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Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

Reading 1 : Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22

I, John, heard the Lord saying to me:
“To the angel of the Church in Sardis, write this:

“‘The one who has the seven spirits of God
and the seven stars says this: “I know your works,
that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die,
for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent.
If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief,
and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you.
However, you have a few people in Sardis
who have not soiled their garments;
they will walk with me dressed in white,
because they are worthy.“‘

The victor will thus be dressed in white,
and I will never erase his name from the book of life
but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father
and of his angels.

“‘Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”“

“To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write this:

“‘The Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the source of God’s creation, says this:
“I know your works;
I know that you are neither cold nor hot.
I wish you were either cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’
and yet do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich,
and white garments to put on
so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed,
and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise.
Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me.
I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne,
as I myself first won the victory
and sit with my Father on his throne.

“‘Whoever has ears ought to hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5

R. (Rev. 3: 21) I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.

Alleluia : 1 John 4:10b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us, and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings reveal a beautiful message of hope:
Jesus never gives up on anyone. No matter how distant, distracted, or spiritually lukewarm we may become, He continues to seek us and invites us into a life of renewal.
• Christ calls us to wake up spiritually.
• He desires a passionate faith, not a lukewarm one.
• Salvation begins when we open the door of our hearts.
• A genuine encounter with Jesus always leads to transformation.
The message is clear:
Christ is knocking. Open the door, and let Him transform your life.

Reflection for the Day

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” (Revelation 3:20)
These are among the most tender words in all of Scripture.
Jesus does not force His way into our lives.
He knocks.
He waits.
He invites.
The Church in Laodicea believed it had everything it needed. It considered itself rich and self-sufficient. Yet Jesus revealed the truth: beneath the appearance of success was spiritual poverty.
The warning is timeless.
It is possible to appear successful, active, and comfortable while slowly drifting from God.
Faith can become routine.
Prayer can become mechanical.
Love can grow cold.
Yet Christ never stops calling us back.
His correction comes from love.
His invitation comes from mercy.
The Climb of Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus was wealthy, influential, and successful by worldly standards.
Yet something was missing.
When he heard Jesus was passing by, he did something unexpected:
He climbed a tree.
His desire to see Jesus overcame his pride, reputation, and social standing.
And then something remarkable happened.
Before Zacchaeus ever spoke to Jesus, Jesus called him by name.
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”
This is the Gospel in a single moment.
The Lord sees us before we fully see Him.
The Lord calls us before we fully understand Him.
The Lord seeks us before we seek Him.
Transformation is the Evidence of Encounter
After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus changed.
• He became generous.
• He made restitution.
• He embraced justice.
• He turned away from old ways.
His encounter with Christ was not merely emotional.
It was transformative.
True conversion always changes how we live.
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary embodied this same spirit. Though born into nobility, she used her wealth and influence to serve the poor, care for the sick, and live a life of extraordinary charity.
She understood that the greatest treasure is not earthly wealth but a heart surrendered to Christ.

 Living This Word Today

Today’s readings invite us to:

1. Open the door to Christ
   Allow Jesus access to every area of your life.
2. Reject lukewarm faith
   Choose a relationship with Christ that is active, passionate, and growing.
3. Seek transformation
   Let your encounter with God change how you think, speak, and live.
4. Practice generosity
   Follow the example of Zacchaeus and Saint Elizabeth by using your blessings to serve others.
   Let today be a day of renewed zeal, sincere conversion, and joyful generosity.

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus,
You stand at the door and knock.
Open my ears to hear Your voice and my heart to welcome Your presence.
Awaken me from spiritual complacency and renew within me the joy of following You.
Like Zacchaeus, help me seek You with sincerity and respond to Your call with courage.
Like Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, teach me to serve generously, love generously, and give generously.
Transform my heart so completely that others may see Your love shining through my life.
For You came to seek and save what was lost, and today I entrust myself completely to You.
Amen.