Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 28, 2018
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 3.1-11
1For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:2a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;3a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;4a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;6a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;8a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.9What gain has the worker from his toil?10I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.11He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Psalm 144
1Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;2he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.3O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?4Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.5Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke!6Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them!7Stretch out your hand from on high; rescue me and deliver me from the many waters, from the hand of foreigners,8whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.9I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,10who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.11Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.12May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace;13may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;14may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets!15Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
Gospel: Luke 9.18-22
18Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"19And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen."20Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."21And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one,22saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the nature of time, purpose, and the mystery of God’s plan. The first reading from Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is filled with seasons—times of birth and death, planting and uprooting, joy and sorrow. The author suggests that while we may not fully understand the meaning of all things, we can trust that God has ordered them well. This wisdom encourages us to embrace the present moment, whatever it may bring, and to find balance in the midst of life’s contradictions.
The Gospel reading from Luke shifts our focus to Jesus, who reveals the ultimate purpose of his mission. When Jesus asks his disciples who they believe he is, Peter’s confession—“The Christ of God”—marks a turning point. Yet Jesus quickly adds that his identity as the Messiah is inseparable from his suffering, rejection, and resurrection. This passage reminds us that following Christ is not about seeking glory or comfort but about embracing the cross. Just as Jesus accepted his season of suffering for the sake of redemption, we too are called to trust in God’s timing and to find meaning in the challenges we face.
These readings invite us to live with faith and hope. Ecclesiastes teaches us to trust in God’s plan, even when we cannot see the full picture. Luke’s Gospel calls us to embrace our own crosses, knowing that they are part of a larger story of love and salvation. In our daily lives, let us seek to discern God’s timing, to embrace both the joyful and the difficult seasons, and to follow Christ with courage and humility. May we find strength in the knowledge that all things are in God’s hands, and may we live with purpose, trusting that his plan is always for our good.