God calls Christians to a lifelong journey of conversion,

moving away from self-centeredness and turning toward God and love for others.

 

It is a continuous decision to trust Jesus Christ, follow Him as disciples,

and align one's life with God's grace.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1

It says that

Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by the free woman, his wife.

The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way;

but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of God's promise.

Here we have an allegory and the figures of two Covenants.

The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot.

 

But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free. And Scripture says of her: Rejoice,

barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth,

for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.

Brethren, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Christ freed us, to make us really free. So remain firm, and do not submit, again, to the yoke of slavery.

 

Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5а, 6-7

Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Luke 11:29-32

As the crowd increased, Jesus spoke the following words: "People of the present time are troubled people.

They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah.

As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation.

The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them,

for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon.

The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them,

for Jonah's preaching made them turn from their sins, and here, there is greater than Jonah."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Troubled people.

We hear of so many atrocities and problems around us.

From natural calamities to human-caused issues, these are happening every day.

It is more disheartening that most of the effects of these atrocities impact the innocent.

We may describe ourselves as "troubled people," as in the words of Jesus in our Gospel today.

 

Hence, more than ever, we are compelled to hear and to act more and more according to the sign being revealed to us.

Jesus Christ, the greatest sign, greater than Jonah and the complete manifestation of the Father,

has called us to a life of conversion. It is a life where we repent for what we have done wrong

and what we have failed to do, and we are called to move forward and do better.