Daily Readings - Sat Nov 02 2019
Job
1Then Job answered and said:23"Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!24Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!25For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.26And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,27whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!
1 Corinthians
20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
John
23And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound reflections on hope, resurrection, and self-sacrifice. The first reading from Job presents a man in the depths of suffering, yet unwavering in his faith. Job clings to the hope of a Redeemer who will one day raise him from the dead, a hope that transcends his current anguish. This passage, written in a time of great personal trial, highlights Job's unshakable trust in God's promise of redemption.
In the second reading, St. Paul writes to the Corinthians about the resurrection of Christ, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Paul explains that just as death came through Adam, so too has the resurrection come through Christ. This passage serves as a theological foundation for our Christian hope, reminding us that our resurrection is inextricably linked to Christ's. We are called to live in the hope of eternal life, knowing that our ultimate destiny is to rise with Him.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses the metaphor of the grain of wheat to teach about the necessity of self-sacrifice. He says that unless the wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit. This is both a call to discipleship and a reminder that true life comes through surrender. Jesus is not speaking of physical death but of dying to oneself—letting go of selfish desires and ambitions for the sake of following Him.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Job's hope in the Redeemer, Paul's teaching on the resurrection, and Jesus' call to self-sacrifice all point to the same truth: our ultimate victory over death and sin comes through Christ. Job's faith in the midst of suffering, Paul's theological clarity, and Jesus' call to radical discipleship all invite us to live with eyes fixed on eternal life.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Where am I placing my hope? Am I willing to let go of my own desires and ambitions to follow Christ? The promise of resurrection is not just a future reality but a present one. By dying to ourselves daily, we can already begin to experience the fruitfulness of eternal life. May we, like Job, hold fast to our hope in the Redeemer, and may we, like Christ, be willing to surrender for the sake of others, trusting that in doing so, we will find true life.