Lectionary: 470
Reading 1
eph 1:1-10
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to the holy ones who are in Ephesus
and faithful in Christ Jesus:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.
In Christ we have redemption by his Blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us
the mystery of his will in accord with his favor
that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.
Responsorial Psalm
ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
R. (2a) The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Gospel
lk 11:47-54
The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: HEAD UP
"God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, the plan He was pleased to decree in Christ, to be carried out in the fullness of time: namely, to bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship." –Ephesians 1:9-10
God's plan is to "bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship." Jesus promised: "And I – once I am lifted up from earth – will draw all men to Myself" (Jn 12:32). We must let ourselves be drawn to Jesus and then be in right relationship to Him, the Head of His body. Then we will fulfill God's plan. Our job is to work so that everyone will be under Christ, the Head, in everything. Thus, Jesus should be recognized as the Head of state as well as the Head of the Church. Jesus should head up our businesses, schools, hospitals, ministries, marriages, families, and homes. We should recognize Jesus as the Head of all boards, committees, councils, and meetings.
When we let Jesus head us up, we then begin to be in proper relationship not only with Him but also with each other. We and those around us fall into place. Then we are happy and content because we are who we were created to be. We are not dislocated but healed (see Heb 12:13). We no longer feel like misfits; we finally are at home. For years, we have tried to use our own heads to get our lives together, only to become even more fragmented and scattered. Let us now let Jesus head up our lives so that we can become one with Him and His body in an amazing way.
PRAYER: Jesus, I choose You for my Head.
PROMISE: "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God." –Ps 98:3
PRAISE: St. Hedwig and her husband were married for fifty-two years. They dedicated their marriage to the Lord Jesus, raised six children, and were only known to have had two disagreements.
Be an inspiration, kindly Share.
No comments:
Post a Comment