Daily Liturgy
Friday October 22
TWENTY-NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Introduction
St Paul describes the experience of converts. They realize that before their conversion, notwithstanding their good will, they were incapable of following their conscience or the Law of Moses. But now that they know Christ they can win their struggles against the evil within them. We experience a similar struggle going on in us. We are torn beings, with the enemy within us, capable of the best and the worst. But on account of Christ, even the worst in us can also be turned into the best.
In its introduction, the Vatican II Constitution on the Church in the Modern World says: “The Church must continually examine the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the gospel. Thus she will be able to answer the questions that people are always asking about the meaning of this life and of the next and about the relation of this life and of the next and about the relation of one to the other, in a way adapted to each question.” By signs of the times we mean currents of thought and attitudes behind events, aspirations, and the like. Take the hippies, the Jesus movement, Pentecostalism, women’s lib, the hunger for liberation, the rebellion of many of the young against consumerism and hypocrisy. Can we discover points of contact and of openness to the values of the gospel?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
when today’s world hungers
for justice, truth and spiritual values,
perhaps disguised and distorted
in a form hard to recognize,
open our eyes and give us
your Spirit of wisdom and discernment.
May we thus learn to understand this world,
to feel at home in it,
and to discover the stepping-stones
that could lead us all to you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reading 1: Rom 7:18-25a
Brothers and sisters:
I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh.
The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not.
For I do not do the good I want,
but I do the evil I do not want.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it,
but sin that dwells in me.
So, then, I discover the principle
that when I want to do right, evil is at hand.
For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self,
but I see in my members another principle
at war with the law of my mind,
taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Miserable one that I am!
Who will deliver me from this mortal body?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: PS 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94
(68b) Lord, teach me your statutes.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
You are good and bountiful;
teach me your statutes.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your kindness comfort me
according to your promise to your servants.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Never will I forget your precepts,
for through them you give me life.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
I am yours; save me,
for I have sought your precepts.
R. Lord, teach me your statutes.
Alleluia: Mt 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Lk 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
Intercessions
– Lord, may the Church of today speak to the people of today the gospel in the language of today, we pray:
– Lord, let the ministers of the Church be familiar with the needs and aspirations of today’s world and people, we pray:
– Lord, make us transform a world of injustice into a world of integrity, a cold and indifferent world into a warm world of love and mercy, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
these gifts speak of life and care,
of growth and sharing.
Let them also speak to our hearts
of the self-giving love of Jesus your Son,
and commit us to the growth of his kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have called us again
through the body of your Son
to make the body of his Church more and more
the living sign of your presence
and of your action in this world.
Make us also receptive
of all the good there is in this world.
Help us to dialogue with our times
and with the people of today,
that this world may be yours
and you our God for ever.
Blessing
If we want to be people living in our times, we must be open-eyed to what is going on in the world around us. “No one is an island.” No one should live in a world apart. This attitude will open our eyes too to understand our faith better. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
In today’s passage from Romans, Paul presents the contrast between the unregenerate person and the one who has experienced redemption in Christ. Even with the unregenerate person, there is an inner desire for good, but the possibility of achieving it is absent. That which the person would do, he does not do. Sin has taken possession of the person’s life; the law of sin prevails over the law of the mind. In his desperation, the person cries out for deliverance from his slavery to his mortal body. And, “thanks be to God,” the solution has been found in “Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The Gospel reminds us of how willing we are to read the signs of the times. The meteorologist on the evening news gives us a five-day forecast of the weather with a high degree of accuracy. Before taking a trip we investigate the roads and their traffic level to determine the best route. Why should we fail to carefully consider all the aspects of our moral choices in life? With our new life in Christ, sin is no longer inevitable. We begin from a position of strength and are well equipped to meet any challenge.
The Lucan Jesus in speaking of litigation advises his followers to settle out of court. Court proceedings can be long and expensive. And if acrimonious enough, one may well end up the loser. Therefore, it is far better to settle the matter beforehand, especially in light of the fact that Christians should be able to settle differences among themselves rather than appearing before civil magistrates.
Points to Ponder
The freedom that comes with the Christ life
Recognizing the strength that is ours
Settling out of court.