" In the Lord's hand there is abundance of all things, 

because He is the Lord of powers and the King of glory."

                                           ~~~  St. Callistus I,  ~~~

 St. Callistus I, Pope & martyr              

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Ephesians 1:11-14

 By a decree of Him

Who disposes all things according to his own plan and decision we, the Jews, have been chosen and called and we were awaiting the Messiah, for the praise of his glory.

You, on hearing the word of truth, the Gospel that saves you, have believed in him. And, as promised, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit,  the first pledge of what we shall receive, on the way to our deliverance as a people of God, for the praise of his glory.

 

Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13

Blessed be the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

 

 ＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊  

Luke 12:1-7

Meanwhile, such a numerous crowd had gathered that they crushed one another. Then Jesus spoke to his disciples in this way,

“Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy.  Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be made known.   Whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places, will be proclaimed from the housetops.

I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who put to death the body and af­ter that can do no more.  But I will tell you whom to fear: Fear the One who after killing you is able to throw you into hell. This one you must fear.

 Don’t you get five sparrows for two pennies? Yet not one of them has been forgotten by God.  Even the hairs of your head have been numbered. So do not fear: are you not worth more than a flock of sparrows?

    

Gospel Reflection：

Reality of Hell

Curiously, right after speaking of God’s power to cast someone to hell, Jesus speaks of God’s amazing care for humanity. This invites a brief reflection on hell. The concept of hell and its eternal damnation does not exist in the Old Testament.

Hell is a New Testament reality, made possible only when one definitively rejects God’s mercy offered in and through Christ. Whereas hell is a reality, we have no idea if anyone is definitively cast into it.

It is significant that the Church firmly declares, through beatification, that some souls are in heaven; yet she has never officially declared that someone is damned in hell, not even the worst criminal in the world.

But there is one thing the Church knows and proclaims; that one person has surely gone to hell – Christ himself! Christ’s descent into hell, which we proclaim in the Creed, is the very testimony of the depth of the reach of God’s love and care for each of us.