Daily Readings - Fri Oct 24 2025
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
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound reflections on the human condition and our relationship with God. The first reading from Romans 7:18-25a presents St. Paul’s deeply personal struggle with sin and his desire to do good. He confesses that despite his best intentions, he often finds himself doing the opposite of what he wants. This internal conflict reveals the universal human experience of being torn between good and evil. Paul ultimately finds hope in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, acknowledging that true freedom from sin comes only through Him.
The Gospel from Luke 12:54-59 shifts our focus from the internal struggle to the external signs of the times. Jesus criticizes the hypocrisy of those who can predict the weather but fail to recognize the spiritual signs around them. He urges them to discern the moment and settle their affairs before it is too late, using the parable of a man on his way to court. This teaching calls us to live with awareness and responsibility, recognizing that our choices have consequences and that true wisdom lies in seeking justice and reconciliation.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own lives. Like Paul, we often struggle with our weaknesses and failures, but we are reminded that God’s grace is always available to us. Like the crowd in the Gospel, we are called to be attentive to the signs of our times and to live with integrity and discernment. Let us ask ourselves: Are we aware of the spiritual battles within us? Are we attentive to the ways we can grow closer to God and live more justly? Let us turn to God with humility, acknowledging our need for His help, and strive to live in a way that reflects His love and truth.