Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 13, 2017
First Reading: Colossians 3.1-11
1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:6For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:7In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:11Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Psalm 145
1I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.2Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.4One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.5I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.6And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.7They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.8The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.9The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.10All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;12To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.14The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.15The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.16Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.17The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.18The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.20The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.21My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
Gospel: Luke 6.20-26
20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.21Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.22Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.23Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.24But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.25Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.26Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of living as followers of Christ. In the first reading from Colossians, St. Paul urges us to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. He reminds us that our old way of life, marked by sin and self-centeredness, must be stripped away, and we must be clothed in the new man, renewed in the image of our Creator. This passage emphasizes the radical change that occurs when we die to sin and rise with Christ, living a life that reflects our unity in Him, where distinctions like Gentile or Jew, slave or free, no longer matter.
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus delivering the Beatitudes, a series of blessings and woes that challenge our worldly notions of happiness and success. Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, the hungry, and those who weep, while issuing woes to the wealthy, the satisfied, and those who laugh now. This teaching is not about material conditions but about the disposition of our hearts. The poor in spirit, the hungry for justice, and those who mourn over sin are promised that their reversal of fortune will come in the kingdom of God. Conversely, those who are complacent or exploit others will face sorrow.
Together, these readings call us to live in a way that reflects the values of the kingdom of God. We are to renounce sin and worldly ambitions, embracing instead a life of humility, compassion, and justice. In our daily lives, this means choosing to see and serve Christ in others, especially in those who are marginalized or suffering. It means being willing to let go of our own desires and comforts for the sake of the Gospel. The moral lesson is clear: true happiness and fulfillment come not from earthly possessions or status but from living as children of God, transformed by His grace and conformed to the image of Christ.