Liturgical Readings for : Wednesday, 30th October, 2024
Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
FIRST READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 6:1-9
Slaves, because you are slaves of Christ, you must respect others in his name.
Children, be obedient to your parents in the Lord-that is your duty. The commandment that has a promise attached to it is: Honour your father and mother, and the promise is: and you will prosper and have a long life in the land. And parents, never drive your children to resentment but in bringing them up correct them and guide them as the Lord does.
Slaves, be obedient to the men who are called your masters in this world, with deep respect and sincere loyalty, as you are obedient to Christ: not only when you are under their eye, as if you had only to please men, but because you are slaves of Christ and wholeheartedly do the will of God. Work hard and willingly, but do it for the sake of the Lord and not for the sake of men. You can be sure that everyone, whether a slave or a free man, will be properly rewarded by the Lord for whatever work he has done well.
And those of you who are employers, treat your slaves in the same spirit; do without threats, remembering that they and you have the same Master in heaven and he is not impressed by one person more than by another.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 144
Response The Lord is faithful in all his words.
1. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God,
to make known to men your mighty deeds and the glorious splendour of your reign. Response
2. Yours is an everlasting kingdom; your rule lasts from age to age. Response
3. The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall and raises all who are bowed down. Response
Gospel Acclamation Jn 14: 6
Alleluia, Alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
no one can come to the Father except through me .
Alleluia!
or 2 Thess 2: 14
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Through the Good News God called us to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 13:22-30
Men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places in the kingdom of God.
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him,
‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’
He said to them,
‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.
‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us”
but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from”.
Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets”
but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men !”
‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside.
And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
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Gospel Reflection Wednesday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 13:22-30
There are some very hopeful and encouraging statements in the letters of Paul. In his letter to the Romans he assures us that ‘the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness’. As an examples of our ‘weakness’, he cites our struggle to pray, to find the words that give expression to our desire to pray. At such times, Paul tells us that ‘the Spirit himself’ expresses our prayer in a way that could never be put into words. The Spirit does our praying for us. This suggests that our prayer consists more in entering into the prayer of the Spirit that is going on within us. Prayer is more God’s work within us than our work. A couple of verses later Paul makes another reassuring statement, declaring, ‘we know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him’. Paul is saying that God can work for our ultimate good through everything that happens to us, if we open our hearts to him in love. God can bring new life even out of tragedy. The Spirit of God helps us not only when we struggle to pray, but also when we struggle to come to terms with the darker experiences of life.
The same hopeful, encouraging, note is struck by Jesus in the gospel reading, when he presents a very broad and generous vision of life in the kingdom of heaven, ‘people from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God’. Jesus portrays a God who wants people from every corner of the earth at the banquet of life in his kingdom, a God who will work to turn everything in our lives to that ultimate goal. Yet, the gospel reading also strikes another note. We have a part to play if this desire of God is to come to pass. We have to try and enter by the narrow door, the door that is Jesus himself. However, if we keep the Lord in view, striving to walk in his way, we won’t find God wanting. As we strive to enter by the narrow door, the Lord will be on the opposite side drawing us through the door.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
