Daily Readings - Mon Oct 27 2025
Romans
11But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead lives within you, then he who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead shall also enliven your mortal bodies, by means of his Spirit living within you12Therefore, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, so as to live according to the flesh13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if, by the Spirit, you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live14For all those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God15And you have not received, again, a spirit of servitude in fear, but you have received the Spirit of the adoption of sons, in whom we cry out: "Abba, Father!16For the Spirit himself renders testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God17But if we are sons, then we are also heirs: certainly heirs of God, but also co-heirs with Christ, yet in such a way that, if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him
Luke
10Now he was teaching in their synagogue on the Sabbaths11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. And she was bent over; and she was unable to look upwards at all12And when Jesus saw her, he called her to himself, and he said to her, "Woman, you are released from your infirmity.13And he laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was straightened, and she glorified God14Then, as a result, the ruler of the synagogue became angry that Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, and he said to the crowd: "There are six days on which you ought to work. Therefore, come and be cured on those, and not on the day of the Sabbath.15Then the Lord said to him in response: "You hypocrites! Does not each one of you, on the Sabbath, release his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it to water16So then, should not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for lo these eighteen years, be released from this restraint on the day of the Sabbath?17And as he was saying these things, all his adversaries were ashamed. And all the people rejoiced in everything that was being done gloriously by him
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of God’s Spirit and the freedom it brings. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells within us. This Spirit is not a spirit of fear or servitude but one of adoption, making us children of God. Paul emphasizes that living according to the flesh leads to death, while living by the Spirit leads to life. He encourages us to mortify the deeds of the flesh and embrace our identity as sons and daughters of God, who are also heirs of His glory, provided we share in Christ’s sufferings.
In the Gospel, Luke presents a vivid scene where Jesus heals a woman bent over by a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Despite the objections of the synagogue ruler, who insists that healing should not happen on the Sabbath, Jesus sees the deeper truth: the Sabbath is a day for God’s mercy and liberation. He compares the woman, bound by Satan for so long, to an ox or donkey that is untethered on the Sabbath to drink water. Just as animals deserve care, so too does this daughter of Abraham deserve to be set free. Jesus’ actions reveal that true freedom and healing are always in harmony with God’s will, even on the Sabbath.
These readings remind us that our lives are not confined by the limitations of the flesh or the rigid interpretations of others. The Spirit of God within us calls us to live as free children of God, unafraid to embrace the transformative power of His love. In our daily lives, we are invited to trust in this Spirit, who leads us to true freedom and glory. Let us not be bound by fear or legalism but instead allow the Spirit to guide us in living as heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, and daughters and sons of Abraham. May we, like the woman in the Gospel, glorify God by embracing the liberation He offers us.