First Reading

Reading from the letter of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Galatians

Galatians 3, 7-14

Brothers and sisters: Understand that the children of Abraham are those who live by faith. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the good news to Abraham in advance: All nations will be blessed through you. Therefore, those who live by faith will be blessed along with Abraham, who believed God.

On the other hand, those who rely on the observance of the law are under a curse, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law. Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because the righteous will live by faith. The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, The person who does these things will live by them.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint Luke

Luke 11, 15-26

At that time, when Jesus drove out a demon, some said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”