“You who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.” (Lk 13:34)
FIRST READING - EPH 6:10-20
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - LK 13:31-35
From the Gospel according to Luke
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
THURSDAY OF THE THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME -Gospel (Lk 13:31-35)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
Today's Word of God teaches His disciples a lesson: follow the example of Jesus Christ in the way of working, in sacrifice, and in obedience to God the Father. Because of obedience, Jesus was determined not to be afraid, determined to go to Jerusalem to die to redeem the sins of humanity.
God wants to tell His disciples: to fulfill the duty entrusted to them as Jesus once obeyed and fulfilled the duty that God the Father gave him, that is, He had to die to conquer death. God wants to invite people in today's world to be determined to do what God teaches and fulfill the duty that God has given. Look at the image of Jesus Christ who obeyed God the Father absolutely in all places and at all times. He said: "Today and tomorrow I will cast out demons and heal the sick, and the day after tomorrow I will continue to go up to Jerusalem to die."
God wants people today to have love and mercy for others; to bring God's love to their brothers and sisters; to always have mercy on sinners, on those who Satan imprisons; and to sacrifice themselves to save those souls. Through the image of Jesus Christ dying and resurrecting, he left people with hope for eternal life in the future.
God does not want people today to fall into the trap and temptation of Satan, which is to make people forget the image of a loving and merciful God. He wants all of humanity to recognize a loving God who is present with people. Because of His love for humanity, God the Father sent His only Son to earth to become a human to accompany and be with humanity. He sacrificed Himself to accept the sufferings and sins of humanity into His own body, then was crucified and died on the Cross. That love conquered death, saved countless sinful souls, and gave humanity eternal life in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven in the future.
Today, God wants to invite humanity:
Be alert to the temptations of Satan so as not to fall into their traps and lose your soul. He wants everyone to know how to unite, bind, and love each other as God's love given to humanity.
Look up to the love of the cross of Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself to live and follow what He taught, which is shown in daily life through love, through words, through actions and deeds between people.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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