Daily Readings - Tue Sep 07 2021
Colossians
6Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.8See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.11In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.13And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Luke
12In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.13And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:14Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.17And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound connection between faith, identity, and the transformative power of Christ in our lives. In the first reading from Colossians, St. Paul emphasizes the importance of being rooted in Christ and living out our faith with gratitude and authenticity. He warns against the dangers of being swayed by empty philosophies and worldly influences, reminding us that true fulfillment comes only through Christ, who is the head of all creation. Through baptism, we have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection, and our sins have been forgiven. This passage calls us to live in a way that reflects our new life in Christ, free from the burdens of sin and the false promises of the world.
In the Gospel, Luke describes Jesus’ prayerful selection of the Twelve Apostles and his ministry of healing and compassion. Jesus’ decision to choose these ordinary men as his closest disciples underscores God’s preference for the humble and the unlikely. The crowd that gathers around Jesus is drawn not only by his miracles but by the power of his presence, which touches hearts and heals lives. This passage reminds us that our faith is not just about doctrine or rituals but about a living relationship with Christ, who has the power to transform us and the world around us.
Together, these readings encourage us to deepen our relationship with Christ and to live as his disciples in the world. Like the Colossians, we must resist the pull of secularism and materialism, grounding ourselves instead in the truth of the Gospel. Like the crowd in Luke’s Gospel, we are called to approach Christ with openness and faith, trusting in his power to heal and transform us. As we go about our daily lives, let us remember that we are rooted in Christ and that his power flows through us. May we live with gratitude, humility, and a commitment to sharing the love and light of Christ with all we meet.