Daily Readings - Fri Oct 13 2017
First Reading - Joel 1.13-15; 2.1-2
Joel
Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD,Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
Gospel - Luke 11.15-26
Luke
But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the urgency of repentance and the reality of spiritual warfare. In the first reading from Joel, we hear a call to lamentation and fasting as the day of the Lord approaches. Joel paints a vivid picture of a people unprepared for the judgment that is near, urging them to gather and cry out to God. This is not a call to fear, but to conversion—a reminder that our lives must be oriented toward God if we are to stand firm when the day of reckoning comes.
In the Gospel, Jesus confronts the accusations of those who attribute His power to cast out demons to Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Jesus’ response is both a rebuke and a revelation. He points out the absurdity of Satan working against himself, and then shifts the focus to the true nature of His mission: the kingdom of God has come upon them. The parable of the strong man and the unclean spirit drives home the point that to be neutral in this spiritual battle is to be complicit in evil. Jesus makes it clear: we are either gathering with Him or scattering; there is no middle ground.
These readings challenge us to examine our own lives. Are we prepared to meet the Lord? Are we actively aligning ourselves with His will, or are we passively allowing the forces of darkness to take hold? Joel’s call to repentance and Jesus’ warning about spiritual complacency remind us that our faith must be lived with urgency and intentionality. Let us not be like the man who, having been freed from an unclean spirit, leaves his house empty and unguarded. Instead, let us fill our hearts with the presence of God, through prayer, repentance, and a life of love. The kingdom of God is near; let us be ready.