Daily Readings - Mon Oct 05 2020

⁶I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--⁷not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.⁸But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.⁹As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.¹⁰For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.¹¹For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.¹²For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Luke

Chapter 10

²⁵And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"²⁶He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"²⁷And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."²⁸And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."²⁹But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"³⁰Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.³³But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.³⁴He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.³⁵And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'³⁶Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"³⁷He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are reminded of the importance of staying true to the Gospel and living out its teachings in our lives. The first reading from Galatians expresses Paul’s astonishment that the Galatians have so quickly turned away from the Gospel they first received. He emphasizes that there is only one true Gospel, revealed by God, and any other message is a distortion. Paul’s passion underscores the necessity of remaining faithful to the authentic teachings of Christ, which are rooted in God’s revelation, not human invention. The Gospel from Luke presents us with the parable of the Good Samaritan, a powerful illustration of what it means to live the Gospel. When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus points to the law of love—loving God and neighbor. The parable challenges us to redefine who our neighbor is, not limited by cultural, religious, or social boundaries. The Samaritan, often seen as an outcast, becomes the true neighbor because he shows compassion and acts selflessly. This parable teaches us that being a neighbor is not about geography or affiliation but about mercy and love in action. Together, these readings call us to fidelity and compassion. Paul warns against being swayed by false gospels, urging us to cling to the truth of Christ. The Good Samaritan reminds us that this truth must be lived out in tangible ways—through acts of kindness, mercy, and love for all people, regardless of their background. In our daily lives, let us ask ourselves: Are we staying true to the Gospel? Are we living it out by being neighbors to those in need? May we, like the Good Samaritan, allow God’s love to flow through us, transforming the world one act of mercy at a time.