Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 24, 2022
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 11.9 – 12.8
9Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.10Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.8Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
Psalm 90
1Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.3Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.4For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.6In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.8Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.9For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.11Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.13Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.14O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.15Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.16Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Gospel: Luke 9.43b-45
43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
Sermon
In today's readings, we are invited to reflect on the nature of life, its fleeting moments, and the eternal truths that guide us. The first reading from Ecclesiastes reminds us to rejoice in our youth and to follow our hearts, yet it also warns us not to forget our Creator. It paints a vivid picture of the passing of time and the inevitability of decline and death, urging us to seek meaning beyond the superficial pleasures of life. The passage is a call to live with purpose and to remember that our actions have consequences, for "God will bring you to judgment."
The Gospel from Luke shifts our focus to Jesus, who heals a boy and then speaks to his disciples about his own future suffering. The disciples, however, fail to understand Jesus' words, and they are afraid to ask him about them. This moment in the Gospel highlights the tension between the wonder of God's power and the mystery of the cross. It reminds us that following Jesus means embracing both the joy of his presence and the difficulty of his mission.
These readings invite us to live with a sense of balance and perspective. Ecclesiastes encourages us to enjoy the gifts of life while remaining mindful of its deeper purpose. Luke reminds us that true discipleship requires us to trust in God's plan, even when it is hard to understand. In our daily lives, we are called to embrace the present with gratitude, to seek meaning beyond the fleeting, and to trust in God's providence, even in the face of uncertainty. Let us strive to live with hearts that are both joyful and discerning, open to the wonders of God's love and the challenges of following him.