St. Josaphat, bishop & martyr

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Wisdom of Solomon 13:1-9

 The natural helplessness of humans

Is seen in their ignorance of God. The experience of good things did not lead them to the knowledge of Him who is. They were interested in his works, but they did not recognize the author of them.  Fire, wind, air, the sphere of the stars, rushing water and the lights in the sky were held as the rulers of the world.

 If, charmed by such beauty, they took them for gods, let them know how far superior is their sovereign.   And if they were impressed by their power and activity, let them understand from this how much mightier is he who formed them.  For the grandeur and beauty of creatures lead us to ponder on their Author, greater and more magnificent.

 No doubt these people are not to be blamed severely, for possibly they strayed though they searched for God and desired to find him.   They pondered over the created things that surrounded them and were captivated by the sight of such beauty.

 Even so they are not to be ex­cused,   for if they were able to explore the world, why did they not discover first the world’s Sovereign?

 

Ps 19:2-3, 4-5ab

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 17:26-37

 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be on the day the Son of Man comes.   Then people ate and drank; they took husbands and wives. But on the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all.   

Just as it was in the days of Lot: people ate and drank, they bought and sold, planted and built.   But on the day Lot left Sodom, God made fire and sulfur rain down from heaven which destroyed them all.   So will it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

 On that day, if you are on the rooftop, don’t go down into the house to get your belongings, and if you happen to be in the fields, do not turn back.   Remember Lot’s wife.   Whoever tries to save his life will lose himself, but whoever gives his life will be born again.

I tell you, though two men are sharing the same bed, it may be that one will be taken and the other left.  Though two women are grinding corn to­gether, one may be taken and the other left.”

 Then they asked Jesus, “Where will this take place, Lord?” And he answered, “Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.”

     

Gospel Reflection：

The gospel today assures us that the end time will come. Although no one knows the time or the hour, still it will come. As followers of Jesus, are we supposed to fear the inevitable? Let us remember that the end of time is not only about devastation.

Rather, it is more about salvation. What will be destroyed is the human-made world order that does not conform with God's will. Thus, these occurrences should be welcomed with joy because they signal that the deliverance of the just is right around the corner.

But if we have merely been going with the flow of the world, our Gospel text today cautions us; we could end up destroyed instead of being saved. Therefore, we have to do something about how we live. We must be prepared for what is to come.