29TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 12:54-59) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“You will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” (Lk 12:59)

FIRST READING - Rom 7:18-25a

"Who will deliver me from this mortal body?"

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans

¹⁸ For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. ²⁰ Now if [I] do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ²¹ So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. ²² For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, ²³ but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.^{[a] 24} Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself, with my mind, serve the law of God but, with my flesh, the law of sin.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 12:54-59

"You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

⁵⁴ He also said to the crowds, “When you see [a] cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain—and so it does; ⁵⁵ and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot—and so it is. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

⁵⁷ “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. ⁵⁹ I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”^[a]

29TH FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 12:54-59)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear people of God,

Today's Word of God calls on everyone to recognize and repent of their sins in their daily lives. Jesus rebuked the crowd because, although they observed the changing sky and earth to discern if rain or wind was coming, they failed to recognize their own selves before God. As a result, they had fallen into the temptations and snares of Satan.

God has compassion for humanity, so He has instructed and called everyone to look back at their true selves to recognize their sinful selves before God.

He calls each person to examine and review their gestures and actions before God and consider whether the difficult events, trials, joys, and sorrows in their lives lead them to God or not.

God continually calls humanity to strive for eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven after their time on earth.

This is the very purpose of Jesus Christ’s coming into the world: He came to redeem humanity, to free people from sin, and to deliver them from the captivity of Satan.

He came to call everyone to repent of their sins - to recognize their actions, words, and deeds before God and before their brothers and sisters, to see if their way of living is pleasing to God in their thoughts, words, and deeds - and then to change their lives to please God more each day.

God also warns that when each person stands before His judgment seat, they will have to pay the last penny - that is, they must atone for their sins from the least to the greatest before God's justice.

He will overlook no fault. Therefore, while still living on this earth, strive to live and act according to His teachings, for God's word is always wise - the word that brings eternal life in the future.

Today's Word of God calls on everyone:

• To look inward and sincerely examine their conscience before God – in the face of events that have happened to them, whether joyful or sorrowful - and to repent of their sins before God.

For God will come unexpectedly to call each person out of this world, and at that time, every soul must stand before His judgment seat.

• To look at the signs and events that have occurred in each person's life to commit to living according to what God teaches humanity in today's world.

Thanks be to God. Amen.