Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 495
Lectionary: 495
[Chosen Lady:]
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth
just as we were commanded by the Father.
But now, Lady, I ask you,
not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.
For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.
Anyone who is so "progressive"
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth
just as we were commanded by the Father.
But now, Lady, I ask you,
not as though I were writing a new commandment
but the one we have had from the beginning:
let us love one another.
For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments;
this is the commandment, as you heard from the beginning,
in which you should walk.
Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.
Anyone who is so "progressive"
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:1, 2, 10, 11, 17, 18
R. (1b) Blessed
are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Blessed are they who observe his decrees,
who seek him with all their heart.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
With all my heart I seek you;
let me not stray from your commands.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Within my heart I treasure your promise,
that I may not sin against you.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Be good to your servant, that I may live
and keep your words.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!
Gospel Lk 17:26-37
Jesus said to his disciples:
"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, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one 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."
"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, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one 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."
www.usccb.org
Meditation:"One
will be taken and the other left"
What can nature teach us about the return of the Lord Jesus on
the day of final judgment at the end of the world? Jesus quoted a familiar
proverb to his audience: Where the body is, there the eagles (or vultures) will
be gathered together. Eagles, like vultures, are attracted to carrion – the
carcass of dying or dead animals. The Book of Job describes the eagle spying
out its prey from afar (Job 39:29). The eagles swoop to catch their prey when
the conditions are right, especially if the prey is exposed and vulnerable to a
surprise attack. Severely weakened or dying prey have no chance of warding off
forces that can destroy and kill. What's the point of this analogy? It's inevitable that some life-threatening or
life-changing event or cause will take place when the necessary conditions are
fulfilled. The return of the Lord Jesus is certain, but the time is unknown. The
Day of the Lord's judgment will come swiftly and unexpectedly. Jesus warns his
listeners to not be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will surely come
in God's good time!
What does Jesus mean when he says that one person will be taken
and another left? God judges each person individually on how they have
responded to his mercy and his gracious invitation to accept or reject his
kingship – to either live as loyal citizens or as traitors of his kingdom. We
cannot pass off personal responsibility and accountability for how we have lived
our lives to someone else, such as a close friend, spouse, or family member. No
one can discharge his or her duty by proxy or by association with someone else.
The good news is that God gives grace and help to all who seek him with faith
and trust in his mercy. The Lord Jesus freely gives us his Holy Spirit so that
we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin and to
embrace God's way of love, righteousness, and holiness. The Lord's warning of
judgment is a cause for dismay for those who have not heeded his warning and
are now unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly anticipate
the Lord's return in glory.
God's judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him.
Their reward is God himself, the source and author of all that is good – truth, beauty, love, and everlasting life.
The people in Noah's time ignored the Lord's warning of impending judgment.
They missed the boat, literally! Whose boat are you taking – the world's boat
to short-lived success and happiness or God's boat to an eternal kingdom and
bliss with him? Those whose hope is firmly anchored in heaven will not be
disappointed when God's judgment comes. They rejoice even now that they will
see the Lord in his glory! Is your hope firmly placed in God and his kingdom?
"Lord Jesus
Christ, I place all my hope in you because you have redeemed the world by your
death on the cross and by your victory over the grave. Help me to never lose
sight of the goal of heaven that I may live each day in joyful anticipation of
your return in glory."
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 Living My Encounter with Christ |
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Friday of the Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary
Time
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Luke 17:26-37
Jesus said to his
disciples: "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."
Introductory Prayer: I believe in you,
Lord, my companion and strength. I believe that you come out to meet me each
day, asking me to depend more on you and less on creatures. I hope in you,
Lord, as the one who fills my longing to love and be loved. I love you here
and now with my prayer and with my desire to be faithful and generous in the
little things you ask of me.
Petition: Lord, help me to put you first in my life.
1. They Were Eating and Drinking: In the time of Noah
and of Lot, God’s judgment was said to come down upon man. Yet the real
moment of judgment for each one of us comes immediately upon our own death.
It is then that the kingdom will be fully revealed to us, and it will be
decided whether we will be part of it or not. But it is in the course of my
own life that my option for being received into the kingdom is decided. God
comes to me today. How will I respond? My response now and each day
determines my eternal place in the kingdom.
2. Do Not Return to What Was Left Behind: In most disasters people have little chance to collect
belongings; those who try are often lost as a result. The same will be true
of the Final Judgment – or at our own death; when Jesus comes, will I be
ready? What do I most cherish? What I must hold on to is my relationship with
Christ. And this implies in so many ways losing “my life” here. Do I live
with the attitude of losing my life a little more each day, detaching myself
from things, activities and people, so as to be freer to love, serve and be
with Christ?
3. Where the Body Is? “Where Lord?” the disciples ask; where
will the day of the Son of man take place? It will take place, says Jesus,
wherever you are. Whether we die and encounter Christ in a personal judgment
or are alive to encounter the Lord at his Second Coming and the Final
Judgment, the reality is the same. Standing next to a saint or a sinner will
not alter our fate. Who we know or what contacts we have will do little.
Where we are in our relationship with Christ will be the only real
determining factor. Where am I, Lord, today, in relationship with you? May
this be my only concern!
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, increase
my desire to live my life in close relation with you. Order all my activities
according to your will, and my relationships according to your heart. “I want
whatever you want, because you want it, the way you want it, as long as you
want it” (Prayer of Pope Clement XI).
Resolution: I will give priority to my relationship with
Christ. I will make prayer my first act today before every meal.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16
LUKE 17:26-37
(2 John 4-9; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it" (v 33).
READING: Throughout salvation history, the prophets warned the people of God's imminent judgment, yet they ignored these messengers of God. In Noah's day, the people continued with their ordinary activities right up to the moment the flood engulfed them (Gn 6-7). Abraham's nephew Lot had to be dragged from the city of Sodom because he did not heed the warnings of its impending destruction (19:16). Jesus alerted his followers to flee Jerusalem at the first sign of the city's coming destruction. When Jerusalem fell in 70 CE, thousands died in the siege while those who heeded Jesus' counsel were saved. God's judgment swiftly separated the righteous from the unjust. Those who trusted in God would find life everlasting.
REFLECTING: Do I heed the warnings of today's prophets?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to place my life in your hands.
LUKE 17:26-37
(2 John 4-9; Psalm 119)
KEY VERSE: "Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it" (v 33).
READING: Throughout salvation history, the prophets warned the people of God's imminent judgment, yet they ignored these messengers of God. In Noah's day, the people continued with their ordinary activities right up to the moment the flood engulfed them (Gn 6-7). Abraham's nephew Lot had to be dragged from the city of Sodom because he did not heed the warnings of its impending destruction (19:16). Jesus alerted his followers to flee Jerusalem at the first sign of the city's coming destruction. When Jerusalem fell in 70 CE, thousands died in the siege while those who heeded Jesus' counsel were saved. God's judgment swiftly separated the righteous from the unjust. Those who trusted in God would find life everlasting.
REFLECTING: Do I heed the warnings of today's prophets?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to place my life in your hands.
Optional Memorial of Margaret of Scotland
Margaret, Queen of Scotland, was the granddaughter of King Edmund Ironside of England, and the great-niece of St Stephen of Hungary. She was born in Hungary while her family was in exile due to the Danish invasion of England. While fleeing the invading army of William the Conqueror in 1066, her family's ship wrecked on the Scottish coast. They were assisted by King Malcolm III Canmore of Scotland whom Margaret married in 1070. They had eight children; one was St Maud, wife of Henry I. Margaret founded abbeys and used her position to work for justice and to improve the conditions of the poor
.
Optional Memorial of Gertrude the Great, virgin
Gertrude was raised in the Cistercian abbey of Helfta, Eisleben, Saxony from age 5. She was an extremely bright student, and gentle person. When she became too enamored of philosophy, she received a vision of Christ who reproached her. From then on she studied the Bible and the works of the Church Fathers. She received many visions and mystical instruction, which formed the basis of her writings. She helped spread devotion to the Sacred Heart. Her writings have been greatly praised by St Teresa and St Francis de Sales, and continue in print today.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
Reflection
The return of the Lord is certain, but
the time is unknown. The Lord’s judgment comes swiftly and unexpectedly. Jesus
warns his listeners not to be caught off guard when that day arrives. It will
surely come in God’s good time! God judges every one individually according to
how they have lived their life and responded to his grace. The good news is
that God gives grace, security and refuge to those who seek him with faith and
contrition. He gives us the grace to know him personally and to accept his
lordship over our lives. And he gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to live
each day for his kingdom, and the readiness to receive him when he returns.
God’s judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him and their
reward is God himself, the source of all truth, beauty, goodness, love and
everlasting life. Are you ready to come face to face with God?
Catholic Homily
LOVING IN ACTION
Readings: 2 Jn 4:4-9; Lk
17:26-37
On a full moon night, if
I am romantic, I will sit outside in my backyard ogling up at the sky. Full
moons make us think of love and there is nothing like being in love. Recall
what it felt like when you were in love. Your heart grew faint and your
breathing short, just picturing the soft eyes and tender smile of the one you
adore. Being in a room with that person is a thrill. You ply him or her with
questions just to hear the sound of the voice. When you are in love one thing
is certain: you can’t keep n to yourself; you just have to tell that person who
grips your love. Likewise, we who love God would be happier if we express our
love for him. But how? St John says that it is by keeping God’s commandment and
his commandment is that “we love one another” (2 Jn 5). But real love is in
action. The greatest act of love that anyone can perform is to give oneself for
others. Sometimes, it is easier to say “I’d die for you” than it is to say,
“I’ll live for you; let me think of your interests before my own.” This is
living a sacrificial love for others. But such a love can only come to us as a
gift from God. Because it takes superhuman strength to live really for others.
And God will certainly offer this gift if we sincerely ask him for it.
www.spreadjesus.org
Happy
are they who follow the law of the Lord!
‘Those who
try to save their life will lose it.’The readings for today contain stern words, Lord. They put in urgent terms the call to respond to you and to your Gospel. You want decisions, and you want them now! In the daily round of my life, I guess you get something of a look-in. But I know I could be a better person, a more loving one.
Perhaps I am misunderstanding what’s being asked of me in the gospels. Maybe you use the hard words not so much to get people to focus on themselves, but to jolt them into awareness of you. Lord, forgive me for the ways I can make following you a way of becoming absorbed in myself. Come, Lord, and free me to yield to you.
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November 16
St. Gertrude
(1256?-1302)
St. Gertrude
(1256?-1302)
Gertrude, a Benedictine nun in Helfta
(Saxony), was one of the great mystics of the 13th century. Together with her
friend and teacher St. Mechtild, she practiced a spirituality called
"nuptial mysticism," that is, she came to see herself as the bride of
Christ. Her spiritual life was a deeply personal union with Jesus and his
Sacred Heart, leading her into the very life of the Trinity.
But this was no
individualistic piety. Gertrude lived the rhythm of the liturgy, where she
found Christ. In the liturgy and in Scripture, she found the themes and images
to enrich and express her piety. There was no clash between her personal prayer
life and the liturgy.
Comment:
Gertrude's life is another reminder that the heart of the Christian life is prayer: private and liturgical, ordinary or mystical, always personal.
Gertrude's life is another reminder that the heart of the Christian life is prayer: private and liturgical, ordinary or mystical, always personal.
Quote:
"Lord, you have granted me your secret friendship by opening the sacred ark of your divinity, your deified heart, to me in so many ways as to be the source of all my happiness; sometimes imparting it freely, sometimes as a special mark of our mutual friendship. You have so often melted my soul with your loving caresses that, if I did not know the abyss of your overflowing condescensions, I should be amazed were I told that even your Blessed Mother had been chosen to receive such extraordinary marks of tenderness and affection" (Adapted from The Life and Revelations of Saint Gertrude).
"Lord, you have granted me your secret friendship by opening the sacred ark of your divinity, your deified heart, to me in so many ways as to be the source of all my happiness; sometimes imparting it freely, sometimes as a special mark of our mutual friendship. You have so often melted my soul with your loving caresses that, if I did not know the abyss of your overflowing condescensions, I should be amazed were I told that even your Blessed Mother had been chosen to receive such extraordinary marks of tenderness and affection" (Adapted from The Life and Revelations of Saint Gertrude).
Patron
Saint of:
West Indies
West Indies
November 16
St. Margaret of Scotland
(1050?-1093)
St. Margaret of Scotland
(1050?-1093)
Margaret of Scotland was a truly
liberated woman in the sense that she was free to be herself. For her, that
meant freedom to love God and serve others.
Not Scottish by
birth, Margaret was the daughter of Princess Agatha of Hungary and the
Anglo-Saxon Prince Edward Atheling. She spent much of her youth in the court of
her great-uncle, the English king, Edward the Confessor. Her family fled from
William the Conqueror and was shipwrecked off the coast of Scotland. King
Malcolm befriended them and was captivated by the beautiful, gracious Margaret.
They were married at the castle of Dunfermline in 1070.
Malcolm was
good-hearted, but rough and uncultured, as was his country. Because of
Malcolm’s love for Margaret, she was able to soften his temper, polish his
manners and help him become a virtuous king. He left all domestic affairs to
her and often consulted her in state matters.
Margaret tried
to improve her adopted country by promoting the arts and education. For
religious reform she encouraged synods and was present for the discussions
which tried to correct religious abuses common among priests and lay people,
such as simony, usury and incestuous marriages. With her husband, she founded
several churches.
Margaret was not
only a queen, but a mother. She and Malcolm had six sons and two daughters.
Margaret personally supervised their religious instruction and other studies.
Although she was
very much caught up in the affairs of the household and country, she remained
detached from the world. Her private life was austere. She had certain times
for prayer and reading Scripture. She ate sparingly and slept little in order
to have time for devotions. She and Malcolm kept two Lents, one before Easter
and one before Christmas. During these times she always rose at midnight for
Mass. On the way home she would wash the feet of six poor persons and give them
alms. She was always surrounded by beggars in public and never refused them. It
is recorded that she never sat down to eat without first feeding nine orphans
and 24 adults.
In 1093, King
William Rufus made a surprise attack on Alnwick castle. King Malcolm and his
oldest son, Edward, were killed. Margaret, already on her deathbed, died four
days after her husband.
Comment:
There are two ways to be charitable: the "clean way" and the "messy way." The "clean way" is to give money or clothing to organizations that serve the poor. The "messy way" is dirtying your own hands in personal service to the poor. Margaret's outstanding virtue was her love of the poor. Although very generous with material gifts, Margaret also visited the sick and nursed them with her own hands. She and her husband served orphans and the poor on their knees during Advent and Lent. Like Christ, she was charitable the "messy way."
There are two ways to be charitable: the "clean way" and the "messy way." The "clean way" is to give money or clothing to organizations that serve the poor. The "messy way" is dirtying your own hands in personal service to the poor. Margaret's outstanding virtue was her love of the poor. Although very generous with material gifts, Margaret also visited the sick and nursed them with her own hands. She and her husband served orphans and the poor on their knees during Advent and Lent. Like Christ, she was charitable the "messy way."
Quote:
"When [Margaret] spoke, her conversation was with the salt of wisdom. When she was silent, her silence was filled with good thoughts. So thoroughly did her outward bearing correspond with the staidness of her character that it seemed as if she has been born the pattern of a virtuous life" (Turgot, St. Margaret's confessor).
"When [Margaret] spoke, her conversation was with the salt of wisdom. When she was silent, her silence was filled with good thoughts. So thoroughly did her outward bearing correspond with the staidness of her character that it seemed as if she has been born the pattern of a virtuous life" (Turgot, St. Margaret's confessor).
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LECTIO: LUKE 17,26-37
Lectio:
Friday,
November 16, 2012
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading -
Luke 17,26-37
Jesus said to his disciples: 'As it was in
Noah's day, so will it also be in the days of the Son of man. People were
eating and drinking, marrying wives and husbands, right up to the day Noah went
into the ark, and the Flood came and destroyed them all.
It will be the same as it was in Lot's day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of man to be revealed.
'When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.
I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together, one will be taken, the other left.'
The disciples spoke up and asked, 'Where, Lord?' He said, 'Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.'
It will be the same as it was in Lot's day: people were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and it destroyed them all. It will be the same when the day comes for the Son of man to be revealed.
'When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.
I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together, one will be taken, the other left.'
The disciples spoke up and asked, 'Where, Lord?' He said, 'Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.'
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel continues the reflection on
the coming of the end of time and presents to us the words of Jesus about how
to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Kingdom. This was an affair which
produced much discussion at that time. God is the one who determines the hour
of the coming of the end of time. But the time of God (kairós) is not measured
according to the time of our clock (chronos). For God one day can be equal to
one thousand years, and one thousand years equal to one day (Ps 90, 4; 2 P 3, 8).
The time of God goes by invisibly in our time, but independently of us and of
our time. We cannot interfere in time, but we have to be prepared for the
moment in which the hour of God becomes present in our time. It could be today,
it could be in one thousand years. What gives us security is not to know the
hour of the end of the world, but the certainty of the presence of the Words of
Jesus present in our life. The world will pass, but the word of God will never
pass (cf. Is 40, 7-8).
• Luke 17, 26-29: “As it was in the day of Noah and of Lot. Life goes by normally: eating, drinking, getting married, buying, selling, sowing, harvesting. Routine can include so much that we do not succeed to think about anything else. And the consumerism of the neo-liberal system contributes to increase in many of us that total lack of attention to the more profound dimensions of life. We allow the moths to enter into the beam of faith which holds up the more profound dimensions of life. When the storm destroys the house, many of us blame the carpenter: “It was badly made!” In reality, it crumbled down due to our continual lack of attention. The reference to the destruction of Sodom, as a figure of what will happen at the end of time, is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the years 70’s AD (cf. Mk 13, 14).
• Luke 17, 30-32: So it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. “So it will be in the days when the Son of Man will reveal himself”. It is difficult for us to imagine the suffering and the trauma that the destruction of Jerusalem caused in the communities, both of the Jews and of the Christians. In order to help them to understand and to face this suffering Jesus uses a comparison taken from life: “When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back”. The destruction will take place so rapidly that it is not worth while to go down to look for something in the house (Mk 13, 15-16). “Remember Lot’s wife” (cf. Gn 19, 26), that is do not look back, do not lose time, decide and advance, go ahead: it is a question of life or death.
• Luke 17, 33: To lose one’s life in order to save it. “Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it, and anyone who loses it will keep it safe”. Only the person who has been capable of giving himself/herself completely to others will feel totally fulfilled in life. Anyone who preserves life for self alone loses it. This advice of Jesus is the confirmation of the most profound human experience: the source of life is found in the gift of life. In giving one receives. “In all truth I tell you: unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies it yields a rich harvest”. (Jn 12, 24). The motivation which Mark’s Gospel adds is important: “for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel” (Mk 8, 35). Saying that no one is capable of preserving his life by his own efforts, Jesus recalls the Psalm in which it is said that nobody is capable of paying the price for the ransom of his life: “No one can redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God. The price for himself is too high, it can never be that he will live on for ever and avoid the sight of the abyss”. (Ps 49, 8-10).
• Luke 17, 34-36: Vigilance. “I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together one will be taken, the other left”. This recalls the parable of the ten Virgins. Five were prudent and five were foolish (Mt 25, 1-11). What is important is to be prepared. The words “One will be taken and the other left” recall the words of Paul to the Thessalonians (1Th 4, 13-17), when he says that with the coming of the Son of Man, we will be taken to Heaven at the side of Jesus. These words “left behind” furnished the title of a terrible and dangerous romance of the fundamentalist extreme right of the United States: “Left Behind! This is a romance which has nothing to do with the real sense of the words of Jesus.
• Luke 17, 37: Where and when? “The disciples asked: Where, Lord?” “And Jesus answered: Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather”. This is an enigmatic response. Some think that Jesus recalled the prophecy of Ezekiel, taken up in the Apocalypse, in which the prophet refers to the final victorious battle against the force of evil. The birds of prey or the vultures will be invited to eat the flesh of the bodies (Ez 39, 4. 17-20; Rv 19, 17-18). Others think that it is a question of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the final judgment will take place according to the prophecy of Joel (Ga 4, 2.12). Others think that it is simply a question of a popular proverb which meant more or less what our proverb says: “Where there is smoke, there is also fire!”
• Luke 17, 26-29: “As it was in the day of Noah and of Lot. Life goes by normally: eating, drinking, getting married, buying, selling, sowing, harvesting. Routine can include so much that we do not succeed to think about anything else. And the consumerism of the neo-liberal system contributes to increase in many of us that total lack of attention to the more profound dimensions of life. We allow the moths to enter into the beam of faith which holds up the more profound dimensions of life. When the storm destroys the house, many of us blame the carpenter: “It was badly made!” In reality, it crumbled down due to our continual lack of attention. The reference to the destruction of Sodom, as a figure of what will happen at the end of time, is a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in the years 70’s AD (cf. Mk 13, 14).
• Luke 17, 30-32: So it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. “So it will be in the days when the Son of Man will reveal himself”. It is difficult for us to imagine the suffering and the trauma that the destruction of Jerusalem caused in the communities, both of the Jews and of the Christians. In order to help them to understand and to face this suffering Jesus uses a comparison taken from life: “When that Day comes, no one on the housetop, with his possessions in the house, must come down to collect them, nor must anyone in the fields turn back”. The destruction will take place so rapidly that it is not worth while to go down to look for something in the house (Mk 13, 15-16). “Remember Lot’s wife” (cf. Gn 19, 26), that is do not look back, do not lose time, decide and advance, go ahead: it is a question of life or death.
• Luke 17, 33: To lose one’s life in order to save it. “Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it, and anyone who loses it will keep it safe”. Only the person who has been capable of giving himself/herself completely to others will feel totally fulfilled in life. Anyone who preserves life for self alone loses it. This advice of Jesus is the confirmation of the most profound human experience: the source of life is found in the gift of life. In giving one receives. “In all truth I tell you: unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain, but if it dies it yields a rich harvest”. (Jn 12, 24). The motivation which Mark’s Gospel adds is important: “for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel” (Mk 8, 35). Saying that no one is capable of preserving his life by his own efforts, Jesus recalls the Psalm in which it is said that nobody is capable of paying the price for the ransom of his life: “No one can redeem himself or pay his own ransom to God. The price for himself is too high, it can never be that he will live on for ever and avoid the sight of the abyss”. (Ps 49, 8-10).
• Luke 17, 34-36: Vigilance. “I tell you, on that night, when two are in one bed, one will be taken, the other left; when two women are grinding corn together one will be taken, the other left”. This recalls the parable of the ten Virgins. Five were prudent and five were foolish (Mt 25, 1-11). What is important is to be prepared. The words “One will be taken and the other left” recall the words of Paul to the Thessalonians (1Th 4, 13-17), when he says that with the coming of the Son of Man, we will be taken to Heaven at the side of Jesus. These words “left behind” furnished the title of a terrible and dangerous romance of the fundamentalist extreme right of the United States: “Left Behind! This is a romance which has nothing to do with the real sense of the words of Jesus.
• Luke 17, 37: Where and when? “The disciples asked: Where, Lord?” “And Jesus answered: Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather”. This is an enigmatic response. Some think that Jesus recalled the prophecy of Ezekiel, taken up in the Apocalypse, in which the prophet refers to the final victorious battle against the force of evil. The birds of prey or the vultures will be invited to eat the flesh of the bodies (Ez 39, 4. 17-20; Rv 19, 17-18). Others think that it is a question of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where the final judgment will take place according to the prophecy of Joel (Ga 4, 2.12). Others think that it is simply a question of a popular proverb which meant more or less what our proverb says: “Where there is smoke, there is also fire!”
4) Personal
questions
• Am I from the time of Noah or from the time
of Lot?
• A Romance of the extreme right. How do I place myself before this political manipulation of the faith in Jesus?
• A Romance of the extreme right. How do I place myself before this political manipulation of the faith in Jesus?
5) Concluding prayer
How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the Law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts. (Ps 119,1-2)
who walk in the Law of Yahweh!
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts. (Ps 119,1-2)
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