Daily Readings - Fri Nov 30 2018
Romans
9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.11For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.13For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."14But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?"17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.18But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."
Matthew
18While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.19And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."20Immediately they left their nets and followed him.21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Sermon
The readings today remind us of the profound connection between faith, proclamation, and discipleship. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul emphasizes that salvation comes through confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection. He underscores the universal call to salvation, insisting that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is rich in mercy to all who call upon Him. Paul also highlights the necessity of preaching, for how can people believe if they have not heard the Word of God? He quotes Isaiah to express the mystery of unbelief but affirms that faith comes through hearing the Word of Christ.
In the Gospel, Matthew presents a vivid scene of Jesus calling His first disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John are fishermen who, upon hearing Jesus’ invitation, immediately leave their nets and follow Him. This passage illustrates the radical response of faith, where the call of the Lord takes precedence over everything else. Their willingness to abandon their livelihood and family reflects the transformative power of encountering Christ.
These readings are deeply interconnected. The call to follow Jesus in the Gospel is the lived expression of the faith St. Paul describes in Romans. The apostles’ immediate response to Jesus’ invitation demonstrates the kind of faith that comes from hearing the Word of God. Their willingness to leave behind their old lives to become "fishers of men" shows how the Gospel message has the power to reorient our lives entirely. For us today, these readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God’s call. Are we open to hearing His Word? Are we willing to let go of our attachments to follow Him more closely? The moral lesson is clear: faith is not just a intellectual assent but a lived commitment to Jesus Christ. Let us ask for the grace to hear His voice and to follow Him with courage and generosity, trusting that He will use us to bring His light to a world in need.