Reflection for November 14 Friday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time: Luke 17:26-37

Gospel: Luke 17:26-37

Jesus said to his disciples: “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, someone who is on the housetop and whose belongings are in the house must not go down to get them, and likewise one 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.

+ + + + + + +

Reflection:

Why does the Church perpetually call us to leave behind our sinfulness? From the beginning of time, the Church has never ceased to remind us to live a life worthy in the eyes of the Lord. But why does she make this call?

It is because the Church, like a loving mother, wants to prepare us for the coming Judgment Day — a day we do not know when it will arrive. Therefore, the sooner we respond to this call for repentance, the better it will be for us, for genuine conversion will save us from unspeakable punishment and lead us toward eternal peace.

During the time of Noah and Lot, people were so absorbed in worldly pleasures and immoral pursuits that they ignored God’s warnings. Without any sign or warning, catastrophe struck. Why did it happen? It happened because they were consumed by their desires — their lust, their greed, and their love for sin.

Sadly, we often fail to learn from these lessons of the past. Even today, many of us still allow sin to dominate our hearts and decisions. We continue to harbor the presence of evil in our midst, often without realizing how it weakens our relationship with God.

We ought to stop these sinful ways while we still have time. Sin will never bring us true happiness; it only leads to restlessness, confusion, and despair. The more we give in to sin, the more our lives lose peace and direction. But if we turn back to God, His mercy will embrace us, and His grace will renew our hearts.

So today, let us reflect deeply: Are we still clinging to the things that separate us from God, or are we ready to let go and allow His transforming love to change us completely? — Marino J. Dasmarinas