Liturgical Readings for : Wednesday, 8th November, 2023
Wednesday of the 31st week in Ordinary Time, Year 1
FIRST READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 13:8-10
Love is the answer to every one of the commandments.
Avoid getting into debt, except the debt of mutual love. If you love your fellow men you have carried out your obligations.
All the commandments:
You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and so on, are summed up in this single command: You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 111: 1-2,4-5, 9 rv5
Response Happy the man who takes pity and lends.
Or Alleluia!
1. Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth; the children of the upright are blessed. Response
2. He is a light in the darkness for the upright: he is generous, merciful and just.
The good man takes pity and lends, he conducts his affairs with honour. Response
3. Open-handed, he gives to the poor; his justice stands firm for ever.
His head will be raised in glory. Response
Gospel Acclamation Ps 118: 88
Alleluia, alleluia!
Because of your love give me life, and I will do your will.
Alleluia!
Or Pt 4: 14
Alleluia, alleluia!
It is a blessing for you, when they insult you for bearing the name of Jesus,
for the Spirit of God rests on you.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 14:25-33 Glory to you, O Lord.
None of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.
Great crowds accompanied Jesus on his way and he turned and spoke to them.
‘If any man comes to me without hating his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and his own life too, he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
‘And indeed, which of you here, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and work out the cost to see if he had enough to complete it? Otherwise, if he laid the foundation and then found himself unable to finish the work, the onlookers would all start making fun of him and saying, “‘ Here is a man who started to build and was unable to finish.”
Or again, what king marching to war against another king would not first sit down and consider whether with ten thousand men he could stand up to the other who advanced against him with twenty thousand? If not, then while the other king was still a long way off, he would send envoys to sue for peace. So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection Wednesday, Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time Luke 14:25-33
The language of ‘hating’ father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters in today’s gospel reading seems strange to our ears. However, we are dealing here with what could be termed a Semitic idiom. It is a question of preference. We are being called to love God more than our closest blood relatives. In the Jewish tradition, only God was to be loved with all our being, all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This all-encompassing love of God is our response to God’s infinite and unconditional love of us. We are to love all others, including our enemies, with something of the love that God has for us and for them. Because Jesus is God with us, God in human form, this all-encompassing love of God can be transferred to Jesus. Our loving devotion to him is to transcend all other human ties, including the most humanly intense and affectionate.
Following Jesus as his disciple entails a total loyalty and faithfulness to him, even unto death. This is why, in the two parables, Jesus suggests that our response to his call is not to be taken lightly. It requires consideration and reflection, just as a builder has to calculate whether he can finish the tower he intends to build and a king has to calculate whether he can win the battle he intends to fight. Discerning how best to be the Lord’s faithful follower always needs our careful and prayerful consideration and reflection. It requires a process of discernment and the Holy Spirit is given to us to help us in that process.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
