＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Romans 8: 31b-39

 What shall we say after this? If God is with us, who shall be against us?

 If he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not give us all things with him?   Who shall accuse those chosen by God: he takes away their guilt.  Who will dare to condemn them? Christ who died, and better still, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be trials, or anguish, persecution or hunger, lack of clothing, or dangers or sword? As the Scripture says: For your sake we are being killed all day long; they treat us like sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all of this we are more than con­querors, thanks to him who has loved us.  I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor spiritual powers, neither the present nor the future, nor cosmic powers,   were they from heaven or from the deep world below, nor any creature whatsoever will separate us from the love of God, which we have in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Ps  109  Save me, O Lord in your mercy.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 13: 31-35

 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and gave him this warning, “Leave this place and go on your way, for Herod wants to kill you.”  Je­sus said to them, “Go and give that fox my answer:

‘I drive out demons and heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my course!’  Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and for a little longer, for it would not be fitting for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.

Alas for you, JerusalemO Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone Those who are sent to you! How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused!  

From now on you will be left with your temple and you will no longer see me until the time when you will say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

  

Reflection gospel：

“BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!”

Two outstanding traits in the personality of Jesus evident in the gospel are courage and determination. He knew that there was a threat against his life and yet he was not deterred from doing his work. He could just have postponed things and allowed the heat of controversy to cool down as most of us are inclined to do. But most important was the accomplishment of his mission.

And greater than the preservation of his life and assurance of security was doing God’s will. I don’t believe that he didn’t value his own life, but he was well aware that he needed to spend it for the glory of the Father.

We were not born into this world by accident. Our existence has a purpose. And according to the 1941 Baltimore Catechism whose contents are basically in consonance with the 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church, the purpose of man’s existence is to know, to love, and to serve God. this is our duty.

This is our mission. May we learn from the courage and determination of Jesus that we too may not be discouraged by hardships and difficulties and face the risk even when our life is on the line.