Daily Readings - Mon Nov 02 2020

¹⁷my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is;¹⁸so I say, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD."¹⁹Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall!²⁰My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.²¹But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:²²The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;²³they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.²⁴"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."²⁵The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.²⁶It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 15

⁵¹Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.⁵³For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.⁵⁴When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."⁵⁵"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel - Matthew 11.25-30 or John 12.23-26

Matthew

Chapter 11

²⁵At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;²⁶yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.²⁷All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

John

Chapter 12

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 are invited to reflect on hope, transformation, and the invitation to rest in God’s presence. The first reading from Lamentations expresses a deep sorrow and sense of loss, yet it holds onto hope in God’s mercies. The author reminds us that even in the midst of suffering, God’s faithfulness endures, and His compassion never fails. This text, likely written during a time of great affliction for the people of Israel, calls us to trust in God’s goodness even when all seems lost. The second reading from 1 Corinthians shifts our gaze to the ultimate hope of the resurrection. St. Paul reminds us that our current struggles are not the end of the story. Through Christ, death has been defeated, and we will all be transformed. This passage is a powerful reminder that our lives are not limited to this earthly existence but are oriented toward eternal life with God. The resurrection is not just a future event but a present reality that shapes how we live today. In the Gospel, Jesus offers us an invitation to rest. He speaks to those who are burdened and weary, promising refreshment and peace. Jesus’ words are an invitation to reorient our lives around Him, to take on His yoke, which is “sweet and light.” This is not a call to escape our struggles but to find strength and meaning in them by uniting ourselves to Christ. Like the readings from Lamentations and Corinthians, the Gospel encourages us to trust in God’s plan and to find hope in His promises. These readings remind us that our faith is rooted in hope, even when life feels heavy. We are called to trust in God’s faithfulness, to look forward to the ultimate victory over death, and to find rest in Christ’s presence. Let us carry this hope with us, especially in moments of struggle, and let us turn to Jesus, who promises to refresh our souls and give us the strength to carry on.