Daily Readings for October 30, 2017

1ST READING

We are not spiritual beings caught up in corporeal bodies from which we hope for release. We are embodied spirits. We are a unity of the spiritual and corporeal. This is why Paul tells us to live under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, being the manifestation of the love of the Father and the Son, will always lead us in that direction. We must become men and women of the Spirit, or we will fail to reach our full human potential, let alone eternal life.

Romans 8:12-17

12 Brothers and sisters: We are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

P S A L M

Psalm 68:2, 4, 6-7, 20-21

R: Our God is the God of salvation.

1 [2] God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him. 3 [4] But the just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad and rejoice. (R) 5 [6] The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. 6 [7] God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity. (R) 19 [20] Blessed day by day be the Lord, who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation. 20 [21] God is a saving God for us; the Lord, my Lord, controls the passageways of death. (R)

GOSPEL

Jesus’ argument about saving an ox on the Sabbath would have hit home hard. Let us look at our lives and remove hypocrisy in them. This is critical if we want to be effective witnesses to the Gospel. Any hint of hypocrisy will destroy this hope. The Gospel is only going to be faithfully represented when we live the truth.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.

Luke 13:10-17

10 Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. 11 And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your  infirmity.” 13 He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.” 15 The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? 16 This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” 17 When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.