The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, October 29, 2005
Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29
Psalm 94:12-13a, 14-15, 17-18
Luke 14:1, 7-11

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

In today's First Reading we hear St. Paul saying something that we often forget; or if we remember, don't pay much attention to it. It is that God's promises are everlasting. Just because things seem to be going awry doesn't mean God has utterly rejected His people, changed His mind, or gone back on His word.

Paul reminds the Jews that God doesn't change His mind and that the Israelites will always be God's chosen people, the inheritors of the promises made to Abraham. But God being just, He demands that they act in accordance with the law He made so clear.

What is more interesting, Paul said that the conversion of Israel will not happen until the Gentiles are fully converted. It is as if we, the branch grafted onto the vine of Israel must first be fully healthy and strong before the main vine can grow sufficiently and bear its promised fruit.

What a responsibility, to give back to the primordial vine, what they refused and we have been given the opportunity to accept; the sacrificial love of Christ. Then one day both vine and branch will grow and Israel will be reconciled by the mysterious witness of us who really were "called out of Darkness into His own marvelous Light." Pray, let us do our part.

- Donna Raye Nelson, OCDS