＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31 – 5:1

It says that Abra­ham had two sons,

One by a slave woman, the other by the free wo­man, his wife. The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of God’s promise.

Here we have an allegory and the figures of two covenants. The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot. But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free.

And Scripture says of her: Re­joice, barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth, for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.

 Brethren, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. Christ freed us to make us really free. So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

 

Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a & 6-7

Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 11:29-32

As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, “People of the present time are evil 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：

Three women are mentioned in today’s readings: the 1st – Hagar – served as a sign of all of us who are under the slavery of Satan; the 2nd, Sarah – mother of Isaac – pointed to a woman who would bear a son free from the slavery of sin,

The true Son of promise, Jesus the “true Isaac.” The 3rd, the Queen of Shebah, pointed to the Woman who would have a son greater than Solomon! The woman in last Saturday’s Gospel blessed that Woman who bore the one who is greater than Solomon, the beloved Son who would become the Lamb of Sacrifice, the Son who would free us all from the slavery of sin.

Mary, the Woman chosen from the beginning of time (Gen 3:15) and the Woman of eternity (Rev 12:1) is the sing that we are now living in the time of judgment! We are saved or condemned depending on our readiness for the wedding banquet of the Son of the king (yesterday’s Gospel).

Before that final judgment day, however, the Son has graciously set his Mother, the Woman, to assist us in our journey to God.