“If you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” (Lk 13:5)
FIRST READING - EPH 4:7-16
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
Brothers and sisters:
Grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood
to the extent of the full stature of Christ,
so that we may no longer be infants,
tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching
arising from human trickery,
from their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming.
Rather, living the truth in love,
we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ,
from whom the whole Body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
with the proper functioning of each part,
brings about the Body’s growth and builds itself up in love.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - LK 13:1-9
From the Gospel according to Luke
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
He said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them–
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY-NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME-Gospel (Lk 13:1-9)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God
Today's Word of God calls on every one of us to repent of our sins and receive the graces God gives us to cultivate the soil of our souls.
By living and putting into practice the words God teaches, we will bear much fruit, and avoid the occasions of sin.
God does not want us to look at the sins of others to criticize and condemn, but rather He calls each person to look into our own soul, to re-examine whether we have lived and done the things that God calls on us to, which are to live in love, forgiveness, humility, and self-abasement before God and everyone.
God does not want humanity to fall into the traps and temptations of the world and lose God's grace by not following the path He teaches, which is the path of love, the path of forgiveness, and obedience.
God calls everyone to look at the parable of the fig tree: when harvest time came, the owner saw the fig tree did not bear fruit, so he ordered the gardener to cut it down; but the gardener begged the owner to let him cultivate and fertilize the fig tree for another year, if it still did not bear fruit, he will cut it down.
God wants to use the parable to convey His mercy, tolerance, forgiveness, and patience toward every sinful person living on this earth.
God always creates the means, times, and opportunities for humanity to repent of our sins and return to God.
He also calls on His children to always be merciful and patient with their brothers and sisters and to create every opportunity to help them live well and be pleasing to God.
We should never have an attitude of hatred, condemnation, and exclusion toward our brothers and sisters, because doing so is falling into the trap and falling into the temptation of Satan.
In today's Word of God, God also calls on everyone living in this world:
-To thank God for His love and patience in giving us the opportunity to live in this world, and to know how to repent of our sins.
-To receive and make use of the graces that God gives as a means to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, to bear good fruit, which are good works and virtuous deeds.
-To repent, turn away from our sins, and return to make peace with God; do not sin anymore, and do not go far away from His loving arms; Because God loves mankind, He does not want any soul to fall into the hands of Satan.
God is a merciful Father, always patient, waiting and opening His arms to welcome His children back into His loving arms. Be confident and walk on the path that God calls us to, that is the path leading to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven in the future.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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