Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 29, 2017
First Reading: Exodus 22.21-27
21"You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.22You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.23If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,24and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.25"If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.26If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down,27for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Psalm 18
1I love you, O LORD, my strength.2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.4The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;5the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.6In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.7Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.8Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.9He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.10He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water.12Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.14And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.15Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.16He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.17He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.18They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.19He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.20The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.22For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.23I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.24So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.25With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;26with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.27For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.28For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.29For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.30This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.31For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?--32the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.33He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.34He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.35You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.36You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.37I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.39For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.40You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.41They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.42I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.43You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me.44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me.45Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses.46The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation--47the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,48who delivered me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you rescued me from the man of violence.49For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.50Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1.5c-10
5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Gospel: Matthew 22.34-40
34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.35And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"37And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.38This is the great and first commandment.39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the heart of God’s law and the call to live a life of love, compassion, and faith. The first reading from Exodus emphasizes the importance of treating the vulnerable—newcomers, widows, orphans, and the poor—with justice and kindness. This passage reflects God’s special care for those who are marginalized and reminds us that our actions toward them are actions toward God. The second reading from 1 Thessalonians highlights the transformative power of the Gospel. The early Christian community in Thessalonica became a model of faith and joy, even in the face of suffering, because they embraced the Word of God with openness and courage. Their example encourages us to live our faith with authenticity and enthusiasm, inspiring others to do the same. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. These two commandments, Jesus says, are the foundation of the entire law and the prophets.
These readings are deeply connected. The command to love God and neighbor is not just a moral rule; it is the essence of who God is and how He calls us to live. In Exodus, we see this love expressed in concrete actions of justice and compassion toward the vulnerable. In Thessalonians, we see this love lived out in the joy and perseverance of the early Christians, who became a beacon of hope for others. In Matthew, Jesus simplifies the law to its core: love. Together, these readings remind us that faith is not just about words or rules but about how we live out our relationship with God and with one another.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How am I living out the commandment to love? Am I treating others with the same compassion and justice that God shows to me? Am I allowing the Gospel to transform my life and inspire others? Let us strive to be like the Thessalonians, who embraced the Word with joy and became a light to those around them. Let us also remember that love is not just a feeling but a choice—a choice to act with kindness, to stand with the vulnerable, and to reflect God’s love in all we do. May we, like the early Christians, become models of faith and love, shining the light of Christ in a world that so desperately needs it.