The gospel for the memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary religious is taken from Luke 17th chapter 26, 37th verse. 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 brimstones rained from the sky to destroy them all. So it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, someone who is in 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. There will be two women grinding meal together. One will be taken, the other left. They said to him, reply, where, Lord?
He said to them, where the body is, There also the vultures will gather. In this gospel, Jesus is trying to awaken his disciples to what’s coming. A radical transformation. It will be beyond any of their imaginings. So what he’s asking them to do is to pay attention to what’s happening. Be open, listen, look and read the signs.
He uses a strange image at the end. You know that when you see buzzards flying around in the sky, you know that there’s someone or something dead. That’s what he’s saying. Pay attention to what’s going on in the temple and in the church. Because it is something that is dead that needs to be reborn. Foreign Closing PRAYER Father, your intention always is for life, for light, for beauty, for truth, for love.
Help us to see around us when those things are not there. And know that they must change and that you have the will and the desire to change them using us. And as your minister of life and light, bless us in this ministry. And we ask this in Jesus name, amen.