32ND THURSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Lk 17:20-25) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“He must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation." (Lk 17:25)

FIRST READING - PHMN 7-20

A reading from the Letter to Philemon

Beloved:

I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love,

because the hearts of the holy ones

have been refreshed by you, brother.

Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ

to order you to do what is proper,

I rather urge you out of love,

being as I am, Paul, an old man,

and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus.

I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,

whose father I have become in my imprisonment,

who was once useless to you but is now useful to both you and me.

I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.

I should have liked to retain him for myself,

so that he might serve me on your behalf

in my imprisonment for the Gospel,

but I did not want to do anything without your consent,

so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.

Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,

that you might have him back forever,

no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother,

beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,

as a man and in the Lord.

So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

And if he has done you any injustice

or owes you anything, charge it to me.

I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay.

May I not tell you that you owe me your very self.

Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord.

Refresh my heart in Christ.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - LK 17:20-25

From the Gospel according to Luke

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,

Jesus said in reply,

“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,

and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’

For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples,

“The days will come when you will long to see

one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.

There will be those who will say to you,

‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’

Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.

For just as lightning flashes

and lights up the sky from one side to the other,

so will the Son of Man be in his day.

But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

32ND THURSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Lk 17:20-25)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God the Father reminds His children of Jesus' prophecy about His death and resurrection, that is: before He sacrificed Himself to death, He also suffered, was condemned and persecuted by the elders.

This is a prophecy to let people know how to truly repent of their sins, know how to avoid the occasion of sin and believe in a God of love. It is because of love that God the Father sent His Son to the world to accompany and help people escape eternal death. As in the past, the prophets of God the Father announced the coming era of Jesus Christ, that He would come to the world, to redeem humanity from the captivity of Satan. But some people are still stubborn and refuse to believe in the promises of God through the mouths of the prophets, as well as in the Lord Jesus Christ, the true God who came to earth as a human being, to accompany and help people escape from the captivity of Satan. Today, there are still many people who have rejected the love and mercy of God the Father. Even though God the Father is still extending His arms every second, every minute, inviting His children to return to Him.

That is why God the Father calls on everyone to sincerely repent of their sins, because no one knows the day or hour when God the Father will visit; to be awake and avoid the occasion of sin; to be awake to abandon their sinful selves and return to the love of God the Father. To respond to God the Father's invitation is to believe in a loving and absolute God the Father. He sent His Son into the world to redeem humanity, and bring eternal life to humanity. What God the Father wants to teach people today is: to believe in God's promise, have faith in His words spoken through the mouths of the prophets before and now, that only He can bring eternal life to people. The day when God calls soul and body out of this world is unknown to anyone. Therefore, be awake and ready to wait for the day of God's coming. Because when leaving this world, each person will have to endure God's judgment: one is to enjoy the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven, two is to be in purgatory to atone for all the things that one has offended God, others and oneself, three is to fall into hell forever in the fire of Satan that never goes out.

Thanks be to God. Amen.