"That They May Repent"

For John, BLUF:  .  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

From this weekend our First Reading is from the Book of Wisdom (WIS 11:22-12:2)

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

I like this reading from the Book of Wisdom, where the writer points out that God loves all things and loathes nothing.  It is a reading of hope.  It say that everyone is redeemable.♠  It is a passage that gives me hope.

The rest of the readings follow along, including the Psalm (PS 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14), the Second Reading, from The Second Letter to the Thessalonians (2 THES 1:11-2:2) and the Gospel (LK 19:1-10), about the tax collector, Zacchaeus.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Notwithstanding those who suggest a quarter of the voters are unredeemable.