Daily Readings - Sun Sep 28 2025

¹Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!⁴You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.⁵You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.⁶You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.⁷Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

1 Timothy

Chapter 6

¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Luke

Chapter 16

¹⁹"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.²⁰At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores²¹and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.²²"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.²³In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.²⁴So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'²⁵"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.²⁶And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'²⁷"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house,²⁸for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'²⁹"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'³⁰"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'³¹"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are presented with a powerful message about wealth, justice, and the afterlife. The prophet Amos speaks out against the complacent wealthy who ignore the suffering of others, while the Gospel of Luke shares the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, highlighting the eternal consequences of neglecting the poor. The second reading from 1 Timothy encourages us to pursue justice, piety, and faith, reminding us to fight the good fight of faith. Amos’ prophecy is set in a time of prosperity for Israel, yet he condemns those who indulge in luxury while the poor suffer. The rich man in Luke’s parable similarly ignores Lazarus at his gate, leading to his torment in the afterlife. These readings remind us that our wealth and resources are not just for our own comfort but are meant to be shared with those in need. The second reading from 1 Timothy complements this by urging us to live virtuously, emphasizing the importance of justice and faith in our daily lives. As we reflect on these readings, we are called to examine our own lives. How do we use our resources? Do we turn a blind eye to those in need, or do we actively seek to help them? The moral lesson here is clear: our actions have consequences, and we are called to live with empathy and compassion. Let us strive to use our blessings to serve others, remembering that true wealth lies in our relationship with God and our love for one another.