Daily Readings - Fri Oct 06 2017

First Reading - Baruch 1.15-22

¹⁵And you will say, ‘To the Lord our God is justice, but to us is confusion of our face, just as it is this day for all of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem¹⁶even for our kings, and our leaders, and our priests, and our prophets, and our fathers¹⁷We have sinned before the Lord our God and we have not believed, lacking confidence in him¹⁸And we have not been submissive to him, and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, so as to walk in his commandments, which he has given to us¹⁹From the day that he led our fathers out of the land of Egypt, even to this day, we were unfaithful to the Lord our God, and, having been scattered, we fell away. We did not listen to his voice²⁰And we joined ourselves to many evils and to the curses which the Lord established through Moses, his servant, who led our fathers out of the land of Egypt, to give us a land flowing with milk and honey, just as it is in the present day²¹And we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, according to all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us²²And we have gone astray, each one after the inclinations of his own malignant heart, serving strange gods and doing evil before the eyes of the Lord our God

Gospel - Luke 10.13-16

Luke

Chapter 10

¹³Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that have been wrought in you, had been wrought in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in haircloth and ashes¹⁴Yet truly, Tyre and Sidon will be forgiven more in the judgment than you will be¹⁵And as for you, Capernaum, who would be exalted even up to Heaven: you shall be submerged into Hell¹⁶Whoever hears you, hears me. And whoever despises you, despises me. And whoever despises me, despises him who sent me.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter a profound reflection on sin, repentance, and the justice of God. The first reading from Baruch is a confession of sin on behalf of the people of Israel, acknowledging their unfaithfulness and rebellion against God. The passage expresses deep regret for turning away from the Lord and failing to follow His commandments, recognizing that their suffering is a consequence of their sins. This is not merely an admission of wrongdoing but a humble acceptance of responsibility, a necessary step toward healing and reconciliation. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks words of lament over the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These cities had witnessed mighty works and miracles, yet they failed to repent and turn to God. Jesus’ sorrow is palpable as He contrasts their hardness of heart with the readiness of the ancient cities of Tyre and Sidon to repent if given the same opportunities. This passage serves as a stark reminder that receiving God’s grace and mercy brings with it a responsibility to respond with faith and conversion. Both readings call us to examine our own lives and our response to God’s presence in the world. Like the Israelites in Baruch, we must acknowledge our sins and humbly seek forgiveness. Like the cities in Luke’s Gospel, we must not take God’s blessings for granted but instead allow His grace to transform our hearts and lives. The moral lesson is clear: true faith is not merely about knowing God’s word but living it out in obedience, humility, and repentance. Let us strive to be people who hear God’s voice and respond with open hearts, lest we too fall into the trap of spiritual complacency and hardness of heart.