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The Holy Gospel according to Luke (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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection: In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges the crowds for their ability to interpret the weather by noting that they are able to say it is going to rain when they see the clouds rising, or it is going to be hot by the winds blowing. This reminds me of a novelty weather forecaster that consists of a rope hanging on a wooden board. On the board it says if the rope is wet, it is raining. If the rope is dry, it is sunny. If the rope is moving, it is windy. If the rope is white, it is snowing. If the rope is frozen, it is very cold. If the rope is invisible, it is foggy. It is easy to interpret the weather by looking at the rope. The crowds could easily interpret the weather, but they did not recognize the spiritual signs of their times, especially justice and reconciliation.
This Gospel calls us to look at our own lives and times. We often spend so much time and energy interpreting the everyday events going on around us, but we fail to see how God is calling us to look at matters of our faith and relationships, especially in seeking reconciliation with those we need to reconcile with. Our Lord encourages us to seek reconciliation while there is still time, to make peace with others before the conflicts become hardened and unchangeable. We are called to act sooner rather than later, to forgive and to mend our relationships.
Reflection: God is present all around us. There is no place that God is not present. In our busy lives, are we able to notice God’s presence around us and in our lives? Do we need to make peace in any of our relationships? May we pray for the wisdom and grace to recognized God’s presence around us and in each other, and to reconcile our relationships that may be broken.
Audio Reflection:
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