Daily Readings - Thu Sep 26 2024

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 are reminded of the ultimate hope that lies before us and the path we must take to reach it. The first reading from Revelation paints a vivid picture of the heavenly Jerusalem, where a great multitude from every nation stands before the throne of God and the Lamb, clothed in white robes. These are the ones who have endured great tribulation but have been purified by the blood of the Lamb. They worship God unceasingly, and the Lamb shepherds them, leading them to the waters of life. This vision is a glimpse of the eternal life that awaits those who remain faithful through trials. The second reading from 2 Corinthians provides the context for our present journey. St. Paul writes about the paradox of carrying the treasure of God’s grace in fragile, earthen vessels. Though we face tribulations, hardships, and persecutions, these do not define us. Instead, they reveal the power of God at work in us. Paul emphasizes that our suffering is not in vain; it allows the life of Christ to shine through us. Even as death is at work in us, the Spirit of God brings life to others through our faith and witness. This is the heart of Christian discipleship: trusting that God’s grace will abound even in our weakness. In the Gospel, Jesus calls us to embrace this path of discipleship with courage and humility. He tells us that following him requires denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and losing our lives for his sake. This is not a call to self-destruction but to self-surrender. Jesus warns us that clinging to our own lives and desires will lead to loss, while surrendering to him will lead to true life. He also reminds us that our witness to him matters; if we are ashamed of him now, he will be ashamed of us when he comes in glory. These readings invite us to reflect on our own journey of faith. Are we willing to endure trials and hardships for the sake of Christ? Do we trust that God’s power is at work even in our weakness? Let us remember that the ultimate goal of our lives is not comfort or success, but to stand before the throne of God, clothed in the purity of his grace, worshiping him without end. May we embrace our crosses with courage, knowing that they lead us to eternal life, and may we never be ashamed to witness to the love and truth of Christ in our daily lives.