Daily Readings - Sat Feb 17 2024
Isaiah
9Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,10and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.11The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.12Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.13"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,14then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Luke
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him,28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the profound call to live out our faith through compassionate action and humility. The passage from Isaiah challenges us to move beyond superficial religious practices and instead embrace a life of justice and mercy. True fasting, Isaiah tells us, is not just about abstaining from food but about loosening the chains of oppression, feeding the hungry, and caring for the afflicted. This prophet’s words are a stark reminder that our relationship with God is deeply tied to how we treat others, especially those on the margins.
The Gospel reading from Luke complements this message as Jesus reaches out to Levi, a tax collector, and dines with sinners. The Pharisees and scribes are scandalized by this, but Jesus responds by emphasizing that he has come not for the righteous but for sinners. This encounter highlights Jesus’ mission to bring healing and reconciliation to those who feel excluded or unworthy. Like Levi, we are all called to follow Jesus, leaving behind our old ways and embracing a life of transformation and service.
These readings invite us to reflect on how we live out our faith in daily life. Are we more like the Pharisees, focused on appearances and judgment, or are we willing to follow Jesus’ example by reaching out to those who feel excluded? Let us ask ourselves: How can we loosen the chains of oppression in our own lives and communities? How can we feed the hungry, both physically and spiritually? By answering these questions with compassion and humility, we can find true delight in the Lord and live as instruments of his healing and reconciliation in the world.