Daily Readings - Fri Nov 30 2018

Romans

9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"16But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.18But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Matthew

18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."20At once they left their nets and followed him.21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Sermon

The readings today remind us of the profound connection between faith, proclamation, and discipleship. In the first reading from Romans, St. Paul emphasizes that salvation comes through confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection. He underscores the universal call to salvation, insisting that there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is rich in mercy to all who call upon Him. Paul also highlights the necessity of preaching, for how can people believe if they have not heard the Word of God? He quotes Isaiah to express the mystery of unbelief but affirms that faith comes through hearing the Word of Christ. In the Gospel, Matthew presents a vivid scene of Jesus calling His first disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John are fishermen who, upon hearing Jesus’ invitation, immediately leave their nets and follow Him. This passage illustrates the radical response of faith, where the call of the Lord takes precedence over everything else. Their willingness to abandon their livelihood and family reflects the transformative power of encountering Christ. These readings are deeply interconnected. The call to follow Jesus in the Gospel is the lived expression of the faith St. Paul describes in Romans. The apostles’ immediate response to Jesus’ invitation demonstrates the kind of faith that comes from hearing the Word of God. Their willingness to leave behind their old lives to become "fishers of men" shows how the Gospel message has the power to reorient our lives entirely. For us today, these readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God’s call. Are we open to hearing His Word? Are we willing to let go of our attachments to follow Him more closely? The moral lesson is clear: faith is not just a intellectual assent but a lived commitment to Jesus Christ. Let us ask for the grace to hear His voice and to follow Him with courage and generosity, trusting that He will use us to bring His light to a world in need.