Daily Readings - Sat Oct 15 2022

¹⁵Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,¹⁶Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;¹⁷That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:¹⁸The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,¹⁹And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Luke

Chapter 12

⁸Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:⁹But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.¹⁰And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.¹¹And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:¹²For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound relationship between faith, prayer, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives. In the first reading from Ephesians, St. Paul expresses his deep gratitude for the faith of the Ephesian community and prays that God may grant them a spirit of wisdom and revelation. He wants them to understand the hope of their calling and the immense inheritance they have in Christ. This prayer is not just for the Ephesians but for all of us, reminding us that our faith is a gift, and with it comes the responsibility to live in hope and trust in God’s plan. The reading also highlights the cosmic dimension of Christ’s victory, with all things subjected to him, and the Church as his body, the fullness of his presence in the world. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the importance of confessing him before others and the gravity of rejecting the Holy Spirit. He assures us that the Holy Spirit will guide us in times of trial, teaching us what to say and do. This passage is a call to courage and trust in God’s providence. It reminds us that our faith is not a private matter but something that must be lived openly, even when it is challenging. At the same time, it warns us about the dangers of hardness of heart and the refusal to acknowledge God’s presence and action in our lives. Together, these readings encourage us to live with confidence in God’s love and to seek his wisdom daily. They remind us that our faith is a treasure that must be nurtured through prayer and lived out in our words and actions. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds, that we may truly understand the hope we have in Christ and bear witness to his love in all that we do. May we trust in God’s plan and seek his guidance, knowing that he will never abandon us.