November 2010 - Bible Diary
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BIBLE DIARY 2010
Liturgical Readings and Reflections
| November 2010 |
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January ♦ February ♦ March ♦ April ♦ May ♦ June ♦ July
August ♦ September ♦ October ♦ November ♦ December
All Saints Day
►1st Reading: Rev 7:2–4, 9–14
I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise, carrying the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels empowered to harm the earth and the sea, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.”
After this I saw a great crowd, from every nation, race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lamb, and they cried out with a loud voice, “Who saves but our God who sits on the throne and the Lamb?”
All the angels were around the throne, the elders and the four living creatures; they then bowed before the throne with their faces to the ground to worship God. They said, Amen. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen!
At that moment, one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these people clothed in white, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, it is you who know this.”
The elder replied, “They are those who have come out of the great persecution; they have washed and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb.
►2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1–3
See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is. All who have such a hope try to be pure as he is pure.
►Gospel: Mt 5:1–12
Jesus sat down and his disciples gathered around him. Then he spoke and began to teach them:
“Fortunate are those who have the spirit of the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted.
Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land.
Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.
Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy.
Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God.
Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God.
Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God.
REFLECTION
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”
You will be happy if you can admit your limitations,
if you grieve over injustice to others, and be merciful to sinners.
You will be happy if you live to do the will of God,
if you are willing to suffer to bring the will of God to all,
if you work for peace and do the right things for the right reasons
You will be happy if you become a blessing to others.
Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
►1st Reading: Wis 3:1–9
The souls of the just are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead. Their glory is held as a disaster; it seems that they lose everything by departing from us, but they are in peace.
Though seemingly they have been punished, immortality was the soul of their hope. After slight affliction will come great blessings, for God has tried them and found them worthy to be with him; after testing them as gold in the furnace, he has accepted them as a holocaust.
At the time of his coming they will shine like sparks that run in the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king forever.
Those who trust in him will penetrate the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love, for his grace and mercy are for his chosen ones.
►2nd Reading: Rom 5:5–11 (or Rom 5:17–21)
Hope does not disappoint us because the Holy Spirit has been given to us, pouring into our hearts the love of God.
Consider, moreover, the time that Christ died for us: when we were still helpless and unable to do anything. Few would accept to die for an upright person; although, for a very good person, perhaps someone would dare to die. But see how God manifested his love for us: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us and we have become just through his blood. With much more reason now he will save us from any condemnation. Once enemies, we have been reconciled with God through the death of his Son; with much more reason now we may be saved through his life. Not only that; we even boast in God because of Christ Jesus, our Lord, through whom we have been reconciled.
►Gospel: Lk 23:44–46, 50, 52-53; 24:1-6a*(completed)
It was now about noon. The sun was hid-den and darkness came over the whole land until mid-afternoon; and at that time the curtain of the Sanctuary was torn in two. Then Jesus gave a loud cry, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And saying that, he gave up his spirit.
Then intervened a member of the Jewish supreme council, a good and righteous man named Joseph
He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. He then took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a yet unused tomb cut out of a rock.
On the sabbath the women rested according to the commandment, but the first day of the week, at dawn, they went to the tomb with the perfumes and ointments they had prepared. Seeing the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb, they entered and were puzzled to find that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there.
Two men in dazzling garments appeared beside them. In fright the women bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why look for the living among the dead? (You won’t find him here. He is risen.)
REFLECTION
We are each on this earth to do God’s will.
And God’s will is always fullness of life both here and to come for us all.
What we do to make life better for others is, then, the will of God.
31st Week in Ordinary Time
Martin de Porres
►1st Reading: Phil 2:12–18
Therefore, my dearest friends, as you always obeyed me while I was with you, even more now that I am far from you, continue working out your salvation “with fear and trembling.” It is God who makes you not only wish but also carry out what pleases him. Do everything without grumbling, so that without fault or blame, you will be children of God without reproach among a crooked and perverse generation. You are a light among them, like stars in the universe, holding to the Word of life. I shall feel proud of you on the day of Christ on seeing that my effort and labor have not been in vain. And if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I rejoice and continue to share your joy; and you likewise should rejoice and share my joy.
►Gospel: Lk 14:25–33
One day, when large crowds were walking along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, “If you come to me, without being ready to give up your love for your father and mother, your spouse and children, your brothers and sisters, and indeed yourself, you cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not follow me carrying his own cross cannot be my disciple.
“Do you build a house without first sitting down to count the cost to see whether you have enough to complete it? Otherwise, if you have laid the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will make fun of you: This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
“And when a king wages war against another king, does he go to fight without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand can stand against the twenty thousand of his opponent? And if not, while the other is still a long way off he sends messengers for peace talks. In the same way, none of you may become my disciple if he doesn’t give up everything he has.”
REFLECTION
”‘None of you can be my disciples unless you give up everything you have.”
To follow Jesus means
that we must be willing
to devote ourselves to the needs
of others,
to do whatever life demands of us
to live ours lives as he did to the end.
31st Week in Ordinary Time
Charles Borromeo
►1st Reading: Phil 3:3–8a
We are the true circumcised people since we serve according to the Spirit of God, and our confidence is in Christ Jesus rather than in our merits.
I myself do not lack those human qualities in which people have confidence. If some of them seem to be accredited with such qualities, how much more am I! I was circumcised when eight days old. I was born of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; I am a Hebrew, born of Hebrews. With regard to the Law, I am a Pharisee, and such was my zeal for the Law that I persecuted the Church. As for being righteous according to the Law, I was blameless.
But once I found Christ, all those things that I might have considered as profit, I reckoned as loss. Still more, everything seems to me as nothing compared with the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have let everything fall away and I now consider all as garbage, if instead I may gain Christ.
►Gospel: Lk 15:1–10
Tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable:
“Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and seek out the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? Then he will call his friends and neighbors together and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, just so, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine upright who do not need to repent.
“What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp and sweep the house in a thorough search till she finds the lost coin? And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say: ‘Celebrate with me for I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”
REFLECTION
“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents...”
It takes a lot of living to come to know Jesus–
sometimes even sin.
But don’t be afraid.
Jesus waits for us through everything.
It isn’t how we find Jesus that counts,
but only that we finally do.
31st Week in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Phil 3:17—4:1
Unite in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and look at those who walk in our way of life. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have said it to you many times, and now I repeat it with tears: they are heading for ruin; their belly is their god and they feel proud of what should be their shame. They only think of earthly things.
For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord. He will transfigure our lowly body, making it like his own body, radiant in Glory, through the power which is his to submit everything to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, you my glory and crown, be steadfast in the Lord.
►Gospel: Lk 16:1–8
Jesus told his disciples, “There was a rich man whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him: ‘What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service for it is about to be terminated.’
“The steward thought to himself: ‘What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be some people to welcome me into their house.’ “So he called his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first who came: ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The reply was: ‘A hundred jars of oil.’ The steward said: ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write there fifty.’ To the second he put the same question: ‘How much do you owe?’ The answer was: ‘A thousand bushels of wheat.’ Then he said: ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’ “The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the people of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light.”
REFLECTION
“Turn in your accounts because you cannot be my manager any longer....
and the manager said, ‘I know what I shall do.’”
Being a Christian has its pitfalls:
we fall and we get up; we fall and we get up.
Over and over again.
It’s, not being perfect,
it’s staying the course which, in the end,
determines the quality of our souls.
31st Week in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Phil 4:10–19
I rejoice in the Lord because of your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me before, but you had no opportunity to show it. I do not say this because of being in want; I have learned to manage with what I have. I know what it is to be in want and what it is to have plenty. I am trained for both: to be hungry or satisfied, to have much or little. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
However you did right in sharing my trials. You Philippians, remember that in the beginning, when we first preached the Gospel, after I left Macedonia you alone opened for me a debit and credit account, and when I was in Thessalonica, twice you sent me what I needed.
It is not your gift that I value but rather the interest increasing in your own account. Now I have enough and more than enough with everything Epaphroditus brought me on your behalf and which I received as “fragrant offerings pleasing to God.” God himself will provide you with everything you need, according to his riches, and show you his generosity in Christ Jesus.
►Gospel: Lk 16:9–15
Jesus said to his disciples, “And so I tell you: use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes.
“Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling filthy money, who could entrust you with true wealth? And if you have not been trustworthy with things that are not really yours, who will give you the wealth which is your own?
“No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus. He said to them, “You do your best to be considered righteous by people. But God knows the heart, and what rises high among humans is loathed by God.”
REFLECTION
“The things that are of great value to people are of nothing in God’s sight.”
We spend our lives accumulating
the things of this world.
But it’s really what we do with them
that determines their eternal value.
When we use what we have for the sake of others
then we are truly rich–both here and hereafter.
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: 2 Mac 7:1–2, 9–14
It happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king had them scourged and flogged to force them to eat the flesh of a pig which was prohibited by the Law.
One of them, speaking in behalf of all, said, “What do you want to find out from us? We are prepared to die right now rather than break the law of our ancestors.”
At the moment of his last breath, he said, “Murderer, you now dismiss us from life, but the King of the world will raise us up. He will give us eternal life since we die for his laws.”
After this, they punished the third. He stuck his tongue out when asked to, bravely stretched forth his hands, and even had the courage to say: “I have received these limbs from God, but for love of his laws I now consider them as nothing. For I hope to recover them from God.” The king and his court were touched by the courage of this young man, so unconcerned about his own sufferings.
When this one was dead, they subjected the fourth to the same torture. At the point of death, he cried out, “I would rather die at the hands of men, and wait for the promises of God who will raise us up; you, however, shall have no part in the resurrection of life.”
►2nd Reading: 2 Thes 2:16—3:5
May Christ Jesus our Lord who has loved us, may God our Father, who in his mercy gives us everlasting comfort and true hope, strengthen you. May he encourage your hearts and make you steadfast in every good work and word.
Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the Word of God may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere as it was with you. May God guard us from wicked and evil people, since not everyone has faith. The Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and keep you safe from the Evil One. Besides, we have in the Lord this confidence that you are doing and will continue to do what we order you. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
►Gospel: Lk 20:27–38 (or Lk 20:27, 34–38)
Some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Scripture Moses told us: ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and the child to be born will be regarded as the child of the deceased man.’ Now, there were seven brothers; the first married a wife, but he died without children; and the second and the third took the wife; in fact all seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be wife? For the seven had her as wife.”
And Jesus replied, “Taking husband or wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die for they are like the angels. They too are sons and daughters of God because they are born of the resurrection.
“Yes, the dead will be raised, and even Moses implied it in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For he is God of the living and not of the dead, and for him all are alive.”
REFLECTION
”God is the God of the living, not of the dead, for to him all are alive.”
The life of God encompasses the cosmos.
Where God is, life is
in all its forms–material and spiritual.
There is nothing to fear from death
for the way we live in God now
we will live forever.
32nd Week in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Tit 1:1–9
From Paul, servant of God, apostle of Christ Jesus, at the service of God’s chosen people, so that they may believe and reach the knowledge of truth and godliness.
The eternal life we are waiting for was promised from the very beginning by God who never lies, and as the appointed time had come, he made it known through the message entrusted to me by a command of God, our Savior.
Greetings to you, Titus, my true son in the faith we share. May grace and peace be with you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I left you in Crete because I wanted you to put right what was defective and appoint elders in every town, following my instructions. They must be blameless, married only once, whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being immoral and rebellious. Since the overseer (or bishop) is the steward of God’s house, he must be beyond reproach: not proud, hotheaded, overfond of wine, quarrelsome or greedy for gain.
On the contrary he must be hospitable, a lover of what is good, wise, upright, devout and self-controlled. He must hold to the message of faith just as it was taught, so that, in his turn, he may teach sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
►Gospel: Lk 17:1–6
Jesus said to his disciples, “Scandals will necessarily come and cause people to fall; but woe to the one who has brought it about. It would be better for that one to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around the neck. Truly this would be better for that person than to cause one of these little ones to fall.
“Be careful. If your brother offends you, rebuke him and if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he offends you seven times in a day but says to you seven times: ‘I’m sorry,’ forgive him.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” And the Lord said, “If you have faith even the size of a mustard seed, you may say to this tree: ‘Be uprooted and plant yourself in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
REFLECTION
“If your brother sins against you seven times in one day and each time he comes to you to say,
‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Just as there is no end
to God’s mercy for us
–however many times we sin against him–
so we must show no end of mercy
for those who sin against us
as sin against God.
Dedication of St. John Lateran
►1st Reading: Ezk 47:1–2, 8–9, 12
The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and flowing eastwards. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there I saw the stream coming from the south side.
He said to me, “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome. Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound.
Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop because the water comes from the Temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing.
►2nd Reading: 1 Cor 3:9c–11, 16–17
We are fellow-workers with God, but you are God’s field and building.
I, as a good architect, according to the capacity given to me, I laid the foundation and another is to build upon it. Each one must be careful how to build upon it. No one can lay a foundation other than the one which already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Do you know that you are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit abides within you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him. God’s temple is holy, and you are this temple.
►Gospel: Jn 2:13–22
As the Passover of the Jews was at hand, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple court he found merchants selling oxen, sheep and doves, and money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the Temple court, together with the oxen and sheep. He knocked over the tables of the money-changers, scattering the coins, and ordered the people selling doves, “Take all this away and stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture: Zeal for your House devours me as a fire.
The Jews then questioned Jesus, “Where are the miraculous signs which give you the right to do this?” And Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then replied, “The building of this temple has already taken forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”
Actually, Jesus was referring to the temple of his body. Only when he had risen from the dead did his disciples remember these words; then they believed both the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken.
REFLECTION
“Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
Religon is not meant to be a place
where we buy our way in and out of heaven–
giving so much to this, doing so much of that–‘
is not what saves us.
What saves us is being able to develop
a living relationship with God.
32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Leo the Great
►1st Reading: Tit 3:1–7
Remind the believers to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and to be ready for every good work. Tell them to insult no one; they must not be quarrelsome but gentle and understanding with everyone.
We ourselves were once foolish, disobedient and misled. We were slaves of our desires, seeking plea-sures of every kind. We lived in malice and envy, hateful and hating each other. But God our Savior revealed his eminent goodness and love for humankind and saved us, not because of good deeds we may have done but for the sake of his own mercy, to the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit poured over us through Christ Jesus our Savior, so that having been justified of his grace we should become heirs in hope of eternal life.
►Gospel: Lk 17:11–19
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along the border between Samaria and Galilee, and as he entered a village, ten lepers came to meet him. Keeping their distance, they called to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Then Jesus said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Now, as they went their way, they found they were cured. One of them, as soon as he saw he was cleansed, turned back praising God in a loud voice, and throwing himself on his face before Jesus, he gave him thanks. This man was a Samaritan.
Then Jesus said, “Were not all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God but this alien?” And Jesus said to him, “Stand up and go your way; your faith has saved you.”
REFLECTION
“There were ten who were healed. Where are the other nine?”
Gratitude is one of the great blessings of life.
It enables us to look at everything
as a potential gift from God.
When we realize that nothing in life
is really bad for us,
we have finally learned to be happy.
32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Martin of Tours
►1st Reading: Phlm 7–20
I had great satisfaction and comfort on hearing of your charity, because the hearts of the saints have been cheered by you, brother.
Because of this, although in Christ I have the freedom to command what you should do, yet I prefer to request you in love. The one talking is Paul, the old man, now prisoner for Christ. And my request is on behalf of Onesimus, whose father I have become while I was in prison.
This Onesimus has not been helpful to you, but now he will be helpful both to you and to me. In returning him to you, I am sending you my own heart. I would have liked to keep him at my side, to serve me on your behalf while I am in prison for the Gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your agreement, nor impose a good deed upon you without your free consent.
Perhaps Onesimus has been parted from you for a while so that you may have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but better than a slave. For he is a very dear brother to me, and he will be even dearer to you. And so, because of our friendship, receive him as if he were I myself. And if he has caused any harm, or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, write this and sign it with my own hand: I will pay it… without further mention of your debt to me, which is you yourself. So, my brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake. Give me this comfort in Christ.
►Gospel: Lk 17:20–25
The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come. He answered, “The kingdom of God is not like something you can observe and say of it: ‘Look, here it is! There it is!’ See, the kingdom of God is among you.”
And Jesus said to his disciples, “The time is at hand when you will long to see one of the glorious days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Then people will tell you: ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go, do not follow them. As lightning flashes from one end of the sky to the other, so will it be with the Son of Man. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this people.”
REFLECTION
“The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen.”
The Kingdom of God is not about the way
the world treats us,
it is about the way we act in the world.
It is the way we use the power of God in us
to make the world a better place
for everyone else.
32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Josaphat
►1st Reading: 2 Jn 4–9
I rejoiced greatly on meeting some of your children who live in accordance with the truth, according to the command we have received from the Father. And now, I ask you, Lady – I write to you not a new commandment but that which we had from the beginning – I ask you: let us love one another.
This is love: to walk according to his commandments. And this is the commandment: that you walk in love as you have learned from the beginning.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ who came in the flesh. They are impostors and antichrists. Take care of yourselves that you do not lose the fruit of your labors, but receive a perfect reward. Everyone who goes beyond and does not remain within the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
►Gospel: Lk 17:26–37
Jesus said to his disciples, “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be on the day the Son of Man comes. Then people ate and drank; they took husbands and wives. But on the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all. Just as it was in the days of Lot: people ate and drank, they bought and sold, planted and built. But on the day Lot left Sodom, God made fire and sulfur rain down from heaven which destroyed them all. So will it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. “On that day, if you are on the rooftop, don’t go down into the house to get your belongings, and if you happen to be in the fields, do not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever tries to save his life will lose himself, but whoever gives his life will be born again.
“I tell you, though two men are sharing the same bed, it may be that one will be taken and the other left. Though two women are grinding corn together, one may be taken and the other left.” Then they asked Jesus, “Where will this take place, Lord?” And he answered, “Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.”
REFLECTION
“That is how it will be on the day the son of man is revealed.”
The presence of God in our lives
is an earthshattering event.
We see life differently.
We live life differently.
We become free of the things of this life
in order to live a better one.
32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Frances Xavier Cabrini
►1st Reading: 3 Jn 5–8
Beloved, you do well to care for the brothers and sisters as you do. I mean those coming from other places. They spoke of your charity before the assembled Church. It will be well to provide them with what they need to continue their journey, as if you did it for God. In reality, they have set out on the road for his name without accepting anything from the pagans. We should receive such persons, making ourselves their cooperators in the work of the truth.
►Gospel: Lk 18:1–8
Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should pray continually and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor people. In the same town was a widow who kept coming to him, saying: ‘Defend my rights against my opponent.’ For a time he refused, but finally he thought: ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.”
And Jesus explained, “Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for his chosen ones who cry to him day and night even if he delays in answering them? I tell you, he will speedily do them justice. Yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
REFLECTION
“Will God not judge in favor of his own people who cry to him
day and night for help?”
God’s time is not our time.
But prayer readies us
to accept the will of God
in all its facets until God’s time comes.
Then, when we have grown beyond demand to acceptance,
God sends us what we most need.
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Mal 3:19–20a
The day already comes, flaming as a furnace.
On that day all the proud and evildoers
will be burned like straw in the fire.
They will be left without branches or roots.
On the other hand the sun of justice
will shine upon you who respect my Name
and bring health in its rays.
You will come out leaping like fattened calves.
►2nd Reading: 2 Thes 3:7–12
You know how you ought to follow our example: we worked while we were with you. Day and night we labored and toiled so as not to be a burden to any of you. We had the right to act otherwise, but we wanted to give you an example.
Besides, while we were with you, we said clearly: If anyone is not willing to work, neither should that one eat. However we heard that some among you live in idleness—busybodies, doing no work. In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord we command these people to work and earn their own living.
►Gospel: Lk 21:5–19
While some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”
Jesus then said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come claiming my title and saying: ‘I am he, the Messiah; the time is at hand.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all this must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”
And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen. Before all this happens, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be delivered to the Jewish courts and put in prison, and for my sake you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.
“So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to answer, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
“You will be betrayed even by parents, and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. But even though you are hated by all for my name’s sake, not a hair of your head will perish. Through perseverance you will possess your own selves.”
REFLECTION
“Jesus said, ‘All this you see–
the time will come when not a single stone here will be left in its place;
every one will be thrown down.”
We must not be seduced by externals,
even by the splendors of religion.
Nothing but God is God
and it is God we must seek,
not the rituals nor the riches of the faithful
but only the depth of the faith.
33rd Week in Ordinary Time
Albert the Great
►1st Reading: Rev 1:1–4, 2:1–5
The Revelation of Jesus Christ.
God gave it to him to let his servants know what is soon to take place.
He sent his angel to make it known to his servant, John,
who reports everything he saw, for this is the word of God and the declaration of Jesus Christ.
Happy is the one who reads aloud these prophetic words,
and happy those who hear them and treasure everything written here,
for the time is near.
From John to the seven Churches of Asia:
receive grace and peace from him who is, who was and who is to come,
and from the seven Spirits of God which are before his throne,
Write this to the angel of the Church in Ephesus, “Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
I know your works, your difficulties and your patient suffering. I know you cannot tolerate evildoers but have tested those who call themselves apostles and have proved them to be liars. You have persevered and have suffered for my name without losing heart.
Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you: you have lost your first love. Remember from where you have fallen and repent, and do what you used to do before. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place; this I will do, unless you repent.
►Gospel: Lk 18:35–43
When Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what it was, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by. Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people in front scolded him, “Be quiet!” but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him, and when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord, that I may see!” Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.” At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.
REFLECTION
“Jesus said, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’”
‘Sir,’ the blind man said, ‘I want to see again.’”
To pray is to ask Jesus to help us see again, too.
We need to see that whatever the situation,
God is with us.
We need to see that whatever we are going through,
God is with us.
We need to see that whatever we are going though,
God will use it for our good.
33rd Week in Ordinary Time
Margaret of Scotland / Gertrude
►1st Reading: Rev 3:1–6, 14–22*
Write this to the angel of the Church in Sardis, “Thus says he who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:
I know your worth: you think you live but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen that which is not already dead. For I have found your works to be imperfect in the sight of my God. Remember what you were taught; keep it and change your ways. If you do not repent I will come upon you like a thief at an hour you least expect.
Yet, there are some left in Sardis who have not soiled their robes; these will come with me, dressed in white, since they deserve it. The victor will be dressed in white and I will never erase his name from the book of life; instead, I will acknowledge it before my Father and his angels. …
Write this to the angel of the Church in Laodicea, “Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation:
I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! You are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold so I will spit you out of my mouth. You think you are rich and have piled up so much that you need nothing, but you do not realize that you are wretched and to be pitied, poor, blind and naked.
I advise you to buy from me gold that has been tested by fire, so that you may be rich, and white clothes to wear so that your nakedness may not shame you, and ointment for your eyes that you may see. I reprimand and correct all those I love. Be earnest and change your ways.
Look, I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my call and open the door, I will come in to you and have supper with you, and you with me. I will let the victor sit with me on my throne just as I was victorious and took my place with my Father on his throne. …
►Gospel: Lk 19:1–10
When Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the city, a man named Zaccheus was there. He was a tax collector and a wealthy man. He wanted to see what Jesus was like, but he was a short man and could not see because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree. From there he would be able to see Jesus who had to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, come down quickly for I must stay at your house today.” So Zaccheus hurried down and received him joyfully.
All the people who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to the house of a sinner as a guest.” But Zaccheus spoke to Jesus, “The half of my goods, Lord, I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much.” Looking at him Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this house today, for he is also a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
REFLECTION
“Jesus said, ‘Hurry down, Zacheus. I must stay in your house today.’”
There is no one to whom we must not go.
Sin is not for us to judge.
Our task in life is simply to reach out
to everyone,
to open our hearts and our doors to the other
so that they, too, may grow.
33rd Week in Ordinary Time
Elizabeth of Hungary
►1st Reading: Rev 4:1–11
After this, I looked up to the wall of the sky and saw an open door. The voice which I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here and I will show you what will come in the future.”
Immediately I was seized by the Spirit. There, in heaven, was a throne and one sitting on it. He who sat there looked like jasper and carnelian and round the throne was a rainbow resembling an emerald.
In a circle around the throne are twenty-four thrones and seated on these are twenty-four elders, dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning come forth from the throne, with voices and thunderclaps. Seven flaming torches burn before the throne; these are the seven spirits of God.
Before the throne there is a platform, transparent like crystal. Around and beside the throne stand four living creatures, full of eyes, both in front and behind. The first living creature is like a lion, the second like a bull, the third has the face of a man and the fourth looks like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures has six wings full of eyes, all around as well as within; day and night they sing without ceasing,
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God,
master of the universe,
who was, and is and is to come.
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to the One on the throne, he who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him and worship the One who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns in front of the throne and say,
Our Lord and God, worthy are you
to receive glory, honor and power!
For you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.
►Gospel: Lk 19:11–28*(completed)
Jesus was now near Jerusalem and the people with him thought that God’s reign was about to appear. So as they were listening to him, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant place to have himself appointed king of his own people, after which he would return. Before he left, he summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds. He said: ‘Put this money to work until I get back.’ But his compatriots who disliked him sent a delegation after him with this message: ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
“He returned, however, appointed as king. At once he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in and reported: ‘Sir, your pound has earned ten more.’
”The master replied: ‘Well done, my good servant. Since you have proved yourself capable in a small matter, I can trust you to take charge of ten cities.’ The second reported: ‘Sir, your pound earned five more pounds.’ The master replied: ‘Right, take charge of five cities.’
”The third came in and said: ‘Sir, here is your money which I hid for safekeeping. I was afraid of you for you are an exacting person; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’
”The master replied: ‘You worthless servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew I was an exacting person, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow! Why, then, did you not put my money on loan so that when I got back I could have collected it with interest?’
”Then the master said to those standing by: ‘Take from him that pound, and give it to the one with ten pounds.’ They objected: ‘But, sir, he already has ten!’
‘I tell you: everyone who has will be given more; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for my enemies who did not want me to be king, bring them in and execute them right here in my presence.’”
So Jesus spoke, and he went on ahead of them, on his way to Jerusalem.
REFLECTION
“Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins.”
To be a disciple of Jesus
I must do everything in my power
to develop a gospel-centered spiritual life.
I have no right to treat the spiritual life
as a private preserve of spiritual comforts.
I am here, like Jesus, for the purpose of doing good.
33rd Week in Ordinary Time
Dedication of the Basilicas of Peter and Paul / Rose Philippine Duchesne
►1st Reading: Rev 5:1–10
Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written on both sides, sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel exclaimed in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open this and break the seals?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or in the netherworld was found able to open the book and read it. I wept much when I saw that no one was found worthy to open the book and read it. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Shoot of David, has conquered; he will open the book of the seven seals.”
And I saw next to the throne with its four living creatures and the twenty-four elders a Lamb standing, although it had been slain. I saw him with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out to all the earth.
The Lamb moved forward and took the book from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed before the Lamb. They all held in their hands harps and golden cups full of incense which are the prayers of the holy ones.
This is the new song they sang:
You are worthy to take the book
and open its seals,
for you were slain
and by your blood you purchased for God
people of every race, language and nation;
and you made them a kingdom and priests for our God
and they shall reign over the land.
►Gospel: Lk 19:41–44
When Jesus had come in sight of Jerusalem, he wept over it and said, “If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now your eyes are held from seeing. Yet days will come upon you when your enemies will surround you with barricades and shut you in and press on you from every side. And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and leave not a stone within you, for you did not recognize the time and the visitation of your God.”
REFLECTION
“If you only knew today what is needed for peace.”
So often we ignore the good that must be done
everywhere around the world
and build instead a false security based on power.
But real peace, ultimate peace, comes only
from doing good to others
so that we can all live in the Peace of Christ.
33rd Week in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Rev 10:8–11
And the voice I had heard from heaven spoke again, saying to me, “Go near the angel who stands on the sea and on the land, and take the small book open in his hand.” So I approached the angel and asked him for the small book; he said to me, “Take it and eat; although it be sweet as honey in your mouth, it will be bitter to your stomach.”
I took the small book from the hand of the angel, and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it turned bitter in my stomach. Then I was told, “You must again proclaim God’s words about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.”
►Gospel: Lk 19:45–48
Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And he said to them, “God says in the Scriptures: My house shall be a house of prayer: but you have turned it into a den of robbers.”
Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple. The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill him and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to him and hanging on his words.
REFLECTION
“Every day Jesus taught in the Temple.”
Unlike most of us who fear losing public approval,
Jesus never flinched from calling
either synagogue or state
to be what they were meant to be–
just, generous, compassionate, and honest–to everyone.
The question is, do we?
33rd Week in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Rev 11:4–12
These are the two olive trees and the two lamps which are before the Lord of the earth. If anyone intends to harm them, fire will come out of their mouths to devour their enemies: this is how whoever intends to harm them will perish. They have the power to close the sky and hold back the rain during the time of their prophetic mission; they also have the power to change water into blood, and punish the earth with a thousand plagues, anytime they wish.
But when my witnesses have fulfilled their mission, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war upon them, and will conquer and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie in the square of the Great City which the believers figuratively call Sodom or Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. And their dead bodies will be exposed for three days and a half to people of all tribes, races, languages and nations who will be ordered not to have them buried.
Then the inhabitants of the earth will rejoice, congratulate one another and exchange gifts among themselves because these two prophets were a torment to them.
But after those three and a half days, a spirit of life coming from God entered them. They then stood up, and those who looked at them were seized with great fear. A loud voice from heaven called them, “Come up here.” So they went up to heaven in the midst of the clouds in the sight of their enemies.
►Gospel: Lk 20:27–40*(completed)
Some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Scripture Moses told us: ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and the child to be born will be regarded as the child of the deceased man.’ Now, there were seven brothers; the first married a wife, but he died without children; and the second and the third took the wife; in fact all seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be wife? For the seven had her as wife.”
And Jesus replied, “Taking husband or wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die for they are like the angels. They too are sons and daughters of God because they are born of the resurrection.
Yes, the dead will be raised, and even Moses implied it in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For he is God of the living and not of the dead, and for him all are alive.”
Some teachers of the Law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, you have spoken well.” They didn’t dare to ask him anything else.
REFLECTION
“On the day when the dead rise to life, whose wife will she be
since all seven brothers had married her?”
We are always prone to apply the laws of life
to the laws of God and the idea of eternity.
Instead of trying to be like God, we make God like us.
We put ourselves in the place of God the Lawgiver.
But our laws, good as they may be, are not the laws of God.
God’s law is always simply love–both here and hereafter.
Solemnity of Christ the King
►1st Reading: 2 S 5:1–3
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your bone and flesh. In the past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel. And Yahweh said to you, ‘You shall be the shepherd of my people Israel and you shall be commander over Israel.” Before Yahweh, King David made an agreement with the elders of Israel who came to him at Hebron, and they anointed him king of Israel.
►2nd Reading: Col 1:12–20
Constantly give thanks to the Father who has empowered us to receive our share in the in-heritance of the saints in his kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In him we are redeemed and forgiven.
He is the image of the unseen God,
and for all creation he is the firstborn,
for in him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible:
thrones, rulers, authorities, powers…
All was made through him and for him.
He is before all
and all things hold together in him.
And he is the head of the body, that is the Church,
for he is the first, the first raised from the dead
that he may be the first in everything,
for God was pleased to let fullness dwell in him.
Through him God willed
to reconcile all things to himself,
and through him, through his blood shed on the cross,
God establishes peace,
on earth as in heaven.
►Gospel: Lk 23:35–43
The people stood by watching. As for the rulers, they jeered at him, saying to one another, “Let the man who saved others now save himself, for he is the Messiah, the chosen one of God!”
The soldiers also mocked him and when they drew near to offer him bitter wine, they said, “So you are the king of the Jews? Free yourself!” For above him was an inscription which read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals hanging with Jesus insulted him, “So you are the Messiah? Save yourself and us as well!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Have you no fear of God, you who received the same sentence as he did? For us it is just: this is payment for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly, you will be with me today in paradise.”
REFLECTION
“The people stood there watching while the Jewish leaders made fun of him.”
The question with which this scripture confronts us
is a simple but significant one:
What kind of people is it,–women, minorities, outcasts–
that we allow to be made fun of in our presence?
Whom do we fail to defend and so, in that way, demean?
They are the ones we ourselves allow to be crucified.
34th Week in Ordinary Time
Cecilia
►1st Reading: Rev 14:1–3, 4b–5
I was given another vision: The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, surrounded by one hundred and forty-four thousand people who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. A sound reverberated in heaven like the sound of the roaring of waves or deafening thunder; it was like a chorus of singers, accompanied by their harps.
They sing a new song before the throne, in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, a song which no one can learn except the hundred and forty-four thousand who have been taken from the earth.
They are those who were not defiled with women but were chaste; these are given to follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They are the first taken from humankind who are already of God and the Lamb. No deceit has been found in them; they are faultless.
►Gospel: Lk 21:1–4
Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasure box; he also saw a poor widow dropping in two small coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all gave an offering from their plenty, but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.”
REFLECTION
“The others offered their gifts from what they had to spare
but she gave what she had to live on.”
It’s easy to feel generous;
it’s not easy to risk something I want in life
so that others can have the necessities they require for life.
If I only give what I myself have left over
to those who have nothing,
it may be charity, yes, but it’s definitely not generosity.
34th Week in Ordinary Time
Clement I / Columban
►1st Reading: Rev 14:14–19
Then I had this vision. I saw a white cloud and the one sitting on it like a son of man, wearing a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. An angel came out of the sanctuary, calling loudly to the one sitting on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for harvest time has come and the har-est of the earth is ripe.” He who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle at the earth and reaped the harvest.
Then another angel, who also had a sharp sickle, came out of the heavenly sanctuary. Still another angel, the one who has charge of the altar fire, emerged and shouted to the first who held the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and reap the bunches of the vine of the earth for they are fully ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle and gathered in the vintage, throwing all the grapes into the great winepress of the anger of God.
►Gospel: Lk 21:5–11
While some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”
Jesus then said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come claiming my title and saying: ‘I am he, the Messiah; the time is at hand.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, don’t be frightened; for all this must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”
And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.”
REFLECTION
“Watch out! Don’t be fooled. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say,
‘I am he’ and the time has come’ But don’t follow them.”
Many things we’ve been told are of God
are not of God at all.
No gospel, for instance, confirms racism or sexism
or national domination of others.
Those things are what we want, perhaps, but we must not
allow them to drown out the Gospel for us.
34th Week in Ordinary Time
Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions
►1st Reading: Rev 15:1–4
Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in the heavens: seven angels brought seven plagues which are the last, for with these the wrath of God will end. There was a sea of crystal mingled with fire, and the conquerors of the beast, of its name and the mark of its name stood by it.
They had been given the celestial harps and they sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb:
Great and marvelous are your works,
O Lord,
God and Master of the universe.
Justice and truth guide your steps,
O King of the nations.
Lord, who will not give honor and glory to your Name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come and bow before you,
for they have now seen your judgments.
►Gospel: Lk 21:12–19
Jesus said to his disciples, “People will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be delivered to the Jewish courts and put in prison, and for my sake you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.
“So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to answer, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
“You will be betrayed even by parents, and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. But even though you are hated by all for my name’s sake, not a hair of your head will perish. Through perseverance you will possess your own selves.”
REFLECTION
“Everyone will hate you because of me but not a single hair from your heads will be lost.
Stand firm and you will save yourselves.”
If we stand up for the things of Jesus in this world,
this world will not accept us.
If we stand for peace or equality or openness
in a world of war and discrimination and prejudice,
we will be seen as the troublemakers.
But stand up; stand firm. Do not be afraid. Jesus is with you.
34th Week in Ordinary Time
Catherine of Alexandria
►1st Reading: Rev 18:1–2, 21–23; 19:1–3, 9a
After this I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven. So great was his authority that the whole earth was lit up with his glory. In a strong voice he cried out:
“Fallen is Babylon the great! Fallen!
She has become a haunt of demons,
a lodge for every unclean spirit,
a nest for any filthy and disgusting bird.
A powerful angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying:
“With such violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, never again to be seen.
Never again will tunes of harpists, minstrels, trumpeters and flutists be heard in you. Never again will an artisan of any trade be found in you. Never again will the noise of the mill be heard.
Never again will the light of a lamp shine in you. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never again be heard in you.
Because your traders were the world’s great and you led the nations astray by your magic spell.
After this I heard what sounded like the loud singing of a great assembly in heaven:
Alleluia! Salvation, glory and might belong to our God,
for his judgments are true and just.
He has condemned the great harlot who corrupted the world with her adultery.
He has avenged his servants’ blood shed by her hand in harlotry.
Once more they sang: Alleluia! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever!
Then the angel told me, “Write: Happy are those invited to the wedding of the Lamb.” And he went on, “These are true words of God.”
►Gospel: Lk 21:20–28
Jesus said to his disciples, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you must know that the time has come when it will be reduced to a wasteland. Then, if you are in Judea, flee to the mountains; if you are in the city, leave it; and let those who are in the fields not return to the city.
“For these will be the days of its punishment and all that was announced in the Scripture will be fulfilled. How hard will it be for pregnant women and for mothers with babies at the breast! For a great calamity will come upon the land, and divine justice upon this people. They will be put to death by the sword or taken as slaves to other nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the pagans until the time of the pagans is fulfilled. “Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of perplexed nations when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. And at this time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. “Now, when you see the first events, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.”
REFLECTION
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
they you will know that it will soon be destroyed.”
Disaster is not always ‘disaster.’
It is, however, always a sign
that something new is happening in our lives,
that we are to begin to live newly,
to become spiritually new.
Then, Jesus is calling us into a new life.
34th Week in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Rev 20:1–4, 11–21:2
Then an angel came down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the Abyss and a huge chain. He seized the monster, the ancient serpent, namely Satan or the devil, and chained him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss and closed its gate with the key, then secured it with locks, that he might not deceive the nations in the future until the thousand years have passed. Then he will be released for a little while.
There were thrones and seated on them were those with the power to judge. I then saw the spirits of those who had been beheaded for having held the teachings of Jesus and on account of the word of God. I saw all those who had refused to worship the beast or its image, or receive its mark on the forehead or on the hand. They returned to life and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection.
After that I saw a great and splendid throne and the one seated upon it. At once heaven and earth disappeared, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before the throne while books were opened. Another book, the Book of Life, was also opened. Then the dead were judged according to the records of these books, that is, each one according to his works.
The sea gave up the dead it had kept, as did death and the netherworld, so that all might be judged according to their works. Then death and the netherworld were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. All who were not recorded in the Book of Life were thrown into the lake of fire.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away and no longer was there any sea. I saw the new Jerusalem, the holy city coming down from God, out of heaven, adorned as a bride prepared for her husband.
►Gospel: Lk 21:29–33
Jesus told his disciples this comparison, “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as their buds sprout, you know that summer is already near. In the same way, as soon as you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all this has happened: heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
REFLECTION
“Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.”
Just when life seems most confused,
most upended, most completely dismantled
we get our clearest glimpse of God in life.
Then the Word of God and the life of Jesus
become most clear and Jesus most present to us.
Then we are called to believe and begin again.
34th Week in Ordinary Time
►1st Reading: Rev 22:1–7
Then he showed me the river of life, clear as crystal, gushing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of the city, on both sides of the river are the trees of life producing fruit twelve times, once each month, the leaves of which are for healing the nations.
No longer will there be a curse; the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the City and God’s servants will live in his presence. They will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of lamp or sun for God himself will be their light and they will reign forever.
Then the angel said to me, “These words are sure and true; the Lord God who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
“I am coming soon! Happy are those who keep the prophetic words of this book.”
►Gospel: Lk 21:34–36
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be on your guard; let not your hearts be weighed down with a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you suddenly as a trap. For it will come upon all the inhabitants of the whole earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is bound to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
REFLECTION
“Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through
all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Consciousness of God is the presence of God in life.
It is learning to realize, then, that God’s ways,
though not always our ways,
are the very things that keep us aware of God-with-us.
They are the ways that keep us close to God.
Then nothing can weaken our determination to endure.
1st Sunday of Advent
►1st Reading: Is 2:1-5
The vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the last days, the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be set over the highest mountains and shall tower over the hills.
All the nations shall stream to it, saying, “Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and we may walk in his paths. For the Teaching comes from Zion, and from Jerusalem the word of Yahweh.
He will rule over the nations and settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not raise sword against nation; they will train for war no more.
O nation of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”
►2nd Reading: Rom 13:11–14
You know what hour it is. This is the time to awake, for our salvation is now nearer than when we first believed; the night is almost over and day is at hand. Let us discard, therefore, everything that belongs to darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. As we live in the full light of day, let us behave with decency; no banquets with drunkenness, no promiscuity or licentiousness, no fighting or jealousy. Put on, rather, the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not be led by the will of the flesh nor follow its desires.
►Gospel: Mt 24:37–44
At the coming of the Son of Man it will be just as it was in the time of Noah. In those days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking, and marrying, until the day when Noah went into the ark. Yet they did not know what would happen until the flood came and swept them away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Of two men in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Of two women grinding wheat together at the mill, one will be taken and the other left.
Stay awake, then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Just think about this: if the owner of the house knew that the thief would come by night around a certain hour, he would stay awake to prevent his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.
REFLECTION
“Stay awake that you may be prepared.”
If we are too busy to take time for prayerful reflection every day,
we are too busy to be human,
too busy to be good, too busy to grow,
too busy to be peaceful.
1st Week of Advent
►1st Reading: Is 4:2–6
On that day the Shoot of Yahweh will be beautiful and glorious; and the Fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor for the survivors of Israel.
Those who are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem will be called holy all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem,
when Yahweh washes away the filth of the women of Zion and purges Jerusalem of the bloodstains in its midst with the blast of searing judgment, the blast of fire.
Then will Yahweh create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over its assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of fire by night.
For the Glory of the Lord will be a canopy and a pavilion for all, a shade from the scorching heat by day, a refuge from the storm and rain.
►Gospel: Mt 8:5–11
When Jesus entered Capernaum, an army captain approached him to ask his help, “Sir, my servant lies sick at home. He is paralyzed and suffers terribly.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
The captain answered, “I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give an order and my boy will be healed. For I myself, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers. And if I say to one: ‘Go,’ he goes, and if I say to another: ‘Come,’ he comes, and to my servant: ‘Do this,’ he does it.”
When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those who were following him, “I tell you, I have not found such faith in Israel. I say to you, many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.”
REFLECTION
“’I will go and make him well,’ Jesus says.”
To respond immediately to the needs of another,
to go so far as to put ourselves out for them,
is to become like Jesus.
It says that all our personal gifts are at the disposal
of the world,
that where we are peace and love have come.
1st Week of Advent
Andrew, Apostle
►1st Reading: Rom 10:9–18
You are saved if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart you believe that God raised him from the dead. By believing from the heart, you obtain true righteousness; by confessing the faith with your lips you are saved. For Scripture says: No one who believes in him will be ashamed. Here there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; all have the same Lord, who is very generous with whoever calls on him. Truly, all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
But how can they call upon the name of the Lord without having believed in him? And how can they believe in him without having first heard about him? And how will they hear about him if no one preaches about him? And how will they preach about him if no one sends them? As Scripture says: How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of good news. Although not everyone obeyed the good news, as Isaiah said: Lord, who has believed in our preaching? So, faith comes from preaching, and preaching is rooted in the word of Christ.
I ask: Have the Jews not heard? But of course they have. Because the voice of those preaching resounded all over the earth and their voice was heard to the ends of the world.
►Gospel: Mt 4:18–22
As Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.
At once they left the boat and their father and followed him.
REFLECTION
“Come follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
To give ourselves to the creation of the kind of world Jesus of Nazareth
created around himself while he lived makes us more honest,
more courageous, more sensitive, more wholly human as we go.
