Daily Readings - Sun Aug 19 2018
Proverbs
1Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.2She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.3She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.4"Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.5"Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.6Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
Ephesians
15Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
John
51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"53Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.54Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.55For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful invitations to embrace spiritual nourishment and wisdom. The first reading from Proverbs personifies Wisdom as a gracious host who has prepared a feast, urging the simple and the unwise to come and partake in her offerings. This imagery calls us to seek understanding and prudence, leaving behind childish ways. The second reading from Ephesians exhorts us to live wisely, avoiding the foolishness of the world, and instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This filling manifests in worship, gratitude, and a deep connection with God. The Gospel from John presents Jesus as the living bread, emphasizing that true life comes from partaking in His flesh and blood, a profound sacramental truth that transcends physical sustenance.
These readings interweave the themes of spiritual nourishment and wise living. Proverbs sets the stage by inviting us to the table of Wisdom, Ephesians guides us on how to live in accordance with that wisdom, and John’s Gospel reveals the ultimate source of spiritual food in Jesus Christ. Together, they remind us that our faith is not just about belief but about how we live and nourish our souls.
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to seek wisdom in our decisions, to live with virtue, and to find strength in the Eucharist. They remind us that spiritual growth is an active process, requiring us to embrace God’s will and to cultivate a life of gratitude and worship. The moral lesson is clear: true life and wisdom come from embracing Jesus, the living bread, and living in the Spirit, allowing His presence to transform and guide us each day.