Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 31, 2022
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 3.1-9
1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?4For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task.6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Psalm 33
1Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.2Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.4For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.10The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.11But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.13From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.16No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.20We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
Gospel: Luke 4.38-44
38Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.39So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.40When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.41Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.42At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.43But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful lessons about humility, service, and the nature of God’s work in the world. The first reading from 1 Corinthians reminds us that we are all spiritual infants, still in need of growth and guidance. Paul humbly acknowledges that he and other ministers are merely servants of God, planting and watering the seeds of faith, but it is God alone who gives the growth. This passage challenges us to recognize our limitations and to trust in God’s providence, rather than relying on our own strength or divisions. The second reading from Luke’s Gospel shows Jesus as the ultimate servant, healing the sick and casting out demons, yet always remaining focused on His mission to preach the Kingdom of God. Despite the crowds’ desire to keep Him close, Jesus knows His work is far from over, and He moves on to fulfill His calling.
The readings are deeply connected in their emphasis on God’s initiative and our role as cooperators in His plan. Just as Paul and Apollos are merely instruments of God’s grace, Jesus’ miracles and teachings are not for His own glory but to reveal the Father’s love. Both readings remind us that our efforts, no matter how noble, are only fruitful when they are aligned with God’s will. This is a call to humility and trust, encouraging us to let go of envy, contention, and the desire for human recognition.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on how we serve others and how we understand our role in the world. Are we like the Corinthians, divided by pride and self-interest, or are we like Jesus, who emptied Himself to serve and preach the Kingdom? Let us ask for the grace to be humble servants, trusting in God’s power to bring fruit to our efforts. May we, like Jesus, remain focused on our mission to love and serve, knowing that the true work is God’s, and we are merely His instruments.