Daily Readings for November 12, 2018

1st READING

All communities need leaders. If there is no authority exercised within a community, and unless everyone is perfectly good, there will be anarchy. Paul sets up a structure within each of the communities he evangelized. It is the same structures of the Early church —set up by the other Apostles — that has developed into the one we have in the Church today. This ordered exercise of authority sets the Catholic and Orthodox Churches apart from the Protestant and Born Again groups who always split as soon as there is a disagreement among members.

Titus 1:1-9

1 Paul, a slave of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, 2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, 3 who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the command of God our savior, 4 to Titus, my true child in our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. 5 For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you, 6 on condition that a man be blameless, married only once, with believing children who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious. 7 For a bishop as God’s steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, 9 holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents.

P S A L M 

Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

1 The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. 2 For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (R) 3 Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in his holy place? 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. 6 Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. (R)

GOSPEL 

There will be sin in the midst of any community. So let us make sure of two things: First, we ensure the sin is not of serious matter, and if it is, we address it appropriately. Second, let us make sure that the sin does not originate with us. We need to avoid sin by God’s grace and the help of the Holy Spirit. 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life.

Luke 17:1-6

1 Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” 5 And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” 6 The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.