Daily Readings - Mon Oct 07 2024

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 essence of our faith and the call to live it out with authenticity and compassion. The first reading from Galatians highlights Paul’s concern for the community that has been swayed by false teachings. He emphasizes the purity of the Gospel, which he received through divine revelation, urging the Galatians to remain steadfast and not be misled by distortions of the truth. This serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of grounding our faith in the authentic teachings of Christ. The Gospel from Luke presents the parable of the Good Samaritan, which challenges us to rethink who our neighbors are. Jesus expands the traditional understanding of a neighbor to include anyone in need, regardless of background or circumstances. The Samaritan, often seen as an outcast, becomes the exemplar of true neighborliness through his compassionate actions. This parable underscores that faith is not just about belief but about putting love into action, especially towards those we might otherwise overlook or avoid. Together, these readings call us to reflect on our commitment to the Gospel and how we live it out. Just as Paul urges us to hold fast to the true Gospel, Jesus calls us to express our faith through tangible acts of mercy and love. In our daily lives, this means being steadfast in our beliefs while actively seeking opportunities to serve and care for others, even when it is inconvenient or challenging. Let us strive to embody the integrity of Paul and the compassion of the Good Samaritan, living out our faith with authenticity and love.