November 15, 2013

Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 495
Reading 1 WIS 13:1-9

All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,

Mean not recognize the existence of God are, by definition, fools. Him and

and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;

 God is readily visible to those who see the beauty of the natural world.

But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.

 But because they were foolish they looked upon the created things and called them gods.

Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.

 But if they thought those things were divine because of their beauty let them know how far both those things is the Lord.

Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.

 Or if it was because of their power let them know how much more powerful is the God which made them.

For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.

 Creation is a sign which points to the existence of a far more beautiful and far more powerful God.

But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.

 But at least the seek God and try to find them.

For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.

 But they search for him amongst the beauty of creation and become distracted.

But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

 But they are still to blame, because of they could understand and see the beauty in the world, why did didn't they find the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:2-3, 4-5AB

R. (2a) The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.

R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The visible heavens are sign of the invisible heaven where God resides. That which we see points to that which we don't see.

Gospel LK 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;

  Just as God destroyed the world and the time of Noah. So will it be when the Son of Man returns.

they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.

 Everyone was eating and drinking and going about their normal business when the flood came and Noah  entered the ark.  Everyone will be going about their normal business at the end of time.

Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.

 Also, when God destroyed Sodom, all the people of Sodom were unaware. And then fire rained on them from the sky.

So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

 It will be the same when Jesus Christ returns in the end. 

On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.

 On that day, no one must turn to material things for salvation. Because nothing will save them from that which God has prepared for them.

Remember the wife of Lot.

 Remember Lot's wife. She is a warning to you. She should have kept her eyes on the Lord. But she turned around and looked back to what she used to own. And she was turned to salt.

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.

 Do not seek to preserve that which you have in this life because you will lose it. You will take nothing with you.

I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”

 This is on one to understand. Two people in one bed, one taken and one left behind? What can that mean? Two people in one bed generally refers to husband-and-wife. And two women grinding meal together, I assume refers to mother and daughter or sister's going about their chores.

So it would appear, but on this night, families will be torn apart. This will force us to turn to God rather than to other family members for support. 

They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”

  Vultures gather around the dead. And sinners are considered dead to the spirit. Therefore, Jesus might be saying, "where ever there are sinners."