Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 6, 2017
First Reading: Baruch 1.15-22
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Psalm 79
1O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.2They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food, the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.3They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.4We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.5How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?6Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name!7For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.8Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name's sake!10Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes!11Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!12Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!13But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Gospel: Luke 10.13-16
13"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.14But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.15And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.16"The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter a profound reflection on sin, repentance, and the justice of God. The first reading from Baruch is a confession of sin on behalf of the people of Israel, acknowledging their unfaithfulness and rebellion against God. The passage expresses deep regret for turning away from the Lord and failing to follow His commandments, recognizing that their suffering is a consequence of their sins. This is not merely an admission of wrongdoing but a humble acceptance of responsibility, a necessary step toward healing and reconciliation.
In the Gospel, Jesus speaks words of lament over the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These cities had witnessed mighty works and miracles, yet they failed to repent and turn to God. Jesus’ sorrow is palpable as He contrasts their hardness of heart with the readiness of the ancient cities of Tyre and Sidon to repent if given the same opportunities. This passage serves as a stark reminder that receiving God’s grace and mercy brings with it a responsibility to respond with faith and conversion.
Both readings call us to examine our own lives and our response to God’s presence in the world. Like the Israelites in Baruch, we must acknowledge our sins and humbly seek forgiveness. Like the cities in Luke’s Gospel, we must not take God’s blessings for granted but instead allow His grace to transform our hearts and lives. The moral lesson is clear: true faith is not merely about knowing God’s word but living it out in obedience, humility, and repentance. Let us strive to be people who hear God’s voice and respond with open hearts, lest we too fall into the trap of spiritual complacency and hardness of heart.