Daily Readings - Sat Sep 07 2024
1 Corinthians
6Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.7For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings--and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you!9For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.10We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!11To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.12We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;13when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.14I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children.15Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
Luke
1One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.2Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"3Jesus answered them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?4He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."5Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on humility, service, and the true meaning of authority. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians, St. Paul humbly reminds the Corinthians that everything they have is a gift from God, and they should not boast as if their accomplishments or possessions were entirely their own. He contrasts the Corinthians’ pride with the apostles’ suffering and self-emptying, emphasizing that true greatness lies in serving others, not in seeking power or recognition. In the Gospel, Jesus challenges the Pharisees’ rigid understanding of the Sabbath by reminding them that the Sabbath was made for humanity, not the other way around. He asserts His authority as the Lord of the Sabbath, teaching that compassion and human needs should take precedence over strict legalism.
Both readings call us to re-examine our priorities and our understanding of what it means to live as followers of Christ. Paul’s words remind us that our talents, resources, and even our faith are gifts from God, and we should use them to serve others, not to elevate ourselves. Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees challenges us to approach rules and traditions with a heart of love and mercy, rather than legalistic rigidity. Together, these readings encourage us to embrace humility, recognize our dependence on God, and live in a way that reflects the values of the Kingdom of God.
In our daily lives, this means letting go of pride and competition, and instead seeking to serve others with gratitude and generosity. It means being open to God’s surprises and not being bound by our own limited perspectives. As we strive to live out these teachings, may we learn to see ourselves and our gifts as part of God’s larger plan, and may we approach every situation with the humility and compassion that Jesus modeled for us.