Archive for November 2, 2024

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted: November 2, 2024 by CatholicJules in Sunday Reflections
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Deuteronomy 6:2–6
Psalm 18:2–4, 47, 51
Hebrews 7:23–28
Mark 12:28–34


The Law of Love

Love is the only law we are to live by. And love is the fulfillment of the Law that God reveals through Moses in today’s First Reading (see Romans 13:8–10; Matthew 5:43–48).

The unity of God—the truth that He is one God, Father, Son, and Spirit—means that we must love Him with one love, a love that serves Him with all our hearts and minds, souls and strength.

We love Him because He has loved us first. We love our neighbor because we can’t love the God we haven’t seen unless we love those made in His image and likeness, whom we have seen (see 1 John 4:19–21).

And we are called to imitate the love that Christ showed us in laying His life down on the Cross (see 1 John 3:16). As we hear in today’s Epistle, by His perfect sacrifice on the Cross, He once and for all makes it possible for us to approach God.

There is no greater love than to lay down your life (see John 15:13). This is perhaps why Jesus tells the scribe in today’s Gospel that he is not far from the kingdom of God.

The scribe recognizes that the burnt offerings and sacrifices of the old Law were meant to teach Israel that it is love that God desires (see Hosea 6:6). The animals offered in sacrifice were symbols of the self-sacrifice, the total gift of our selves, that God truly desires.

We are called today to examine our hearts. Do we have other loves that get in the way of our love for God? Do we love others as Jesus has loved us (see John 13:34–35)? Do we love our enemies and pray for those who oppose and persecute us (see Matthew 5:44)?

Let us tell the Lord we love Him, as we do in today’s Psalm. And let us take His Word to heart, that we might prosper and have life eternal in His kingdom, the heavenly homeland flowing with milk and honey.

On Today’s Gospel

Posted: November 2, 2024 by CatholicJules in Personal Thoughts & Reflections
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I recently struck up a conversation with an unbeliver at a small party in church. After introductions, I started off with saying that if there was no resurrection there is no Christian faith! If the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was not a truth; how is it then that so many men and women would lay down their lives as Martyrs for a lie? Without my faith, death would be terrifying! It is just a dark bleak fullstop!

We are indeed so Blessed! That by grace we have been saved. For we have faith in Christ Jesus who has given us hope that we will have eternal life in Him whom we love and believe in.

All Souls day is an opportunity for us to pray and remember all our loved ones and those whom we hold dear in our hearts; that by our Lord’s grace they have been embraced into heaven. And for those who are now together with the Saints in Heaven we have confidence that they are praying for us and all souls. Amen



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First reading
Job 19:1,23-27a ·


I know that my Redeemer lives

Job said:

Ah, would that these words of mine were written down, inscribed on some monument
with iron chisel and engraving tool, cut into the rock for ever.
This I know: that my Avenger lives, and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.
After my awaking, he will set me close to him, and from my flesh I shall look on God.



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Second reading
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 ·


Death is swallowed up in victory

I will tell you something that has been secret: that we are not all going to die, but that we shall all be changed. This will be instantaneous, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet sounds. It will sound, and the dead will be raised, imperishably, and we shall be changed as well, because our present perishable nature must put on imperishability and this mortal nature must put on immortality.
    When this perishable nature has put on imperishability, and when this mortal nature has put on immortality, then the words of scripture will come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. So let us thank God for giving us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.



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Gospel
John 5:24-29


The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God

Jesus said to the Jews:

I tell you most solemnly,
whoever listens to my words,
and believes in the one who sent me, has eternal life; without being brought to judgement he has passed from death to life.
I tell you most solemnly, the hour will come – in fact it is here already – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear it will live.
For the Father, who is the source of life, has made the Son the source of life; and, because he is the Son of Man, has appointed him supreme judge.
Do not be surprised at this, for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of his voice: those who did good will rise again to life; and those who did evil, to condemnation.