Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 17, 2017

First Reading: Wisdom 13.1-9

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Psalm 19

¹The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.²Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.³There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.⁴Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,⁵which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.⁷The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;⁸the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;⁹the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.¹¹Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.¹²Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.¹³Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Gospel: Luke 17.26-37

Luke

Chapter 17

²⁶Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.²⁷They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.²⁸Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot--they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,²⁹but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all--³⁰so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.³¹On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.³²Remember Lot's wife.³³Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.³⁴I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.³⁵There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left."³⁶See Footnote³⁷And they said to him, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the themes of awareness and preparedness. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom reminds us that creation itself is a testament to God’s existence. It cautions against the tendency to mistake the beauty of the world for the divine itself, rather than recognizing the Creator behind it. This passage emphasizes that while creation is magnificent, it is merely a reflection of God’s greatness, and we must not lose sight of the Creator in the midst of His creation. The Gospel from Luke takes this theme further, as Jesus warns us about the importance of being prepared for His return. Drawing parallels to the days of Noah and Lot, Jesus illustrates how people were so engrossed in their daily lives that they failed to recognize the impending judgment. Jesus’ message is clear: we must remain vigilant and not allow ourselves to be consumed by the distractions of the world. The example of Lot’s wife serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of looking back, both literally and metaphorically. Together, these readings call us to live with a sense of awareness and faith. They remind us to seek God in all things, whether in the beauty of creation or in the midst of our daily lives. Jesus’ words challenge us to be prepared, not out of fear, but out of love and devotion. Let us strive to cultivate a deeper relationship with God, so that we may recognize His presence in all aspects of our lives and be ready to meet Him when He comes.