READING OF THE DAY
A reading from the Book of Revelation
RV 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9A
I, John, saw another angel coming down from heaven,
having great authority,
and the earth became illumined by his splendor.
He cried out in a mighty voice:“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a haunt for demons.
She is a cage for every unclean spirit,
a cage for every unclean bird,
a cage for every unclean and disgusting beast.”
A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone
and threw it into the sea and said:
“With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down,
and will never be found again.
No melodies of harpists and musicians,
flutists and trumpeters,
will ever be heard in you again.
No craftsmen in any trade
will ever be found in you again.
No sound of the millstone
will ever be heard in you again.
No light from a lamp
will ever be seen in you again.
No voices of bride and groom
will ever be heard in you again.
Because your merchants were the great ones of the world,
all nations were led astray by your magic potion.”
After this I heard what sounded like
the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying:
“Alleluia!
Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God,
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great harlot
who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
They said a second time:
“Alleluia! Smoke will rise from her forever and ever.”
Then the angel said to me,
“Write this:
Blessed are those who have been called
to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Luke
LK 21:20-28
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
know that its desolation is at hand.
Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
Let those within the city escape from it,
and let those in the countryside not enter the city,
for these days are the time of punishment
when all the Scriptures are fulfilled.
Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,
for a terrible calamity will come upon the earth
and a wrathful judgment upon this people.
They will fall by the edge of the sword
and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles
until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.”
Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
(Jn 17:11b-19)
The Word of God for Us
Dear people of God,
Today, the Church celebrates the Vietnamese Martyrs. God wants to tell all mankind: Jesus’ fervent prayer to God the Father is the intimate union between Jesus and God the Father in the work of salvation, as shown when the Son of God came to earth as a human to accompany and be with mankind.
God created humans with a soul and body in the image of God. As His creatures, God loved them, provided, and cared for them. God loves mankind as Himself; He gave His body to save all mankind. Jesus’ prayer to God the Father shows the depth of His love for humanity. Only the love of God for man can make man happy, a happiness that lasts. Jesus had mercy on humanity and pity on the souls of sinners, so He entrusted all His children to God the Father, and He fervently implored God the Father to keep these souls from falling into the hands of the evil one, from the temptations of the world. But there was one person who betrayed Him, and that was Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Jesus, one of His chosen twelve apostles.
God teaches people in His way: Rather than teaching people leisure and relaxation, God teaches people to be awake and ready to fight whenever difficulties and challenges arise. Through such difficulties and trials, people’s faith can grow, and they see the value of God’s love for all mankind.
Through that image, God wants to teach people to walk confidently on the way to the cross. It is through a path of suffering that man realizes the love of God the Father. God the Father revealed that He does not take away the sufferings, difficulties, and trials of man. He wants people to be loyal, and faithful to God the Father, and accept the sufferings, hardships, and trials brought by the world. Only with absolute fidelity to God the Father until the last breath can souls live in the Kingdom of God.
God revealed: Man must go through purification, and must pass the test to achieve happiness in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven in the future. If a person does not pass the test and the purification of God, that person will not be worthy of happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. When man is tested, God sees that person’s love and loyalty to Him, and He will reward the person’s soul with happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven, the eternal paradise. The most blessed thing is that people can live forever with God the Father, together with the courtiers and saints in the Kingdom of Heaven, and worship, honor and sing praises to God the Father.
Thanks Be to God. Amen.
