Daily Readings - Mon Oct 28 2019
Ephesians
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Luke
12One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.13When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:14Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,15Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon,18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured,19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
Sermon
In today's readings, we are reminded of our profound identity as believers. The Epistle to the Ephesians describes us as citizens in God's household, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. This passage emphasizes our unity and collective role as a holy temple where God dwells. In the Gospel, Luke recounts Jesus prayerfully selecting the Twelve Apostles, forming a community that would carry His mission forward. This act is followed by Jesus healing many, demonstrating His divine power and compassion.
These readings highlight the importance of community and our place within it. Ephesians underscores our collective identity as a spiritual temple, while Luke illustrates the formation of a community through the Apostles. Together, they show that our faith is not solitary but lived within a body of believers, each contributing to the whole. Just as the Apostles were chosen to continue Jesus' work, we too are called to participate in God's plan.
In our daily lives, this means recognizing our role within the larger Christian community. We are called to support one another and be instruments of God's healing and love. As we go about our days, we should embrace our responsibility to contribute to the spiritual temple, whether through acts of kindness, prayer, or service. Let us live with the awareness that we are part of something greater, and may we be open to God's work through us, just as Jesus empowered the Apostles to spread His message.