Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 8, 2021

Psalm 9

¹I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.²I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.³My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.⁴For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.⁵You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.⁶Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.⁷The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.⁸He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice.⁹The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.¹⁰Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.¹¹Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.¹²For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.¹³O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,¹⁴that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.¹⁵The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.¹⁶The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah¹⁷The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.¹⁸But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.¹⁹Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.²⁰Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah

Gospel: Luke 11.15-26

Luke

Chapter 11

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 Gospel today presents a vivid exchange between Jesus and those who questioned His authority and the source of His power. Some accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the leader of demons, while others demanded a sign from heaven to test Him. Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, responded with a series of profound truths. He emphasized that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, and if Satan were to fight against himself, his kingdom would collapse. Jesus then challenged His accusers, pointing out the inconsistency of their claims and inviting them to consider the deeper reality: if His power was not from Satan, then it must be from God. He warned them that the kingdom of God was already at hand, and they were either with Him or against Him. Finally, He taught a parable about an unclean spirit returning to a man, making his condition worse than before, highlighting the danger of superficial spiritual renewal without true conversion. This passage is set in the context of Jesus’ ministry, where His miracles and teachings were drawing both admiration and opposition. The Pharisees and others were threatened by His authority and sought to discredit Him by attributing His power to evil forces. Jesus’ response reveals the spiritual warfare at play and the necessity of a radical commitment to God’s kingdom. The readings remind us that spiritual truths are not neutral; we are either aligned with God or against Him. The parable of the unclean spirit serves as a warning against complacency or shallow faith, urging us to seek a deep and lasting transformation in our lives. In our daily lives, these teachings call us to reflect on our own spiritual state. Are we merely going through the motions of faith, or are we truly surrendered to God’s will? The unclean spirit’s return warns us that a life without a strong spiritual foundation is vulnerable to darkness and sin. Let us ask ourselves: Am I allowing God to truly reign in my heart, or am I resisting His grace? Jesus’ words remind us that the battle between good and evil is real, and we must choose sides. May we strive to be fully with Him, allowing His kingdom to take root in our lives, so that we may experience true freedom and peace.