This is week’s Gospel message for Sunday, October 23rd is from Luke 18:9-14.
“Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. ‘Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity”…But the tax collector stood off at a distance and… prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” I tell you…whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.’”
“God is attuned to the prayers of the poor and lowly, of those who suffer, of those who are repentant. Their need for God’s mercy draws God’s response. Both the Pharisee and the tax collector are sinners, as are we all. But only one presents himself before God honestly. The Pharisee trumpets his fasting and almsgiving without addressing his self-pride and his scorn for others. But before God, the tax collector is brutally honest, and repentant. The Pharisee, acting as though he is good as is and needs nothing from God, gets nothing. The tax collector, admitting his need for God’s mercy, is heard.” SOURCE: Pastoral Patterns, Autumn 2022
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday Ephesians 4:32—5:8; Luke 13:10-17
Tuesday Ephesians 5:21-33; Luke 13:18-21
Wednesday Ephesians 6:1-9; Luke 13:22-30
Thursday Ephesians 6:10-20; Luke 13:31-35
Friday Ephesians 2:19-22; Luke 6:12-16
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles (Feast) – “Since there are two apostles named Simon and two named Judas, to distinguish them from Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot these two are identified as Simon the Zealot and Judas the son (or the brother) of James. Simon is surnamed the Canaanite or the Zealot, a name that probably alludes to a real association, or at least sympathy, with the Zealot movement that desired a revolutionary overthrow of the occupying Roman authority. Jude (Judas) is also called Thaddeus. According to tradition, both suffered martyrdom, and Jude became a patron saint of hopeless cases.”
Saturday Philippians 1:18b-26; Luke 14:1, 7-11
SOURCE: Living With Christ, October 2022