God is waiting for the moment of our conversion

Gospel of the Day (Luke 17:26-37)

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.

So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

On that day, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person in the field must not return to what was left behind.

Remember the wife of Lot.

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.

I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.

And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left."

They said to him in reply, "Where, Lord?" He said to them, "Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather."

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Reflections:

God is waiting for the moment of our conversion

When I contemplate the threat hanging over the guilty in the time of Noah, I myself tremble who am equally guilty of shocking sins... Our Creator threatened the men of that time beforehand since he was waiting for the moment of their conversion. For us, too, there will be an end-time, unknown to us and hidden even from the angels (Mt 24,36). In that day Christ, who is Lord before all ages, will come to judge the earth, riding upon the clouds just as Daniel saw (7,13). Before that last hour falls upon us let us beseech Christ, crying: «Save all mankind from wrath by the love you bear for us, O Redeemer of the world»...

Mankind's Friend, seeing the wickedness prevailing at that time, said to Noah: «The end of all mortals has come before me (Gn 6,13) for the earth is full of lawlessness. You alone are just in all this age (Gn 7,1)... Therefore, take for yourself an imperishable wood and construct an ark...; it will bear the seed of future species like a womb. You will construct it like a house in the image of the Church... I will keep you safe within it, you who cry out to me in faith: 'Save all mankind from wrath through the love you bear for us, Redeemer of the world.'»

Skilfully the chosen one fulfilled his work...; he cried out in faith to those who had no faith: «Make haste! Come away from your sins; abandon your wickedness; repent! Wash away with your tears the stain on your souls; by faith be reconciled with the power of our God...» But those sons of rebellion were not converted. They added their hardness of heart to their perversity. From then on Noah begged God with tears: «As in former times you caused me to come forth from my mother's womb, save me once more in this assisting ark. For I am about to seal myself within this sort of tomb but when you call me I shall emerge by your power! I am about to prefigure through it even now the resurrection of all humankind when you save the righteous from fire as you will save me from the torrents of evil by rescuing me from the midst of evildoers, I who cry to you with faith, even to you the merciful Judge: «Save all mankind from wrath through the love you bear for us, Redeemer of the world.»