Reading 1 Rom 8:31b-39
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31
R. (26b) Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake;
in your generous mercy rescue me;
For I am wretched and poor,
and my heart is pierced within me.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
Help me, O LORD, my God;
save me, in your mercy,
And let them know that this is your hand;
that you, O LORD, have done this.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy.
I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD,
and in the midst of the throng I will praise him,
For he stood at the right hand of the poor man,
to save him from those who would condemn his soul.
R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.
Gospel Lk 13:31-35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
"Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."
He replied, "Go and tell that fox,
"Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem."
"Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
Meditation: Romans 8:31-39
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
Paul certainly had to deal with more than his fair share of hardships. But no matter what he faced—be it a shipwreck, imprisonment, a mob attack, or a public scourging—he always managed to hold on to his sense of contentment and, at times, even joy. How on earth did he do it?
Not by earthly means, that’s how! Paul was able to remain peaceful because he kept his eyes fixed on Jesus and on his own witness of joy and peace. Just look at today’s Gospel reading, and you’ll see one example of the stories that inspired Paul and all the apostles. Jesus is warned that Herod is after him, but it doesn’t deter Jesus from preaching and teaching and healing. He knows what God has called him to do, and he trusts that his Father will take care of him no matter what.
It’s this kind of trust in God’s goodness and provision that sustained Paul. And it can sustain us as well. God is for all of us! He is on our side! His plan and his power are so much bigger than the challenges we may be facing right now, whether it be a financial hardship, a wounded relationship, or a sudden illness.
But how do we get to this point of trust in the Lord? How can we be so sure that God is for us? The answer is simple, and it’s something we can never emphasize enough— through prayer. Every day, we need to refresh ourselves by resting in God’s presence, immersing ourselves in his word, and soaking in the Holy Spirit. All it takes is twenty minutes a day, and we will find ourselves more trusting, more peaceful, and less anxious when tough times come our way.
There is no substitute for daily prayer. Even when life is going well, we need to touch the presence of God so that we don’t wander away from him. Our Father wants to give us so many good gifts, not just help us in tough times. He wants to convince us every day that he is for us, and that nothing can overcome us if we are rooted in him!
“Jesus, I place my hope in your words and your ways. Help me stay close to you in good times and in bad times.”
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