Tuesday - October 23, 2018
October 23, 2018
Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 474
Reading 1EPH 2:12-22
Brothers and sisters:
You were at that time without Christ,
alienated from the community of Israel
and strangers to the covenants of promise,
without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the Blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, he made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one Body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
You were at that time without Christ,
alienated from the community of Israel
and strangers to the covenants of promise,
without hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have become near by the Blood of Christ.
For he is our peace, he made both one
and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his Flesh,
abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,
that he might create in himself one new person in place of the two,
thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God,
in one Body, through the cross,
putting that enmity to death by it.
He came and preached peace to you who were far off
and peace to those who were near,
for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial PsalmPS 85:9AB-10, 11-12, 13-14
R. (see 9) The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD–for he proclaims peace.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. The Lord speaks of peace to his people.
AlleluiaLK 21:36
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 12:35-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”
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Living as Citizens of the Kingdom of God
You know the old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." We could extend that to: "While living in the world, do as the worldly people do." But God says, "You're a citizen of MY kingdom now, so do as the Saints do. Do as Jesus wants to do -- as his hands and voice -- in every worldly place that you visit."
That's what St. Paul reminds us about in today's first reading. Think of what happens when you visit old friends or family who live in sinful or unhealthy lifestyles, or when you spend hours each day working side by side with worldly people. Maybe you were just like them before deciding to become more like Christ.
Now that you've journeyed through spiritual conversion and emotional healing, how easy is it to revert back to worldly and unhealthy ways when you're around them? Do you allow yourself to be infected by their attitudes and bad habits (foul language, for example, or gossiping and bad-mouthing others)? Or do you behave like the Saints, your new friends?
Sometimes, we think we have to blend in so that we'll be accepted or to make the visit peaceful or to avoid trouble in the workplace. But, as Paul points out, Jesus is the only true source of peace.
There's a wall of enmity that divides us from those who don't know Jesus or don't know him well enough to behave like him, and the only way to break it down is "through his Flesh." How is that done? Guess what! We are his Flesh whenever we do what Jesus would do. When we unite ourselves to Christ's Body and Blood in the Eucharist, we become Eucharist for the world. At the end of every Mass, we're sent out with a blessing that empowers us to be Jesus for others.
Therefore, we can do and must do what Jesus would do whenever we interact with the world, loving everyone no matter how they treat us, forgiving them no matter how often they sin, being patient and kind, reaching out to offer healing when they seek it, standing up for the downtrodden, explaining the truth when people are willing to learn it, and so on.
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus says we should be constantly ready for our Master. When he knocks, will he find us awake and ready to spring into action, girding ourselves for running to wherever he sends us? Will our lamps be brightly lit so that the world can see who we are and Who is in us? Or will we miss his knock because we're distracted by the noise of the world?
In every moment, we are either joined to Christ or we're disappearing into the darkness of the worldly behavior around us. God says, "You're a citizen of MY kingdom now, so do as the Saints do. Do as Jesus does. All the time!"
Today's Prayer
Lord, forgive me, because my words towards others have not always been words of hope and encouragement. Give me the grace of looking at problems through Your eyes. Amen.
God Bless You.....
Rosary Family
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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