Liturgical Readings for : Thursday, 31st October, 2024
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Blessed Dominic Collins, martyr, soldier, entered the Society of Jesus, captured and hanged for the faith in Youghal
FIRST READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 6:10-20
Rely on God’s armour to hold your ground.
Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens. That is why you must rely on God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.
So stand your ground, with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then you must accept salvation from God to be your helmet and receive the word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.
Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints; and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 143: 1-2, 9
Response Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
1. Blessed be the Lord, my rock who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war. Response
2. He is my love, my fortress; he is my stronghold, my saviour,
my shield, my place of refuge. He brings peoples under my rule. Response
3. To you, O God, will I sing a new song; I will play on the ten-stringed lute
to you who give kings, their victory, who set David your servant free. Response
Gospel Acclamation Ps 147: 12
Alleluia, Alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! He sends out his word to the earth.
Alleluia!
Or Lk 19: 38
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens!
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 13:31-35 Glory to you, O Lord
It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
Some Pharisees came up to Jesus.
‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’
He replied,
‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:
Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 13:31-35
There is mention of two animals in today’s gospel reading from Luke. Jesus refers to Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, as a fox, ‘You may go and give that fox this message’. Jesus then compares himself to a hen who ‘gathers her brood under her wings’. In rural Galilee, as much as in rural Ireland today, foxes threaten hens and chicken. Herod Antipas, as a vassal ruler of Rome, was a threat to Jesus.
In Luke’s account of the passion and death of Jesus, he would play a minor role alongside Pilate in condemning Jesus to death. Jesus was working to gather people to himself, at the same time as others, like Herod and the Pharisees, were conspiring against him. The risen Lord continues to gather us to himself, to gather us around himself, today, even as there are forces at work in our culture that seek to prevent that from happening. We can look out at the various ‘foxes’ on the horizon and get discouraged, perhaps even allowing ourselves to be reduced to fearful inertia. Or we can look upon the Lord who works to gather us all to himself out of love for humanity. The letter to the Hebrews calls on us to keep looking to Jesus ‘the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’. If we focus on the Lord and his efforts to gather us all we will be inspired rather than discouraged. The Lord doesn’t get discouraged by the foxes of this world, and neither should we. As Jesus says in the gospel reading, ‘today and tomorrow and the next day, I must go on’. That is the spirit we need today.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
