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The first reading from the book of Wisdom tells how God overlooks our sins that we may repent. In the book of Ezekiel 18:23, “Have I any pleasure in the death of wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live.” The book of Wisdom treats a wide range of topics like judgment, persecution, the virtue of wisdom and eternal life. However, today’s passage asserts that God’s creation is all good for if He hated a thing He would not have created it. As the book of Genesis says, after each creation God saw that it was very good.

Last Sunday’s liturgy presented us with the importance of prayer and the need to persevere in prayer. In today’s gospel reading we are presented with the right attitude to prayer and the nature our prayer should take. This is seen in the parable Jesus gave of two men, a Pharisee and a tax collector who went up to the temple to pray.

The liturgy of today invites us to reflect on the enormous power of prayer to accomplish results and change events and situations that seem impossible. We are to persevere in prayer especially when it appears God is silent or delays in getting answers to our prayer.

Today’s liturgy calls our attention to the virtue of thanksgiving or gratitude and how it should be expressed. It is important to state that Our Eucharistic celebration of the Mass is our highest expression of our thanksgiving and gratitude for what God has done for us and that is why attending Mass every Sunday should be a priority.

The Liturgy of today presents us with the issue of faith. In the first reading from the Prophet Habakkuk, it says “the righteous shall live by faith” while in the Gospel the apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith. And in response Jesus told them “if you had faith as a grain of mustard seed you can say to this mulberry tree be rooted up, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.”

Listening to the harsh words of Prophet Amos directed against the rich and wealthy in the first reading and the condemnation of the rich man to hell in today’s Gospel one may think that God is against the rich or that the wealthy are cut off from the kingdom of God. But such idea is far from the truth.

Today’s Gospel’s passage is one of those passages in the Bible we have heard many times however, at each time we read it afresh, it resonates new insights about God’s mercy and love. God’s compassion is unlimited; He wants to embrace us always with this love.

Today’s first reading from the book of Wisdom explains that the things of the earth, which are within our own grasp, are difficult for us humans to comprehend. How then can we grasp the heavenly realities? Solomon in his numerous quests for answers on existential realities posed one fundamental question, who could know divine counsel?

The first reading of today comes from the book of Sirach also known as Ecclesiasticus. The book is intended for those who wish to gain wisdom and instruction for life. He discusses issues like repentance, humility, family life, societal relationship, prudence and the meaning of life and death. He does not talk on what happens after life.

First Reading Isaiah 66:18-21, Second Reading Hebrew 12:5-7, 11-13, Gospel Luke 13:22-30

The three readings of today are connected in a very special way. In the first reading the Prophet Isaiah says “thus says the Lord, I come to gather nations of every language and they will come to see my glory.” This means everyone is called to see the glory of God. We all are called to see God’s glory.

The episode of today’s first reading took place many years ago about 600 years before Christ in Babylonia which is today’s Iraq. King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar was conquering all the nations that surrounded Babylon. As the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem, Jeremiah, one of the greatest Prophets of the time, told the Jewish people that it was useless for them to defend themselves as Nebuchadnezzar would destroy Jerusalem. It is better they surrender themselves in peace or face total destruction. Thus, instead of listening to Jeremiah they got angry and wanted him killed. Because of the resistance of the Jews, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and that led to the Babylonian Exile.

Today’s readings call for deep faith and trust in God. The first reading presents us with the courageous faith of the people of Israel in awaiting their deliverance from Egypt, and it came to fulfillment. At the same time, it tells us that true wisdom comes with giving priority to a right relationship with God. In the first reading we learn that when we wait on God with trust, He answers our prayers.