Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 13, 2017
First Reading: Colossians 3.1-11
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Psalm 145
1I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.2Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.3Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.4One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.5They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.6They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.7They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.8The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.9The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.10All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.11They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,12so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.14The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.16You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.17The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.18The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.20The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.21My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
Gospel: Luke 6.20-26
20Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.22Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.23"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.24"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.25Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.26Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the transformative power of living as followers of Christ. In the first reading from Colossians, St. Paul urges us to seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. He reminds us that our old way of life, marked by sin and self-centeredness, must be stripped away, and we must be clothed in the new man, renewed in the image of our Creator. This passage emphasizes the radical change that occurs when we die to sin and rise with Christ, living a life that reflects our unity in Him, where distinctions like Gentile or Jew, slave or free, no longer matter.
In the Gospel, Luke presents Jesus delivering the Beatitudes, a series of blessings and woes that challenge our worldly notions of happiness and success. Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, the hungry, and those who weep, while issuing woes to the wealthy, the satisfied, and those who laugh now. This teaching is not about material conditions but about the disposition of our hearts. The poor in spirit, the hungry for justice, and those who mourn over sin are promised that their reversal of fortune will come in the kingdom of God. Conversely, those who are complacent or exploit others will face sorrow.
Together, these readings call us to live in a way that reflects the values of the kingdom of God. We are to renounce sin and worldly ambitions, embracing instead a life of humility, compassion, and justice. In our daily lives, this means choosing to see and serve Christ in others, especially in those who are marginalized or suffering. It means being willing to let go of our own desires and comforts for the sake of the Gospel. The moral lesson is clear: true happiness and fulfillment come not from earthly possessions or status but from living as children of God, transformed by His grace and conformed to the image of Christ.