Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 5, 2022
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 5.1-8
1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife.2And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?3Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.4When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,5hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.6Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?7Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.8Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
Psalm 5
1Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.2Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.3In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.4You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.5The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.6You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.7But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.8Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies- make straight your way before me.9Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.10Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.11But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.12For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Gospel: Luke 6.6-11
6On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.7The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.8But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there.9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"10He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.11But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the balance between upholding moral standards and showing compassion. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses a grave moral failing within the Corinthian community—a case of incest that has gone unaddressed. He calls for the community to act decisively, not out of malice, but to preserve the spiritual health of the Body of Christ. He warns that sin, like leaven, can spread and corrupt the entire community if not addressed. This passage emphasizes the importance of accountability and the need to root out sin, not to punish, but to restore and protect the integrity of the community.
In the Gospel, Luke presents a complementary perspective. Jesus, faced with a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, challenges the Pharisees’ rigid adherence to the law. While the Pharisees are focused on whether healing on the Sabbath is lawful, Jesus asks a deeper question: “Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath?” By healing the man, Jesus demonstrates that compassion and the restoration of human dignity must take precedence over legalistic interpretations of the law. This passage reminds us that our faith is not about rules for their own sake, but about living out God’s love and mercy in the world.
Together, these readings call us to discern when to stand firm against sin and when to show compassion. In our daily lives, we are often faced with similar tensions—between judgment and mercy, between accountability and forgiveness. The readings remind us that true holiness is not about self-righteousness or legalism, but about living in a way that reflects God’s love and justice. May we strive to be communities that both uphold the truth and embody the compassion of Christ, allowing His love to transform us and guide us in all we do.