Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 26, 2017
First Reading: Romans 6.19-23
19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 1
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Gospel: Luke 12.49-53
49I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?50But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!51Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:52For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.53The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of God’s grace and the challenging nature of discipleship. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul contrasts our former lives of sin with our new life in Christ. He reminds us that we were once slaves to sin, but through baptism, we have been set free and now belong to God, living a life oriented toward holiness and eternal life. This passage emphasizes the radical change that occurs when we surrender to God’s will, leaving behind the fruitless works of darkness and embracing the fruitful path of sanctification.
The Gospel from Luke presents a stark and unsettling image of Jesus as a divine disruptor. He speaks of casting fire upon the earth and bringing division rather than peace. This is not the comforting Jesus we often imagine; instead, this is the Jesus who calls us to radical commitment, even if it means tension within our own families. His words remind us that following Him is not about maintaining the status quo or avoiding conflict. True discipleship requires us to take a stand for the truth, even when it leads to division. Jesus’ baptism, here, refers not just to His own Passion but also to the trials and sacrifices that His followers must endure.
Together, these readings challenge us to examine our lives. Are we living as children of justice, or are we still clinging to the old self? The fire Jesus speaks of is the purifying flame of the Holy Spirit, which burns away sin and ignites our hearts with love for God. This fire demands that we make difficult choices, prioritizing our relationship with God above all else. In a world that often values comfort and compromise, these readings call us to boldness and fidelity. Let us pray for the courage to embrace the transformative power of God’s grace, even when it leads to division, trusting that it is through this process that we will bear fruit in holiness and attain eternal life.