Reading 1
Wis 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?
Gospel
Lk 17:26-37
Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”
Meditation: Luke 17:26-37
The Pharisees wanted to know when the kingdom of God was coming.
According to their way of thinking, the kingdom’s coming heralded a day of freedom from domination of Rome—or anyone else—and the preeminence of Israel. Even the disciples might have wondered about that great and glorious day. And so Jesus warned them against looking for it so carefully, because “the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:21). They had in mind an earthly kingdom, but Jesus steered them toward heaven, toward a kingdom that exists within each of us.
Jesus’ point is that the day when the Son of Man is revealed will be unmistakable. So rather than become obsessed with its details, they should live each day firmly established in the kingdom of God that Jesus has already come to inaugurate. Live in the present moment, since the Spirit is already in you. Don’t be anxious about what might come. Don’t focus on how the coming kingdom will look or how it will change things. Be careful, also not to live in the past, endlessly reviewing what has already gone. Don’t worry about what you should have said, how you may have failed or succeeded. Live now!
Approach the Father in prayer today, and ask: “What do you want me to do—or not do—today?” Living in the kingdom of God has everything to do with your heart’s attitude towards the King of kings: “Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). “Whatever is true … honorable … just … pure … lovely … gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
This is how God wants us to live, not consumed with what might be or what used to be. Whatever you do, do it in the Lord. Whatever you need to live solidly in his kingdom today—patience with the family, faithfulness at work, joy in your relationships, self-control with food or drink—ask Jesus for it, and know that he will give it to you. Be ready for whatever comes, not out of fear and worry but because the kingdom of God has come, and is within you.
“Jesus, free me from concerns about the past and fears of the future. Teach me to live in your kingdom today and every day, confident that you will provide everything I need.”
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