Daily Readings - Thu Oct 12 2017
First Reading - Malachi 3.13 – 4.2
Malachi
Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Gospel - Luke 11.5-13
Luke
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the importance of faith, persistence, and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Malachi speaks to a people who have grown weary in their faith, questioning whether serving God is worth the effort. They observe the prosperity of the wicked and begin to doubt God’s justice. Yet, Malachi assures us that God is attentive to those who fear him and remain faithful. He promises a day of reckoning where the arrogant will be purified, and the righteous will find joy and healing in the “Sun of Justice.” This passage calls us to remain steadfast in our commitment to God, even when the world around us seems unjust.
The Gospel from Luke complements this message with Jesus’ parable of the persistent friend. Jesus teaches us that prayer requires perseverance and trust. Just as the friend in the parable eventually receives what he needs because of his persistence, so too will God respond to our prayers, though not always in the way or timing we expect. Jesus reassures us that God, as a loving Father, desires to give us good things. He invites us to approach him with confidence, knowing that our prayers are heard and that he will provide for us in his own way.
These readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God. Do we approach him with the persistence and trust of a child, or do we allow doubt and discouragement to weaken our faith? In a world that often values immediate results and instant gratification, the readings remind us of the value of patience and perseverance. Let us take heart in God’s promise to reward the faithful and to provide for us abundantly. May we, like the just in Malachi’s vision, walk in the light of the Sun of Justice, trusting that God’s plan for us is always good.