SATURDAY OF THE THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Luke 18:1-8) Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.  He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.  And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,  because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’”  The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.  Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?  Will he be slow to answer them?  I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.  But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ The Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, Today’s Word of God instructs the disciples of old as well as everyone in today’s world: be watchful and persevere in prayer to God. For while we pray, Satan will tempt us to lose our perseverance and patience in seeking a close union with God. They will sneak into people’s minds, instigating them to follow their own will, making them unable to listen to the teachings of God to know how to live in a way that pleases Him. God calls everyone to stay alert and to pray even more persistently. God knows every thought, word, action, and deed of each human being; so even before a petition is voiced, God already knows what that person wishes to ask Him. God always desires what is good for humanity. God is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. He clearly sees everything about man in the present and future material world. God calls everyone to persevere in prayer to God; do not become discouraged or lose heart, for what God gives to everyone is always good. Today’s Word of God teaches everyone: persevere in prayer; be vigilant in your thoughts, words, actions, and deeds; be vigilant in your absolute trust in God, for only when people have a strong faith in God’s love will they not fall into Satan’s trap. He presents the image of an unjust judge and a widow; even though he was dishonest, he still granted the widow’s request and brought her justice. The unjust judge yielded to the widow’s persistence and patience, as she constantly bothered him to bring her justice. How much more so is this true of God, who is love, and who always bestows good things upon humanity! In today’s Word of God, the Lord calls upon everyone: be watchful at all times and in all places, watchful against the temptations of Satan, watchful in the prayers and petitions you offer to God with absolute trust and faith in Him as the loving One. He will hear our prayers and bestow all blessings upon those who listen to and live according to God’s commands. He does not want anyone to become discouraged in prayer simply because they have not yet heard God’s guidance directly, as perceived by human eyes. He calls upon everyone to always remain steadfast in their faith in God, the God of love, and to trust that God will bestow every blessing according to the needs of their lives. Trust that God loves everyone, and that He will always bestow blessings upon those who know how to run to and call upon the holy name of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

FRIDAY OF THE THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Luke 17:26-37) Jesus said to his disciples: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; on the day when Lot left Sodom, fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one in the field must not return to what was left behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And there will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken, the other left.”  They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.” The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ The Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, Today’s Word of God instructs humanity regarding the manner of the Lord’s Second Coming. God calls on humanity not to worship material things above Him, nor to despise Him. God is almighty and sovereign, possessing the full power to destroy sin; yet He always grants humans the freedom to choose to come to Him or to follow the material world. God clearly sees every thought, word, action, and deed of every human being. He knows who is consumed by and worships material things, and who is turning toward God. In the days of Noah and Lot, people valued and worshiped material things above all else. They placed the needs of earthly life above the worship of God, above His love, providence, and mercy. Consequently, negative consequences befell humanity: people had to die in suffering, and lives became separated from God. God warns humanity: whoever seeks to preserve their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for God’s sake will save it. Today’s Word of God also calls on everyone to learn to live in love, forgiveness, and generous self-giving of all that God has bestowed upon us; for whatever is given away with love will never be lost. God is love; He providentially cares for every aspect of human life and soul. God grants humanity freedom: the freedom to walk in the path of grace bestowed by God will attain eternal life; whereas those who freely walk the path of the material world, pushing God out of their lives, will find their souls unhappy in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. God calls on humanity to turn toward a God of love, the one and only God and the ultimate purpose of our lives. Only He can bring happiness and eternal life to humanity. God sets forth the two images of the days of Noah and Lot to warn people in today’s world: we must remain vigilant so as not to fall into Satan’s traps and temptations of valuing and worshiping material things or exalting humans above God. God loves humankind and calls upon us to rise and walk the path of love and forgiveness, running to God, who is the Almighty above all things. Only that path is the true purpose of human life—the path that brings eternal, happy life in the Kingdom of Heaven. God calls upon people of today: be vigilant in all places and at all times; be watchful in our thoughts, words, and actions so as not to fall into Satan’s traps; walk no longer the path of sin, but instead walk the path of holiness and goodness that God grants and calls us to follow. Thanks be to God. Amen.

THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Lk 17:20-25) 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.” The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ The Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, This is the very word that God bestows upon all humanity: God will come riding on the clouds of heaven, with His angels attending Him; that will be the moment when all humanity heeds His call, gathers together, praises and glorifies God, the Most High. But before God comes riding on the clouds of heaven, humanity must fulfill the plan that God has entrusted to us; that is, we must fulfill the duties He has given to us while living on this earth. The things God has entrusted to humanity are what the Son of God, who came down to earth as a man, has taught and instructed; therefore, humanity must follow them. If people do not follow God’s will as He has taught, then when God comes on the clouds of heaven, they will not enjoy happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. Therefore, even while still living on this earth, humanity must remain vigilant to listen to and follow the exact holy will taught by God; do not listen to the instigations of Satan. Satan will also disguise himself in the words of God, using outwardly good things as a cover to make humanity fall into their traps, follow them, and stray from God and His holy commands. Satan seeks out human weaknesses to attack, to tempt, and to steal human souls. They take advantage of the freedom that God has given humanity to draw humanity away from God. The freedom that God has given humanity is good, so that humanity may become aware of the vast love God bestows upon us; for in love, there is no coercion or compulsion. Yet, when humanity has felt and walked in the love of God, they must absolutely obey His holy commands, letting Him guide and direct them along the holy path that God has provided; for only the path of a holy life leads to the happiness of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. God wants humanity to try our best to fulfill the duties God has entrusted to us even while we still live on this earth. As in the past, the Son of God came down to earth as a man, and He fulfilled the duty entrusted to Him by God the Father: He endured all sufferings and hardships, suffered death on the cross, and then rose again in glory. The Kingdom of Heaven will also be granted to humanity when people walk the path Jesus Christ walked; that is the path of the cross and suffering, yet this suffering must absolutely be endured in the grace of God. For Satan will also exploit suffering to seize the opportunity to masquerade as coming from God, to confuse people, to lead them astray from the holy will that God has taught, so that thereby they may steal people’s souls away from God, away from the grace that God the Father has bestowed upon humanity. Thanks be to God. Amen.

WEDNESDAY OF THE THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Luke 17:11-19) As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ The Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, In today’s Word of God, God the Father calls on everyone, that we should know, to give thanks to God the Father at all times and in all places. For right from the moment of being born into this world, it is already a grace freely bestowed by God the Father. Thus, throughout the course of a human life, it is a continuous chain of graces. Because of this, God the Father calls on everyone to live with a heart of gratitude toward Him in all circumstances, for all people are loved, cherished, protected, and brought into this world by Him. That is a profound happiness for humanity, because no one is born outside the will of God the Father. Therefore, God the Father invites everyone to always live in a spirit of gratitude to Him, and to take joy in the fact that He has lovingly chosen, called, and brought us into this world, so that we may share in the happiness of love with God the Father and all our fellow brothers and sisters. Furthermore, God the Father allow us to collaborate in His plan of salvation and to build up this world to perfection according to His will. Today’s Word of God teaches humanity to always live with a heart of thanksgiving to God the Father in every circumstance, and not only to return to thank Him when He heals our ailments in body and soul. Furthermore, God the Father calls on humanity to remain vigilant against the temptations of Satan, for Satan does not want people to draw near to God the Father to thank Him, to worship Him, and to live out His teachings. Just as the image of the ten lepers in today’s Gospel were healed of leprosy by God the Father, nine of them did not return to give thanks to God the Father because they were blinded and deafened by Satan. They failed to recognize the graces God had just bestowed upon them. Satan continued to tempt them into pride—making them think their healing was due to their own merit and strength—thereby forgetting the presence of Jesus, who had passed through their lives, healed them of a dreadful disease, and restored them to community life. Through this, God the Father teaches humanity to remain vigilant against Satan's temptations. They are very subtle in making us forget to thank God, and even forget God altogether. Therefore, let us always remember that whether we face suffering, endure trials, face condemnation or persecution, or succeed or fail, we must always lift high our thanksgiving to God the Father. Let us offer our entire being, our souls, and our minds to sing a hymn of praise and gratitude to Him, for that is what pleases God the Father. Thanks be to God. Amen.

TUESDAY OF THE THIRTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Luke 17:7–10) Jesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ The Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, Today’s Word of God teaches everyone to remain always vigilant in our thoughts, words, and deeds in our daily life, and to recognize our true identities as servants—sinners loved, mercifully cared for, and preserved by God. God instructs us to know who we are before Him so as not to fall into Satan’s trap –that is, pride. He wants everyone to look to the image of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to learn about humility and self-abasement before Him. In today’s Gospel, He uses the story of the servant serving his master: when the servant finishes his work, he says: “I am an unworthy and useless servant; I have only done what my duty was.” Through this, God wants to teach His children: to avoid falling into Satan’s trap, everyone should also recognize themselves as servants, serving God as their one and only Master; and by fulfilling the duty of a servant serving God, that person will enjoy happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. God wants His children to live a life of humility, self-abasement, simplicity, and lowliness, and to strive to fulfill the duties God has entrusted to them by doing well the tasks He has taught; so that later, when He calls us out of this world, the soul of the servant will enjoy happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. This is the reward the servant receives after he fulfills the duties entrusted by God the Father while living in this transient world. Whoever is wise and wants to enjoy happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven must walk along the path taught by God – that is, being obedient, fearing God above all things, and doing exactly what God commands. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Gospel (John 2:13-22) Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ The Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, In today’s Word of God, the Lord reminds humanity once again of His death and resurrection. This is a verified and real event in the person of Jesus Christ: He truly suffered death and rose again after three days. His resurrection brings salvation and restores happiness to humanity, so that we no longer have to die in darkness, in sin, and in the captivity of Satan. Yet when He came into the world, He was rejected, sought to be cast out, and killed by humankind, thereby allowing Satan to run rampant over human souls and bodies. However, the love and mercy of God the Father are still stronger than death and stronger than Satan’s temptations. He conquered death through His death and resurrection. Today’s Word of God reminds humanity that the human body is a temple of God, and the human soul is a temple of the Holy Spirit. And today’s physical temple is where God dwells, inviting everyone to come and receive His very Body and Blood. Yet humanity defiles that temple by bringing hatred, murder, jealousy, rivalry, competition, and sins into it. God also wishes to remind us that when we receive His very Body and Blood into our hearts, which are the temple of God, we must purge all hatred, malice, selfishness, division, and sin from our souls and bodies. As seen in the image of Jesus Christ in today’s Gospel, He came to drive out all the merchants and all that is defiled and sinful from the Temple. For the Temple is a place intended solely for the people to come to serve and worship God the Father, with a love for Him above all things and charitable love toward our neighbors. Yet, people bring sinful and unclean things into the Temple, thereby destroying the high and sacred worship of God the Father. Therefore, God the Father wants us to keep our souls and bodies pure and cleanse all that is defiled, unclean, and sinful within ourselves—for we are the Temples of the Holy Spirit—so that we may welcome His Body and Blood to dwell in our hearts. Cleanse ourselves thoroughly, and cast out all greed, anger, delusion, and worldly passions so that the light and grace of God the Father may come and dwell within our hearts. Otherwise, there will be no room for God the Father to reign there. Today’s Word of God calls His children always to remain vigilant, to keep both our souls and bodies pure to welcome God the Father Himself into our hearts, so that His light and grace may nourish our souls and bodies in the love of God the Father. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Gospel (Matthew 25:1–13) Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.  Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.  Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, In today’s Word of God, the Lord calls upon humanity to run to Wisdom. Wisdom is God Himself. God is the only One who is wise, and no one is as wise as He is. He is the One who sees into everything about human beings. He is the One who knows what is good and what is evil for us while we live in this world. For God the Father is the Creator of humanity, fully endowed with reason, will, and freedom. Besides that, He always walks alongside and preserves us, enlightening and guiding us to walk in His grace through His laws—the path we take toward God the Father, so that at the end of the journey we may find happiness with God the Father in the Kingdom of Heaven. Those laws are the laws of Love. Today’s Word of God calls all His children to run to Wisdom, who is God Himself. He will teach humanity all that must be done to attain eternal life. As in the Book of Wisdom today, God the Father also calls people always to seek God, to seek Wisdom, so that He may teach us which path to take to please Him and what actions to take to overcome Satan’s temptations. Today’s Word of God also calls people to remain watchful against the delusion and sin that Satan is unleashing in this world. They will try every means to prevent people from being watchful and from putting the word of God the Father into practice. They will try every means to make people live only in foolishness and sin, and to lead them away from the love and mercy of God the Father. As in the parable of the ten virgins holding lamps to meet the bridegroom, among the ten virgins, five were foolish, and five were wise. God Himself provides this image so that humanity may stay awake and watchful. The five foolish virgins were those who did not realize how much oil they would need to prepare for their journey to meet the bridegroom; they were only concerned with enjoying the present moment. Through this, God warns those who are only concerned with enjoying the pleasures of this world, without seeking the Kingdom of Heaven or bearing fruit—the salvation of souls; those who are only concerned with enjoying their present life, without caring for their own souls, and without storing up treasures in the Kingdom of Heaven. God wants people to be wise and always prepare their souls right here on earth, by doing good and virtuous deeds, performing acts of charity, sacrificing themselves, and giving away all they have so that, through those spiritual treasures, God the Father will grant them the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven. Just as the five wise virgins looked ahead and prepared for their journey to meet the bridegroom, they had prepared plenty of oil—which represents sacrifice, charity, selflessness, the willingness to share and support one’s brothers and sisters in both body and soul, sharing the grace and light of God the Father with others so that they too may enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. God the Father does not want people to live selfishly, caring only for themselves and turning away from their neighbors. God the Father wants people to be vigilant against Satan’s temptations and walk in His light, which is the wisdom God the Father has taught. We must love God the Father above all things and love our neighbor as ourselves. We must have charity and selflessness toward our brothers and sisters. We must eliminate acts of hatred, envy, and selfishness. We must eliminate the evil, dark, and sinful acts brought by Satan, so that we may practice only what God the Father has taught us: to live in a way that pleases God the Father at all times and in all places, and to love our brothers and sisters as ourselves. Thanks be to God. Amen.

SATURDAY OF THE THIRTY-FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME Gospel (Luke 16:9-15) Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ The Word of God for Everyone Dear people of God, Today’s Word of God in the Gospel calls everyone to live righteously and virtuously before God, and to be genuine in our thoughts, words, actions, and deeds, for God sees through every thought and action of each person. God does not want people to live in self-deception, because when people do,we will not find peace in our hearts. God loves everyone, and He has taught us how to live in a way that pleases Him more each day. Today’s Word of God speaks of the image of the faithful, competent, and wise servants. God calls upon everyone: when managing the assets that are the grace granted by God, we must be faithful to Him at all times and in all places. Managing faithfully in God’s way means loyalty and fulfilling the duties God has entrusted to us; for God, fulfilling the duty He has given means loving God above all things and loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Only when we have reverence and respect for God will we not dare to do anything wrong in His sight. Furthermore, to live out what God commands—loving God above all things—a person must practice justice and charity toward their neighbors, love their neighbors as themselves, and serve their neighbors selflessly; for each person is a member of the Body of Christ and bears the image of the God of love. God always wants what is good for man; He does not want humanity to be enslaved by worldly wealth and material possessions, or to fall into Satan’s temptation of craving money, status, and fame. God wants us to place Him above all things and worship Him alone as the one and only Master, the Father who always loves, protects, and helps everyone escape the captivity of Satan. Today’s Word of God speaks of the faithful, competent, and wise servants, alongside those servants who fail to do the will of their master, those who are not pleasing to God. In today’s world, each person bears the image of a servant and steward of God, and so He calls everyone: -to live in a way that fulfills the duties entrusted by God the Father, and worship Him alone as the one and only Father and Master of our life. - To live in a way that pleases Him at all times and in all places. In order to please Him at all times and in all places, a servant must always listen to, meditate on, and put into practice the word of God in their thoughts, words, actions, and deeds. -to remain always faithful and loyal to God. He does not want us to fall into the traps of Satan, who tempts us to become unwatchful and follow their path—leading us to worship the material things, money, honor, and glory of this world while forgetting what God has taught us about the God of love. Therefore, today’s Word of God calls everyone to live wisely, which means always knowing how to revere and fear God, and placing God above all things. All aspects of life—from thoughts, words, actions, and deeds—must be directed toward God; only then will we avoid falling into Satan’s temptations and always please God. When we please God in all places and at all times, He will record our merits in heaven and reward us with happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Thanks be to God. Amen.