First Reading EPH 1: 15-23
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians
EPH 1:15-23
Brothers and sisters:
Hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and of your love for all the holy ones,
I do not cease giving thanks for you,
remembering you in my prayers,
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,
what are the riches of glory
in his inheritance among the holy ones,
and what is the surpassing greatness of his power
for us who believe,
in accord with the exercise of his great might,
which he worked in Christ,
raising him from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the Church,
which is his Body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY-EIGHT WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Gospel Luke 12:8-12
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
The Word of God for Everyone
Dear People of God,
The Word of God in today’s Gospel calls on everyone to be courageous in proclaiming God before everyone.
God always wants everyone to live by faith, trust, and rely on the power and strength of God.
He does not want mankind to fear the power of the world; because when humans are afraid of the power of the world, we will lose to Satan; they will take advantage of the weakness and imperfection of humans to lure our souls away from God.
Therefore, the Word of God today calls on everyone to live and follow God’s teachings, which are as follows:
-Be courageous in proclaiming God before everyone.
-Be courageous in living according to God’s teachings, which are: to live a life of love, forgiveness, humility, self-abasement, smallness, and to be the lowest in everyone’s eyes.
By living that way, God will be pleased with us, and we will be granted the happiness of the Kingdom of Heaven when He calls us out of this world.
Therefore, each person must wisely choose the best part, which is to choose happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven in the future.
In order to have happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, even while still living in this world, each person must have the courage to live according to the teachings of God; do not live according to the temptations of the world, which are: passion for power, fame, status, money and material things; without the courage to live according to the teachings of God, not daring to courageously proclaim God as the Father of powerful love before everyone.
God always calls on everyone to have the courage to live according to His calling, which is to repent of our sins and return to God; because when we repent, we show our fear of God, we live according to the calling of the Holy Spirit; because the Holy Spirit always enlightens, guides, and helps us recognize our sins to repent and return to God.
Therefore, the Word of God today teaches everyone: never resist the power of the Holy Spirit; because when someone resists the power of the Holy Spirit, our sins will not be forgiven, that is, our souls refuse to accept love, refuse to accept God’s calling to convert and abandon our sinful paths.
The Word of God today also calls on everyone:
-To be courageous in proclaiming God before the people of the world.
-Be courageous in living according to God’s calling: do not be afraid of any power.
In the event that we are being arrested, brought before the authorities for questions, or examined about our actions with God, we should not be afraid of how to defend ourselves or what to say.
For at that time, the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say, He works in us, in those who have simple, small hearts and absolute trust in God.
That is God’s calling to all humanity today to be strong and courageous in proclaiming God before the world, be courageous in living and bearing witness to God throughout the world, that in this world, there is a God of love who is always generous, tolerant, and loves humankind infinitely.
Thanks be to God. Amen.