Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 13, 2017
First Reading: Colossians 3.1-11
1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.5Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.6On account of these the wrath of God is coming.7In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.8But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.11Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Psalm 145
1I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.2Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.4One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.5On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.6They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.7They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.8The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.9The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.10All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,12to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.[The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]14The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.16You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.17The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.18The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.20The LORD preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.21My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Gospel: Luke 6.20-26
20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.21"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied."Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.22"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.24"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.25"Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry."Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.26"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of living as followers of Christ. In the first reading from Colossians, St. Paul urges us to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. He reminds us that our old way of life, marked by sin and self-centeredness, must be stripped away, and we must be clothed in the new man, renewed in the image of our Creator. This passage emphasizes the radical change that occurs when we die to sin and rise with Christ, living a life that reflects our unity in Him, where distinctions like Gentile or Jew, slave or free, no longer matter.
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus delivering the Beatitudes, a series of blessings and woes that challenge our worldly notions of happiness and success. Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, the hungry, and those who weep, while issuing woes to the wealthy, the satisfied, and those who laugh now. This teaching is not about material conditions but about the disposition of our hearts. The poor in spirit, the hungry for justice, and those who mourn over sin are promised that their reversal of fortune will come in the kingdom of God. Conversely, those who are complacent or exploit others will face sorrow.
Together, these readings call us to live in a way that reflects the values of the kingdom of God. We are to renounce sin and worldly ambitions, embracing instead a life of humility, compassion, and justice. In our daily lives, this means choosing to see and serve Christ in others, especially in those who are marginalized or suffering. It means being willing to let go of our own desires and comforts for the sake of the Gospel. The moral lesson is clear: true happiness and fulfillment come not from earthly possessions or status but from living as children of God, transformed by His grace and conformed to the image of Christ.