Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 23, 2022
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 3.1-11
1There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:2a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,3a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,4a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,5a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,6a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,7a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,8a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.9What does the worker gain from his toil?10I have seen the burden God has laid on men.11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Psalm 144
1Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.2He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.3O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?4Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.5Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, so that they smoke.6Send forth lightning and scatter the enemies; shoot your arrows and rout them.7Reach down your hand from on high; deliver me and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hands of foreigners8whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.9I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,10to the One who gives victory to kings, who delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.11Deliver me and rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.12Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace.13Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields;14our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets.15Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
Gospel: Luke 9.18-22
18Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"19They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."20"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."21Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.22And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the nature of time, the balance of life, and the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah. The first reading from Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is composed of opposing yet complementary seasons: birth and death, planting and uprooting, weeping and laughing. The author emphasizes that God has made all things beautiful in their time, but humanity’s limited understanding often leads to frustration. This passage encourages us to embrace the rhythms of life, trusting that God’s plan unfolds in its own time.
The Gospel from Luke shifts our focus to a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry. While the crowds speculate about his identity, Jesus asks his disciples directly, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter’s confession, “The Christ of God,” marks a turning point. Jesus then reveals the cost of his mission: suffering, rejection, and death, followed by resurrection. This passage underscores the necessity of faith in the face of uncertainty and the transformative power of self-giving love.
Together, these readings remind us that life is not without its challenges, but these challenges are part of a larger plan. Like Peter, we are called to confess Jesus as the center of our lives, even when the road ahead seems difficult. May we trust in God’s timing, embrace the seasons of life with faith, and follow Jesus’ example of love and surrender. In doing so, we find meaning, purpose, and hope in the midst of life’s joys and sorrows.