Daily Readings - Mon Oct 07 2024

⁶I wonder that you have been so quickly transferred, from him who called you into the grace of Christ, over to another gospel⁷For there is no other, except that there are some persons who disturb you and who want to overturn the Gospel of Christ⁸But if anyone, even we ourselves or an Angel from Heaven, were to preach to you a gospel other than the one that we have preached to you, let him be anathema⁹Just as we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone has preached a gospel to you, other than that which you have received, let him be anathema¹⁰For am I now persuading men, or God? Or, am I seeking to please men? If I still were pleasing men, then I would not be a servant of Christ¹¹For I would have you understand, brothers, that the Gospel which has been preached by me is not according to man¹²And I did not receive it from man, nor did I learn it, except through the revelation of Jesus Christ

Luke

Chapter 10

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 are reminded of the essence of our faith and the call to live it out with authenticity and compassion. The first reading from Galatians highlights Paul’s concern for the community that has been swayed by false teachings. He emphasizes the purity of the Gospel, which he received through divine revelation, urging the Galatians to remain steadfast and not be misled by distortions of the truth. This serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of grounding our faith in the authentic teachings of Christ. The Gospel from Luke presents the parable of the Good Samaritan, which challenges us to rethink who our neighbors are. Jesus expands the traditional understanding of a neighbor to include anyone in need, regardless of background or circumstances. The Samaritan, often seen as an outcast, becomes the exemplar of true neighborliness through his compassionate actions. This parable underscores that faith is not just about belief but about putting love into action, especially towards those we might otherwise overlook or avoid. Together, these readings call us to reflect on our commitment to the Gospel and how we live it out. Just as Paul urges us to hold fast to the true Gospel, Jesus calls us to express our faith through tangible acts of mercy and love. In our daily lives, this means being steadfast in our beliefs while actively seeking opportunities to serve and care for others, even when it is inconvenient or challenging. Let us strive to embody the integrity of Paul and the compassion of the Good Samaritan, living out our faith with authenticity and love.