Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Ready For The Lord

Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I

Introduction

The author of Wisdom accuses non-Jews of being blind. They see the beauty of creation, but they fail to recognize the creator behind them, so much so that they begin to adore created things.

Jesus reprimands those who fail to see the signs of his coming in judgment. His coming is not an exceptional event, for Jesus blames the people for their careless lack of vigilance in daily life. He keeps coming, and this is why people have to be ready always.

Opening Prayer

Our saving God,
we are your people on the march
who try to carry out the task
of giving shape to your kingdom of love and peace.
When we are discouraged and afraid or careless,
keep us going forward in hope,
make us vigilant in prayer,
that we may see the signs of your Son’s coming.
Let Jesus walk with us already now
on the road he has shown us,
that he may lead us to you,
our living God for ever and ever.

First Reading

Wisdom 13:1-9

All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,
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;
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.
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.
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.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
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?

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5ab

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia Verse

Luke 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Luke 17:26-37

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be on the day the Son of Man comes.

In those days, people ate, drank, and got married, but on the day Noah entered the ark, the flood came and destroyed them all.

Similarly, in the days of Lot: people ate, drank, bought, and sold, and they planted and built.

But on the day Lot left Sodom, God caused fire and sulfur to rain down from heaven, destroying everyone.

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

On that day, if you’re on the roof, don’t go down into the house to get your belongings; and if you happen to be in the fields, do not turn back.

Remember Lot’s wife!

Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever gives his life will find it.

I tell you, even if two men are sharing the same bed, it might happen that one will be taken and the other left;

even if two women are grinding meal together, one might be taken and the other left.

Then they asked Jesus:

“Where will this happen, Lord?”

And he answered:

“Where the body is, there the vultures will gather as well.”

Prayers of the Faithful

– For the Church, the People of God, that we may not be self-sure, proud and triumphant, but aware of our poverty, our ills, and our constant need of conversion to the gospel of Christ, we pray:

– For a world of violence, denial of rights and discrimination, that people may build to one another roads of friendship, respect and freedom, we pray:

– For all of us in this community, that we may hasten the coming of God’s new heaven and new earth by making straight our tortuous ways of selfishness and pride, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God of our hope,
as a pledge of your promises
you give us your Son Jesus Christ
in these signs of bread and wine.
We do not ask you for a life
without problems and risks
but for your Son’s vision
of a world in which you are present
and for your Son’s courage
to answer with our very lives
your call to build up a new world
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord our God,
our hope and our future,
you let your Son speak to us your word of hope
and renewed our strength with his bread of life.
Free our faith from banality and routine
and send us with your Son
to restore integrity and love
and the trust that with him
we can give shape to a future
beyond all human expectations,

For the future belongs to you,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Blessing

Keep hoping, for there is a future. Christ is with you, and with him you can do away with violence and wars, you can defeat enmity with friendship. Keep your heads high, for the Lord Jesus is among us and with him there is hope and a future. Go with him, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTIONS

14 November 2025

Luke 17:26-37

Do not look back!

Today’s Gospel passage is difficult, but from it we can gather certain truths that guide our Christian life.

First, there will be moments when we long for Christ’s return. Like the saints and martyrs in the Book of Revelation, we may cry out, “How long, O Lord?” Yet God’s time is not ours. We must learn to be patient and trust that his plan unfolds in ways beyond our understanding.

Second, the coming of Christ is certain, but the time is unknown. Speculation is useless, and false prophecies only distract us. The best preparation is to remain faithful to our daily duties. When Christ returns, blessed are those he finds working humbly, loving sincerely, and living honestly.

Third, God’s judgment will be personal. Jesus warns that of two people standing side by side, one may be taken and the other left. This reminds us that salvation cannot be inherited by proximity. We cannot rely on the holiness of our spouse, parents, or friends. Each of us must answer personally to God and nurture our own faith.

Finally, Jesus’ proverb—“Where the body is, there the vultures will gather”— Just as certain conditions draw vultures, so the return of Christ will come at the appointed moment. Our task is not to calculate when it will happen, but to be ready whenever it does.

This readiness means living without stubborn pride or clinging to the past. Like Lot’s wife, if we keep looking back, we risk losing sight of the future that God has prepared. Now is the time to change, to discern, to let go of mistakes and regrets. Life is dynamic—there is a time to sow and a time to reap, a time to struggle and a time to be at peace. What matters is to move forward with hope, fixing our eyes on Christ.

So let us not be paralysed by fear or nostalgia. Instead, let us keep walking faithfully, with forward vision, so that whenever the Lord comes, he may find us ready.

Love: the great Christian witness
Heterodoxy has affected the community to which the Second Letter of John is written. The author begins by encouraging those who continue to walk in the truth, observing the primary commandment of love. More disturbing, however, is the fact that there are some in the Christian community who are claiming that Christ did not really come as a man. This false idea may have been from the Gnostics or some group allied with them who saw anything material, including the human body, as evil. Their teaching, says the author, is clearly spurious. Many may call themselves progressive, but they have separated themselves from the truth and from God.
By the time of the Johannine literature, the belief in the early return of Christ had begun to recede. When there was a departure from the authentic teaching, this was more to the forefront. The community must retain its unity, that oneness for which Christ prayed in John’s Gospel before he died.
What is common to today’s first and second readings is a spirit of alertness. The Lord may call us at any time, and the community may become divided over particular issues. We must be seriously attentive to the word of God and conscious of the importance of retaining the unity of the community of faith.

Purpose-driven life

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to address the end times and the coming of the Kingdom. He calls His followers to prepare themselves, to be vigilant and mindful, even though the exact time is unknown and not for them to determine. Instead of focusing on when this time will come, Jesus emphasises the importance of being ready in heart and spirit, grounded in His words and living them daily. The Gospel reminds us that while we live our everyday lives, we should not allow routine, consumerism, or distractions to numb us from our relationship with God.

In His teachings, Jesus compares our lives to the days of Noah and Lot, when people were so engrossed in their daily routines that they overlooked God’s presence and the need to respond. Similar to those in Noah’s and Lot’s times, we too risk missing God’s call if we aren’t vigilant. Our response to God’s call shall not be rooted in fear or speculation about the “end times,” but it helps us to live purposefully, keeping eternity in mind.

Jesus also teaches that clinging to earthly life too tightly leads to spiritual loss. Instead, true life is found in generosity and self-giving. “Whoever loses their life will save it.” We are called to trust God and live with open hearts, caring for others and trusting in the promise of God’s eternal Kingdom.

When Jesus speaks of “one being taken and the other left,” it serves as a call to nurture our relationship with God daily, regardless of external influences or worldly distractions. Spiritual death attracts judgment just as vultures gather around what is dead. Reflecting on our times, we must question ourselves whether we are able to see beyond these distractions to live in prepare.