Daily Readings - Sat Sep 26 2020
Revelation
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,10and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,12saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?"14I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.15"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
2 Corinthians
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.12So death is at work in us, but life in you.13Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak,14knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.15For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
Gospel - Luke 9.23-26 or John 12.24-26
Luke
23And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?26For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
John
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between suffering, hope, and eternal life. In the first reading from Revelation, we are given a glimpse of the heavenly Jerusalem, where a countless multitude from every nation stands before the throne of God and the Lamb, clothed in white robes. These are the ones who have come through great tribulation, their robes washed white by the blood of the Lamb. They worship God unceasingly, and the Lamb, who is their shepherd, leads them to the waters of life. This vision reminds us that our present struggles are not the end of the story; they are but a prelude to the eternal joy and peace that await us in God’s presence.
The second reading from 2 Corinthians deepens this theme. Paul writes about the paradox of Christian life: we are fragile, earthen vessels holding a sublime treasure—the power of God. Though we endure tribulation, we are not crushed. Though we are afflicted, we are not abandoned. Paul’s words remind us that our suffering is not meaningless. It is in our weakness that the power of God shines through. The life of Jesus is manifested in our mortal flesh, even as we carry the cross of discipleship. This is the mystery of the Christian life: death is at work in us, but it is a death that leads to life.
In the Gospel, Jesus makes this mystery explicit. He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him. This is not a call to self-punishment but to self-surrender. To lose our life for his sake is to find true life. Jesus warns us that if we seek to save our lives on our own terms, we will lose them. But if we lose our lives for his sake, we will save them. This is the paradox of the cross: it is through embracing suffering and self-denial that we discover the true meaning of life. Jesus’ words are not just a moral lesson; they are an invitation to live in the power of the resurrection, even in the midst of trials.
These readings remind us that our faith is not about avoiding suffering but about finding meaning and hope in it. Like the multitude in Revelation, we are called to persevere through tribulation, trusting that our robes will be washed white by the blood of the Lamb. Like Paul, we are called to embrace our weakness, knowing that God’s power is made perfect in it. And like the disciples, we are called to take up our cross daily, following Jesus into the mystery of death and resurrection. Let us, then, face our struggles with faith, knowing that they are not the end of our story. For in the end, it is not our strength that will save us, but the power of God, who raises the dead and leads us to the waters of life.