Daily Readings for September 30, 2017

Memorial of St. Jerome, priest and Doctor of the Church

1ST READING

We celebrate today the Feast Day of St. Jerome, a man renowned for his love of the Scriptures. God’s Word is the major source of our knowledge as to the nature of God and His love for us. It is not a cliché that “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ,” as St. Jerome said. If we fail to immerse ourselves in the Scriptures, we ignore God speaking to us through them. We should take every opportunity to increase our knowledge and experience of God.

Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15

5 I, Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. 6 I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “To measure Jerusalem, to see how great is its width and how great its length.” 7 Then the angel who spoke with me advanced, and another angel came out to meet him, 8 and said to him, “Run, tell this to that young man: People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country, because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst. 9 But I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.” 14 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord. 15 Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you.

P S A L M

Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

10 Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. (R) 11 The Lord shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. 12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings. (R) 13 Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. (R)

GOSPEL

In a sense, our lives are a venue where the supernatural grace and blessings of God are given over into human hands, our own hands in fact. What are we doing with such precious gifts? Are we ignoring them and going our own way? Or are we embracing each and every one of them and allowing them to transform our lives? Maybe we have a bit of both of these responses. If so, let us resolve to try and lessen the former and increase the latter.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Our Savior Christ Jesus destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.

Luke 9:43-45

43 While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.