St. Hedwig, religious

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Romans 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.

 

Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 The Lord has made known his salvation.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 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.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"Faith and reason are not opposed to each other."

Human beings seek to understand. Any parent of a small child is used to the constant question, "Why?" Children ask questions as they strive to make sense of their world and feel in control of their environment. But that impulse does not end when childhood is a memory.

 

Even as adults we try to explain our environment and what is happening to us. Like the people of Jesus' age, we look for signs. Sometimes, that search turns to superstition, drawing us away from God. Others rely solely on science, refusing to believe anything that cannot be proved.

 

But Jesus turns our attention back to God who is the source of all understanding. Faith and reason are not opposed to each other. Instead, they complement each other. As we learn what science has to teach us about the natural world, our love and awe for its Creator grows. As we strive to understand, we turn to the Holy Spirit who reveals all things and shows us that God is always the answer.