Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 8, 2019
First Reading: Wisdom 9.13-18
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Psalm 90
1Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.3You return man to dust and say, "Return, O children of man!"4For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.5You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning:6in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.7For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.8You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.9For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.10The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.11Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?12So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.13Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!14Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.16Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
Second Reading: Philemon 1.9-10, 12-17
9yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus--10I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.12I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.13I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel,14but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will.15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever,16no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother--especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.17So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
Gospel: Luke 14.25-33
25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,30saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'31Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.33So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Sermon
In today's readings, we are invited to reflect on the nature of wisdom, compassion, and commitment in our journey of faith. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom reminds us of the limitations of human understanding and the necessity of divine wisdom. It highlights our frailty and the need for God's guidance to discern His will, emphasizing that true wisdom comes from Him.
The second reading from Philemon illustrates this wisdom in action through Paul's compassionate plea to Philemon. Paul's appeal for Onesimus, a former slave, demonstrates the transformative power of faith and love. It calls us to see others through the eyes of Christ, embracing them as brothers and sisters, and to act with forgiveness and kindness.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to consider the cost of discipleship. He teaches that following Him requires total commitment, willingness to sacrifice, and trust in His plan. The parables of the tower and the king remind us to evaluate our readiness to embrace this commitment fully.
These readings connect by showing that wisdom leads to compassionate action and radical commitment. In our daily lives, we are called to seek God's wisdom, practice forgiveness, and trust in His plan, even when it demands sacrifice. Let us reflect on our commitment to Christ, trusting in His guidance and living out our faith with compassion and courage.