30th Week in Ordinary Time
01st November 2023 (Wednesday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 (R. see 6)
R/. These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3
Beloved: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Matthew 5:1-12a
At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: Called to be Holy!
Guidlines: All are called to be saints; all may not be raised to sainthood but all can rise to saintliness. All may not receive the honour of official veneration but all can strive for the honour of actual imitation{alertSuccess}
1. Every November 01st is a great celebration. It is the earthly celebration of the feast day of the heavenly saints. What a grand celebration it is because it puts together all the feast days of all the saints! Today we are reminded of our inseparable communion with them.
2. They stand before us as references and icons of holiness, sources of encouragement, beacons of hope, flashes of inspiration, pointers of challenge, and urges for change.
3. They lived on the same earth beset with the same struggles. They were not born saints. They strove, struggled, and grew and became saints. They fill us with confidence, courage, and hope that we too can become saints.
4. They inspire, guide, and challenge us and assist us to change. Status or capacity, time or space do not matter. To be holy and saintly is the call and possibility for everybody, everywhere and every time.
5. In them, we see what we must become, what we can become and how to become. Sainthood may be a special honour granted by God to a few. But saintliness is an honour open and possible for all. They understood and followed the Beatitudes as the authentic and effective means to become saints. They became saints because they followed the Beatitudes.
6. The beatitudes indicate that we are destined people and not people without a destiny. We are people by God’s choice and not by chance. We live and move by God’s gratuitous gift and not by a fortuitous drift. We are destined for bliss and blessedness. The Beatitudes are the pathways and roadmaps to travel the journey and pursue that path.
7. The saints through their life by beatitudes show us that we need to lead a heaven-directed and heaven-driven life in contrast to an earth-bound and earth-pressured life. The beatitudes are contradictory values to the false values of the world.
8. They summon us to be humble and surrendered to God, contrary to being proud and unruly complacent. This is the way of being poor in the sight of the world but rich in God’s sight. They call us to be sensitive and caring toward others, contrary to being indifferent and self-centred. This is the way to mourn with others and for others.
9. They call us to be gentle, meek, and patient contrary to being rude, harsh, and aggressive. They call us to hunger and thirst, to passionately crave to be righteous and fair. They call us to be merciful and forgiving, contrary to being stern and grudgeful.
10. They call us to be pure of heart, uncontaminated by guile and malice contrary to all impurity, deception, and evil-mindedness. They call us to be peace-lovers, peace-makers, peace-givers, and peace-promoters contrary to all aggression and disharmony. They call us to joyfully suffer for God and good.
11. There is no doubt that such a life according to the Beatitudes is very strenuous and demanding. But we need not be frightened or discouraged. The Lord will himself be our rescue and refuge. And our reward is great beyond compare. It is to enjoy the abundance of the Spirit in his light and power, already here on earth and the measureless eternity thereafter. Saints are our assurances!
Practice: Holiness is wholeness. The more we try to live as holistic and integrated persons, the more we become holy and saintly. Whoever strives to sanctify himself is a saint of sanctity!{alertSuccess}