THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Introduction
The Letter to the Ephesians insists on unity. Everything in our faith is a call for unity in Christ, as there is one Church, one Spirit, and one Father of all.
In its introduction, the Vatican II Constitution on the Church in the Modern World says: “The Church must continually examine the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the gospel. Thus, she will be able to answer the questions that people are always asking about the meaning of this life and of the next and about the relation of this life and of the next and about the relation of one to the other, in a way adapted to each question.” By signs of the times we mean currents of thought and attitudes behind events, aspirations, and the like. Take the hippies, the Jesus movement, Pentecostalism, women’s lib, the hunger for liberation, the rebellion of many of the young against consumerism and hypocrisy. Can we discover points of contact and of openness to the values of the gospel?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
when today’s world hungers
for justice, truth and spiritual values,
perhaps disguised and distorted
in a form hard to recognize,
open our eyes and give us
your Spirit of wisdom and discernment.
May we thus learn to understand this world,
to feel at home in it,
and to discover the stepping-stones
that could lead us all to you
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
1 Reading: EPHESIANS 4:1-6
Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace; one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Responsorial PSALM 24:1-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (Cf. 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers. R.
.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain. R.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his saviour.
Such is the race that seeks for him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. R.
Alleluia MATTHEW 11:25
Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LUKE 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”
Commentary
Human Paradox
We are living in a kind of world that was unimaginable a few decades ago, thanks to the radical and lightning-fast developments in science and technology. We have amazing mechanisms to detect supernovas in outer space and predict the possibility and intensity of many earthly disasters. Yet, when it comes to living together as peaceful human communities, we fail to learn from our past mistakes and failures. Even when we know that in war there are no winners, we keep on spending zillions of dollars on military preparedness and attacks, the money that could be used to eradicate hunger from the world. As at the moment of this reflection, Russia is spending enormous fortune, including human lives piloting the war in Ukraine. Further, when it comes to discerning matters of the spirit, we live in denial of the existence of God or live as if our earthly life would go on forever, failing to store up treasures in heaven. Jesus calls for better discernment today.
Intercessions
– Lord, may the Church of today speak to the people of today the gospel in the language of today, we pray:
– Lord, let the ministers of the Church be familiar with the needs and aspirations of today’s world and people, we pray:
– Lord, make us transform a world of injustice into a world of integrity, a cold and indifferent world into a warm world of love and mercy, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
these gifts speak of life and care,
of growth and sharing.
Let them also speak to our hearts
of the self-giving love of Jesus your Son,
and commit us to the growth of his kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have called us again
through the body of your Son
to make the body of his Church more and more
the living sign of your presence
and of your action in this world.
Make us also receptive
of all the good there is in this world.
Help us to dialogue with our times
and with the people of today,
that this world may be yours
and you our God for ever. Amen!
Blessing
If we want to be people living in our times, we must be open-eyed to what is going on in the world around us. “No one is an island.” No one should live in a world apart. This attitude will open our eyes too to understand our faith better. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!