Reading 1 Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31–5:1
It is written that Abraham had two sons,
one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman.
The son of the slave woman was born naturally,
the son of the freeborn through a promise.
Now this is an allegory.
These women represent two covenants.
One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery;
this is Hagar.
But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother.
For it is written:
Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children;
break forth and shout, you who were not in labor;
for more numerous are the children of the deserted one
than of her who has a husband.
Therefore, brothers and sisters,
we are children not of the slave woman
but of the freeborn woman.
For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm
and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God,
who looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
He raises up the lowly from the dust;
from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.
R. Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.
or:
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia Ps 95:8
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 11:29-32
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
CONCENTRATION CRAMP
"So stand firm, and do not take on yourselves the yoke of slavery a second time." –Galatians 5:1
Would a free man who once had been a prisoner of war ever voluntarily return to his former concentration camp to live? "Unthinkable!" (Gal 2:17)
Yet God's people do this constantly. The Israelites escaped the slavery of Egypt, but when times got rough, they preferred to return to flogging and constant brickmaking as long as they could eat their fish, cucumbers, melons, and garlic (Nm 11:4-5). The Galatians began in the Spirit, but returned to the works of the flesh (Gal 3:3). Some of you fell in love with Jesus, but later returned to your sins, in the same disgusting way that "the dog returns to its vomit" (2 Pt 2:22).
When we take our eyes off Jesus, we fall away from our first love for Him (Rv 2:4). The world entices us with its allurements and seductions (1 Jn 2:16-17). After we've taken our eyes off of Jesus for a long enough period of time, amazingly the chains of slavery start to look good. In fact, the saint-turned-sinner actually prefers the old chains, saying, "I find the old wine better" (Lk 5:39). This is hell on earth – a preview of hell eternal – when we choose to be separated from Jesus.
Repent! Concentrate on Jesus! (Heb 3:1)
| PRAYER: | Jesus, save me from myself and my poor choices. |
| PROMISE: | "From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the Lord to be praised." –Ps 113:3 |
| PRAISE: | Larry has come to value frequent Confession. Praise You, Jesus, for forgiving our sins. |
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