Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Book of Daniel 12:1-3.
“At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. At that time your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book.
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, And those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.

Psalms 16:5.8.9-10.11.
LORD, my allotted portion and my cup, you have made my destiny secure.
I keep the LORD always before me; with the Lord at my right, I shall never be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure,
For you will not abandon me to Sheol, nor let your faithful servant see the pit.
You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.

Letter to the Hebrews 10:11-14.18.
Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 13:24-32.
But in those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels and gather (his) elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.
Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Commentary of the day : Cardinal John Henry Newman
The example of the fig tree

Saturday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time
Book of Wisdom 18:14-16.19:6-9.
For when peaceful stillness compassed everything and the night in its swift course was half spent,
Your all-powerful word from heaven’s royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior, into the doomed land,
bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree. And as he alighted, he filled every place with death; he still reached to heaven, while he stood upon the earth.
For all creation, in its several kinds, was being made over anew, serving its natural laws, that your children might be preserved unharmed.
The cloud overshadowed their camp; and out of what had before been water, dry land was seen emerging: Out of the Red Sea an unimpeded road, and a grassy plain out of the mighty flood.
Over this crossed the whole nation sheltered by your hand, after they beheld stupendous wonders.
For they ranged about like horses, and bounded about like lambs, praising you, O LORD! their deliverer.

Psalms 105(104):2-3.36-37.42-43.
Sing praise, play music; proclaim all his wondrous deeds!
Glory in his holy name; rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
He struck down every firstborn in the land, the first fruits of all their vigor.
He brought his people out, laden with silver and gold; no stragglers among the tribes.
For he remembered his sacred word to Abraham his servant.
He brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with shouts of triumph.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 18:1-8.
Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said,
There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Commentary of the day : Saint José Maria Escriva de Balaguer
“Pray at all times”

Friday of the Thirty-second week in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates : St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin and Foundress (1850-1917) – Memorial,  St. Agostina Livia Pietrantoni, Virgin (1864-1894)

See commentary below or click here
Saint Benedict : « Awake O sleeper» (Ep 5,14)

Book of Wisdom 13:1-9.

For 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?

Psalms 19(18):2-3.4-5.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims its builder’s craft.
One day to the next conveys that message; one night to the next imparts that knowledge.
There is no word or sound; no voice is heard;
Yet their report goes forth through all the earth, their message, to the ends of the world. God has pitched there a tent for the sun;

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 17:26-37.

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, a person who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise a person 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.”

Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day :

Saint Benedict (480-547), monk
Rule, Prologue, 8-22

« Awake O sleeper» (Ep 5,14)

Up with us then at last, for Scripture arouses us saying: «Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep» (Rm 13,11).  Let us open our eyes to the divine light, and let us hear with attentive ears the warning that the divine voice cries daily to us : «Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts» (Ps 95[94],8). And again: «He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches» (Rv 2,7). And what does he say? «Come, children, hear me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord» (Ps 34[33],12). «Run while you have the light of life , lest the darkness of death overtake you» (Jn 12,35).

And the Lord, seeking his worker among the multitudes to whom he thus cries, says again: «Which of you desires life and would like to see prosperous days? (Ps 34[33],13)  And if hearing him you answer, “I am he,” God says to you: if you would have true and everlasting life, «keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek after peace and pursue it» (Ps 34[33],14-15). And when you have done these things, my eyes will be upon you and my ears open unto
your prayers. And before you call me, I shall say to you, “Lo, here I am” (Is 58,9).

What can be sweeter to us, dearest brethren, than this voice of our Lord inviting us? Behold in his loving mercy the Lord show us the way of life. Let us therefore gird our loins with faith and the performance of good deeds, and following the guidance of the gospel, walk in his paths so that we may merit to see him who has called us into his Kingdom (1Thes 2,12). For if we wish to live in the dwellings of his Kingdom, unless we run there with good deeds we shall not arrive.