Daily Readings - Mon Oct 27 2025
Romans
11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.13For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Luke
10And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.11And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.12And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.13And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.14And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.15The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?16And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?17And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of God’s Spirit and the freedom it brings. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells within us. This Spirit is not a spirit of fear or servitude but one of adoption, making us children of God. Paul emphasizes that living according to the flesh leads to death, while living by the Spirit leads to life. He encourages us to mortify the deeds of the flesh and embrace our identity as sons and daughters of God, who are also heirs of His glory, provided we share in Christ’s sufferings.
In the Gospel, Luke presents a vivid scene where Jesus heals a woman bent over by a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Despite the objections of the synagogue ruler, who insists that healing should not happen on the Sabbath, Jesus sees the deeper truth: the Sabbath is a day for God’s mercy and liberation. He compares the woman, bound by Satan for so long, to an ox or donkey that is untethered on the Sabbath to drink water. Just as animals deserve care, so too does this daughter of Abraham deserve to be set free. Jesus’ actions reveal that true freedom and healing are always in harmony with God’s will, even on the Sabbath.
These readings remind us that our lives are not confined by the limitations of the flesh or the rigid interpretations of others. The Spirit of God within us calls us to live as free children of God, unafraid to embrace the transformative power of His love. In our daily lives, we are invited to trust in this Spirit, who leads us to true freedom and glory. Let us not be bound by fear or legalism but instead allow the Spirit to guide us in living as heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, and daughters and sons of Abraham. May we, like the woman in the Gospel, glorify God by embracing the liberation He offers us.