Daily Readings - Tue Sep 12 2017
Colossians
6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.8See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.11In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Luke
12In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.13And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:14Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.17And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound connection between our faith in Christ and our mission to live as His disciples in the world. In the first reading from Colossians, St. Paul reminds us that our lives must be deeply rooted in Christ. He warns us against being swayed by empty philosophies and human traditions that can lead us away from the truth of the Gospel. Instead, we are called to live in gratitude and humility, recognizing that in Christ, we have been fully reconciled to God. Through Baptism, we have been buried and raised with Him, and our sins have been forgiven. This is the foundation of our Christian identity.
In the Gospel, Luke describes Jesus choosing the Twelve Apostles after a night of prayer. This moment marks the beginning of their formal mission to spread the Good News. Jesus then descends to a level place, where a great crowd gathers to listen to Him and be healed. The power of God flows through Him, touching all who are in need. This scene reminds us that our faith is not just about personal spirituality but also about being part of a community that seeks healing and transformation. Just as the Apostles were called to follow Jesus and share His message, we too are called to live out our faith in the world.
These readings challenge us to examine how we are living our faith. Are we rooted in Christ, or are we allowing the influences of the world to pull us away from Him? Are we using our unique gifts and talents to serve others and share the love of God? Let us remember that our faith is not just about what we believe but also about how we live. Like the Apostles, we are called to be instruments of God’s healing and hope in a world that so desperately needs it. May we, like the crowd in the Gospel, reach out to touch Jesus, and may His power flow through us to bring light and love to all those around us.