Daily Readings - Wed Sep 20 2017

First Reading - 1 Timothy 3.14-16

¹⁴These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:¹⁵But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.¹⁶And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Gospel - Luke 7.31-35

Luke

Chapter 7

³¹And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?³²They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.³⁴The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!³⁵But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of God’s truth and how it is received in the world. In the first reading from 1 Timothy, St. Paul emphasizes the Church as the “pillar and foundation of truth,” a community called to uphold and live out the mystery of God’s plan of salvation. This mystery, revealed in the flesh and glorified in Christ, transcends human understanding and yet is accessible to all through faith. The Church, as the living body of Christ, is entrusted with preserving and proclaiming this truth in a world often hostile or indifferent to it. In the Gospel, Jesus laments the inconsistency of those who reject both the austere witness of John the Baptist and the joyful, inclusive ministry of Himself. John, who fasted and lived an ascetic life, was dismissed as having a demon, while Jesus, who ate and drank with sinners, was labeled a glutton and a drunkard. This criticism reveals the hardness of heart that resists the truth, no matter how it is presented. Jesus’ words remind us that wisdom is vindicated by her children—those who embrace God’s truth with open hearts and lives. These readings challenge us to examine how we receive God’s truth in our own lives. Are we open to His Word, no matter how it comes to us? Do we allow ourselves to be shaped by the Church’s teaching, even when it challenges our assumptions? Let us ask for the grace to embrace the mystery of God’s love with humility and joy, trusting that His truth will set us free. In a world that often resists the Gospel, may we be faithful witnesses, living out the mystery of Christ in our daily lives.