Liturgical Readings for : Wednesday, 27th November, 2024
Wednesday of the Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Optional memorial of St Fergal(Virgil), bishop and missionary, founded a monastery in Salzburg. d. 784
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of the Apocalypse 15:1-4
They were singing the hymn of Moses and of the Lamb.
What I, John, saw in heaven, was a great and wonderful sign:
seven angels were bringing the seven plagues that are the last of all, because they exhaust the anger of God.
It seemed to see a glass lake suffused with fire, and standing by the lake of glass, those who had fought against the beast and won, and against his statue and the number which is his name. They all had harps from God, and they were singing the hymn of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb:
‘How great and wonderful are all your works, Lord God Almighty;
just and true are all your ways, King of nations.
Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord?
You alone are holy, and all the pagans will come and adore you
for the many acts of justice you have shown.’
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 97
Response How great and wonderful are all your works, Lord God almighty.
1. Sing a new song to the Lord for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm have brought salvation. Response
2. The Lord has made known his salvation; has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love for the house of Israel. Response
3. Let the sea and all within it, thunder; the world, and all its peoples.
Let the rivers clap their hands. and the hills ring out their joy
at the presence of the Lord. Response
4. For the Lord comes, he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness. Response
Gospel Acclamation Lk 21: 36
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.
Alleluia!
Or Apoc 2: 10
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Even if you have to die, says the Lord,
keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 21:12-19
You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost.
Jesus said to his disciples,
‘Men will seize you and persecute you;
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to imprisonment,
and bring you before kings and governors because of my name –
and that will be your opportunity to bear witness.
Keep this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence,
because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom
that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict.
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends;
and some of you will be put to death.
You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Wednesday Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 21:12-19
In the gospel reading, Jesus is very clear about the difficulties his followers will experience in trying to be faithful to him. Many of them will end up in prison; others will be betrayed by family members. Yet Jesus goes on to assure them that he will be with them to support and strengthen them in those difficult moments when they may be tempted to turn from him. He will help them to endure, to stay faithful to him to the end. Most of us do not experience the difficulties Jesus mentions in our efforts to be faithful to him. Our faith in the Lord is unlikely to put us in prison or alienate us from our families. Yet, we all struggle in various ways to be faithful to our baptismal calling, to the Lord’s daily call. We are aware of times when our faith is put to the test, when we are tempted to take a path other than the one the Lord is calling us to take.
At such times, the gospel reading assures us that we are not on our own. The Lord is with us helping us to endure in faith, keeping us faithful to him. The Lord who calls us to take a certain path, goes with us down that path, helping us to travel it well when our faith is put to the test. Saint Paul expresses this truth very simply in his first letter to the Thessalonians, ‘The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this’ (1 Thess 5:24).
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
