30th Week in Ordinary Time
02nd November 2023 (Thursday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Wisdom 3:1-9c
The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an evil thing, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial whole burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones.
Psalm 23:1-3, 4, 5, 6 (R. 1)
R/. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Second Reading: Romans 6:3-9
Brethren: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. Come you who are blessed by my Father, says the Lord; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Matthew 25:31-46
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Highlight: Purge to surge ahead!
Guidlines: Our God is holy and our destiny is holy heaven. Nothing unholy or impure can live with Him eternally. Therefore, real purification is a must{alertSuccess}
1. Every 02 November marks the special commemoration of the departed. We believe that everyone in God’s mercy is destined for eternal life and not damnation. Thus, our destiny is heaven and not hell. However, we being fragile are not worthy to be in eternity with all our sinfulness. Therefore, all need cleansing and purification. Purgatory is that condition of purgation.
2. Where? How? How long? Such questions regarding purgatory are not within our grasp and perhaps are not crucial as well. All that is needed to know is that we have a time and situation of cleansing.
3. Purgatory is not a place of punition but purification. It is not a punishment but chastisement. It is not harassing but cleansing. It is probation for insertion into the heavenly abode. The emphasis should be on the bliss of eternity and not so much on the misery of purgatory.
4. Purgatory is like waiting on the right platform. A life that is not properly led is like remaining on the wrong platform. The right train arrives at the station. But the problem is that people are not on the right platform to get onto the right train.
5. God’s grace and mercy are the right train. A life of virtue is the right platform. Often in life, we get on to the wrong platforms or wrong trains. All Souls’ day is a call to place our life rightly and travel rightly.
6. Purgatory is then an extended “grace period”, an additional “mercy time” for reparation. It does not indicate God’s rigidity to delay our eternity. Rather it indicates His extra benevolence to grant us further chance.
7. It is not a forced imposition by God. Rather, it is a needed self-preparation. It is a time of “refitting” ourselves, “re-equipping” ourselves to enter heaven. We need not argue how God can punish eternally for the sins committed temporarily.
8. Rather, we can feel happy that in exchange for a short good life, He generously grants one whole eternity, and He is so concerned that He takes care to make us fit during purgatory for one whole eternity.
9. Once again, like All Saints’ Day, on this All Souls’ Day too, we are reminded of our spiritual and fraternal communion and solidarity as God’s children and as brothers and sisters, in faith and fraternity. It is this bonding that makes us bound to pray for them, for their release from probation and raising to new life.
Practice: Let the commemoration of the departed remind us that we need to depart one day and stand before God for His judgment. If so, it is better that we continue to judge ourselves and cleanse ourselves to fit into the heavenly mansions{alertSuccess}