28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Psalter: Week 3 / (Green/White)
St. Hedwig, religious / St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin
Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
The Lord has made known his salvation.
1st Reading: Rom 1:1-7
From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an apostle, called and set apart for God‘s Good News, the very promises he foretold through his prophets in the sacred Scriptures, regarding his Son, who was born in the flesh a descendant of David, and has been recognized as the Son of God, endowed with Power, upon rising from the dead, through the Holy Spirit. Through him, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and for the sake of his name, we received grace, and mission in all the nations, for them to accept the faith.
All of you, the elected of Christ, are part of them, you, the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy:
May God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, give you grace and peace.
Gospel: Lk 11:29-32
As the crowd increased, Jesus spoke the following words: ”People of the present time are troubled people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah‘s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here, there is greater than Jonah.
REFLECTION:
Every day we are surrounded by signs. There are signs that could guide us (traffic signs), warn us (siren) or invite us to make preparations (heavy rain that lead to flashflood).
In the gospel, there are two evident signs: Jonah‘s preaching and Jesus‘ presence. Both signs could guide people towards God, warn them to repent or invite them to remain with God. Jesus speaks about the sign of Jonah, i.e., his preaching of God‘s word that leads to the mass conversion of Ninevites. Though he portrays how powerful Jonah‘s preaching was, but he speaks further about a greater sign, not a mere preaching but the presence of the ”Word-made-flesh” himself. Just as ”Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh,” the Son of Man is ”a sign for this generation.”
Today, we encounter Christ himself in the Liturgy, in the sacraments, in the proclamation of the Word of God, in the tradition of the Church, and in the Magisterium. If we pay attention to the external signs that surround us daily, we must all the more be aware of the signs of Christ‘s presence among us–signs that could guide us to the path of holiness, warn us of the severe effects of sins, and invite us to prepare always for Christ‘s second coming.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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