Daily Readings - Fri Nov 17 2017

First Reading - Wisdom 13.1-9

¹But all men are vain, who are not under the knowledge of God, and who, from these good things that are seen, were not able to understand he who is, nor, by paying attention to the works, did they acknowledge he who was the artisan²Instead, they had considered either the fire, or the air, or the atmosphere, or the circle of stars, or the great sea, or the sun and moon, to be the gods that rule the world³If they, being delighted by such sights, supposed them to be gods, let them know how great the Lord of them is in splendor. For he who created all things is the author of beauty⁴Or, if they wondered at their power and their effects, let them understand by these things, that he who created them is mightier than they are⁵For, by the greatness of the creation and its beauty, the creator of these will be able to be seen discernibly⁶Yet, up to this point, the complaint about this is lesser. For perhaps they made a mistake in this, while desiring and seeking to find God⁷And, indeed, having some familiarity with him through his works, they search, and they are persuaded, because the things that they are seeing are good⁸But, then again, neither can their debt be ignored⁹For, if they were able to know enough so that they could value the universe, how is it they did not easily discover the Lord of it

Gospel - Luke 17.26-37

Luke

Chapter 17

²⁶And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of man²⁷They were eating and drinking; they were taking wives and being given in marriage, even until the day that Noah entered the ark. And the flood came and destroyed them all²⁸It shall be similar to what happened in the days of Lot. They were eating and drinking; they were buying and selling; they were planting and building²⁹Then, on the day that Lot departed from Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and it destroyed them all³⁰According to these things, so shall it be in the day when the Son of man will be revealed³¹In that hour, whoever will be on the rooftop, with his goods in the house, let him not descend to take them. And whoever will be in the field, similarly, let him not turn back³²Remember Lot’s wife³³Whoever has sought to save his life, will lose it; and whoever has lost it, will bring it back to life³⁴I say to you, in that night, there will be two in one bed. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind³⁵Two will be at the grindstone together. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind. Two will be in the field. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind.³⁶Responding, they said to him, "Where, Lord?³⁷And he said to them, "Wherever the body will be, in that place also, the eagles shall be gathered together.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the themes of awareness and preparedness. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom reminds us that creation itself is a testament to God’s existence. It cautions against the tendency to mistake the beauty of the world for the divine itself, rather than recognizing the Creator behind it. This passage emphasizes that while creation is magnificent, it is merely a reflection of God’s greatness, and we must not lose sight of the Creator in the midst of His creation. The Gospel from Luke takes this theme further, as Jesus warns us about the importance of being prepared for His return. Drawing parallels to the days of Noah and Lot, Jesus illustrates how people were so engrossed in their daily lives that they failed to recognize the impending judgment. Jesus’ message is clear: we must remain vigilant and not allow ourselves to be consumed by the distractions of the world. The example of Lot’s wife serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of looking back, both literally and metaphorically. Together, these readings call us to live with a sense of awareness and faith. They remind us to seek God in all things, whether in the beauty of creation or in the midst of our daily lives. Jesus’ words challenge us to be prepared, not out of fear, but out of love and devotion. Let us strive to cultivate a deeper relationship with God, so that we may recognize His presence in all aspects of our lives and be ready to meet Him when He comes.