The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.

Jeremiah is suffering from a physical affliction. feeling forsaken by God.

suddenly remembers the steadfast, unceasing love of the Lord.

Now he places his hope in the goodness and salvation of His God .

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Romans 8:31b-39

 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 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31

Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 13:31-35

 A t 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 I 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.

 

O 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!

 

 Gospel Reflection ：

"Never doubt God's steadfast love."

Saint Paul declares that nothing can separate us from the love of God, "which we have in Jesus Christ our Lord."

This divine love knows no limits and is held back by nothing.

We see this in the encounter between the Pharisees and Jesus in today's Gospel.

This group of Pharisees is concerned for his life, since Herod wishes to kill him, and so they tell Jesus to flee,

but he will not deviate from his plans. He has come to preach, to heal and to save and nothing will shake him from his task until it is accomplished,

 

since nothing can separate us from the love of God. In his humanity Jesus was like us in all things but sin (cf. Heb 4:14-16),

and so he was certainly distressed at the prospect of his Passion in Jerusalem, as we can see in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:38).

But he did not run away in fear; he was always in union with the Father's will, and trusted always in his Father,

since nothing could separate him from his Father's love. We should never doubt God's steadfast love.

This is the rock on which we can dash all our fears.