Gospel of the Day (Luke 14:1-6)

On a sabbath he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully.

In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.

Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"

But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him.

Then he said to them, "Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?"

But they were unable to answer his question.

***

Reflections:

"The sabbath was made for man" (Mk 2,27)

As the seventh day blessed and consecrated by God, the "shabbat" concludes the whole work of creation, and is therefore immediately linked to the work of the sixth day when God made man "in his image and likeness" (Gn 1:26). This very close connection between the "day of God" and the "day of man" did not escape the Fathers in their meditation on the biblical creation story. Saint Ambrose says in this regard: "Thanks, then, to the Lord our God who accomplished a work in which he might find rest. He made the heavens, but I do not read that he found rest there; he made the stars, the moon, the sun, and neither do I read that he found rest in them. I read instead that he made man and that then he rested, finding in man one to whom he could offer the forgiveness of sins". Thus there will be for ever a direct link between the "day of God" and the "day of man".

When the divine commandment declares: "Remember the Sabbath day in order to keep it holy" (Ex 20:8), the rest decreed in order to honour the day dedicated to God is not at all a burden imposed upon man, but rather an aid to help him to recognize his life-giving and liberating dependence upon the Creator, and at the same time his calling to cooperate in the Creator's work and to receive his grace. In honouring God's "rest", man fully discovers himself, and thus the Lord's Day bears the profound imprint of God's blessing (Gn 2:3), by virtue of which, we might say, it is endowed in a way similar to the animals and to man himself, with a kind of "fruitfulness" (Gn 1:22, 28). This "fruitfulness" is apparent above all in filling and, in a certain sense, "multiplying" time itself, deepening in men and women the joy of living and the desire to foster and communicate life.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 13:31-35)

At that time some Pharisees came to him and said, "Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."

He replied, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.

Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.'

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Behold, your house will be abandoned. (But) I tell you, you will not see me until (the time comes when) you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

***

Reflections:

"How many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings"

Jerusalem was a city of peace but she has also been a city of torment since Jesus so greatly suffered there and died there in great pain. Within this city we must be his witnesses, not in words but in truth, by our lives, imitating him as much as we are able. Many there are who would willingly be God's witnesses in time of peace, provided all goes as they would wish. They would willingly become saints provided they find nothing bitter in the exercise and work of sanctity. They would like to taste, desire and know divine joys without having to pass through any kind of bitterness, pain or desolation. No sooner do strong temptations or darkness come upon them, no sooner does the feeling and awareness of God leave them, no sooner do they feel interiorly and exteriorly abandoned than they turn away and thus are not true witnesses.

All men seek peace. Everywhere, in their works and in all kinds of ways, they seek peace. Ah! if only we might free ourselves from this seeking and be the ones to look for peace in suffering. That is the only place where true peace is born, the peace that abides and lasts... Let us look for peace in suffering, joy in sadness, simplicity in multiplicity, consolation in bitterness, for it is then that we shall become in truth the witnesses of God.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 13:22-30)

He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.

Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.

After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us.' He will say to you in reply, 'I do not know where you are from.'

And you will say, 'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'

Then he will say to you, 'I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!'

And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out.

And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.

For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

***

Reflections:

"People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God"

The promise God made to Abraham in former times still holds firm. What he said to him was: «Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and the south, east and west: all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants for ever» (Gen 13,14-15)... And yet Abraham received no inheritance at all on this earth, «not even a foot's length» but he remained «a resident alien» (Acts 7,5; Gen 23,4)... Therefore, if God promised him that he would inherit the land and he did not receive it during his sojourn here below, it must be that he receives it through his posterity, that is to say those who fear God and believe in him at the resurrection of the just.

Now, his posterity is the Church, which, through the Lord, receives its adoptive sonship through Abraham, as John the Baptist says: «God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones» (Mt 3,9). The apostle Paul also says in his epistle to the Galatians: «You, brothers, like Isaac, are children of the promise» (Gal 4,28). He says more clearly still in the same epistle that those who have believed in Christ receive, through Christ, the promise made to Abraham: «The promises were made to Abraham and his descendant. It does not say, 'And to descendants' as referring to many, but as referring to one, 'And to your descendant' who is Christ» (3,16). And so as to confirm all this, he says further: «Thus Abraham 'believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness'. Realize then that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham saying: 'Through you shall all the nations be blessed'» (3,6-8)...

Therefore, if neither Abraham nor his descendants – that is to say those who are justified by faith – receive an inheritance on earth now, they will receive it at the resurrection of the just, since God is true and holds firm in all things. And that is why the Lord said: «Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the land» (Mt 5,5).

Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. What does this mean?

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward Him he said "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" All of us have sinned -- we have done or thought many things that are wrong, and our sins deserve judgment. In ancient times in Israel, the priest would sacrifice a lamb for the sins of the people. The problem is that no sacrifice of a lamb can ever take away permanently people's sins.

So Jesus came to this earth and willingly gave Himself as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. He lived a perfect life and did not deserve judgment. We have lived sinful lives and deserve to be judged. But Jesus went to the cross -- He endured pain and humiliation and agony for us -- so that we might go to heaven and not be judged.

How great is God's love and mercy! "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."

So this week, could you please pray that

• People all over the world will come to know Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life so that they might live
• God would give us partners so we could see even more people accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord

And for you, my prayer is that God will bless you and fill you with the knowledge of His love and joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John

Gospel of the Day (Luke 6:12-16)

In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.

When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

***

Reflections:

"He called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles"

The apostolic Tradition is not a collection of things or words, like a box of dead things. Tradition is the river of new life that flows from the origins, from Christ down to us, and makes us participate in God's history with humanity. This topic of Tradition... is of great importance for the life of the Church. The Second Vatican Council pointed out in this regard that Tradition is primarily apostolic in its origins: "God graciously arranged that the things he had once revealed for the salvation of all peoples should remain in their entirety, throughout the ages, and be transmitted to all generations. Therefore, Christ the Lord, in whom the entire Revelation of the Most High God is summed up (2Cor 1,20; and 3,16-4, 6), commanded the Apostles to preach the Gospel and communicate the gifts of God to all men. This Gospel was to be the source of all saving truth and moral discipline" (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation 'Dei Verbum', n. 7). The Council noted further that this was faithfully done "by the Apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they themselves had received - whether from the lips of Christ, from his way of life and his works, or whether they had learned it at the prompting of the Holy Spirit" The Council adds that there were "other men associated with the Apostles, who, under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing".

As heads of the eschatological Israel, and likewise as Twelve, the number of the tribes of the Chosen People, the Apostles continued the "gathering" begun by the Lord and did so first and foremost by transmitting faithfully the gift received, the Good News of the Kingdom that came to people in Jesus Christ. Their number not only expresses continuity with the holy root, the Israel of the twelve tribes, but also the universal destination of their ministry, which brought salvation to the very ends of the earth. This can be understood from the symbolic value that the numbers have in the Semitic world: twelve results from the multiplication of three, a perfect number, and four, a number that refers to the four cardinal points, hence, to the whole world.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 13:10-17)

He was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.

And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.

When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."

He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.

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."

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?

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?"

When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

***

Reflections:

"This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound... ought she not to have been set free"

The freedom of man: God created man a rational being, conferring on him the dignity of a person who can initiate and control his own actions. "God willed that man should be 'left in the hand of his own counsel' (Si 15,14) so that he might of his own accord seek his Creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him»; «Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts» (Saint Irenaeus)...

Man's freedom is limited and fallible. In fact, man failed. He freely sinned. By refusing God's plan of love, he deceived himself and became a slave to sin. This first alienation engendered a multitude of others. From its outset, human history attests the wretchedness and oppression born of the human heart in consequence of the abuse of freedom... By deviating from the moral law man violates his own freedom, becomes imprisoned within himself, disrupts neighborly fellowship, and rebels against divine truth.

By his glorious Cross Christ has won salvation for all men. He redeemed them from the sin that held them in bondage. "For freedom Christ has set us free" (Gal 5,1). In him we have communion with the "truth that makes us free" (Jn 8,32). The Holy Spirit has been given to us and, as the Apostle teaches, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2Cor 3,17). Already we glory in the "liberty of the children of God" (Rom 8,21).

The grace of Christ is not in the slightest way a rival of our freedom when this freedom accords with the sense of the true and the good that God has put in the human heart. On the contrary, as Christian experience attests especially in prayer, the more docile we are to the promptings of grace, the more we grow in inner freedom and confidence during trials, such as those we face in the pressures and constraints of the outer world. By the working of grace the Holy Spirit educates us in spiritual freedom in order to make us free collaborators in his work in the Church and in the world.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 12:54-59)

He also said to the crowds, "When you see (a) cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain--and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot--and so it is.

You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison.

I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

***

Reflections:

Discerning the signs of the times

Today, in many parts of the world, under the inspiring grace of the Holy Spirit, many efforts are being made in prayer, word and action to attain that fullness of unity which Jesus Christ desires. The Sacred Council exhorts all the Catholic faithful to recognize the signs of the times and to take an active and intelligent part in the work of ecumenism.

The term "ecumenical movement" indicates the initiatives and activities planned and undertaken, according to the various needs of the Church and as opportunities offer, to promote Christian unity. These are: first, every effort to avoid expressions, judgments and actions which do not represent the condition of our separated brethren with truth and fairness and so make mutual relations with them more difficult; then, "dialogue" between competent experts from different Churches and Communities. At these meetings, which are organized in a religious spirit, each explains the teaching of his Communion in greater depth and brings out clearly its distinctive features. In such dialogue, everyone gains a truer knowledge and more just appreciation of the teaching and religious life of both Communions. In addition, the way is prepared for cooperation between them in the duties for the common good of humanity which are demanded by every Christian conscience; and, wherever this is allowed, there is prayer in common. Finally, all are led to examine their own faithfulness to Christ's will for the Church and accordingly to undertake with vigor the task of renewal and reform.

When such actions are undertaken prudently and patiently by the Catholic faithful, with the attentive guidance of their bishops, they promote justice and truth, concord and collaboration, as well as the spirit of brotherly love and unity. This is the way that, when the obstacles to perfect ecclesiastical communion have been gradually overcome, all Christians will at last, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, be gathered into the one and only Church in that unity which Christ bestowed on His Church from the beginning.

Letter to the Ephesians 3:14-21.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

***

Psalms 33(32):1-2.4-5.11-12.18-19.

Rejoice, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise.

For the LORD'S word is true; all his works are trustworthy.

The LORD loves justice and right and fills the earth with goodness.

But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations.

Happy the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his very own.

But the LORD'S eyes are upon the reverent, upon those who hope for his gracious help, Delivering them from death, keeping them alive in times of famine.

***

Gospel of the Day (Luke 12:49-53)

I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!

There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Gospel of the Day (Luke 12:39-48)

Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

Then Peter said, "Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?"

And the Lord replied, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute (the) food allowance at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.

Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.

But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

***

Reflections:

«Servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God» (1Cor 4,1)

In order to clarify the role of the servants he set at the head of his people, the Lord spoke this word related by the Gospel: «Who, then is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so»... If we should be wondering in what that food allowance consists, Saint Paul gives us the answer; it is «the measure of faith that God has apportioned» (Rom 12,3). What Christ called an allowance of food, Paul termed a measure of faith to teach us that there is no other spiritual food than the mystery of Christian faith. We give you this allowance of food in the Lord's name every time we speak to you according to the rule of the true faith, illumined by the spiritual gift of grace. As for that allowance, you receive it at the hands of the Lord's stewards each time you hear the word of truth from the mouth of God's servants.

May that food allowance God shares among us be our nourishment. Let us draw from it the solid food of our worthy behaviora so that we may come to the reward of eternal life. Let us believe in him who gives himself as food to us for fear we may collapse on the way (Mt 15,32) and who reserves himself to be our reward so that we may find joy when we reach our homeland. Let us believe and hope in him; let us love him above all and in all. For Christ is our food and will be our reward. Christ is the nourishment and comfort of travelers on their way; he is the contentment and rejoicing of the blessed in their repose.

Do not hurry. Sometimes we rush and hurry through life -- always trying to get quickly to the next place.

When Jesus Christ was here on this earth, He did not hurry. Even though He was the Son of God and had so much good to do for the world, He took time to spend with people. Once a woman who had been bleeding for years came up to Him and touched His clothing and was healed. Even though He was going somewhere else, He stopped and looked for her and spoke and ministered to her. He could have said "I am too busy and important and in such a hurry" -- but He slowed down and took time.

So you and I can slow down and take time to listen to Jesus. Once I was in a hurry to go somewhere and did not stop and help my neighbor who needed help moving something. If I were really listening to Jesus, I think I should have stopped and slowed down and helped my neighbor, then gone on my way.

These next few days, let us slow down a little bit and listen to God. Ask Christ how He would have you love someone around you. Spend some time with God; He is your heavenly Father and loves to spend time with you as His child.

This week, can I suggest that we pray

• That each of us will slow down and spend time with God and love one another
  
• That God would help us present the good news of Jesus Christ to a million people in the next 3 weeks

THANK YOU so much for your prayers. God has promised to hear and answer prayer. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will answer you."

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Gospel of the Day (Luke 12:35-38)

Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.

And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.

***

Reflections:

"Light your lamps"

Prayer offered during the hours of night possesses great power, even more than that offered during the day. That is why all the saints were in the habit of praying at night, combating the body's drowsiness and the sweetness of sleep and overcoming their bodily nature. The prophet also said: «I am wearied with sighing; every night I flood my bed with weeping» (Ps 6,7) as he uttered heartfelt sighs in impassioned prayer. And elsewhere: «At midnight I rise to give you thanks because of your just ordinances, O just God» (Ps 119[118],62). For every request for which the saints desired to importune God they armed themselves with nocturnal prayer and at once received what they were asking for.

Satan himself fears nothing as much as prayer offered during the night watches. Even if they are accompanied by distractions it does not return fruitless so long as something inappropriate is not being asked for. That is why Satan engages in severe combat against those who keep watch at night so as to deter them from this practice if he can, especially if they show themselves to be persevering. But those who are in any way defended against his pernicious wiles and have tasted the gifts God grants at these times of vigil and have had personal experience of the greatness of the help God gives them, wholly despise him, he and all his craftiness.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 12:13-21)

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."

He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"

Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."

Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.

He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"

But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'

Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

***

Reflections:

Store up treasure for yourself or make yourself rich in the sight of God?

"What am I to do? I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones." Now why did that land bear so well when it belonged to a man who would make no good use of its fertility? It was to show more clearly the forbearance of God, whose kindness extends even to such people as this. He «sends rain on both the just and the unjust, and makes the sun rise on the wicked and the good alike» (Mt 5,45)... These were God's blessings towards this rich man: fruitful fields, a temperate climate, abundant sowing, oxen to do the work and everything needful to assure his prosperity. But what do we find in this man? A bitter disposition, hatred of other people, unwillingness to give. This is the return he made to his Benefactor.

He forgot that we all share the same nature; he felt no obligation to distribute his surplus to the needy; he paid no heed to those divine precepts: «Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim» (Prv 3,27), «Let not kindness and fidelity leave you» (3,3), «Share your bread with the hungry» (Is 58,7). Every prophet, every wise man cried out to him these precepts yet he turned a deaf ear. His barns were full to bursting point, but still his miserly heart was not satisfied... Greed would not permit him to part with anything he possessed, and yet because he had so much there was no place to store his latest harvest And so he was incapable of making a decision and could find no escape from his anxiety. «What am I to do?» he went on saying. Who would not pity a man so oppressed? His land yields him no profit but only sighs...; he laments in the same way as the poor do. What am I to do? How can I find food and clothing?...

You who have wealth, recognize who has given you the gifts you have received. Consider yourself, who you are, what has been committed to your charge, from whom you have received it, why you have been preferred to most other people. You are the servant of the good God, a steward on behalf of your fellow servants... «What am I to do?» It would have been so easy to say: "I will feed the hungry, I will open my barns and call in all the poor... Let anyone who lacks bread come to me. You shall share, each according to need, in the good things God has given me, just as though you were drawing from a common well».

Gospel of the Day (Luke 12:1-7)

Meanwhile, so many people were crowding together that they were trampling one another underfoot. He began to speak, first to his disciples, "Beware of the leaven--that is, the hypocrisy--of the Pharisees.

There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.

Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops.

I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more.

I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna; yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.

Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.

Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

***

Reflections:

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body"

Anyone who does not know God, even though he may entertain all kinds of hopes, is ultimately without hope, without the great hope that sustains the whole of life (cf. Eph 2,12). Man's great, true hope which holds firm in spite of all disappointments can only be God—God who has loved us and who continues to love us «to the end,» until all «is accomplished» (cf. Jn 13,1; 19,30).

Whoever is moved by love begins to perceive what «life» really is. He begins to perceive the meaning of the word of hope that we encountered in the Baptismal Rite: from faith I await «eternal life»—the true life which, whole and unthreatened, in all its fullness, is simply life. Jesus, who said that he had come so that we might have life and have it in its fullness, in abundance (Jn 10,10), has also explained to us what «life» means: «this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent» (Jn 17,3). Life in its true sense is not something we have exclusively in or from ourselves: it is a relationship. And life in its totality is a relationship with him who is the source of life. If we are in relation with him who does not die, who is Life itself and Love itself, then we are in life. Then we «live».

Gospel of the Day (Luke 11:47-54)

Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.

Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building.

Therefore, the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute' in order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!

Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter."

When he left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

***

Reflections:

"And they began to act with hostility toward him"

«God so loved the world that he gave his only Son» (Jn 3,16). This only Son «was offered», not because his enemies overcame him but because «he surrendered himself» (cf. Is 53,12). «He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end» (Jn 13,1). This «end» was the death he accepted on behalf of those whom he loved; this was the end of all perfection, the end of perfect love, for «there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends» (Jn 15,13).

This love of Christ's was more stronger in the death of Christ than his enemies' hatred, for hatred could only do what love permitted it to do. Judas - or the enemies of Christ –delivered him up to death through wicked hatred. The Father delivered his Son, and the Son delivered himself to death through love (Rom 8,32; Gal 2,20). Love, however, is by no means guilty of betrayal; it is innocent even when Christ dies of it. Since love alone is able to carry out with impunity whatever it pleases. Only love can constrain God and, as it were, give him orders. This it was that caused him to descend from heaven and placed him on the cross; this it was that shed Christ's blood for the remission of sins in an act that was as innocent as it was salutary. All our thanksgiving for the salvation of the world is thus owing to love. And it constrains us, with inescapable logic, to love Christ as much as people were able to hate him.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 11:42-46)

Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others.

Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces.

Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk."

Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, "Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too."

And he said, "Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.

***

Reflections:

"Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor"

The soul of the humble is like the sea. Throw a stone into the sea – for a moment it will ruffle the surface and then sink to the bottom. Thus do afflictions disappear down in the hearts of the humble because the strength of the Lord is with them.

Where is your habitation, O humble soul? And who dwells in you; and to what shall I liken you? You burn bright like the sun, and are not consumed (Ex 3,2), but with your warmth you give warmth to all. The earth is yours, for the meek shall inherit the earth, said the Lord (Mt 5,5). You are like a flowering garden. In the heart of the garden lies a fair dwelling where it pleases the Lord to take up his abode.

You are the beloved of heaven and earth. The apostles, prophets, saints and holy Fathers love you. The angels, the Seraphim and Cherubim love you. The most holy Mother of God loves you, O humble soul. The Lord loves you and, in you, he rejoices.

Jesus Christ is our secure hope even in times of trouble.

All around the world there are economic troubles these days. There are “storms” that could sink the boat we are riding in. Our natural reaction is to be afraid.

Jesus and His disciples were once in a situation much like this. “One day Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

Sometimes Jesus calms the storm outside our lives. Sometimes the storm may still rage outside, but He can still give us His peace in our hearts. So let us let Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, reign as Lord in our hearts and lives always.

This week, let us pray for

• God to calm the storms in the world
• God to bring many people to Himself in the midst of these storms

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your prayers. Jesus Christ is Lord! And He will win the victory.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea...” Psalm 46:1, 2

Gospel of the Day (Luke 11:37-41)

After he had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat.

The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.

The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.

You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?

But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.

***

REFLECTIONS:

"Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? "

«Oh you Pharisees! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish.» As you see, it is our bodies that are referred to here by the names of fragile, earthenware things that a simple fall can break. And the soul's intimate feelings are indicated by bodily expressions and gestures, just as what is contained within the cup is made known outside it... Thus you see that it is not the exterior of this cup or plate that soils us, but the interior.

Like a good master, Jesus teaches us how to clean away the marks on our bodies by saying: «Give alms, and behold everything will be clean for you». You see how many remedies there are! Mercy cleanses us; God's word cleanses us, too, as it is written: «You are already clean because of the word I spoke to you» (Jn 15,3)...

This begins a very lovely passage: the Lord invites us to look for simplicity and he condemns attachment to what is superfluous and earthly. Because of their feebleness the Pharisees are compared, not without reason, to the cup and the dish: they observe details without any use to us and they neglect those in which the fruit of our hope is to be found. And so they are guilty of a grave fault by despising the better part. Even so, even for such a fault,forgiveness is promised if it is followed by the merciful act of almsgiving.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 11:29-32)

While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.

Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.

At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here.

At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.

***

Reflections:

"There is something greater than Jonah here"

Allow me to quote one of the psalms, spoken to David by the Holy Spirit. You will tell me that it refers to Solomon, your king, but it refers even more to Christ...: «God, with your judgement endow the king» (Ps 72[71],1). Because Solomon became king you will tell me that this psalm speaks of him, whereas the words of this psalm very clearly point to an eternal king, namely Christ. For Christ was proclaimed to us as king, priest, God, Lord, angel, man, supreme head, rock, an infant through his birth, firstly a man of sorrows and then ascending to heaven and returning in his glory with everlasting majesty...

«God, with your judgement endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son. He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgement... All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.» Solomon was a great and illustrious king; it was in his reign that the house we call the Temple of Jerusalem was built, but it is evident that nothing of what is said in the psalm happened to him. All kings did not pay him homage, neither did he rule to the ends of the earth, nor did his enemies fall down before him to lick the dust...

Solomon is not «the king of glory» (Ps 24[23],10); Christ is. After he had been raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, the princes whom God had established in heaven were commanded to «open the gates» of heaven so that he who is «the king of glory might come in» and go up to sit at the right hand of the Father until he makes «his enemies a footstool for him», as is shown in other psalms (24[23]; 110[109]). Yet when the princes in heaven saw him without beauty, honor or majesty to his appearance (Is 53,2), they failed to recognize him and asked: «Who is this king of glory?» (Ps 24[23], 8). Then the Holy Spirit answered them: «The Lord of hosts; he is the king of glory». For indeed it was not Solomon, glorious though he may have been in his majesty..., about whom it could be said: «Who is he, the king of glory?»

Gospel of the Day (Luke 11:15-26)

Some of them said, "By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons."

Others, to test him, asked him for a sign from heaven.

But he knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.

And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that it is by Beelzebul that I drive out demons.

If I, then, drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own people drive them out?Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that (I) drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

When a strong man fully armed guards his palace, his possessions are safe.

But when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him, he takes away the armor on which he relied and distributes the spoils.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, 'I shall return to my home from which I came.'

But upon returning, it finds it swept clean and put in order.

Then it goes and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself who move in and dwell there, and the last condition of that person is worse than the first."

***

Reflections:

«We are his house» (Heb 3,6)

The Lord comes to rest in the fervent soul; he makes it his throne of glory; there he takes his seat and makes his home... This house where its master dwells is all grace, order and beauty just as the soul in which the Lord abides is nothing but order and beauty. It holds the Lord together with all his spiritual treasure. He is its occupier; he is its head.

But how dreadful that house whose master is out, whose Lord far away! It becomes dilapidated, falls into ruins, is choked with dirt and disorder. In the words of one of the prophets, it becomes «an abode for serpents and demons». The abandoned house is filled with cats and dogs and filth of all kinds and how unhappy is the soul unable to rise from its disastrous fall, that lets itself be dragged away and comes to hate its spouse, tearing its thoughts away from Jesus Christ!

Yet when the Lord sees it return to itself, seeking its Lord night and day, crying out to him just as he invited it to: «Pray without ceasing», then «God will secure its rights» (Lk 18,1.7) – he has given his word – and will purify it from all wickedness. He will make it into a bride «without spot or wrinkle» (Eph 5,27). Believe his promise: it is the truth. See whether your soul has found the light that will enlighten its paths and the true food and drink that are the Lord himself. Do you still lack them? Seek for them night and day; you will find them.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 11:5-13)

And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,' and he says in reply from within, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.'

I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?

Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

***

Reflections:

"He will give him whatever he needs"

You should never lack confidence in God nor despair of his pity... Sing to the Lord these words of the prophet: «As the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the Lord our God till he have pity on us. Have pity on us, O Lord, have pity on us, for we are more than sated with contempt» (Ps 123[122],2-3)... If we are sated with contempt because of our numberless sins yet our eyes should remain turned to the Lord our God until he has pity on us, nor should we cease to beseech him until he grants us forgiveness for our faults. Indeed, it belongs to the steadfast and persistent soul never to desist from persevering in prayer through despair of being answered but to persist unwearyingly in that prayer until God shows it mercy.

So that you do not begin to think you are offending the Lord by persisting in your prayers when you are not worthy of being heard, remember the parable in the Gospel. There you will find that those who pray to God with importunate perseverance are not displeasing to him, for it is said: «If he does not give it to him because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.» Understand, then, that it is the devil who tempts us to despair of being answered so that hope in God's goodness, anchor of our salvation, foundation of our life, guide for the path heavenwards, may be taken away from us. Paul, the apostle, says: «In hope we were saved» (Rm 8,24).

Gospel of the Day (Luke 11:1-4)

He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test."

***

Reflections:

«Teach us to pray»

My brethren, do you imagine God is ignorant of what you need? He who knows our distress foreknows our desires also. That is why, in teaching them the Our Father, the Lord counselled his disciples not to use many words: «When you pray, do not keep babbling because your Father knows what you need before you ask him» (Mt 6,7-8). If our Father already knows what we need, why tell him about it even in few words?... If you know about it, Lord, do we even need to pray?

However, he who says to us here: «Do not use many words in your prayers» says to us elsewhere: «Ask and you will receive», and so that we don't think this is said casually, he adds: «Seek and you will find», and so that we don't think this to be a mere figure of speech, see how he concludes: «Knock and it will be opened to you» (Mt 7,7). So what he wants is for you to begin by asking so as to receive, to set yourself to seeking in order to find and not to stop knocking so as to enter in the end... Why ask? Why seek? Why knock? Why weary ourselves with praying, seeking, knocking as though we had to inform him who already knows it all? We even read elsewhere: «Pray always without becoming weary» (Lk 18,1)... Well, to clear up this mystery, ask, seek, knock! If he disguises this mystery it is because he wants to move you to seek and find the explanation for yourself. We should all encourage ourselves to pray.

Gospel of the Day (Luke 10:38-42)

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me."

The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.

There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her."

***

Reflections:

"Mary listened to him speak"

Mary first had to become a Martha before she could become a real Mary. Because so long as she remained at our Lord's feet she was not yet so: in name she was, but not as yet in its spiritual actuality.

Some people stretch things so far that they would like to free themselves from all work. But I say this is useless! It wasn't until they had received the Holy Spirit that the disciples began to believe anything concretely. Mary too, so long as she was sitting at our Lord's feet, was still learning; she had only just begun to learn; she was learning how to live. But afterwards, when Christ had ascended into heaven and she had received the Holy Spirit, only then did she begin to serve. She crossed the sea, preached and taught and became a fellow worker with the apostles.

From the first moment of God's becoming man, both man and God, Christ also began to work for our blessedness even to the end when he died on the cross. There was not a member of his body that did not take part in this great work.

God says we as Christians are to be holy, even as He is holy.

How is this possible? We know that each of us are tempted to sin. What is easy is for us to judge other people’s sins — but unfortunately we can sometimes be blind to our own sin.

Maybe you have a problem with pride — maybe you look down on someone who drinks too much. What is important is not that we judge one another’s sins, but that we ask God to help us overcome our own sins and weaknesses by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Do you want to be holy? Then realize that just as you became a Christian by God’s love for you and Christ dying on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, so you need God to live a godly Christian life. Just ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

Then, you might want to ask God to help you starting with just one area of your life. Pray and ask Him to reveal to you one area of sin in your life. It could be lying — or lust — or stealing — or greed. Don’t worry about your friend’s sins, just worry about yours. Then this coming week, ask God to help you not sin in that area by the power of His Holy Spirit. You may start small — but believe God great things can come as you yield your life to the power of His Holy Spirit.

So, this week, let us join together in praying

• God will help you — and each of us — begin to overcome one area of sin in each of our lives

Some day we will meet in heaven — what a glorious day that will be! Until then, let us join together in doing the work of the Lord. He is worthy to receive all our praise and honor and glory! Thank you so much for your prayers.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" 1 Corinthians 6:19

Gospel of the Day (Luke 10:25-37)

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?"

He said in reply, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."

He replied to him, "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.

A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.

But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, 'Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.'

Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"

He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

***

Reflections:

"A Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight"

A Samaritan came down that road. «Who has come down from heaven except the one who has gone up to heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven?» (cf. Jn 3,13). Seeing that man half-dead whom nobody before had been able to heal..., he approached him; that is to say, by accepting to suffer with us he became our friend and by taking pity on us he became our neighbour.

«He dressed his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them». This doctor possesses many remedies with which he habitually heals us. His words are a remedy: with one he binds up wounds, with another he pours ointment over them, with another astringent wine... «Then he lifted him up on his own animal». Hear how he sets you there: «It was our infirmities he bore, our sufferings that he endured» (Is 53,4). And the shepherd, too, set the worn out sheep on his shoulders (Lk 15,5)...

«He took him to an inn and cared for him»... But the Samaritan could not long remain on our earth; he must return from whence he descended. So «the next day» – what is this 'next day' if not the day of the Lord's resurrection, of which it is said «This is the day the Lord has made» (Ps 118[117],24)? – «he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction: Take care of him». What are these two coins? Perhaps they are the two Covenants, bearing the likeness of the Eternal Father, and at whose cost our wounds are healed... Happy that innkeeper who is able to tend another's wounds! Happy the one to whom Jesus says: «If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back»... Thus he promises a repayment. When will you return, Lord, if not at the day of judgement? Even though your remain always everywhere, standing in our midst without our recognising you, the day will come when all flesh shall see you coming. And you will repay what you owe. How will you repay, Lord Jesus? To the good you have promised an immense reward in heaven yet you will pay back even more when you say: «Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy» (Mt 25,21).