Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 5, 2018
First Reading: Job 38.12-21; 40.3-5
12"Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place,13that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?14The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a garment.15The wicked are denied their light, and their upraised arm is broken.16"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?17Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?18Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this.19"What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?20Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings?21Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!
Psalm 139
1O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.2You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.3You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.5You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?8If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,10even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.11If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"12even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.13For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.17How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!18Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.19If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!20They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.21Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?22I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Gospel: Luke 10.13-16
13"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.14But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.15And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.16"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter profound reflections on humility and accountability. The first reading from Job depicts a moment of divine confrontation, where God questions Job about the creation of the world and natural phenomena. Job, humbled by the realization of his own limitations, responds with a deep sense of awe and repentance, acknowledging his place before the Almighty. This passage reminds us of the vastness of God's power and our own finite understanding, urging us to approach life with humility.
The Gospel from Luke shifts our focus to Jesus' reproach of the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These cities, despite witnessing miracles, failed to repent. Jesus highlights that their accountability is greater due to the opportunities they had, contrasting them with Tyre and Sidon, which would have repented under similar circumstances. This passage underscores the theme of accountability and the consequences of rejecting God's grace.
Both readings tie together through the themes of humility and response to God's presence. Job's humility in the face of divine questioning mirrors the call to repentance in the Gospel. In our daily lives, we are reminded to recognize the blessings and signs God provides. We must approach life with gratitude and humility, acknowledging our limitations and God's sovereignty. The moral lesson is clear: we must respond to God's grace with openness and a willingness to change, avoiding the spiritual complacency that leads to downfall. Let us seek to live in accordance with God's will, embracing humility and repentance as we navigate our faith journey.