Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 4, 2018
First Reading: Deuteronomy 6.2-6
2so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.3Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.6These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
Psalm 18
1I love you, O LORD, my strength.2The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.3I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.4The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.5The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.6In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.7The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.8Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.9He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.10He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky.12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.13The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.14He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them.15The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.19He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.20The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.21For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.22All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.23I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.24The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.25To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,26to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.27You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.28You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.29With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.30As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.31For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?32It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.34He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.35You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.36You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.38I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.39You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the LORD, but he did not answer.42I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.44As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.45They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.46The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!47He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,48who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.49Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.50He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
Second Reading: Hebrews 7.23-28
23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office;24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.26Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
Gospel: Mark 12.28-34
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Sermon
In today's readings, we explore the essence of our faith through three key texts. The first, from Deuteronomy, reminds us to fear God, keep His commandments, and love Him with all our being. This passage, known as the Shema, is a cornerstone of Jewish faith, emphasizing the oneness of God and the commandment to love Him completely. Moses delivers this message as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, highlighting the importance of passing these teachings to future generations.
The Gospel from Mark builds on this foundation. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus quotes the Shema and adds the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. This exchange with a scribe underscores the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, showing that Jesus' teachings are not new but fulfill the existing scriptures. The scribe's agreement and Jesus' commendation illustrate that understanding and living these commandments is vital for entering the kingdom of God.
Hebrews provides the bridge, describing Jesus as the perfect High Priest. Unlike mortal priests, Jesus offers a single, sufficient sacrifice for all sins. His immortality means His priesthood is eternal, continually interceding for us. This reading connects to the others by showing how Jesus enables us to fulfill the commandments through His sacrifice, providing the grace to love deeply.
In daily life, these teachings call us to prioritize loving God and our neighbors. It's not just about rituals but about the heart. Jesus' sacrifice gives us the means to live these commandments, emphasizing that true spirituality is rooted in love. As we reflect, let us remember that through Jesus, we have the grace to love more deeply, fulfilling the greatest commandments in our lives.