DAILY READINGS & REFLECTION
NOVEMBER 28, 2024
THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
(IN US - THANKSGIVING DAY)
FIRST READING
REVELATION 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9 OR (IN US - SIRACH 50:22-24)
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird; 21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and shall be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpers and minstrels, of flute players and trumpeters, shall be heard in thee no more; and a craftsman of any craft shall be found in thee no more; and the sound of the millstone shall be heard in thee no more; 23 and the light of a lamp shall shine in thee no more; and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall be heard in thee no more; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and all nations were deceived by thy sorcery. 19 1 After this I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 Once more they cried, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”
The Word of the Lord
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
PSALMS 99(100):1-5 OR (IN US - PSALMS 145:2-11 / PSALMS 138:1-5)
Response: Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the lands!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Know that the LORD is God!
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
R. Blessed are they who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
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SECOND READING (IN US)
1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him with all speech and all knowledge -- 6 even as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you -- 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Word of the Lord
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GOSPEL
The Son of man is coming with great glory
LUKE 21:20-28 OR (IN US - LUKE 17:11-19)
20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. 23 Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25 And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
The Gospel of the Lord
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REFLECTION
DAILY QUOTE FROM THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS
The signs have been accomplished, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The signs given in the Gospel and in prophecy and fulfilled in us show the coming of the Lord... We know that the coming is near by the fact that we see the fulfillment of certain signs of that coming that have been accomplished... The signs that Christ told them to look for are listed in the Gospel of Saint Luke: 'Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the nations are fulfilled.' This has happened and no one doubts that it has happened... It is plain that there is no country or place in our time that is not harassed or humbled according to the words 'for fear and expectation of what will come on the whole world.' All the signs that the gospel describes in the earlier verses have mostly been accomplished."
(excerpt from Letter 198)
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Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.