Daily Readings - Sat Sep 26 2020
Revelation
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
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
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
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between suffering, hope, and eternal life. In the first reading from Revelation, we are given a glimpse of the heavenly Jerusalem, where a countless multitude from every nation stands before the throne of God and the Lamb, clothed in white robes. These are the ones who have come through great tribulation, their robes washed white by the blood of the Lamb. They worship God unceasingly, 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; they are but a prelude to the eternal joy and peace that await us in God’s presence.
The second reading from 2 Corinthians deepens this theme. Paul writes about the paradox of Christian life: we are fragile, earthen vessels holding a sublime treasure—the power of God. Though we endure tribulation, we are not crushed. Though we are afflicted, we are not abandoned. Paul’s words remind us that our suffering is not meaningless. It is in our weakness that the power of God shines through. The life of Jesus is manifested in our mortal flesh, even as we carry the cross of discipleship. This is the mystery of the Christian life: death is at work in us, but it is a death that leads to life.
In the Gospel, Jesus makes this mystery explicit. He calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him. This is not a call to self-punishment but to self-surrender. To lose our life for his sake is to find true life. Jesus warns us that if we seek to save our lives on our own terms, we will lose them. But if we lose our lives for his sake, we will save them. This is the paradox of the cross: it is through embracing suffering and self-denial that we discover the true meaning of life. Jesus’ words are not just a moral lesson; they are an invitation to live in the power of the resurrection, even in the midst of trials.
These readings remind us that our faith is not about avoiding suffering but about finding meaning and hope in it. Like the multitude in Revelation, we are called to persevere through tribulation, trusting that our robes will be washed white by the blood of the Lamb. Like Paul, we are called to embrace our weakness, knowing that God’s power is made perfect in it. And like the disciples, we are called to take up our cross daily, following Jesus into the mystery of death and resurrection. Let us, then, face our struggles with faith, knowing that they are not the end of our story. For in the end, it is not our strength that will save us, but the power of God, who raises the dead and leads us to the waters of life.