Daily Readings - Fri Oct 27 2023

Romans

18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing.20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.22For in my inner being I delight in God's law;23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?25Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Luke

54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does.55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is.56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?57"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?58As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. "

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the human condition and our relationship with God. In the first reading from Romans, Paul describes the internal struggle we all face between good and evil. He admits that even though he wants to do what is right, he often finds himself doing the opposite. This tension within him reveals the deeper truth of our fallen nature: sin dwells within us, and we are powerless to overcome it on our own. Paul’s cry, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” is a universal human lament, acknowledging our need for salvation. In the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to discern the signs of the times and to judge what is just. He criticizes the hypocrisy of those who can read the weather but fail to recognize the spiritual realities around them. Jesus then tells a parable about being prepared to settle disputes before they escalate, warning that if we do not resolve our conflicts here and now, we risk being trapped in a spiritual prison from which we cannot escape. This teaching calls us to be vigilant and proactive in our spiritual lives, to seek reconciliation, and to live with integrity. Together, these readings remind us that the struggle between good and evil is real, but it is not a battle we can win by ourselves. Paul’s honesty about his own weakness points us to the grace of God, which alone can free us from the power of sin. Jesus’ call to discernment and justice invites us to live with awareness and responsibility, seeking to align our lives with God’s will. Let us ask for the grace to recognize our own struggles, to turn to God for help, and to live in a way that reflects the justice and mercy of Christ.