Daily Readings - Thu Sep 26 2019

⁹After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;¹⁰And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.¹¹And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,¹²Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.¹³And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?¹⁴And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.¹⁵Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.¹⁶They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.¹⁷For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

2 Corinthians

Chapter 4

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.⁸We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.¹¹For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.¹²So then death worketh in us, but life in you.¹³We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;¹⁴Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

Gospel - Luke 9.23-26 or John 12.24-26

Luke

Chapter 9

²³And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.²⁴For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.²⁵For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?²⁶For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.

John

Chapter 12

²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.²⁵He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.²⁶If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful visions of hope, endurance, and the ultimate triumph of God’s plan. The first reading from Revelation paints a glorious scene of a multitude from every nation, tribe, and language, standing before the throne of God. These are the ones who have endured great tribulation but have been made white by the blood of the Lamb. They worship God without ceasing, and the Lamb, who is their shepherd, leads them to the waters of life. This vision reminds us that our present struggles are not the end of the story; God’s victory is certain, and His people will ultimately find rest and joy in His presence. The second reading from 2 Corinthians complements this vision by grounding it in the reality of our earthly lives. Paul writes that we hold the treasure of the Gospel in earthen vessels, meaning our fragile human bodies. Though we face tribulation, constraint, persecution, and even death, these do not define us. Instead, they reveal the power of God at work in us. Paul reminds us that we carry the mortification of Jesus in our bodies so that His life may shine through us. This paradox of death and life, weakness and strength, is at the heart of the Christian life. Our struggles are not meaningless; they are opportunities for God’s grace to abound. In the Gospel, Jesus makes it clear that following Him requires self-denial and taking up our cross daily. This is not a call to misery but to freedom. When we lose our lives for His sake, we find true life. Jesus warns us not to be ashamed of Him, for our ultimate hope is in His majesty and glory. Today’s readings invite us to embrace the reality of our faith: we are called to endure hardship with hope, knowing that our present sufferings cannot compare to the eternal glory God has prepared for us. Let us trust in God’s plan, carry our crosses with courage, and keep our eyes fixed on the eternal life that awaits us.