SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT (Mt 17:9a. 10-13) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.” (Mt 17:12)

FIRST READING - Sir 48:1-4, 9-11

"You are destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord."

A reading from the Book of Sirach

¹ Until like fire a prophet appeared,

    his words a flaming furnace.

² The staff of life, their bread, he shattered,

    and in his zeal he made them few in number.

³ By God’s word he shut up the heavens

    and three times brought down fire.

⁴ How awesome are you, Elijah!

    Whose glory is equal to yours?

⁹ You were taken aloft in a whirlwind,

    in a chariot with fiery horses.

¹⁰ You are destined, it is written, in time to come

    to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord,

To turn back the hearts of parents toward their children,

    and to re-establish the tribes of Israel.

¹¹ Blessed is the one who shall have seen you before he dies!^[a]

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 17:10-13

"Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him."

✠From the Gospel according to Matthew

^10 [a]Then the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹¹ He said in reply,^[b] “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; ¹² but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” ^13 [c]Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

SATURDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT (Mt 17:9a. 10-13)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today's Word of God, God recounts to the disciples the image of Saint John the Baptist. He is the embodiment of Elijah and the prophet who came to prepare the way for the Savior.

When one is a prophet, they will certainly encounter suffering, persecution, imprisonment, and condemnation.

God shows that when the prophet Elijah came down to earth to convey God's holy will to all humanity, humanity did not accept him, but sought to kill him.

Then, in the time of Saint John the Baptist, the forerunner, the messenger preparing the way for the Savior to come down to earth as a man and proclaim the word of God to humanity, Saint John the Baptist himself was also condemned, persecuted, and killed for living righteously and uprightly.

God bestowed love upon all humanity, but humanity did not receive it, turning a deaf ear.

Therefore, God desires people today to listen to and practice the word of God manifested through the prophets, through the messengers whom God sends to humanity in the world today.

God the Father chose and established the work at the House of God the Father in Bao Loc so that the word of God the Father may be bestowed upon all humanity, manifested through the hands of Chu Thien Thuong, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to recall the words of Jesus Christ.

God lets all humanity know that the love of God covers the entire earth; He does not limit it to any particular place or person.

Therefore, those chosen by God must live righteously and act according to what God commands, so that the love of God will be manifested in that very person, and the love of God will be distributed to all humanity in the world today.

Besides that, God also reminds humanity that those who are living and working in the work of God the Father will also encounter suffering, condemnation, and persecution; but look up at the cross of the Son of God, He Himself also suffered, was condemned, and was put to death.

Therefore, today God calls upon all humanity to listen to and practice the holy will commanded by God and manifested through the people who God has chosen and who are working in His work of salvation during the age of the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God. Amen