Daily Readings - Thu Oct 12 2017

First Reading - Malachi 3.13 – 4.2

¹³Your words have gathered strength over me, says the Lord¹⁴And you have said, "What have we spoken against you?" You have said, "He labors in vain who serves God," and, "What advantage is it that we have kept his precepts, and that we have walked sorrowfully in the sight of the Lord of hosts¹⁵Therefore, we now call the arrogant blessed, as if those who work impiety have been built up, and as if they have tempted God and been saved.¹⁶Then those who fear the Lord spoke, each one with his neighbor. And the Lord paid attention and heeded. And a book of remembrance was written in his sight, for those who fear the Lord and for those who consider his name¹⁷And they will be my special possession, says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I act. And I will spare them, just as a man spares his son who serves him¹⁸And you shall be converted, and you will see the difference between the just and the impious, and between those who serve God and those who do not serve him

Chapter 4

¹For, behold, the day will arrive, kindled like a furnace, and all the arrogant and all those who act impiously will be stubble. And the approaching day will inflame them, says the Lord of hosts; it will leave behind for them neither root, nor sprout²But unto you, who fear my name, the Sun of justice will arise, and health will be in his wings. And you will go forth and leap like the calves of the herd

Gospel - Luke 11.5-13

Luke

Chapter 11

⁵And he said to them: "Which of you will have a friend and will go to him in the middle of the night, and will say to him: ‘Friend, lend me three loaves⁶because a friend of mine has arrived from a journey to me, and I do not have anything to set before him.⁷And from within, he would answer by saying: ‘Do not disturb me. The door is closed now, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give it to you.⁸Yet if he will persevere in knocking, I tell you that, even though he would not get up and give it to him because he is a friend, yet due to his continued insistence, he will get up and give him whatever he needs⁹And so I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you¹⁰For everyone who asks, receives. And whoever seeks, finds. And whoever knocks, it shall be opened to him¹¹So then, who among you, if he asks his father for bread, he would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he would give him a serpent, instead of a fish¹²Or if he will ask for an egg, he would offer to him a scorpion¹³Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good things to your sons, how much more will your Father give, from heaven, a spirit of goodness to those who ask him?

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are reminded of the importance of faith, persistence, and trust in God’s providence. The first reading from Malachi speaks to a people who have grown weary in their faith, questioning whether serving God is worth the effort. They observe the prosperity of the wicked and begin to doubt God’s justice. Yet, Malachi assures us that God is attentive to those who fear him and remain faithful. He promises a day of reckoning where the arrogant will be purified, and the righteous will find joy and healing in the “Sun of Justice.” This passage calls us to remain steadfast in our commitment to God, even when the world around us seems unjust. The Gospel from Luke complements this message with Jesus’ parable of the persistent friend. Jesus teaches us that prayer requires perseverance and trust. Just as the friend in the parable eventually receives what he needs because of his persistence, so too will God respond to our prayers, though not always in the way or timing we expect. Jesus reassures us that God, as a loving Father, desires to give us good things. He invites us to approach him with confidence, knowing that our prayers are heard and that he will provide for us in his own way. These readings invite us to reflect on our relationship with God. Do we approach him with the persistence and trust of a child, or do we allow doubt and discouragement to weaken our faith? In a world that often values immediate results and instant gratification, the readings remind us of the value of patience and perseverance. Let us take heart in God’s promise to reward the faithful and to provide for us abundantly. May we, like the just in Malachi’s vision, walk in the light of the Sun of Justice, trusting that God’s plan for us is always good.