Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 8, 2018
First Reading: Philippians 3.3-8a
3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--4though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Psalm 105
1Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.2Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.3Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.4Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.5Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,6O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.7He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.8He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,9the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:11"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."12When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,13they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.14He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:15"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."16He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;17and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave.18They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,19till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.20The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.21He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,22to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.23Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.24The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,25whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.26He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.28He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words?29He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.30Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.32He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;33he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.34He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;35they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.36Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.37He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.38Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.39He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.40They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.41He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.42For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.43He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;44he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-45that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
Gospel: Luke 15.1-10
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him.2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."3Then Jesus told them this parable:4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on what it means to seek and find God. The first reading from Philippians reveals St. Paul’s dramatic conversion of heart. Once a Pharisee who trusted in his own righteousness and achievements, Paul came to realize that all his earthly credentials were worthless compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ. He describes his former life as “dung” in comparison to the treasure of union with Jesus. This is not a rejection of his Jewish heritage but a recognition that true righteousness comes not from outward observance but from a living relationship with Christ.
The Gospel from Luke complements this theme through the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. These stories, told in response to the Pharisees’ criticism of Jesus for dining with sinners, reveal the heart of God as a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep and a woman who sweeps her house tirelessly to recover a single lost coin. These parables are not just charming tales; they are profound revelations of God’s relentless love for each individual, especially those who feel lost or marginalized. The joy celebrated in heaven over one repentant sinner far exceeds the comfort of those who think they are already righteous.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Are there areas where we, like Paul, cling to false sources of security or identity? Do we, like the shepherd and the woman, value each person as uniquely precious to God? Let us ask for the grace to let go of what is lesser so that we might gain what is truly lasting. And let us remember that no one is beyond God’s reach. His love is always seeking us, always rejoicing when we return to Him.