Daily Readings - Fri Oct 11 2019
Joel
13Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.14Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.15Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
1Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.
Luke
15But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons."16Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.17Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.18If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebub.19Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.21"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.24"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the urgency of repentance and the reality of spiritual struggle. In the first reading from Joel, we hear a call to lament and prepare for the Day of the Lord, which is described as a time of darkness and devastation. Joel urges the priests and the people to sanctify a fast, gather in prayer, and cry out to the Lord. This passage emphasizes the nearness of God’s judgment and the need for humility and conversion. The prophet’s words are a stark reminder that our actions have consequences and that we must turn to God with sincerity before it is too late.
In the Gospel, Jesus responds to accusations that He casts out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the leader of demons. He counters this by pointing out the absurdity of Satan working against himself and instead reveals that His power comes from God. He warns that the unclean spirit, once expelled, may return if the soul is not filled with the grace of God. This teaching highlights the spiritual battle we face and the importance of being rooted in God’s kingdom. If we do not actively seek to follow Christ and allow His Spirit to dwell within us, we risk being overtaken by darkness.
These readings call us to examine our lives and our relationship with God. Joel’s call to repentance and Jesus’ warning about the unclean spirit remind us that our spiritual lives require constant attention and vigilance. We must not take God’s grace for granted or assume that we are safe from the forces of evil. Instead, we should strive to live in a state of ongoing conversion, seeking God’s mercy and strength in our daily lives. Let us turn to the Lord with humble hearts, asking for the grace to remain faithful and to be filled with His Spirit, so that we may stand firm against the temptations and challenges of our world.