Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 505
Reading 1
Revelation 15:1-4
I, John, saw in heaven another sign, great and awe-inspiring:
seven angels with the seven last plagues,
for through them God’s fury is accomplished.
Then I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire.
On the sea of glass were standing those
who had won the victory over the beast
and its image and the number that signified its name.
They were holding God’s harps,
and they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb:
“Great and wonderful are your works,
Lord God almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
or glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 98:1, 2-3AB, 7-8, 9
R. (Rev. 15: 3b) Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
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. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
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. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!
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 21:12-19
Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Responding with Grace
“Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” Luke 21:14–15
This line is embedded in today’s Gospel in which Jesus makes it clear that His followers will be persecuted. Many of them will be seized, sent to prison, hated and even be put to death. For some, this will even happen at the hands of their own family. But Jesus tells them this to prepare them and to let them know that these persecutions will enable them to give testimony to Jesus. The Gospel passage above explains how they are to do this.
First of all, giving “testimony” especially means they are to be a witness to Christ. And one of the best ways such a witness is fulfilled is through the various forms of martyrdom. To be a martyr is to be a witness. And those who suffer persecution for the sake of Christ, and then respond to that persecution in accord with the wisdom and inspiration of Jesus, are true martyrs. It’s helpful to note that if one is persecuted and responds with anger or returns the violence in accord with their own irrational will, then they are no martyr. They simply become what they have received. They become angry and bitter people. Being a martyr requires both unjust treatment and a response to that mistreatment in accord with God’s will. For that reason, though persecution is never initiated by God, it does offer the Christian an opportunity to deeply conform themself to Christ by responding as He dictates.
Jesus says that responding to persecution requires that we not prepare a defense beforehand. In part, this is because there is great temptation one experiences when persecuted by another. It is very understandable that when a person experiences persecution in any way, they will encounter anger and be tempted to fight back in a way that is uncharitable and only furthers the disorder. Responding to persecution in accord with the will of God requires great attentiveness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, great humility, and unwavering charity directed at the one doing the persecution. Therefore, Jesus makes the promise that He will be with you in such situations and will give you “a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” What a grace! But this grace is only available to those who rely completely upon Christ, and not upon their own disordered passions and emotions.
Reflect, today, upon this promise from Jesus. Some will encounter little persecution in their lives at various times. But others will encounter severe persecution in various ways, even from their family. Reflect upon any ways that you have experienced the unjust treatment of another and then reflect upon your response. Were you able to immediately forgive? Were you able to set aside your anger, wounded pride and desire for revenge? Were you able to keep your eyes on Christ and rejoice that you have been found worthy to share in the ridicule, persecutions and sufferings that Jesus endured? Pray that you will always be open to the grace of this promise of Jesus so that you will always respond to everyone in accord with the wisdom of God.
Reflection 2
One Bread,On Body
“do not stifle the spirit” (1 thes 5:19)
“I bid you resolve not to worry about your defense beforehand.” —Luke 21:14
The Father and the Son have sent us the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (Jn 14:26). The word Paraclete can be translated “Defense Lawyer.” When you have an expert lawyer for your defense, it is not a good strategy to then independently prepare your own defense. You would be tying the hands of your expert legal defense. You might even lose your trial, when otherwise your Defense Lawyer would have triumphed. This is called “stifling the Holy Spirit” (see 1 Thes 5:19).
All you really need to do is listen to the Paraclete and trust completely in Him. At the proper time, Jesus, through the action of the Paraclete, “will give you words and a wisdom which none of your adversaries can take exception to or contradict” (Lk 21:15).
So, do not worry. The Paraclete is handling your case. Simply keep the lines of communication open. Each day, pray, read the Scriptures (Acts 17:11), worship, and if possible, go to Mass. Trust the Holy Spirit more than you would trust the world’s most expert legal team. The Holy Spirit is the Master Communicator. Therefore, make a daily appointment to listen to the Spirit, and “hear what God proclaims” (Ps 85:9). “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn 20:22).
Prayer: Holy Spirit, instead of preparing my defense beforehand, I will sit and listen each day for Your guidance. Give me “ears open to obedience” (Ps 40:7).
Promise: “All nations shall come and worship in Your presence.” —Rv 15:4
Praise: Through faithfully reading the Scriptures, Doris was able to allow Jesus to conquer her anxieties.
Reflection 3
By Fr. Martin Hogan
It was Mother Teresa who said that, in calling us to share in his work, the Lord does not ask us to be successful but to be faithful. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus paints a bleak picture of what lies ahead for his disciples, as they set out to bear witness to him. The story he tells of what is to come is anything but a success story. He speaks of persecution, imprisonment, betrayal, hatred from others. What the Lord looks for in all of these negative experiences is mentioned in the last line of the gospel reading – endurance or perseverance. The Lord wants us to be faithful in the midst of apparent failure. It is tempting to lose faith when our relationship with the Lord, - our efforts to serve him - seems to bring us more grief than joy. We can identify easily with the seed that fell on rocky soil, those who endure only for a while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. It is the Lord who makes possible our endurance to the end, rather than just for a while. Jesus promises his disciples and us in today’s gospel reading, ‘I myself will give you eloquence and wisdom’. In times of struggle and failure we are invited to rely on the resources the Lord gives us, so that we may endure to the end, and not just for a while.
Prayers
My persecuted Lord, though You were perfect in every way, You endured much cruelty in Your earthly life. The injustice You endured is beyond our comprehension. But Your response to such persecution was perfect. You were able to transform all ill-treatment into grace and mercy, offered especially for those who mistreated You. Give me the grace I need to imitate Your perfect response and to always rely upon Your wisdom and guidance alone. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus Christ, by your atoning death on the cross you have redeemed the world. Fill me with joyful hope, courage, and boldness to witness the truth of your love for sinners and your victory over the powers of sin, Satan, and death.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 331: Nothing Beyond Your Strength
It’s important to know that the Lord will never allow you to carry a cross that is beyond your strength. Do you believe this? If you do, it should help you to set your eyes on the road ahead and plunge forward doing the Will of God. If struggles come your way, even if they are great, know with certainty that the Lord is with you, carrying you if needed, through everything you face in life. Nothing can keep you from His Mercy and His perfect Will if you keep your eyes on Him (See Diary #1607).
Reflect upon the path that you believe the Lord has set before you. What obstacles do you perceive to be too great to overcome? Whatever it is, you must face them with confidence and absolute trust in our Lord. As painful as some things may be, nothing is beyond the Mercy of God. He will transform the rough path before you into a smooth road if you let Him.
Lord, I do believe that You are always with me, leading me and protecting me. When I face some hardship in life, help me to see it as an opportunity to rely more on Your grace. I know that I can do all things You call me to, dear Lord. I commit to walking the road You have laid out for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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