Daily Readings - Thu Oct 10 2019
Malachi
13"Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, 'How have we spoken against you?'14You have said, 'It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts?15And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'"16Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name.17"They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
1"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.2But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Luke
5And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves,6for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';7and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'?8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.9And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.10For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.11What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;12or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, persistence, and the relationship between God and his people. In the first reading from Malachi, we hear a prophetic message that contrasts the fate of the just and the impious. The prophet warns of a day when the arrogant and those who act impiously will face judgment, while those who fear the Lord and remain faithful will be spared and experience the Sun of Justice rising in their lives. This passage emphasizes the importance of remaining steadfast in our commitment to God, even when it seems difficult or when others around us have abandoned their faith.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the power of persistence in prayer through the parable of the friend who knocks repeatedly at midnight. He assures us that even when our prayers seem unanswered, God, unlike the reluctant friend, is a loving Father who desires to give us good things. Jesus reminds us that if even sinful humans know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. This teaching encourages us to approach God with confidence and perseverance, trusting in his goodness and love.
These readings remind us that faith is not a passive state but an active engagement with God. In a world that often seems indifferent or even hostile to our beliefs, we are called to remain faithful, just as the just in Malachi’s prophecy. At the same time, we are invited to deepen our prayer lives, knocking on God’s door with persistence, knowing that he hears us and desires to give us the gifts we need. Let us take these lessons to heart and strive to live with unwavering faith and trust in God’s providence.