Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 7, 2018
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 4.1-5
1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
Psalm 37
1Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;2for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.3Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.4Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.5Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:6He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.8Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.9For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.10A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.11But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.12The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.14The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright.15But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.16Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;17for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.18The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.19In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.20But the wicked will perish: The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish-vanish like smoke.21The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously;22those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be cut off.23If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;24though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.25I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.26They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.27Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.28For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;29the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.30The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just.31The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.32The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;33but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.34Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.35I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,36but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.37Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.38But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.39The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.40The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Gospel: Luke 5.33-39
33They said to him, "John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking."34Jesus answered, "Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?35But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast."36He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.37And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.38No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.39And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.'"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the call to faithfulness and the need to embrace the newness of life in Christ. The first reading from 1 Corinthians encourages us to see ourselves as ministers of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Paul emphasizes that our ultimate judgment comes not from others or even from ourselves, but from the Lord. This calls us to humility and trust in God’s plan, recognizing that true wisdom and justification come from Him alone.
The Gospel from Luke presents Jesus addressing the question of fasting. While John’s disciples and the Pharisees fast, Jesus explains that His disciples cannot fast while the groom is with them. He uses the parables of the patch, the wineskins, and the old and new wine to illustrate that His teachings cannot be confined to the old ways of thinking. Just as new wine requires new wineskins, the Good News of the Kingdom requires open hearts and minds willing to embrace change.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Are we holding onto old habits or ways of thinking that prevent us from fully embracing the new life Christ offers? Let us ask for the grace to be faithful stewards of God’s mysteries and to trust in His judgment. May we also have the courage to let go of the old and receive the newness of life that Jesus brings, allowing His teachings to transform us and guide us in our daily lives.