And he said to them, "I am Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.10And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him, "Why have you done this?" (For the men knew that he was fleeing from the face of the Lord, because he had told them.11And they said to him, "What are we to do with you, so that the sea will cease for us?" For the sea flowed and swelled12And he said to them, "Take me, and cast me into the sea, and the sea will cease for you. For I know that it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.13And the men were rowing, so as to return to dry land, but they did not succeed. For the sea flowed and swelled against them14And they cried out to the Lord, and they said, "We beseech you, Lord, do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not attribute to us innocent blood. For you, Lord, have done just as it pleased you.15And they took Jonah and cast him into the sea. And the sea was stilled from its fury16And the men feared the Lord greatly, and they sacrificed victims to the Lord, and they made vows17And the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights
Luke
25And behold, a certain expert in the law rose up, testing him and saying, "Teacher, what must I do to possess eternal life?26But he said to him: "What is written in the law? How do you read it?27In response, he said: "You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from all your strength, and from all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.28And he said to him: "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.29But since he wanted to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?30Then Jesus, taking this up, said: "A certain man descended from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he happened upon robbers, who now also plundered him. And inflicting him with wounds, they went away, leaving him behind, half-alive31And it happened that a certain priest was descending along the same way. And seeing him, he passed by32And similarly a Levite, when he was near the place, also saw him, and he passed by33But a certain Samaritan, being on a journey, came near him. And seeing him, he was moved by mercy34And approaching him, he bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. And setting him on his pack animal, he brought him to an inn, and he took care of him35And the next day, he took out two denarii, and he gave them to the proprietor, and he said: ‘Take care of him. And whatever extra you will have spent, I will repay to you at my return.36Which of these three, does it seem to you, was a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?37Then he said, "The one who acted with mercy toward him." And Jesus said to him, "Go, and act similarly.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our neighbors. The first reading from Jonah recounts the prophet’s attempt to flee from God’s call to preach to the people of Nineveh. Jonah’s reluctance leads to a dramatic storm at sea, which subsides only when he acknowledges God’s will and is cast into the water. The Lord’s mercy is evident as Jonah is saved by a great fish, symbolizing God’s patience and desire to bring all people to repentance. The second reading, the parable of the Good Samaritan, challenges us to rethink our understanding of neighborliness. Jesus teaches that being a neighbor is not about geography or association but about showing compassion and mercy to those in need, even to those we might consider strangers or enemies.
Both readings emphasize the importance of responding to God’s call and living out our faith in concrete actions. Jonah’s story reminds us that we cannot escape God’s will, and that His mercy is always available, even in our moments of rebellion. The parable of the Good Samaritan, on the other hand, calls us to move beyond our comfort zones and biases to love others as God loves us. These two readings are connected by the theme of mercy—God’s mercy toward Jonah and the Samaritan’s mercy toward the wounded traveler. They remind us that our faith must be expressed in acts of love and compassion.
As we apply these readings to our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Am I listening to God’s voice and responding to His call, even when it is uncomfortable? Am I willing to go out of my way to help those in need, regardless of their background or circumstances? The moral lesson is clear: our faith must be lived out in obedience to God’s will and in selfless love for others. May we, like the Good Samaritan, be moved by mercy to care for one another, and may we, like Jonah, turn back to God with humility and trust in His divine plan.