32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
St. Margaret of Scotland, queen /
St. Gertrude the Great, virgin
Psalter: Week 4 / (Green/White)
Ps 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
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
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be on the day the Son of Man comes. In those days people ate and drank and got married; but on the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all. So it was in the days of Lot: people ate and drank, and bought and sold, and 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 it, but whoever gives his life will be born again.
I tell you, though two men are sharing the same bed, it might happen that one will be taken, and the other left; though two women are grinding meal together, one might 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.”
Reflections
These texts are not intended to fill us with fear and foreboding of a capricious and judgmental God. They are timely advice not to be caught napping but to remain alert to do good with what each day offers. It is good advice not just for the end of our lives but for every day and every moment of the day. If I am ready now, I will be ready when the final judgment comes. By living consciously in the presence of God, in the ever-present now and living fully what matters most in the moment, we are not postponing what can be done today. Far from being afraid, we will look forward to the day with anticipation, leaving totally in God’s hands the hour of his call. In practice, too, that final call will not coincide with the end of the world but with the moment when we face our own mortality and remember what kind of life have we lived. There is no doubt that death comes at any moment. What is important is the accountability of our stewardship. How have we lived our lives? Have we made a difference in our families and communities? Or simply answering two basic questions as we make the journey through life: Have I found joy in my life? Have I given joy to others?
Daily Reflection 2018
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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
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