Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 9, 2019
First Reading: Jonah 4.1-11
1But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.2He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.3Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."4But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"5Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.6Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine.7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered.8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."9But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."10But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.11But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
Psalm 86
1Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.2Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.3Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.4Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.5You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.6Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy.7In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me.8Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.9All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.10For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.11Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.12I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.13For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.14The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life- men without regard for you.15But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.16Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant.17Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
Gospel: Luke 11.1-4
1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."2He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.3Give us each day our daily bread.4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. '"
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on prayer, compassion, and the relationship between our desires and God’s will. In the first reading from Jonah, we see the prophet’s frustration and anger when God spares the city of Nineveh. Jonah had grown attached to a plant that provided him shade, and when it withered, he was inconsolable. God used this moment to teach Jonah a lesson about compassion and the value of life, pointing out that Jonah grieved for a plant he did not even cultivate, while God was merciful to an entire city of people who did not know right from wrong. This story highlights Jonah’s limited perspective and God’s boundless mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer, as it has come to be known, is a model of simplicity and depth. It begins with reverence for God’s name, a longing for His kingdom, and a request for daily bread. It then moves to forgiveness and protection from temptation. This prayer reminds us that our relationship with God should be rooted in humility, trust, and a recognition of our dependence on Him. It also calls us to live in harmony with others, forgiving as we are forgiven.
These readings connect in their emphasis on aligning our hearts with God’s will. Jonah’s anger and attachment to the plant reveal a lack of trust in God’s plan, while the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to seek God’s will above our own. In our daily lives, we are often like Jonah, clinging to things that are fleeting or focusing on our own desires rather than God’s larger purpose. The readings encourage us to pray with sincerity, to trust in God’s mercy, and to cultivate compassion for others, just as God has shown compassion to us. Let us strive to live with humility, gratitude, and a heart open to God’s will.