November 6, 2013

Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 487
Reading 1 ROM 13:8-10

Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone,

St. Paul recommends that we should pay all our debts so that no one can make a claim against us.  

except to love one another;

But recognize that we will never pay our debt of love to God and neighbor in full.  

for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Caring for one another is the goal of the Commandments.

The commandments, You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill;
you shall not steal;
you shall not covet,
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Responsorial Psalm PS 112:1B-2, 4-5, 9

R. ( 5a) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.

R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.

R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need.
or:
R. Alleluia.

God will show mercy on the merciful.  God will give charity to the charitable.  Do good to your neighbor and God will give you a great reward in heaven.

Gospel LK 14:25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,
and he turned and addressed them,
“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters,
and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple.

Love of God takes priority over even family ties.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me
cannot be my disciple.

Those who suffer, must suffer in imitation of Christ, expiating their sins and the sins of mankind in their suffering.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower
does not first sit down and calculate the cost
to see if there is enough for its completion?
Otherwise, after laying the foundation
and finding himself unable to finish the work
the onlookers should laugh at him and say,
‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’

Don't think that becoming a Christian is easy.  It isn't a matter of simply saying, "I believe in God."  It is a matter of surrendering our whole life, our whole being, to God.

Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down
and decide whether with ten thousand troops
he can successfully oppose another king
advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?
But if not, while he is still far away,
he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.
In the same way,
everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions
cannot be my disciple.”

Therefore, since we see God marching towards us a long way off, since we know we must all one day meet our Maker, then now is the right time to make peace with God and with all men and turn to God, doing good persevering to the end.