Suy Niệm Tin Mừng thứ SáuTuần 32
Thường Niên
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Đức Chúa Giêsu nhắc lại cho chúng ta những hình ảnh trong thời Cựu Ước như hình ảnh của ông Noah và trận đại Hồng Thuỷ và hình ảnh ông Lot với trận mưa Lưu Huỳnh và lửa từ trời đã thiêu hủy cả thành Sodom để nhắc nhở chúng ta rằng, trong ngày phán xét, những người đã sống và giữ Lời Chúa sẽ được cứu thoát, còn những người chỉ biết hiến thân, nô lệ cho tiền tài vật chất thế gian và quên đi Thiên Chúa thì sẽ phải đối mặt với những bản án nặng nề như trên.
Chúa Giêsu muốn cảnh báo chúng ta rằng, nếu chúng ta không chịu chuẩn bị trước trong cuộc sống ở đời nay, thì khi Chúa gọi chúng ta đến để phán xét một cách đột ngột, chúng ta sẽ không có đủ thời gian để chuẩn bị. Vì vậy, chúng ta nên sống một cuộc sống theo như Lời giáo huấn của Chúa và Hội Thánh đó là những cách mà chúng ta cần phải làm để chuẩn bị cho ngày trở lại của Con Người lần thứ hai.
Chúng ta hãy thường xuyên suy ngẫm và phản ảnh về cuộc sống của chúng ta, hãy kiểm tra, rà xét những gì mà chúng ta cho là quan trọng nhất, những gì mà có thể sẽ giúp chúng ta chuẩn bị để đối mặt với ngày Chúa phán xét. Chúa Giêsu đã luôn nhắc chúng ta về sự phán xét, không phải để đe dọa chúng ta, nhưng để giúp chúng ta nhận thức được sự thưởng phạt phân minh. Chúng ta hãy thử tưởng tượng rằng, trong khi chúng ta đang đọc bài suy niệm này, Con Người chợt đến bất ngờ, và đến lượt sắp tới của chúng ta, chắc chắn chúng ta không kịp trở tay để sám hối ăn năn và cầu xin Chúa cho sự tha thứ, để tha thứ cho những người khác đang mắc nợ chúng ta, để chúng ta được hòa giải với con cái, với cha, để nói lên yêu thương với cha mẹ và gia đình, để giúp đỡ người nghèo và những người đang có nhu cầu đê được giúp đỡ.
Phản ảnh theo cách này sẽ nâng cao sự nhận thức về cách sử dụng thời gian một cách khôn ngoan để chuẩn bị tốt cho sự phán xét của chúng ta. Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta ân sủng để đối diện với Ngày Phán Xét mà không lo sợ và hối tiếc..
Reflection: Friday
32rd Ordinary Time
Jesus recalls the Old Testament images of Noah and Lot to remind us that, in the time of judgment, those who live according to God’s word will be saved, while those who give themselves to worldly things and forget about God will face the judgment. Jesus warns us that, if we are not prepared for it before it comes; judgment will come so suddenly that we will not have enough time to prepare. So we should live our lives in ways that prepare us for the coming of the Son of Man.
Reflect on your life and consider what you give most importance to, what will most help you to prepare to face the judgment day. Jesus speaks about the judgment in this way, not to frighten us but to help us to be aware. Imagine that, while you are reading this reflection, the Son of Man comes. The suddenness of his coming leaves no time to ask for forgiveness, to forgive others, to be reconciled with your children, to tell your father that you love him, to help the poor and those in need. Reflecting in this way will raise one’s awareness of how to use time wisely to prepare well for judgment.
Lord, grant us the grace to face the Day of Judgment without fear or regret.
Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time 2026
“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.” Luke 17:33–37
In today’s Gospel, Jesus recalls the tragic events of the flood in the time of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the time of Lot. He uses these familiar stories to emphasize the suddenness of divine judgment and the danger of spiritual indifference. In both cases, people were going about their daily lives—eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, and building—completely unaware that judgment was imminent. These actions were not sinful in themselves, but they reveal a preoccupation with worldly affairs and a neglect of the things of God.
Recall that Noah was commanded by God to build an ark in preparation for a great flood. Though the people around him likely mocked and dismissed him, Noah remained steadfast in faith. He obeyed not because he saw the rain, but because he trusted the word of the Lord. His vigilance and obedience amid apparent normalcy was a sign of interior fidelity. When the flood came, Noah and his household were ready, not because they anticipated the timing, but because they lived in right relationship with God.
Likewise, recall that Lot was warned by angels to flee the city of Sodom before its destruction. Though he hesitated, he ultimately obeyed and departed with his family. Sadly, even in this moment of grace, Lot’s wife looked back. Her backward glance symbolized a divided heart still attached to the life she was leaving behind. As a result, she was turned into a pillar of salt (cf. Gen 19:26). Her fate serves as a lasting warning that half-hearted obedience and lingering attachment to sin hinder salvation. It is a warning that should grab our attention.
Jesus evokes these two stories to highlight what will occur “on the day the Son of Man is revealed,” that is, the day of the Second Coming of Christ. It will be sudden and cut through the fabric of everyday life. There will be no time to retrieve possessions or make final preparations. The decisive question at that moment will not be one’s wealth, status, or success, but whether the heart has remained faithful to God.
That is why Jesus warns, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” The one who clings to earthly life as if it were an absolute good—disregarding God and eternal truth—risks losing everything. But the one who willingly dies to self each day, lives in obedience to God’s will, and lets go of attachments for the sake of the Kingdom will gain eternal life.
Christ also makes it clear that judgment will be personal and particular. “Two people in one bed… one will be taken, the other left.” This refers to the final separation of the just from the unjust. Even those who live in closest proximity—spouses, siblings, co-workers—will be judged according to their individual fidelity. Holiness cannot be borrowed from another; it must be lived.
Jesus concludes with a cryptic image: “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.” This saying evokes a scene of finality and death, reminding us that the coming judgment will be unmistakable and universal. Just as vultures naturally gather around a corpse, so too will the final judgment descend upon a world that has grown spiritually lifeless. It is both a warning and a call to spiritual vigilance.
Reflect today on Jesus’ vivid warning about the necessity of living each day with readiness and obedience. Are you diligently preparing for the Lord’s coming and for your particular judgment at the end of time? If so, that thought is not frightening, it is hopeful. Remain obedient to God’s voice even if those around you seem complacent and carefree. Blessed are those whom the Son of Man finds watchful and faithful when He returns in glory.
My Lord and just Judge, I believe and profess that You will return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead and to establish Your everlasting Kingdom in the New Heavens and New Earth. Awaken me, Lord, to the seriousness of that day. Help me to live this life as a preparation for that moment, so that it may be for me a day of rejoicing and not of dread. Jesus, I trust in You.
Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time 20206
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you sent your Son, the Good Shepherd, to seek me out and rescue me from slavery to sin and eternal death. Help me remain vigilant and faithful as I journey toward your Kingdom. Give me the courage to leave behind whatever separates me from you and embrace the paradox of the Cross: losing my life for Christ so that I may gain eternal life with you.
1. The Days of Noah: In today’s Gospel, Jesus turns from answering the Pharisees’ question about the coming (advent) of God’s Kingdom to preparing his disciples for its mysterious fulfillment. He draws two lessons from the Book of Genesis, beginning with the story of Noah. The people living in Noah’s day were absorbed in the ordinary activities of life: eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. There was nothing inherently wrong with these activities. Their problem was that they lived without regard for God, oblivious to their need for repentance and the coming judgment. Noah, by contrast, listened to God’s word, obeyed his commands, and prepared the ark through which he and his family were saved (Genesis 6–7). Jesus warns that the coming of the Son of Man will be similarly unexpected. People will continue with their ordinary activities, unaware that the time of judgment has arrived. His warning applies both to the judgment that would come upon Jerusalem and to the final judgment at the end of time. Like Noah, Jesus’ disciples must remain attentive to God’s word and prepared for the coming of the Lord. They cannot allow the ordinary concerns of daily life to distract them from their ultimate purpose: attaining eternal life.
2. The Days of Lot: Jesus then recalls the destruction of Sodom in the days of Lot. Like Noah’s contemporaries, the people of Sodom were preoccupied with their daily activities: eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. They were oblivious to the impending judgment that would come upon them. On the day Lot and his family escaped from the city, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed its inhabitants (Genesis 19:1-29). Yet even as Lot’s family was being rescued, his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Her backward glance symbolizes an attachment to the sinful life she was leaving behind. Although she had physically departed from Sodom, her heart remained attached to what she had been commanded to abandon. Jesus tells his disciples to remember Lot’s wife because following him requires more than simply leaving behind a sinful way of life; it requires a conversion of heart. We cannot cling to the pleasures, possessions, and attachments that separate us from God while simultaneously seeking the fullness of his Kingdom. As Jesus warns, the day of the Son of Man will reveal where our hearts truly lie. We must be willing to leave behind our former lives and persevere in following Christ without looking back.
3. The Paradox of the Cross: The stories of Noah and Lot teach Jesus’ disciples to remain vigilant, heed God’s word, and persevere in their journey toward salvation. Jesus brings these lessons together in a striking paradox: “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” Those who cling to earthly security, possessions, and sinful pleasures ultimately jeopardize their eternal destiny. By contrast, those who are willing to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus will gain eternal life (Luke 9:23-24). Through Baptism, Christians have died with Christ and risen to new life in him. They have left behind their former way of life and become members of God’s covenant family. Now they must live according to this new identity, persevering in faith and resisting the temptation to return to their former sins. Jesus’ response to the disciples' question about where the judgment will take place is equally striking: “Where the body is, there also the vultures/eagles (aetoi) will gather.” His words may allude to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, since the Roman legions carried the eagle as their military standard. The destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple became a historical manifestation of divine judgment and a prophetic anticipation of the final judgment. Just as the people in Noah’s day and Lot’s day experienced God’s judgment, so too will the coming of the Son of Man bring history to its definitive fulfillment. In the meantime, the Kingdom established through Jesus’ Last Supper, Cross, and Resurrection continues to grow and spread throughout the world. As his disciples, we must remain faithful to the new life we have received, willing to lose everything for the sake of Christ so that we may share in his eternal Kingdom.
Friday of the
Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
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.” Luke 17:26–27
As we enter into the final weeks of the liturgical year, we begin to turn our attention to the final coming of Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the example of Noah and Lot. In both of their stories, people were eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building up, until the very day that the floods came to destroy the earth at the time of Noah and fire rained down from the sky at the time of Lot. Both Noah and Lot were saved, but many others alive at that time met with sudden and unexpected destruction.
First of all, it always remains a possibility that our Lord will indeed come today and that today truly will be the end of the world. Or, it always remains a distinct possibility that your life will come to an end today, suddenly and unexpectedly. If that were to happen, would you be fully ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ? Most people would not, at least not fully ready. Thus, this should be motivation enough to work tirelessly today to be ready now and every moment hereafter.
Friday 32nd in Ordinary Time 2024
1. The Days of Noah and Lot: In the Gospel, Jesus is answering a question from the Pharisees about the coming (advent) of the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees wanted to know when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus answers that the coming of the Kingdom is a mystery and is not something that can be observed. He teaches that the Kingdom is something already mysteriously present but also something that has not yet come in its fullness. Jesus invites his disciples to learn about the coming of the Kingdom from two examples from Genesis. The first example is taken from the story of Noah. The generation of people “in the days of Noah” were absorbed in their everyday lives and were oblivious to their need for repentance. Noah, by contrast, listened to the word of God and saved his family by building and entering the ark. The second example is taken from the story of Lot. Lot and his family left the sinful city of Sodom, but Lot’s wife looked back. She symbolically longed for and returned, so to speak, to the life of sin she left behind.
Qua bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, Đức Chúa Giêsu nhắc lại cho chúng ta những hình ảnh trong thời Cựu Ước như hình ảnh của ông Noah và trận đại Hồng Thuỷ và hình ảnh ông Lot với trận mưa Lưu Huỳnh và lửa từ trời đã thiêu hủy cả thành Sodom để nhắc nhở chúng ta rằng, trong ngày phán xét, những người đã sống và giữ Lời Chúa sẽ được cứu thoát, còn những người chỉ biết hiến thân, nô lệ cho tiền tài vật chất thế gian và quên đi Thiên Chúa thì sẽ phải đối mặt với những bản án nặng nề như trên.
Chúa Giêsu muốn cảnh báo chúng ta rằng, nếu chúng ta không chịu chuẩn bị trước trong cuộc sống ở đời nay, thì khi Chúa gọi chúng ta đến để phán xét một cách đột ngột, chúng ta sẽ không có đủ thời gian để chuẩn bị. Vì vậy, chúng ta nên sống một cuộc sống theo như Lời giáo huấn của Chúa và Hội Thánh đó là những cách mà chúng ta cần phải làm để chuẩn bị cho ngày trở lại của Con Người lần thứ hai.
Chúng ta hãy thường xuyên suy ngẫm và phản ảnh về cuộc sống của chúng ta, hãy kiểm tra, rà xét những gì mà chúng ta cho là quan trọng nhất, những gì mà có thể sẽ giúp chúng ta chuẩn bị để đối mặt với ngày Chúa phán xét. Chúa Giêsu đã luôn nhắc chúng ta về sự phán xét, không phải để đe dọa chúng ta, nhưng để giúp chúng ta nhận thức được sự thưởng phạt phân minh. Chúng ta hãy thử tưởng tượng rằng, trong khi chúng ta đang đọc bài suy niệm này, Con Người chợt đến bất ngờ, và đến lượt sắp tới của chúng ta, chắc chắn chúng ta không kịp trở tay để sám hối ăn năn và cầu xin Chúa cho sự tha thứ, để tha thứ cho những người khác đang mắc nợ chúng ta, để chúng ta được hòa giải với con cái, với cha, để nói lên yêu thương với cha mẹ và gia đình, để giúp đỡ người nghèo và những người đang có nhu cầu đê được giúp đỡ.
Phản ảnh theo cách này sẽ nâng cao sự nhận thức về cách sử dụng thời gian một cách khôn ngoan để chuẩn bị tốt cho sự phán xét của chúng ta. Chúa đã ban cho chúng ta ân sủng để đối diện với Ngày Phán Xét mà không lo sợ và hối tiếc..
Jesus recalls the Old Testament images of Noah and Lot to remind us that, in the time of judgment, those who live according to God’s word will be saved, while those who give themselves to worldly things and forget about God will face the judgment. Jesus warns us that, if we are not prepared for it before it comes; judgment will come so suddenly that we will not have enough time to prepare. So we should live our lives in ways that prepare us for the coming of the Son of Man.
Reflect on your life and consider what you give most importance to, what will most help you to prepare to face the judgment day. Jesus speaks about the judgment in this way, not to frighten us but to help us to be aware. Imagine that, while you are reading this reflection, the Son of Man comes. The suddenness of his coming leaves no time to ask for forgiveness, to forgive others, to be reconciled with your children, to tell your father that you love him, to help the poor and those in need. Reflecting in this way will raise one’s awareness of how to use time wisely to prepare well for judgment.
Lord, grant us the grace to face the Day of Judgment without fear or regret.
“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.” Luke 17:33–37
In today’s Gospel, Jesus recalls the tragic events of the flood in the time of Noah and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the time of Lot. He uses these familiar stories to emphasize the suddenness of divine judgment and the danger of spiritual indifference. In both cases, people were going about their daily lives—eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, and building—completely unaware that judgment was imminent. These actions were not sinful in themselves, but they reveal a preoccupation with worldly affairs and a neglect of the things of God.
Recall that Noah was commanded by God to build an ark in preparation for a great flood. Though the people around him likely mocked and dismissed him, Noah remained steadfast in faith. He obeyed not because he saw the rain, but because he trusted the word of the Lord. His vigilance and obedience amid apparent normalcy was a sign of interior fidelity. When the flood came, Noah and his household were ready, not because they anticipated the timing, but because they lived in right relationship with God.
Likewise, recall that Lot was warned by angels to flee the city of Sodom before its destruction. Though he hesitated, he ultimately obeyed and departed with his family. Sadly, even in this moment of grace, Lot’s wife looked back. Her backward glance symbolized a divided heart still attached to the life she was leaving behind. As a result, she was turned into a pillar of salt (cf. Gen 19:26). Her fate serves as a lasting warning that half-hearted obedience and lingering attachment to sin hinder salvation. It is a warning that should grab our attention.
Jesus evokes these two stories to highlight what will occur “on the day the Son of Man is revealed,” that is, the day of the Second Coming of Christ. It will be sudden and cut through the fabric of everyday life. There will be no time to retrieve possessions or make final preparations. The decisive question at that moment will not be one’s wealth, status, or success, but whether the heart has remained faithful to God.
That is why Jesus warns, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” The one who clings to earthly life as if it were an absolute good—disregarding God and eternal truth—risks losing everything. But the one who willingly dies to self each day, lives in obedience to God’s will, and lets go of attachments for the sake of the Kingdom will gain eternal life.
Christ also makes it clear that judgment will be personal and particular. “Two people in one bed… one will be taken, the other left.” This refers to the final separation of the just from the unjust. Even those who live in closest proximity—spouses, siblings, co-workers—will be judged according to their individual fidelity. Holiness cannot be borrowed from another; it must be lived.
Jesus concludes with a cryptic image: “Where the body is, there also the vultures will gather.” This saying evokes a scene of finality and death, reminding us that the coming judgment will be unmistakable and universal. Just as vultures naturally gather around a corpse, so too will the final judgment descend upon a world that has grown spiritually lifeless. It is both a warning and a call to spiritual vigilance.
Reflect today on Jesus’ vivid warning about the necessity of living each day with readiness and obedience. Are you diligently preparing for the Lord’s coming and for your particular judgment at the end of time? If so, that thought is not frightening, it is hopeful. Remain obedient to God’s voice even if those around you seem complacent and carefree. Blessed are those whom the Son of Man finds watchful and faithful when He returns in glory.
My Lord and just Judge, I believe and profess that You will return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead and to establish Your everlasting Kingdom in the New Heavens and New Earth. Awaken me, Lord, to the seriousness of that day. Help me to live this life as a preparation for that moment, so that it may be for me a day of rejoicing and not of dread. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you sent your Son, the Good Shepherd, to seek me out and rescue me from slavery to sin and eternal death. Help me remain vigilant and faithful as I journey toward your Kingdom. Give me the courage to leave behind whatever separates me from you and embrace the paradox of the Cross: losing my life for Christ so that I may gain eternal life with you.
1. The Days of Noah: In today’s Gospel, Jesus turns from answering the Pharisees’ question about the coming (advent) of God’s Kingdom to preparing his disciples for its mysterious fulfillment. He draws two lessons from the Book of Genesis, beginning with the story of Noah. The people living in Noah’s day were absorbed in the ordinary activities of life: eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. There was nothing inherently wrong with these activities. Their problem was that they lived without regard for God, oblivious to their need for repentance and the coming judgment. Noah, by contrast, listened to God’s word, obeyed his commands, and prepared the ark through which he and his family were saved (Genesis 6–7). Jesus warns that the coming of the Son of Man will be similarly unexpected. People will continue with their ordinary activities, unaware that the time of judgment has arrived. His warning applies both to the judgment that would come upon Jerusalem and to the final judgment at the end of time. Like Noah, Jesus’ disciples must remain attentive to God’s word and prepared for the coming of the Lord. They cannot allow the ordinary concerns of daily life to distract them from their ultimate purpose: attaining eternal life.
2. The Days of Lot: Jesus then recalls the destruction of Sodom in the days of Lot. Like Noah’s contemporaries, the people of Sodom were preoccupied with their daily activities: eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. They were oblivious to the impending judgment that would come upon them. On the day Lot and his family escaped from the city, fire and brimstone rained down from heaven and destroyed its inhabitants (Genesis 19:1-29). Yet even as Lot’s family was being rescued, his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Her backward glance symbolizes an attachment to the sinful life she was leaving behind. Although she had physically departed from Sodom, her heart remained attached to what she had been commanded to abandon. Jesus tells his disciples to remember Lot’s wife because following him requires more than simply leaving behind a sinful way of life; it requires a conversion of heart. We cannot cling to the pleasures, possessions, and attachments that separate us from God while simultaneously seeking the fullness of his Kingdom. As Jesus warns, the day of the Son of Man will reveal where our hearts truly lie. We must be willing to leave behind our former lives and persevere in following Christ without looking back.
3. The Paradox of the Cross: The stories of Noah and Lot teach Jesus’ disciples to remain vigilant, heed God’s word, and persevere in their journey toward salvation. Jesus brings these lessons together in a striking paradox: “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.” Those who cling to earthly security, possessions, and sinful pleasures ultimately jeopardize their eternal destiny. By contrast, those who are willing to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus will gain eternal life (Luke 9:23-24). Through Baptism, Christians have died with Christ and risen to new life in him. They have left behind their former way of life and become members of God’s covenant family. Now they must live according to this new identity, persevering in faith and resisting the temptation to return to their former sins. Jesus’ response to the disciples' question about where the judgment will take place is equally striking: “Where the body is, there also the vultures/eagles (aetoi) will gather.” His words may allude to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, since the Roman legions carried the eagle as their military standard. The destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple became a historical manifestation of divine judgment and a prophetic anticipation of the final judgment. Just as the people in Noah’s day and Lot’s day experienced God’s judgment, so too will the coming of the Son of Man bring history to its definitive fulfillment. In the meantime, the Kingdom established through Jesus’ Last Supper, Cross, and Resurrection continues to grow and spread throughout the world. As his disciples, we must remain faithful to the new life we have received, willing to lose everything for the sake of Christ so that we may share in his eternal Kingdom.
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.” Luke 17:26–27
As we enter into the final weeks of the liturgical year, we begin to turn our attention to the final coming of Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the example of Noah and Lot. In both of their stories, people were eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building up, until the very day that the floods came to destroy the earth at the time of Noah and fire rained down from the sky at the time of Lot. Both Noah and Lot were saved, but many others alive at that time met with sudden and unexpected destruction.
First of all, it always remains a possibility that our Lord will indeed come today and that today truly will be the end of the world. Or, it always remains a distinct possibility that your life will come to an end today, suddenly and unexpectedly. If that were to happen, would you be fully ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ? Most people would not, at least not fully ready. Thus, this should be motivation enough to work tirelessly today to be ready now and every moment hereafter.
1. The Days of Noah and Lot: In the Gospel, Jesus is answering a question from the Pharisees about the coming (advent) of the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees wanted to know when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus answers that the coming of the Kingdom is a mystery and is not something that can be observed. He teaches that the Kingdom is something already mysteriously present but also something that has not yet come in its fullness. Jesus invites his disciples to learn about the coming of the Kingdom from two examples from Genesis. The first example is taken from the story of Noah. The generation of people “in the days of Noah” were absorbed in their everyday lives and were oblivious to their need for repentance. Noah, by contrast, listened to the word of God and saved his family by building and entering the ark. The second example is taken from the story of Lot. Lot and his family left the sinful city of Sodom, but Lot’s wife looked back. She symbolically longed for and returned, so to speak, to the life of sin she left behind.
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