Friday, October 21, 2016



Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ephesians 4:1-6; Luke 12:54-59)

Old enmities die hard.  Two people who have long had differences that led to bitter words have difficulty burying their resentment.  In today’s gospel Jesus warns the crowds that they must overcome difficulty of this kind in order to be reconciled.

Jesus notes how practical people are.  They can tell that it is going to rain in plenty of time to take the wash from the line.  Unfortunately they limit their good sense to physical matters.  They do not recognize that the moment of salvation has come with Jesus.  Now is the time to show mercy so that they might receive the boundless graces of his death and resurrection.

We have the same crisis today.  Jesus is exhorting us to act because there is no time to wait.  We must seek reconciliation with those from whom we have been alienated.  Doing so, we will experience the peace of God’s kingdom.