Daily Readings - Mon Sep 04 2017

First Reading - 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18

¹³And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him¹⁵For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep¹⁶For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first¹⁷Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always¹⁸Therefore, console one another with these words

Gospel - Luke 4.16-30

Luke

Chapter 4

¹⁶And he went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. And he entered into the synagogue, according to his custom, on the Sabbath day. And he rose up to read¹⁷And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. And as he unrolled the book, he found the place where it was written¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because of this, he has anointed me. He has sent me to evangelize the poor, to heal the contrite of heart¹⁹to preach forgiveness to captives and sight to the blind, to release the broken into forgiveness, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of retribution.²⁰And when he had rolled up the book, he returned it to the minister, and he sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him²¹Then he began to say to them, "On this day, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.²²And everyone gave testimony to him. And they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from his mouth. And they said, "Is this not the son of Joseph?²³And he said to them: "Certainly, you will recite to me this saying, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ The many great things that we have heard were done in Capernaum, do here also in your own country.²⁴Then he said: "Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country²⁵In truth, I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elijah in Israel, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months, when a great famine had occurred throughout the entire land²⁶And to none of these was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow²⁷And there were many lepers in Israel under the prophet Elisha. And none of these was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.²⁸And all those in the synagogue, upon hearing these things, were filled with anger²⁹And they rose up and drove him beyond the city. And they brought him all the way to the edge of the mount, upon which their city had been built, so that they might thrown him down violently³⁰But passing through their midst, he went away

Sermon

In today's readings, we find messages of hope and the challenges of living out our faith. The first reading from 1 Thessalonians offers comfort to those grieving, reminding us that through our belief in Jesus's resurrection, we have hope. Paul reassures us that when Jesus returns, the deceased in Christ will rise first, followed by the living, all united with the Lord. This passage emphasizes the consolation and hope that our faith provides, urging us to support one another with these reassuring words. The Gospel from Luke presents Jesus in his hometown synagogue, where he proclaims the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, outlining his mission to the marginalized. However, this message is met with hostility, as the crowd rejects him, even attempting violence. Jesus illustrates that prophets often face rejection at home, using examples of Elijah and Elisha helping outsiders. This highlights the theme of acceptance and the challenges of fulfilling one's mission, even in the face of adversity. These readings connect through the themes of hope and perseverance. Despite the rejection Jesus faced, he remained steadfast in his mission, embodying the hope we have in resurrection. In our daily lives, we may encounter similar challenges, whether in sharing our faith or standing up for what is right. The readings encourage us to hold onto hope, even when faced with adversity, and to trust in God's plan. Let us reflect on how we can live out our faith with resilience and hope, inspired by Jesus's example, and support one another in our journey of faith.