34th Week in the Ordinary Time - Wednesday (Year II)
23rd November 2022 (Wednesday) Readings and Reflection
Dear Brothers and Sisters, we are on the Wednesday of 34th week in the ordinary time. Today's gospel reflection is on the theme Nothing to fear!
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Reading of the Day
First Reading: Revelation 15:1-4
I, John, saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire-and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."
Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 7-8, 9 (R. Revelation 15:3b)
Response: Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God Almighty!
O sing a new song to the Lord,
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation. Response
The Lord has made known his salvation,
has shown his deliverance to the nations.
He has remembered his merciful love
and his truth for the house of Israel. Response
Let the sea and all within it thunder;
the world, and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
and the hills ring out their joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth. Response
He will judge the world with justice
and the peoples with fairness. Response
Gospel : Luke 21:12-19
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, "They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Nothing to fear!
Indicative: It is wise that we remain aware of the hard and challenging times in the journey of our faith and goodness. Adversities and afflictions are bound to confront us. But no need to be panicky{alertSuccess}
1. The Word of God always invites us to be men and women of faith, to remain firm and steadfast. But it makes no false promises and assurances in the sense that faith will be a shield against any difficulty. The Lord himself shatters all such false guarantees. These give the wrong impression that if you have faith, you will escape the problems.
2. In fact, the Lord warns us that the more we are faithful, the more we will face opposition, and go through suffering and persecution. There will be rejection and abandonment by our own people. These are truly the testing and trying times. But we need not be frightened or lose heart. We need not be preoccupied and overanxious as to how to face such a situation.
3. Rather, let us place our entire trust in God and abandon ourselves to Him. Let us confide in his assurance, “I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” Let us rest assured in his protective care that “not a hair of your head will perish.”
4. Let us be people filled with holy hope that endows us with a positive and higher perspective. We shall not sink into despair or hopelessness. But we shall look at all these as “our opportunity to bear witness.” We shall remember that gold is tested in the fire to prove its purity. In the same way, the strength and the quality of faith and faithfulness are tested in the crucible of suffering and perseverance.
5. Let us also be charged and encouraged by the hope in the reward of eternity. The Lord promises, “By your endurance, you will gain your lives.” Let us be sure that if we conquer the beast (of evil) as in the first reading, we too will sing the song of the Lamb, in his heavenly presence.
Imperative: Our endurance will be our witness and for sure it will bring us eternal reward{alertSuccess}
Video Reflection
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