Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 14, 2017
First Reading: Wisdom 2.23 – 3.9
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Psalm 34
1I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.2My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.3Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.4I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.5Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.6This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.9Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.10The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.11Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.12Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,13keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.14Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;16the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.19A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;20he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.21Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.22The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Gospel: Luke 17.7-10
7"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'?8Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'?9Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the nature of life, death, and our relationship with God. In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, we hear that God created humanity to be immortal, made in His own image and likeness. However, death entered the world through the envy of the devil. Despite this, the souls of the just are in God’s hands, and no torment of death will touch them. The passage reassures us that even though the righteous may suffer in this life, their hope is rooted in immortality. They are tested and purified like gold in a furnace, and in the end, they will shine and reign with God. This reading reminds us that our true home is not this world but the eternal life promised by God.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a servant who works in the field all day and then serves his master without expecting thanks. Jesus asks if the master would be grateful to the servant for doing what was commanded. The answer, of course, is no. The servant has simply done what was expected of him. Jesus then applies this to us: when we have done all that we are commanded to do, we should not seek praise but humbly acknowledge that we are merely doing our duty. This teaching emphasizes the virtue of humility and the importance of serving God and others without seeking recognition or reward.
These readings are connected by the themes of trust in God and humility. The first reading encourages us to trust in God’s plan, even in the face of suffering and death, knowing that our ultimate reward is eternal life. The Gospel, on the other hand, calls us to live out this trust through humble service, recognizing that everything we do is part of our duty as God’s children. In our daily lives, we are called to imitate the just who endure trials with hope and to serve others with humility, remembering that our true worth is not measured by human praise but by our fidelity to God. Let us strive to live each day with faith, hope, and humility, trusting in God’s plan and serving Him and others with gratitude.