Are we living free in the joy and love of our Risen Lord? Or are we still mourning and weeping for our sins? Or have we instead allowed our hearts to harden that we have become oblivious to sin and guilt. Thinking all is OK and peachy unaware that we are slowly dying first spiritually. The day of reckoning is coming whether or not we are ready, like a thief in the night.
Turn back to the Lord always. For He stands ready and waiting to embrace you. We are meant to live out our lives to the full in His love, peace and joy. To love and be loved. To live out our mission of discipleship to bring others the to the knowledge and joy of the Gospel where they will find Jesus our Lord and saviour.
O sign of God our Father’s great love for us, Jesus our Lord be with us now always. Amen
First reading
Galatians 4:22-24,26-27,31-5:1
Christ freed us: do not submit again to slavery
The Law says, if you remember, that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl, and one by his free-born wife. The child of the slave-girl was born in the ordinary way; the child of the free woman was born as the result of a promise. This can be regarded as an allegory: the women stand for the two covenants. The first who comes from Mount Sinai, and whose children are slaves, is Hagar – The Jerusalem above, however, is free and is our mother, since scripture says: Shout for joy, you barren women who bore no children! Break into shouts of joy and gladness, you who were never in labour. For there are more sons of the forsaken one than sons of the wedded wife. So, my brothers, we are the children, not of the slave-girl, but of the free-born wife.
When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.
Gospel
Luke 11:29-32
As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign
The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’
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