Daily Catholic Mass Readings for November 10, 2022
First Reading: Philemon 1.7-20
7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.8Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,9yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul--an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus--10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.12I am sending him--who is my very heart--back to you.13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced.15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good--16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self.20I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
Psalm 146
1Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.2I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.3Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.4When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,6the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- the LORD, who remains faithful forever.7He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,8the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.9The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.10The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.
Gospel: Luke 17.20-25
20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."22Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.23Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them.24For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful messages about transformation and the presence of God in our lives. The first reading from Philemon reveals the transformative power of faith and love. Paul, writing from prison, appeals to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, a former slave who has become a brother in Christ. Paul emphasizes that Onesimus, once useless to Philemon, is now useful both to him and to Paul. This letter is not just about reconciliation but about seeing others through the eyes of Christ, recognizing that our relationships are transformed when we encounter God.
The Gospel from Luke shifts our focus to the nature of the kingdom of God. Jesus tells the Pharisees that the kingdom does not arrive with grandeur or fanfare; it is already within us. He warns against chasing after signs or false appearances of the kingdom, reminding us that the Son of Man will come like lightning, illuminating the whole sky. Jesus also reminds us that before his day, he must suffer and be rejected. This teaches us that the kingdom is not something we find by looking outward but by turning inward, where God’s presence dwells in our hearts.
These readings invite us to reflect on how we see God and others. Like Philemon, we are called to recognize the transformative power of Christ in those around us, even in unexpected places. Like the disciples, we are reminded that the kingdom is not something we find by chasing external signs but by nurturing its presence within us. May we, like Paul, have the courage to see others as brothers and sisters in Christ, and may we, like the disciples, remain steadfast in our faith, knowing that the kingdom is already at work in our lives.