Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection October 30, 2024

30th October 2024 (Wednesday)

Psalter: Week 2

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Ephesians 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honour your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14 (R. 13c)

R/. The Lord is faithful in all his words.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. God has called us through the Gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

R/. Alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 13:22-30

At that time: Jesus went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ Then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Wednesday – Thirtieth Week of Ordinary Time

Guidelines: Heaven is not anyone’s prerogative or privilege. There are no guarantees or shortcuts. The only way and means is to follow the way of the Lord

1. We see a lot of “guarantee” mentality in our society. People go by the strength of guarantees. To some extent, a guarantee may provide some certainty and assurance. But there is also every possibility that one may blindly trust and go ahead, without any reality check. Sometimes, seeking a guarantee may lead to over-expectation and overconfidence and thus to a mentality of negligence and take-for-granted.

2. Today, in the gospel Jesus is cautioning us against this guarantee mentality. He teaches very clearly that acceptance by God and entry into God’s kingdom do not depend merely on religious allegiance or the performance of some activities. They are no guarantees!

3. Mere religious celebrations together (‘we ate and drank in your presence’), or mere common prayer sessions (‘you taught in our streets’) will not guarantee an entrance-pass into the house of heaven. All such guarantees will be upset as Jesus says, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.

4. The only assurance is “entering through the narrow door.” What does this mean? We derive some implications in the light of the readings. First of all, entering through the narrow door implies shedding off the guarantee mentality. This means that we realise that we do not merit salvation merely on our merits.

5. I do this or I accomplish that and therefore I will be saved or should be blessed. I perform some religious activity or practise some devotion and therefore I will receive God’s favour. Trust in God’s benevolence to grant me what I seek, is good but we cannot forget the fact that all blessing and favour is God’s gratuitous grace and mercy and not our credit.

6. Further, in the light of the first reading, entering through the narrow door implies a sense of responsibility and dutifulness according to each stage and state of life. Children, parents, servants and masters – each category has its own set of duties and principles. It is difficult to be loyal to them. But it is by entering through the narrow door of dutifulness and faithfulness that one will be saved and enter the kingdom.

Practice: The norms for the bondservants in the first reading hold good for us: Obey God, with a sincere heart, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God