34TH SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 21:34-36) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 21:36)

FIRST READING - Dan 7:15-27

"The kingship and dominion and majesty of all the kingdoms under the heavens shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High."

A reading from the book of Daniel

¹⁵ Because of this, my spirit was anguished and I, Daniel, was terrified by my visions. ¹⁶ I approached one of those present and asked him the truth of all this; in answer, he made known to me its meaning: ¹⁷ “These four great beasts stand for four kings which shall arise on the earth. ¹⁸ But the holy ones^[a] of the Most High shall receive the kingship, to possess it forever and ever.”

¹⁹ Then I wished to make certain about the fourth beast, so very terrible and different from the others, devouring and crushing with its iron teeth and bronze claws, and trampling with its feet what was left; ²⁰ and about the ten horns on its head, and the other one that sprang up, before which three horns fell; and about the horn with the eyes and the mouth that spoke arrogantly, which appeared greater than its fellows. ²¹ For, as I watched, that horn made war against the holy ones and was victorious ²² until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was pronounced in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived for the holy ones to possess the kingship. ²³ He answered me thus:

“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth,    

different from all the others;

The whole earth it shall devour,    

trample down and crush.

²⁴ The ten horns shall be ten kings    

rising out of that kingdom;    

another shall rise up after them,

Different from those before him,    

who shall lay low three kings.

²⁵ He shall speak against the Most High    

and wear down the holy ones of the Most High,    

intending to change the feast days and the law.

^[b]They shall be handed over to him    

for a time, two times, and half a time.

²⁶ But when the court is convened,    

and his dominion is taken away    

to be abolished and completely destroyed,

²⁷ Then the kingship and dominion and majesty    

of all the kingdoms under the heavens    

shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High,

Whose kingship shall be an everlasting kingship,    

whom all dominions shall serve and obey.”

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 21:34-36

^"Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

³⁴ “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise ³⁵ like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. ³⁶ Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

34TH SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 21:34-36)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In the Word of God of today's Gospel, God the Father calls upon His children to be vigilant against the temptations of Satan.

For they often draw people away from the love and mercy of God the Father. They often entice people to be lazy in prayer, only to care for material things, to enjoy life in this world, and to forget the love and mercy of God the Father.

God the Father instructs humanity that without prayer, to be intimately united with God the Father, people will suffer greatly, having to fight alone against the temptations of Satan and their wickedness.

God the Father calls upon all His beloved children to always pray to Him in all places and at all times: asking God the Father to strengthen us, asking Him to preserve, shelter, protect, and guide us so that we may do everything according to His will.

Only then will Satan be defeated; otherwise, we will fall into their trap of being lazy in prayer, lazy in intimate union with God the Father, lazy in not doing what He instructs, not sacrificing, not renouncing passions, not fasting and praying, and then one day Satan will snatch your soul away from the loving embrace of God the Father.

That is the warning God the Father gives to the children of humanity in today’s world. Do not worry too much about worldly material things, but worry about your soul, strive to do what pleases God the Father.

He will nourish both our soul and body; He will provide for everything, so that when the time comes for God the Father to call us out of this world, we will no longer have to atone for long in the fire of purgatory.

In today's Word of God, God the Father calls upon all His children to be vigilant against the temptations of Satan regarding hatred, jealousy, selfishness, division, envy, idolatry, disobedience to the holy will of God the Father, failing to return to Him, but, instead, keep walking in the dark path of sin, thus being defeated by Satan.

Therefore, abandon the path of sin and return to worship God and love your fellow human beings as yourself.

Sacrifice yourselves to serve God the Father and serve your brothers and sisters, hoping thereby to glorify God the Father and seek the benefit of souls.

To achieve these things, everyone must be sincere with God the Father and live sincerely with their brothers and sisters, only then can they overcome the temptations of Satan, and only then will the prayers offered by everyone to God the Father please Him and be answered by Him.

Otherwise, they will remain asleep in the worldly sinful passions brought by Satan, for Satan is much more cunning and clever than humans.

If humanity does not have God the Father’s protection, preservation, and shelter, human souls will fall into the hands of Satan in great numbers.

Therefore, everyone must be vigilant, acting correctly according to what God the Father instructs, only then will Satan let us go; otherwise, our souls will fall into their hands.

Thanks be to God. Amen.