Reading 1
Eph 1:1-10
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to the holy ones who are in Ephesus
and faithful in Christ Jesus:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him.
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.
In Christ we have redemption by his Blood,
the forgiveness of transgressions,
in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.
In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us
the mystery of his will in accord with his favor
that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times,
to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.
Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
Responsorial PsalmR. (2a)
The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R. The Lord has made known his salvation.
Gospel
Lk 11:47-54
The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.
Meditation: Ephesians 1:1-10
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Ephesians 1:3)
Awesome! Amazing! Incredible! Words like these just barely touch on the reaction this passage can elicit from us. Our Father in heaven has already blessed us. He has already destined us to be his children. Day after day, he wants to lavish us with the riches of his grace! Don’t these words just fill your heart with hope and gratitude? God Almighty, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, loves you personally and has given you all you need to fulfill his purposes here on earth and into eternity.
Think of it: Even before God created a single thing, he had you in mind. Even before you said or did anything good or bad, he fashioned you with the capacity to be filled with his divine life. Not even your sin deterred God from his plan. He loves you so much that he sent Jesus to sacrifice his life so that you could be redeemed and forgiven.
Jesus has dealt with all of our weaknesses and failures. Though we sometimes act like “children of wrath,” we need to remember that we really are children of Almighty God (Ephesians 2:3). We really are destined for heaven. When we fail to live up to the great gifts we have been given, we can turn to the Father in repentance. He will forgive us and comfort us. He will strengthen us and give us an even deeper foretaste of the life we will experience with him in eternity.
Every day, we can know the Father’s love, because he has given us the Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit can make known to us the “mystery of his will” (Ephesians 1:9). Only he can be for us the pledge of our “inheritance” (1:14). In your prayer today, meditate on these two promises. Ask the Spirit, “What do you want to show me today? Is it wisdom for my family or my life? Is it further insight into the Father’s plan of salvation?” Then, ask him to give you a deeper sense of awe at your heavenly inheritance. With the Holy Spirit on your side, you really can live for the praise of God’s glory. And you can be glorified yourself in the process!
“Thank you, Father, for choosing me to be your beloved child. May I always remain faithful to your calling.”
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