November 13, 2026
Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin
Readings for Today
Readings for Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
“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.
Saint of the Day – Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin
Novena to Christ the King
Traditionally Nine Days Prior to the Solemnity of Christ the King
Novena prayed daily from November 13–21, 2026
Scripture Meditations for Ordinary Time
