Daily Readings - Mon Oct 08 2018

⁶I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--⁷not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.⁸But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.⁹As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.¹⁰For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.¹¹For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.¹²For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Luke

Chapter 10

²⁵And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"²⁶He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"²⁷And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."²⁸And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."²⁹But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"³⁰Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.³³But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.³⁴He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.³⁵And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'³⁶Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"³⁷He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages that invite us to reflect on the integrity of our faith and the call to live out that faith in love and compassion. The first reading from Galatians finds St. Paul astonished that the community has so quickly turned away from the Gospel they first received. He emphasizes that the Gospel is not a human invention but a revelation from God, and he warns against any distortion of this truth, even if it comes from an angel or an apostle. Paul’s passion underscores the importance of remaining faithful to the authentic message of Christ, untainted by human opinions or worldly influences. The Gospel from Luke presents us with the parable of the Good Samaritan, a timeless lesson on love and neighborliness. When a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus turns the question back to the law and then expands its meaning through this parable. The Samaritan, often considered an outcast, becomes the true neighbor because he acts with mercy and compassion toward a stranger in need. This story challenges us to move beyond our biases and comfort zones to recognize that our neighbor is anyone we encounter, especially those who are suffering or marginalized. Together, these readings remind us that our faith must be both authentic and active. St. Paul calls us to guard the integrity of the Gospel, while Jesus shows us that living the Gospel means putting love into action. In our daily lives, we are called to remain steadfast in our commitment to Christ’s teachings and to embody that commitment by serving others with kindness and generosity. Let us ask ourselves: Am I staying true to the Gospel? Am I seeing Christ in those around me, especially in those who may seem different or difficult to love? May we, like the Good Samaritan, allow God’s love to flow through us, transforming both our hearts and the world around us.