Daily Readings - Thu Sep 26 2024
Revelation
9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.10And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,12saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"14I answered, "Sir, you know."15And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.16Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
2 Corinthians
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak,14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Gospel - Luke 9.23-26 or John 12.24-26
Luke
23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
John
24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of the ultimate hope that lies before us and the path we must take to reach it. The first reading from Revelation paints a vivid picture of the heavenly Jerusalem, where a great multitude from every nation stands before the throne of God and the Lamb, clothed in white robes. These are the ones who have endured great tribulation but have been purified by the blood of the Lamb. They worship God unceasingly, and the Lamb shepherds them, leading them to the waters of life. This vision is a glimpse of the eternal life that awaits those who remain faithful through trials.
The second reading from 2 Corinthians provides the context for our present journey. St. Paul writes about the paradox of carrying the treasure of God’s grace in fragile, earthen vessels. Though we face tribulations, hardships, and persecutions, these do not define us. Instead, they reveal the power of God at work in us. Paul emphasizes that our suffering is not in vain; it allows the life of Christ to shine through us. Even as death is at work in us, the Spirit of God brings life to others through our faith and witness. This is the heart of Christian discipleship: trusting that God’s grace will abound even in our weakness.
In the Gospel, Jesus calls us to embrace this path of discipleship with courage and humility. He tells us that following him requires denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and losing our lives for his sake. This is not a call to self-destruction but to self-surrender. Jesus warns us that clinging to our own lives and desires will lead to loss, while surrendering to him will lead to true life. He also reminds us that our witness to him matters; if we are ashamed of him now, he will be ashamed of us when he comes in glory.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own journey of faith. Are we willing to endure trials and hardships for the sake of Christ? Do we trust that God’s power is at work even in our weakness? Let us remember that the ultimate goal of our lives is not comfort or success, but to stand before the throne of God, clothed in the purity of his grace, worshiping him without end. May we embrace our crosses with courage, knowing that they lead us to eternal life, and may we never be ashamed to witness to the love and truth of Christ in our daily lives.