DAILY READINGS & REFLECTION

OCTOBER 2, 2023

MONDAY - MEMORIAL OF THE GUARDIAN ANGELS

FIRST READING

ZECHARIAH 8:1-8 OR (EXODUS 23:20-23)

1 And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus says the LORD: I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand for very age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. 6 Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, says the LORD of hosts? 7 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; 8 and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness."

The Word of the Lord
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM

PSALMS 101(102):16-21, 29, 22-23 OR (PSALMS 91:1-6, 10-11)

Response: The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

The nations will fear the name of the LORD,
and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
For the LORD will build up Zion,
he will appear in his glory;
he will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and will not despise their supplication.

R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet unborn may praise the LORD:
that he looked down from his holy height,
from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die.

R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.

The children of thy servants shall dwell secure;
their posterity shall be established before thee.
That men may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

R. The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory.
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GOSPEL

Their angels behold the Father in heaven

MATTHEW 18:1-5, 10 OR (LUKE 9:46-50)

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven."

The Gospel of the Lord
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REFLECTION

DAILY QUOTE FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS

Their angels behold the face of my Father in heaven, by Chromatius (died 406 AD)

"It is not right to despise anyone who believes in Christ. A believer is called not only a servant of God but also a son through the grace of adoption, to whom the kingdom of heaven and the company of the angels is promised. And rightly the Lord adds, 'For I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.' How much grace the Lord has toward each one believing in him he himself declares when he shows their angels always beholding the face of the Father who is in heaven. Great is the grace of the angels toward all who believe in Christ. Finally, the angels carry their prayers to heaven. Hence the word of Raphael to Tobias: 'When you prayed along with your daughter-in-law Sara, I offered the memory of your prayer in the sight of God (Deutero-canonical book of Tobit 12:12). Around them there is also the strong guard of the angels; they help each of us to be free from the traps of the enemy. For a human in his weakness could not be safe amid so many forceful attacks of that enemy if he were not strengthened by the help of the angels."

(excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 57.1)
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.