October 29, 2026
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 482
Reading 1
Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor
rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Some Pharisees came to Jesus 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.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102926.cfm
Commentary on
Ephesians 6:10-20
There is a cosmic sweep to this Letter which goes right
through it and it is on that note that we conclude our readings from Ephesians
today. Paul describes the spiritual and Christian life as a battle not only
against the realities of this world, but also against spiritual powers which
are alien to God. We cannot deal with these powers on our own. Rather, we can
only do so with the help and support of God’s invincible power. He says:
…be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power…
Paul’s vision throughout the Letter has been cosmic. He has
referred constantly to the unseen world, which was very real to people living
in a world whose cosmology was very different from ours. He now sees the
Christian life as a battle with these:
…the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
He says that one should:
…put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil…
Isaiah describes God as arming himself against his enemies
(Is 42:13) and it is with these arms that Christians, too, are to equip
themselves. The reason is that our real enemies are not ” blood and flesh”,
creatures of the earth, but powerful spiritual beings in the world that we
cannot see.
They are the source of darkness in our world. They are
“cosmic powers” who were thought to move the stars and, consequently, the
universe. The Jerusalem Bible comments:
“They live in ‘the heavens’ or in ‘the air’, that is, the
space between the surface of the earth and the heaven where God lives… They
disobeyed God and want to enslave the human race to themselves in sin… If
Christians are armed with the power of Christ, they will be able to fight
them.”
Against such forces only the “armour of God” is effective:
…so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day
and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm.
The image is not that of a massive invasion of evil, but of
individual soldiers resisting an assault.
Although our modern world does not see the cosmos as filled
with such superhuman creatures (although they still live in our science-fiction
movies), the weapons that Paul will recommend are just as practical now as they
were then.
What exactly is the armour he is thinking about? First,
there is truth (“belt your waist”) and integrity—”the breastplate of
righteousness”. These are indeed powerful weapons. With truth, we are on the
side of God. The evil spirit is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). With
integrity, there is perfect transparency and no shadow of deceit or
dissimulation. What the evil spirit dreads is to have light shone on the
darkness where he hides. These are truly effective weapons.
The “breastplate of righteousness” is another effective
defence against evil. God himself is symbolically described as putting on a
breastplate of righteousness when he goes forth to bring about justice.
He put on righteousness like a breastplate
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing
and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle. (Is 59:17)
Also needed are feet on which you:
…lace up your sandals in preparation for the gospel of
peace.
While the feet of those who bring good news in Isaiah are
seen running barefoot, here the image is more of the strong shoes of the Roman
soldier enabling the wearer to cover long distances. What is called for here is
an eagerness or zeal to proclaim and spread the gospel and a strong faith in
God and Christ. Faith is seen as a protective shield which, when soaked in
water, can easily quench the flaming arrows of the enemy.
God’s saving work in us is our “helmet of salvation”, and
the “word of God” (the Scriptures) is the sword of the Spirit with which to
fight the enemy. The helmet both protected the soldier and was a striking
symbol of military victory. And in a way, most important of all, is to:
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and
supplication.
We need to pray night and day for each other. And Paul also
asks especially that they:
Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
Paul requests prayers for himself, so that even in captivity
he can continue to uncover to others the mystery of the Good News.
The “sword of the Spirit” and the need to pray are reminders
that we are engaged in a spiritual battle to be fought in God’s strength
boosted by the Word of God and prayer. We, too, need to arm ourselves with the
protecting qualities mentioned here so that we can live an effective Christian
life in an environment where there are so many threatening influences. We need
to pray for each other and give each other the support we need to remain
faithful to the spirit of the gospel. Above all, we need some of Paul’s courage
to speak out boldly and not be ashamed to share our faith.
Commentary on
Luke 13:31-35
Today Jesus is warned by some Pharisees to leave the area
where he is teaching. The reason they give is that Herod is after him. This is
Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great, whom we have already met. The region
of Perea was part of his territory as tetrarch. The warning could, of course,
have been just a ploy on the part of the Pharisees to get rid of Jesus by
frightening him in this way.
At the same time, there could have been something in the
threat because Herod had already executed John the Baptist, although there is
no evidence that Jesus spoke against Herod in the same way that offended
Herod’s second wife.
In any case, Jesus is not moved. He knows that his life is
part of a larger plan. He will do his work, including the healing of people and
their liberation from evil forces. When the time is ripe, and not before, he
will face his passion and death. He will “finish [his] work”—a double meaning
about both the end of his life on earth and his being brought to perfection
through his suffering and death—an idea explicitly put in the letter to the
Hebrews (10:36-38).
Further, it has been ordained that he will face his death in
Jerusalem and nowhere else. Herod is not going to change any of that.
Then, Jesus goes on to pray for the city that will be the
scene of his death. It is a city that has many times in the past mistreated and
killed those sent by God to bring his message. Jesus speaks tenderly:
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your
children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings…
But they reject him, as they rejected so many prophets
before.
He foretells something that must have seemed to his hearers
both blasphemous and impossible:
…your house [the Temple] is left to you desolate.
Yet, just 40 years after Jesus’ death, the Temple will meet
its destruction, never again to be rebuilt.
Finally, he tells them that:
…you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’
This could refer to his triumphal entry into Jerusalem at
the beginning of Holy Week or to his final coming as Judge and Lord of all.
Our lives too are in God’s hands and nothing will happen to
us which is in conflict with God’s wishes and God’s plans. Ultimately,
everything is for our well-being. But let us be on the alert to recognise the
Lord coming into our lives often in very unexpected ways and through very
unexpected people. Some of those we reject may be bringing—even unknown to
themselves—a message from God that we need to hear and follow.
https://sacredspace.com/commentary
Thursday,
October 29, 2026
Ordinary
Time
Opening prayer
Almighty and ever-living
God, strengthen our faith, hope and love. May
we do with loving hearts what you ask of us and
come to share the life you promise.
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.
Gospel Reading - Luke 13: 31-35
Some Pharisees came up to Jesus and, 'Go away,' they
said. 'Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.' He replied, 'You may
go and give that fox this message: Look! Today and tomorrow, I drive out devils
and heal, and on the third day I attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and
the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die
outside Jerusalem. 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone
those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! Look!
Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till
the time comes when you are saying: Blessed is he who is coming in the name of
the Lord!'
Reflection
The Gospel today makes us feel the
threatening and dangerous context in which Jesus lived and worked. Herod, as he
had killed John the Baptist, wanted to kill Jesus.
•
Luke 13: 31: The warning of the Pharisees to
Jesus. “Just at that time some Pharisees came up. ‘Go away,’ they said. ‘Leave
this place because Herod means to kill you.’” It is important to notice that
Jesus receives the warning of the Pharisees. Sometimes, the Pharisees are
together with the group of Herod wanting to kill Jesus (Mk 3: 6; 12: 13). But
here they are in solidarity with Jesus and want to avoid his death. At that
time the power of the king was absolute. He did not render an account to anyone
of his way of governing. Herod had already killed John the Baptist and now he
wanted to finish also with Jesus.
•
Luke 13: 32-33: the response of Jesus. “He
replied: You may go and give that fox this message, ‘Look! Today and tomorrow,
I drive out evils and heal, and on the third day I attain my end.” Jesus’
response is very clear and courageous. He calls Herod: fox. To announce the
Kingdom Jesus does not depend on the permission of the political authority. He
sends a message informing that he continues his work today and tomorrow and
that he will have finished only day after tomorrow, that is on the third day.
In this response is discovered all
the liberty to the power which wanted
to prevent him from carrying out the mission received from the Father. Therefore,
the one who determines the time and the hour is God and not Herod. At the same
time, in the response there arises also a certain symbolism connected to the
death and resurrection on the third day in Jerusalem. This is to indicate that
he will not die in Galilee, but in Jerusalem, capital of his people, and that
he will resurrect on the third day.
•
Luke 13: 34-35: Admonishment of Jesus to
Jerusalem. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who
are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children together as a
hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused!” This admonishment of
Jesus on the capital of his people recalls the long and sad story of the
resistance of the authority to God’s calls which reached through so many
prophets and wise men. At another moment Jesus speaks of the prophets
persecuted and killed from Abel to Zechariah (Lk 11: 51). Reaching Jerusalem a
short time before his death, looking toward the city from the top of the
Mountain of Olives, Jesus weeps on it, because it does not recognize the time
in which God comes to visit it” (Lk 19: 44).
Personal Questions
•
Jesus qualifies the public power with the name
of fox. Can your political power deserve to be qualified like this?
•
Jesus tried many times to convert the people of
Jerusalem, but the religious authority resisted. And you, how many times do you
resist?
Concluding Prayer
Yahweh and his strength, tirelessly seek his presence!
Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders, the
judgements he has spoken. (Ps 105: 4-5)
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