Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 504
Reading 1
Revelation 14:14-19
I, John, looked and there was a white cloud,
and sitting on the cloud one who looked like a son of man,
with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Another angel came out of the temple,
crying out in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud,
“Use your sickle and reap the harvest,
for the time to reap has come,
because the earth’s harvest is fully ripe.”
So the one who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested.
Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven
who also had a sharp sickle.
Then another angel came from the altar, who was in charge of the fire,
and cried out in a loud voice
to the one who had the sharp sickle,
“Use your sharp sickle and cut the clusters from the earth’s vines,
for its grapes are ripe.”
So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and cut the earth’s vintage.
He threw it into the great wine press of God’s fury.
Responsorial Psalm
96:10, 11-12, 13
R. (13b) The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Say among the nations: The LORD is king.
He has made the world firm, not to be moved;
he governs the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
let the sea and what fills it resound;
let the plains be joyful and all that is in them!
Then shall all the trees of the forest exult.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Before the LORD, for he comes;
for he comes to rule the earth.
He shall rule the world with justice
and the peoples with his constancy.
R. The Lord comes to judge the earth.
Alleluia
Revelation 2:10C
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain faithful until death,
and I will give you the crown of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 21:5-11
While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Remain At Peace in All Things
While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here—the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” Luke 21:5–6
In a literal way, this prophecy of our Lord came true. In 70 A.D., the Temple upon which they were commenting was destroyed. After prophesying this, Jesus then goes on to warn the disciples that there will be many confusions that will come. There will be false prophets, wars and insurrections, powerful earthquakes, famines, plagues, “and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” Why does Jesus prophesy all of these things?
The answer was simple. He was not trying to scare them. He was not simply trying to satisfy their curiosity. Instead, He was warning them and preparing us all so that we do not become misled or terrified when they come. He says, “See that you not be deceived” and “do not be terrified.”
As the old saying goes, “Life is not a bowl of cherries.” While we live in this fallen world, chaos, confusion, deception, abuse, scandal, conflict and the like will be all around us. And when we do come face-to-face with any such difficulty, there is a temptation to fear, anger and despair. Be it family conflicts, civil unrest or even divisions within the Church itself, God wants us to remain at peace and to trust Him always.
Take Jesus’ own life as an example. He was arrested, falsely accused, sentenced to death and crucified. And through it all, He remained at peace, knowing that His suffering would become the very source of new life. God can use all things for good for those who love and serve Him.
Reflect, today, upon the undeniable fact that your life will involve difficulty. Sometimes that difficulty is self-imposed as a result of your sin, and sometimes it is unjustly imposed on account of the sin of another. Truth be told, we should only be concerned about our own sin. If other challenges come your way that are out of your control, then use those challenges as opportunities to trust. Entrust all things to God, every suffering, every persecution, every tragedy, every struggle, everything. If God the Father could bring about the greatest good ever known through the brutal murder of His own divine Son, then He can certainly do the same with all that you offer to Him in trust. Trust at all times and in all circumstances, and our all-powerful Lord will bring good from everything.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
END TIMING
“Now is the time to reap.” —Revelation 14:15
At the end, Jesus, the King of kings (Rv 17:14), will come riding on a white cloud with a gold crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand (Rv 14:14). He will gather the harvest of justice (Rv 14:16). Then an angel will come from the temple in heaven. He will also wield a sharp sickle to gather the grapes of wrath (Rv 14:19). We will all be harvested, either by our loving Lord or by the “grim reaper.”
“When will this be, Teacher? And what will be the sign that it is going to happen?” (Lk 21:7) The answer is: Soon and “very soon” we are going to see the King (Rv 1:1). “Happy is the man who reads this prophetic message, and happy are those who hear it and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near!” (Rv 1:3) “As regards specific times and moments, brothers, we do not need to write you; you know very well that the day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night. Just when people are saying, ‘Peace and security,’ ruin will fall on them with the suddenness of pains overtaking a woman in labor, and there will be no escape. You are not in the dark, brothers, that the day should catch you off guard, like a thief. No, all of you are children of light and of the day. We belong neither to darkness nor to night; therefore let us not be asleep like the rest, but awake and sober!” (1 Thes 5:1-6) “The One Who gives this testimony says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon!’ Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rv 22:20)
Prayer: Jesus, may I be ready for Your final coming at any time. Make me ready now.
Promise: “He comes to rule the earth.” —Ps 96:13
Praise: Ron was ashamed to praise the Lord publicly. One day, while shaving, the Lord gently told Ron that he was afraid to yield control of his life to God. Ron abandoned himself to Jesus, and within a week, he received the gift of praising God in tongues.
Reflection 3
Shared from Daily Liturgy
The Readings of the day tell us about the end of time which signifies the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus speaks about the end of time and the impending persecutions the followers will undergo in his name and advises us to consider such troubled times as opportunities to bear witness. Saint John explains his vision of the Son of Man seated on the clouds with golden crown and sickle as the judge and ruler of the world. It says everything which Jesus foretold would happen before the end of time, hence the need to wait for him in careful watch. The world in our time too goes through persecution, war, violence and the Church suffers for faith and lack of faith. It becomes hard for Christians to remain steadfast in faith. There are signs that warn us to be alert and watchful to meet the end of time and no one may deceive us before we meet the Son of Man. Let us remember, every end is a meeting point from where another journey begins and so the end of our time. The old passes and the new begins, and after the end of all struggles the real joy springs up.
Prayers
My most powerful Lord, You warned us of the many hardships that would come our way before Your glorious return. You did so to help prepare us and to strengthen us in those moments of testing. Please give me the grace I need to always trust in You and to surrender over to You every cross I carry. I do believe, dear Lord, that You can bring good from everything, even those things that are most difficult in life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, your grace and mercy abounds even in the midst of trials and difficulties. Help me to seek your kingdom first and to reject whatever would hinder me from pursuing your way of peace, righteousness, and holiness. Fill me with the joy and hope of your everlasting kingdom.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 330: Praying for Others
Do not underestimate the power of your prayers. The greater your trust in the Mercy of God, the more powerful will your prayers be for those who need them. The Lord knows all things and He knows who needs what. But He wants to dispense His grace in union with those who ask for it. Your prayers for others are the most powerful way that you can bring the Mercy of God into this world (See Diary #1603).
Do you pray for others? If not, resolve to do so. Your prayer may be for a specific need or a struggle that another is enduring. But we should always leave the specific result to the Mercy of God. Offering others to God and trusting that He knows the best outcome for any situation pleases our Lord and wins an abundance of grace for those in need.
Lord, I offer You, this day, all who are troubled and burdened. I offer You the sinner, the confused, the ill, the imprisoned, the weak of faith, the strong of faith, the religious, the laity and all Your priests. Lord, have Mercy on Your people, especially upon those in most need. Jesus, I trust in You.
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