Our fundamental call, as Christians, is the call to holiness. If there is a Christian who is not working tirelessly to become Holy, then he or she has a misguided religion. Our life as Christians must be modelled to move to holiness, and this is becoming Saints. As we celebrate All Saints Day, this is our basic reminder that we are all called to become saints.
Psalm 122:1-2.3-4ab.4cd-5,
Brethren, one of the strongest emphasizes and lessons from Luke's Gospel is the need for conversion and repentance, and above all God's patience or second chances right away from the preaching of St John and onwards to the end of the Gospel. Today's gospel emphasizes these two aspects: need for repentance and God's patience and grace.
Brethren, there are many natural human abilities to read and predict the future especially as it concerns weather. One may look in the west and knows that it is going to rain and so it does, or one may look at the clouds and says it won't rain and so it doesn't. Seafarers and farmers know the importance of spotting weather conditions for safe travel and planting. More still, a lot of effort is made today, with the help of science and technology, to discern potential natural dangers, such as tropical storms, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and erupting volcanoes, so that people can be warned to take shelter before disaster hits. Surprisingly, this is how Jesus wants us to interprete and read the signs of time in our world.
Today's Gospel is quite shocking. How can Jesus who is the prince of peace, a spear header of unity among the people, say that he didn't come to bring peace on earth but fire and division among families. During the Last Supper, Jesus explained to his Apostles: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid (John 14:27). And yet in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus said, do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. Is he contradicting himself? Not really.
Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and Companions
Dear brethren, the last Judgement on the Last day is real, it will come as a thief comes at night. Be alert! The eschatological discourse of Luke continues to build, telling us about the need for our preparedness for the coming of God’s kingdom. We have here the stylistic Lukan analogy of master and servant relationship and punishment to paint a picture of judgement, heaven and hell. When the master will come is judgement day, and the banquet with the master is heaven, and condemnation is hell. If we know when judgement will befall us, we shall be prepared in waiting, but unfortunately this knowledge is far from us. There will be total condemnation for those who heard the urgency of this coming yet are unprepared. Those who have the will but no action to implement the master’s command will be punished, and those who are ignorant, will be given a lighter punishment. What category do you belong to? Of course, we belong to the ones who know about the coming to this day, we know what is expected of us and how we should be prepared for that day. We have been given much and much is expected of us.
Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
Brethren, today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Luke, a true evangelist. As an evangelist, he followed the inspiration from our Lord and was used to bring God’s saving message to the ends of the earth. And there is little doubt that his ministry will continue to have a transforming effect on the lives of many until the end of the world. Tradition states that Saint Luke became a martyr, being hanged on an olive tree. He is identified in the New Testament as a physician and as a disciple of Saint Paul as we see in the first reading. Both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are attributed to him.
Sometimes, we may ask ourselves of what importance are the blood thirsty Old Testament stories, wars, murders, adulterous scenes and others sacring stories and more still after they have been read, we say, "The Word of the Lord," and then we respond, "Thanks be to God." All of us must have asked ourselves this at a certain moment. This is the same story presented to us in the first reading, Israelites fighting and killing Amalek and his people as Moses lifted up in his hand the stuff of God. Can we still pray for the slaughter of our enemies? No, but these stories not only reinforce the gospel of today but teaches us a very important exercise for our spiritual lives, that is, persistence in prayer. How?
Psalm 8:2-3.4-5.6-7,
Jesus says, "everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." This is an excerpt from today's Gospel.
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13,
Psalm 98: 1.2-3ab.3cd-4.5-6 (R. 2a),
In today's Gospel, Jesus gives the Pharisees other two woes; those who build tombs for the prophets, meaning those who kill the prophets and another woe to those who have taken the key of knowledge and didn't enter themselves, but as well as stopping others from entering in. Jesus chastises them with a great warning that they will have to be answerable for this.
Psalm 113: 1b-2.3-4.5a and 6-7,
Psalm 139:1-3.13- 14.15,
Dear brethren, Today, Paul continues with his emphasis on truth. He recounts the true story of how he was enlisted by God to do is work. The story of Paul’s conversion and initial life in Judaism affords us an opportunity to examine our lives. Our story might not be exactly the same as that of Paul, but the bottom line is the invitation to a new life of grace that God gives all of us. Sometimes it is good we examine the passion and energy we put into planning and executing certain evil deeds. We can consciously put this same energy and passion in use for good purposes.
