Daily Readings - Tue Sep 07 2021
Colossians
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound connection between faith, identity, and the transformative power of Christ in our lives. In the first reading from Colossians, St. Paul emphasizes the importance of being rooted in Christ and living out our faith with gratitude and authenticity. He warns against the dangers of being swayed by empty philosophies and worldly influences, reminding us that true fulfillment comes only through Christ, who is the head of all creation. Through baptism, we have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection, and our sins have been forgiven. This passage calls us to live in a way that reflects our new life in Christ, free from the burdens of sin and the false promises of the world.
In the Gospel, Luke describes Jesus’ prayerful selection of the Twelve Apostles and his ministry of healing and compassion. Jesus’ decision to choose these ordinary men as his closest disciples underscores God’s preference for the humble and the unlikely. The crowd that gathers around Jesus is drawn not only by his miracles but by the power of his presence, which touches hearts and heals lives. This passage reminds us that our faith is not just about doctrine or rituals but about a living relationship with Christ, who has the power to transform us and the world around us.
Together, these readings encourage us to deepen our relationship with Christ and to live as his disciples in the world. Like the Colossians, we must resist the pull of secularism and materialism, grounding ourselves instead in the truth of the Gospel. Like the crowd in Luke’s Gospel, we are called to approach Christ with openness and faith, trusting in his power to heal and transform us. As we go about our daily lives, let us remember that we are rooted in Christ and that his power flows through us. May we live with gratitude, humility, and a commitment to sharing the love and light of Christ with all we meet.