Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 22, 2020
First Reading: Ephesians 3.13-21
13So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love,18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.20Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Psalm 33
1Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.2Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.4For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.5He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.7He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.10The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.11The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!13The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;14from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,15he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.16The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.17The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.18Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,19that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.20Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.22Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Gospel: Luke 12.49-53
49"I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!50I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!51Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.52For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on the nature of faith, love, and the challenges of following Christ. The first reading from Ephesians is a prayer of St. Paul, who, despite his own sufferings, intercedes for the believers, asking that they be strengthened by the Spirit and rooted in faith and love. He prays that they may come to know the immeasurable depth of God’s love and be filled with the fullness of God. This prayer is a beautiful expression of Paul’s desire for the Church to live in the richness of God’s grace and to glorify Him in all things.
The Gospel reading from Luke presents a stark contrast. Jesus speaks of His mission to cast fire upon the earth, a fire that will bring division rather than peace. He describes how families will be split—three against two, and two against three—because of the radical demands of following Him. This passage is not about Jesus bringing literal fire or physical division but about the transformative and often disruptive power of the Gospel. It challenges us to recognize that living as disciples of Christ will sometimes require us to stand apart from the world and even from those closest to us.
Together, these readings remind us that living a life rooted in faith and love is both a source of strength and a call to courage. Paul’s prayer encourages us to embrace the fullness of God’s love, even as Jesus warns us that this love will not always be easy or comfortable. In our daily lives, we are called to live with conviction, trusting that the fire of God’s love will guide us through the inevitable challenges and divisions. Let us ask for the strength to remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that the ultimate unity and peace we seek are found in God alone.