Daily Readings - Fri Oct 22 2021
Romans
18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Luke
54He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming.' And so it happens.55And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat,' and it happens.56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?57"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?58As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.59I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on the human condition and our relationship with God. The first reading from Romans describes the internal struggle of St. Paul, who laments the tension between his desire to do good and his inability to fully achieve it due to the presence of sin within him. He acknowledges the law of God that delights his inner being, but he is also aware of another law at work in his body, warring against his mind and binding him to sin. This struggle is both deeply personal and universally relatable, as we all experience the gap between our aspirations and our actions.
The Gospel reading from Luke shifts our focus outward, as Jesus challenges the crowd to examine their spiritual awareness. He criticizes them for being able to interpret the signs of nature—such as clouds and wind—yet failing to discern the signs of the times spiritually. Jesus urges them to settle their disputes quickly and to avoid the consequences of judgment, warning that once we are entangled in conflict, it can lead to a kind of spiritual imprisonment from which it is hard to escape. Together, these readings invite us to reflect on our own self-awareness and our relationship with God and others.
These readings call us to recognize the tension within ourselves between good and evil, light and darkness. Like St. Paul, we may feel trapped by our own weaknesses, but we are reminded that our liberation comes through the grace of God in Jesus Christ. At the same time, Jesus’ words in the Gospel challenge us to be honest about our spiritual state and to act with urgency in seeking reconciliation and justice. Let us ask ourselves: Do we acknowledge our own struggles and limitations? Are we attentive to the signs of God’s presence in our lives? Let us turn to God with humility, seeking His grace to overcome our sin and to live with greater integrity and love.