Daily Readings - Fri Nov 22 2024
Revelation
8And again, I heard a voice from heaven speaking with me and saying: "Go and receive the open book from the hand of the Angel who stands upon the sea and upon the land.9And I went to the Angel, saying to him that he should give the book to me. And he said to me: "Receive the book and consume it. And it shall cause bitterness in your stomach, but in your mouth it shall be sweet like honey.10And I received the book from the hand of the Angel, and I consumed it. And it was sweet like honey in my mouth. And when I had consumed it, my stomach was made bitter11And he said to me, "It is necessary for you to prophesy again about many nations and peoples and languages and kings.
Luke
45And entering into the temple, he began to cast out those who sold in it, and those who bought46saying to them: "It is written: ‘My house is a house of prayer.’ But you have made it into a den of robbers.47And he was teaching in the temple daily. And the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, and the leaders of the people were seeking to destroy him48But they could not find what to do to him. For all the people were listening to him attentively
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the call to prophesy, the purification of God’s house, and the commitment to living out God’s word in our lives. In the first reading from Revelation, John is given a scroll by an angel and told to eat it. The scroll is sweet in his mouth but bitter in his stomach, symbolizing the dual nature of God’s word. It brings joy and comfort but also challenges us to confront sin and injustice. This passage reminds us that receiving God’s word is not just about comfort but also about the difficult task of proclaiming truth, even when it leads to suffering.
In the Gospel, Jesus enters the temple and drives out those who were turning it into a marketplace. He reminds them that the temple is a house of prayer, not a place for commerce. This act of cleansing the temple is a powerful call to integrity and authenticity in our relationship with God. Just as the temple was meant to be a sacred space for prayer and worship, our hearts and lives must also be purified to make room for God’s presence. Jesus’ actions challenge us to examine our own lives and ensure that we are not allowing worldly distractions or selfish desires to take precedence over our commitment to God.
These readings are deeply connected. Both call us to embrace the word of God and to live it out faithfully, even when it is difficult. John’s experience of eating the scroll reminds us that God’s word must shape us from the inside out, transforming us and equipping us to share it with others. Jesus’ cleansing of the temple reminds us that this transformation must also lead to a purification of our lives and our communities. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Are we truly receiving God’s word and allowing it to transform us? Are we creating space in our lives for prayer and for God’s presence? May we be courageous in embracing the sweetness and bitterness of God’s word, and may we strive to live as temples of the Holy Spirit, dedicated to prayer, integrity, and the proclamation of God’s truth.