Daily Readings

December 12, 2025

Friday of the Second Week of Advent

 

Reading I

Isaiah 48:17–19

 

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea; your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me.”

 

Responsorial psalm

Psalm 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6

 

Response: He who follows you, Lord, will have the light of life.

 

Blessed indeed is the man

who follows not the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the path with sinners,

nor abides in the company of scorners,

but whose delight is the law of the Lord,

and who ponders his law day and night.

 

Response: He who follows you, Lord, will have the light of life.

 

He is like a tree that is planted

beside the flowing waters,

that yields its fruit in due season,

and whose leaves shall never fade;

and all that he does shall prosper.

 

Response: He who follows you, Lord, will have the light of life.

 

Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they, like winnowed chaff,

shall be driven away by the wind.

For the Lord knows the way of the just,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

 

Response: He who follows you, Lord, will have the light of life.

 

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord will come, go out to meet him! He is the prince of peace.

 

Gospel

Matthew 11:16–19

 

At that time: Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to their playmates, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

 

Reflection

 

Child-like innocence holds spiritual importance; spiritual childishness hinders growth. Jesus advocates child-like faith, distinct from immature behaviours. Childishness in spirituality can make people suit teachings for one’s desire, at the cost of the Truth. This is what we come across in the Gospel Passage: the exposition of the childishness of the people! Two persons, totally committed to the cause of the Kingdom are under the scanner today – John the Baptist and Jesus. Both would have been high on the popularity charts if they had compromised on the Kingdom values! But, both did not budge! They prevented spiritual childishness from overpowering them. We are called to be aware of the ‘subtle and sly’ vice of childishness and seek to be child-like in the Presence of God!

 

Saint Jane Frances de Chantal - Religious (1572-1641)

 

Born on 28 January 1572, Jane was barely eighteen months old when she lost her mother, Marguerite de Berbisey. Educated privately at home, she grew up into a comely woman with a keen sense of judgement and a lively temperament under the influence of her father, Bénigne Frémyot, President of the Burgandy Parliament.

 

Married at 21 to Baron Christophe de Rabutin-Chantal, she was widowed barely seven years later. Piety and austerity marking her lifestyle, Jane worked diligently at educating her three young daughters and a son. When visiting her father at age 32, she encountered Francis de Sales to whose spiritual care she entrusted herself, vowing not to remarry and to always obey him in all things. She deferred her own plans for entering religious life until, in 1607, he disclosed his plans for an institute that’d be a haven for women who would live the virtues exemplified in Mary’s Visitation.

 

On 10 June 1610, having ensured that her children were provided for, Jane, together with two others, accepted the rule of the Order of the Visitation of Our Lady from Father Francis. They pronounced their First Vows a year later. Revising the rule in 1613, the Bishop of Lyons replaced the external works of charity with the “cloister” and in 1618, Paul V made the institute a religious order.

 

When she died on 13 December 1641, there were over eighty convents standing testimony to her zeal for Christian perfection. Jane whose name is the feminine version of John, which in Hebrew means “God has mercy”, encountered great sufferings, chiefly the death of Francis in 1622, the loss of her only son in battle in 1627 and torments of the dark night of the soul.

 

Buried close to her mentor [at Visitation House, Annecy] who called her “the perfect woman”, Jane was beatified in 1751 and canonized in 1767.       

 

Reflection: “In keeping their lives to do God’s will, martyrs of love experience sufferings that are a thousand times greater than the sufferings they would incur if they died a thousand times to bear witness to their faith, charity, and fidelity” (Saint Jane Frances de Chantal).

Daily Readings

December 11, 2025

Thursday of the Second Week of Advent

 

Reading I

Isaiah 41:13–20

 

I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you. Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I make of you a threshing sledge, new, sharp, and having teeth; you shall thresh the mountains and crush them, and you shall make the hills like chaff; you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you shall rejoice in the Lord; in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 145:1 and 9, 10–11, 12–13ab

 

Response: The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

 

I will extol you, my God and king,

and bless your name forever and ever.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

 

Response: The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

 

All your works shall thank you, O Lord,

and all your faithful ones bless you.

They shall speak of the glory

of your reign,

and declare your mighty deeds.

 

Response: The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

 

To make known your might

to the children of men,

and the glorious splendour of your reign.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule endures for all generations.

 

Response: The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

 

Alleluia

See Isaiah 45:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit.

 

Gospel

Matthew 11:11–15

 

At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

 

Reflection

 

The call of every follower of Christ is to possess the zeal that passionately seeks the Kingdom of God. This is not physical force but a determined pursuit. St Ambrose says that our ‘violence to the Lord’ is through humility and virtuous living. Christian life demands a relentless quest for holiness, shunning all sinful attachments. St Francis de Sales speaks of a similar “violence” when filled with deep zeal to conquer Geneva back from the clutches of Protestantism, he says: “We will breach the walls of Geneva with ardent prayers and storm the city with mutual charity!” This then is the zeal – the fire – that we need to carry in our hearts. It is a powerful passion that makes no compromise in the values of the Kingdom and makes it willing to suffer any hardship for the sake of the Lord.

 

Saint Damasus I - Pope Confessor (c.304-384)

 

Saint Damasus was elected Pope on 1 October 366 to succeed Saint Liberius under whom he had served as a deacon. Hailed by Saint Jerome as “an incomparable man”, “a Virgin Doctor of a Virgin Church”, he was equally famed for his personal holiness and learning as for his great zeal for the purity of the faith and his love of the poor.

 

The first to term Rome the ‘Apostolic See’, Damasus emphasized at the Roman Council of 382 that the ecclesiastical supremacy of Rome was based not on the decree of any council but on the words of Christ himself. Saint Jerome attended the synod and stayed on as confidential secretary and friend to Damasus who, in turn, encouraged him in his biblical studies, commissioning him to prepare the Vulgate version of the Bible.

 

Also the first Pope to send an apostolic vicar to Eastern Illyricum (Greece) to counter the jurisdictional claims of the patriarchate of Constantinople, Damasus duly enforced the imperial edict that prohibited Roman clergy from soliciting legacies and gifts from widows and orphans and another that confirmed the Pope’s right to decide on all matters ecclesiastical.

 

His reverence for the Martyrs led him to discover, restore and redecorate their tombs and the catacombs. We owe much of our knowledge about the early Martyrs to the numerous marble inscriptions composed by him and which are still extant. Damasus, who is also called the Father of the Roman Mass whose ancient liturgy he revised and shortened and who introduced the use of Latin, died on 11 December 384.

 

Reflection: “The reading of the Holy Scripture is the life of the soul, according to the words of our Lord: “The words which I have said are spirit and life”” (Saint Ambrose).

Daily Readings

December 10, 2025

Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent

 

Reading 1

Isaiah 40:25–31

 

To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 103:1–2, 3–4, 8 and 10

 

Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all within me, his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and never forget all his benefits.

 

Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

 

It is the Lord who forgives all your sins,

who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

who crowns you with mercy and compassion.

 

Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.

He does not treat us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our faults.

 

Response: Bless the Lord, O my soul.

 

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Behold, the Lord comes to save his people; blessed are those prepared to meet him.

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew 11:28–30

 

At that time: Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 

Reflection

 

Our Blessed Lord beckons us to “cast all our worries and burdens” onto Him. Jesus came into the world, primarily as a Saviour! The meaning of the name “Jesus” Itself is that GOD SAVES! As a Beloved Lover, He constantly tugs the strings of our hearts and beckons us to Himself – wanting us to experience His Saving Love! The Greek word for weary is “kopiao” which means to toil and become weary to the point of exhaustion! Many of us, very often, reach the point of exhaustion and fatigue from our everyday works and in our striving for salvation. Pride denies spiritual insight, while anxiety steals peace. The Lord, today, calls all of us to experience His Resting Presence! Experiencing His Resting Presence” also means “to learn from Him.

 

Saint Miltiades - Pope Martyr

 

Also known variously as Meltiades and Melchiades, this saint was the 32nd Pope, having succeeded to the See of Peter some two years after the death of Saint Eusebius on 17 September 309. It was during his reign (311-314) that there occurred the great battle at the Milvian Bridge in Rome, from which Constantine emerged as sole Emperor of the West. This was followed (in 313) by his famous Edict of Milan, declaring tolerance towards the Christian religion, cessation of all persecution and restoration of Church property, even giving his own palace at the Lateran to the Pope as his official residence, which position continued until 1313.

 

The poet Lactantius, a convert, wrote at that time: “We should give thanks to the Lord who has destroyed the wild beast who drove the flock from its pasture. Where is now the swarming multitude of our enemies, where are the hangmen of Diocletian and Maximian? God has swept them from the earth. Let us therefore observe the Lord’s victory with songs of praise and let us honour him with prayers day and night, so that the peace which has been granted us after ten years of distress may be preserved to us!”

 

Saint Miltiades died a natural death, but was included among the Church’s Martyrs on account of the great sufferings he had undergone in the Maximian persecution. His body was buried in the Cemetery of Saint Callistus, but the exact location of his tomb remains unknown.

 

Reflection: “Amen, amen I say to you, that you will lament and weep but the world will rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful but your sorrow will be turned into joy” (John 16:20).

Daily Readings

December 9, 2025

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

 

Reading 1

Isaiah 40:1–11

 

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand for ever. Go on up to a high mountain, O Sion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 96:1–2, 3 and 10ac, 11–12a, 12b–13

 

Response: The Lord our God comes with might.

 

O sing a new song to the Lord;

sing to the Lord, all the earth.

O sing to the Lord; bless his name.

Proclaim his salvation day by day.

 

Response: The Lord our God comes with might.

 

Tell among the nations his glory,

and his wonders among all the peoples.

Say to the nations, “The Lord is king.”

He will judge the peoples in fairness.

 

Response: The Lord our God comes with might.

 

Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad;

let the sea and all within it thunder praise.

Let the land and all it bears rejoice.

 

Response: The Lord our God comes with might.

 

Then all the trees of the wood shout for joy

at the presence of the Lord, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice;

he will govern the peoples with his truth.

 

Response: The Lord our God comes with might.

 

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The day of the Lord is near; behold, he comes to save us.

 

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew 18:12–14

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

 

Reflection

 

We are invited today by the Lord to re-discover a “bypassed” dimension of our lives: “Going out of the way!” Jesus, speaking of this worthwhile quality, presents the image of a shepherd who goes “out of the way”, in search of the lost sheep. The shepherd loves all his hundred sheep; yet, when one gets strayed, he makes “an out-of-the-way effort” to get the lost one back. This attitude of going “out of the way” – of taking an extra pain, of dripping an extra sweat – would seem weird to our calculative, pragmatic and business-minded head! The Good Shepherd, however, puts in extra effort and invites us to be partners in restoring the lost ones.

 

Saint Peter Fourier - Confessor

 

Born on 30 November 1565 at Lorraine, France and educated at the Jesuit University at Pont-à-Mousson, Peter Fourier became a Canon Regular of Saint Augustine in 1585; ordained priest in 1589, he obtained his doctorate in Patristic Theology in 1595.

 

Ministering with zeal in the little town of Mattaincourt, the most poor, corrupt and threatened by Calvinism, Peter by his personal example of mortification and austerity, loving instruction and fervent prayer brought about its complete spiritual reform. He organized the Guild of Saint Sebastian for men, the Rosary Society for women, the Immaculate Conception Society for young girls, a series of dialogues on Christian virtues, to be publicly recited by children on Sundays and, for the benefit of the poor of the parish, a mutual help bank and a voluntary court of arbitration for the friendly and just settlement of disputes.

 

In 1597, with the cooperation of Blessed Alix Le Clerc he founded a religious society for women specifically devoted to the education of poor girls, firmly convinced that an uneducated girl was more of a threat to society than an uneducated boy. With papal recognition in 1616 as Canonesses Regular of Saint Augustine of the Congregation of Notre Dame, their numbers grew so rapidly that at the outbreak of the French Revolution there were already 4,000 Sisters.

 

In 1621, at the request of the Bishop of Toul, Peter undertook the reform of the Augustinian Canons Regular, which eventually resulted in the reestablishment of the Canons Regular of Lorraine as the Congregation of Our Saviour (1629) whose Superior General he was elected in 1632. Remarkably, in the space of six months, he brought all the Protestants—“Poor Strangers” as he termed them—back into the Church.

 

He died on 9 December 1640, was beatified in 1730 and canonized in 1897.

 

Reflection: “Live in the world as if God and your soul only were in it; so shall your heart be never made captive by any earthly thing” (Saint John of the Cross).

 

Daily Readings

December 8, 2025

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Reading 1

Genesis 3:9–15, 20

 

[After Adam had eaten of the tree,] The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4

 

Response: O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.

 

O sing a new song to the Lord,

for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

have brought salvation.

 

Response: O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.

 

The Lord has made known his salvation,

has shown his deliverance to the nations.

He has remembered his merciful love

and his truth for the house of Israel. 

 

Response: O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.

 

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth

break forth into joyous song,

and sing out your praise.

 

Response: O sing a new song to the Lord, for he has worked wonders.

 

Reading 2

Ephesians 1:3–6, 11–12

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

 

Alleluia

See Luke 1:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Luke 1:26–38

 

At that time: The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

 

Reflection

 

Today, we celebrate the Solemn Feast of the beginning of the faithful life of Mary, the most beautiful creation of God. Sin is part of every human life. We are incapable of freeing ourselves from sin by our own merits or power. Therefore, everyone needs a Saviour. But God, in His infinite wisdom, conceived the most excellent way of redemption – the salvation of humanity was to be achieved by a Human Himself – the most perfect Human. This perfect Human required the most sinless of all wombs to be born. Thus, God in His perfect providence, applied the Grace of Redemption to the one He had chosen – Mary of Nazareth. Therefore, Mary is the first recipient of the Redemption of Christ! This is the story of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. Today, our Blessed Mother invites us to choose God always and lead a sinless life. Let us give heed to Her loving call – be fervent to lead an immaculate life – as we pray, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace…!”

 

The Immaculate Conception

 

“Although in the most pure womb of Mary there was but one grain of corn which was Jesus Christ, yet it is called a heap of wheat, because all the elect were virtually contained in it,” says Saint Ambrose. In the light of age-old tradition, it is significant to note Mary’s own assertion, “I am the Immaculate Conception” to Saint Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes (1858).

 

Thologians of medieval times argued that since “all men have sinned in Adam” (Rom 5:12), the concept of the Immaculate Conception detracted from the belief that Christ was universal Saviour. Conceding only that she was sanctified in the womb, they averred that if Mary was untouched by the stain of original sin even for an instant, she obviously did not need the redeemer—an assumption that clearly violates the premise that the Lord actually came to save entire humanity. Franciscan theologian John Duns Scotus from Oxford counters: “Mary more than anyone else would have contracted original sin . . . . if the grace of the Mediator had not prevented this. Just as others needed Christ so that the sin already contracted should be remitted for them through his merit, so Mary had even greater need of a prevenient Mediator lest there be sin to be contracted and lest she contract it” [3.1, Per illud patet” (Vives 14:171); cf. C. Balic, I.D. Scoti theologiae marianae elementa (Sibenik 1933)35]. Thus, the feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the dawn of the New Covenant and the gracious preparation of God’s people to receive their Saviour and Lord.

 

Reflection: “We declare, announce, and define that the doctrine which states that the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved, in the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of God Omnipotent and because of the merits of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the human race, free from all stain of original sin, is revealed by God and must be believed firmly and with constancy by all the faithful” (Pope Pius IX: Ineffabilis Deus: 8 December 1854).

Daily Readings

December 7, 2025

Second Sunday of Advent

 

Reading 1

Isaiah 11:1–10

 

On that day, there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples – of him shall the nations enquire, and his resting-place shall be glorious.

 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

 

Psalm 72:1–2, 7–8, 12–13, 17

 

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

 

O God, give your judgment to the king,

to a king’s son your justice,

that he may judge your people in justice,

and your poor in right judgment. 

 

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

 

In his days shall justice flourish,

and great peace till the moon is no more.

He shall rule from sea to sea,

from the River to the bounds of the earth. 

 

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

 

For he shall save the needy when they cry,

the poor, and those who are helpless.

He will have pity on the weak and the needy,

and save the lives of the needy. 

 

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

 

May his name endure forever,

his name continue like the sun.

Every tribe shall be blest in him,

all nations shall call him blessed. 

 

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

 

Reading 2

Romans 15:4-9

 

Brethren: Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised  to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.  As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”

 

ALLELUIA

(Lk 3:4,6)

 

Alleluia. Alleluia.

 

 Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight: all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew 3:1–12

 

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’, for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptise you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

 

Reflection

 

Life often steers us away from vital priorities. The people of Israel missed Divine promises – failing to recognize Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and John the Baptist as the new Elijah. They assumed salvation through their heritage, disregarding the prophets’ teachings of repentance. Very often, we too falter: rejecting God’s Word, denying God’s Promises and ignoring God’s Salvation offered through the Sacraments. As we traverse through Advent, let’s not forget: Christ is to be the focal point of the Festive Season! Even amid external celebrations and commercialization, let us dare not “miss Christ!” We are called to return, repent, and realign with God’s ways to usher in the Messianic promises of peace and harmony. Let us prepare our hearts to receive His Word as He wishes, and seek to live in total accordance with His Holy Will!

 

Saint Ambrose - Bishop Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

 

Ambrose was the son of an aristocratic Roman Christian who was Prefect of Gallia which then included Gaul, Britain and Spain. At the father’s death, the family returned to Rome and after a thorough education, young Ambrose studied law, his extraordinary ability at which attracted the attention of the Emperor.

 

Appointed governor of northern Italy at 33, Ambrose soon endeared himself to the citizens of Milan by his gentle and just administration. When Bishop Auxentius, the Arian fanatic, died a tumult arose between his followers and the Orthodox Christians over the election of a successor; Ambrose prevailed upon all to preserve moderation and order when, suddenly, the cry of a child “Ambrose Bishop!” was taken up by the people. Despite his own protestations, Ambrose, though only a catechumen, was acclaimed the new Bishop! Soon after baptism, he was ordained priest and, on 7 December 374, consecrated Bishop of Milan.

 

Giving away all his property to the poor and his lands to the Church, Ambrose plunged into the study of the Scriptures and the Church Fathers. Having to learn and teach simultaneously, he soon became famed for his eminently bold sermons. As Saint Augustine, his illustrious convert, puts it, he spoke “well, judiciously, to the point and with power of expression”. It was his custom to baptize personally the thousands who sought the sacrament. Living ascetically, he ate rather sparingly.

 

Saint Ambrose, who died on 4 April 397, astutely defined the position of the Church vis-à-vis its authority to teach morals and govern itself and its need to look to the State for protection.

 

Reflection: “Divine blessings are not granted to those who sleep, but to those who keep the watch!” (Saint Ambrose)

Daily Readings

December 6, 2025

Saturday of the First Week of Advent

 

Reading 1

Isaiah 30:19–21, 23–26

 

Thus says the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel: For a people shall dwell in Sion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it”, when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 147:1–2, 3–4, 5–6

 

Response: Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

 

How good to sing psalms to our God;

how pleasant to chant fitting praise!

The Lord builds up Jerusalem

and brings back Israel’s exiles.

 

Response: Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

 

He heals the broken-hearted;

he binds up all their wounds.

He counts out the number of the stars;

he calls each one by its name.

 

Response: Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

 

Our Lord is great and almighty;

his wisdom can never be measured.

The Lord lifts up the lowly;

he casts down the wicked to the ground.

 

Response: Blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.

 

Alleluia

Isaiah 33:22

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6–8

 

At that time: Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.”

 

Reflection

 

Despite the popularity of His ministry, Jesus, moved by compassion, empathises with the harassed crowds. We are reminded that “challenges are what makes life interesting, and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful!” Though challenges were raging hard, Jesus remained courageous. He sends out the Twelve on a mission – to be the extension of His Self, His teachings and His works. They are commissioned into the art of mission with three important principles: focused preaching, balanced resilience, and unwavering trust. Each of us, by our discipleship of Christ, is a missionary. Though we may experience “the bread of adversity and the water of affliction,” we are called to remain faithful to the Master. Are we dedicated solely to His Kingdom, resilient against life’s pressures, and steadfast in trust amidst trials?

 

Saint Nicholas of Bari - Bishop Confessor

 

Nicholas of Bari (Italy) was Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor for some time during the first half of the 4th century. Legend has it that on returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he came to Myra and early the next morning went to church. The local Bishop having just recently died, the clergy who had secretly agreed that the first person to enter the church that morning would be the new incumbent, consecrated Nicholas bishop. He suffered imprisonment during the Diocletian persecution, but was freed by the Edict of Constantine and is known to have attended the great Nicaean Council I (c.325), which condemned the Arian heresy.

 

The principal miracle-legends that highlight Nicholas’ reputation for generosity and kindness speak of his liberation of three unjustly condemned officers; his secret provision of dowries for three daughters of an impoverished nobleman—he threw gold-filled purses in through the window during the night, thus making him the “bringer”; and his deliverance of three innocent youths condemned to death.

 

After his death, the Myra Christians honoured his memory by leaving surprise gifts for their children by their bedside during the night before his anniversary. This tradition gradually led to the legend of “Saint Nicholas” which in popular parlance became corrupted to “Santa Claus”!

 

His relics were allegedly stolen from his Church in Myra in 1087 by some Italian sailors and merchants, and brought to Bari, Southern Italy, where they are now enshrined and venerated in the church of Saint Nicola.

 

Reflection: “Whoever welcomes this child in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, also welcomes the one who sent me” (Luke 9:48).

Daily Readings

December 5, 2025

Friday of the First Week of Advent

 

Reading 1

Isaiah 29:17–24

 

Thus says the Lord God: Is it not yet a very little while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest? In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off, who by a word make a man out to be an offender, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and with an empty plea turn aside him who is in the right. Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale. For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. And those who go astray in spirit will come to understanding, and those who murmur will accept instruction.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13–14 

 

Response : The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

whom should I dread? 

 

Response : The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,

only this do I seek:

to live in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord,

to inquire at his temple. 

 

Response : The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong;

be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!

 

Response : The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew 9:27–31

 

At that time: As Jesus passed on, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

 

Reflection

 

In life’s darkness, some succumb, some despair. The Gospel of the day unveils two blind men, resilient amidst shadows. Seeking hope amid dependence, they pursue Jesus, the Light, shunning despair. These two blind men take us through four stages of spiritual life: 1) A state of blindness, 2) A state of seeking, 3) The state of faith, 4) The stage of proclamation. Maybe many of us are in a state of blindness – of inferiority complex, of inner brokenness, of family crisis, of being rejected and not accepted etc. Our state of blindness should not become a hindrance to seeking the Lord. Our seeking the Lord needs to be supplemented greatly with the vitamin of Faith! Let our blindness fuel our quest for divine revelation amidst life’s shadows!

 

Saint Sabas - Abbot Confessor

 

Born in 439, Saint Sabas was a young nobleman of Cappadocia, Turkey, who travelled to Jerusalem and after spending some years in the desert, settled down to an austere life under the guidance of Saint Euthemius. Near the brook Cedron he later established the great Laura Mar Saba, which still flourishes. Here, the monks lived in separate cells, somewhat like the Carthusians today. Six other houses also owe their foundation to his zeal.

 

In 491 Sabas was ordained priest and three years later made archimandrate of all the hermit colonies in Palestine. By setting an example of scrupulous observance of the rule, he was able to bring about much needed reform in their discipline. He was also famous for his charity towards the poor. A valiant champion of orthodoxy, he twice travelled to Constantinople to influence the Emperor against the Monophysite, Nestorian and Origenist heresies, and as an old man of 90 interceded with Justinian on behalf of the Samaritan rebels and obtained their pardon.

 

Saint Sabas died on 5 December 532, revered as one of the founders of Eastern monasticism. His relics, stolen by the Venetians, are still venerated in Saint Mark’s Basilica at Venice.

 

 Reflection:  “Brethren, labour the more, that by good works you may make sure of your calling and election” (2 Peter 1:10).

Daily Readings

December 4, 2025

Thursday of the First Week of Advent

 

Reading I

Isaiah 26:1–6

 

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; he sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. For he has humbled the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low, lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 118:1 and 8–9, 19–21, 25–27a

 

Response: Blest is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

 

Give praise to the Lord, for he is good;

his mercy endures forever.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man;

it is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

 

Response; Blest is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

 

Open to me the gates of justice:

I will enter and thank the Lord.

This is the Lord’s own gate,

where the just enter.

I will thank you, for you have answered,

and you are my saviour. 

 

Response; Blest is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

 

O Lord, grant salvation;

O Lord, grant success.

Blest is he who comes

in the name of the Lord.

We bless you from the house of the Lord;

the Lord is God, and has given us light. 

 

Response: Blest is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

 

Alleluia

Isaiah 55:6

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew 7:21, 24–27

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

 

Reflection

 

An essential Gospel truth is echoed today: We are expected to ‘bridge, talk and action’. “Not everyone who calls me Lord... but he who does the Will of My Father.” Our Christian Life is often an experience where we find many professing the faith, but failing to practise! God seeks not lip service but obedience to His Will. Living His Will means embodying Christ’s compassion, selflessness, and obedience. Like Christ, when we empty ourselves, we can do the Father’s Will. Practice, not rhetoric, fulfils God’s purpose for us. It is not pompous words that will grant life, but carrying out the Will of the Father! Let this time of Advent prompt us to genuine introspection and meaningful change where our deeds mirror our beliefs. It is in practice, not just preaching, that true transformation unfolds.

 

Saint John Damascene - Confessor, Father and Doctor of the Church

 

John Damascene was the son of a fervent Christian who, as grand vizier (chief financial officer) in Damascus, the then capital of the Arabian empire, used his great influence and wealth to purchase the liberty of numerous Christian slaves being sold by Arab raiders. In 699 he thus redeemed a devout and erudite Sicilian named Cosmas and entrusted to him the education of his growing son, John. The latter proved to have a brilliant mind, and was, on his father’s death, appointed chief counsellor of the city of Damascus but soon resigned his post on account of the hostility of Caliph Abdul Melek towards the Christian Faith.

 

In c. 730, with Cosmas, John became a monk at Mar Saba near Jerusalem and was ordained priest by Patriarch John V of Jerusalem where he taught, preached and counselled in matters of faith and doctrine. When, in 726, the Byzantine Emperor Leo III promulgated his first decree against the veneration of images, John led the faithful in disregarding the command.

 

Saint John Damascene who was proclaimed doctor of the church by Pope Leo XIII in 1890, is best known for his great oratorial skills and his important theological writings. His famous “Fountain of Wisdom” is an invaluable compilation of ancient Church traditions and the theological opinions of the great ecclesiastical writers up to his time constitute the earliest “Summa Theologica” and have been held in the highest esteem both by the Greek and the Roman Churches.

 

Reflection: “Without assiduous prayer, reasoning is a great dissipation of the mind, and learning often extinguishes the humble interior spirit of prayer, as wind does a candle” (Saint John Damascene).

 

 

Daily Readings

December 3, 2025, Wednesday

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest

 

Reading 1

Jeremiah 1:4–9

 

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth”.

 

OR

1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23

 

 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For enecessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!  For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all,  I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.         To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

 

Responsorial Psalm

 Psalm 71:1–2, 5–6, 8–9, 14–15ab

 

Response: My mouth will tell of your justice.

 

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.

In your justice, rescue me, free me;

incline your ear to me and save me.

 

Response: My mouth will tell of your justice.

 

It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

On you I have leaned from my birth;

from my mother’s womb, you have been my help.

At all times I give you praise. 

 

Response: My mouth will tell of your justice.

 

My mouth is filled with your praise,

with your glory, all the day long.

Do not reject me now that I am old;

when my strength fails do not forsake me.

 

Response: My mouth will tell of your justice.

 

But as for me, I will always hope,

and praise you more and more.

My mouth will tell of your justice,

and all the day long of your salvation.

 

Response: My mouth will tell of your justice.

 

Reading 2

2 Corinthians 4:7–15

 

Brethren: We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke”, we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

 

Acclamation

 

You shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.

 

Gospel

Luke 10:1–16

 

At that time: The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the labourer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

 

Reflection

 

St Francis Xavier, the Patron Saint of Missions, exemplifies unparalleled faith and zeal. His life inspires us to ignite the world with the fire of Faith, Love, and Hope. On this great Feast day, Jesus commissions His disciples, reminding them to preach by their lives. “Preach as you go,” a phrase often overlooked, carries profound meaning. It calls for making every action a proclamation of God’s love and joy. The life of St Francis Xavier is a strong statement that ‘glorifying God is not confined to specific places or situations but extends to wherever we are.’ Let us echo St Francis Xavier’s fervour by glorifying God in our daily lives, fostering deep faith and trust wherever we go.

 

Saint Francis Xavier
Jesuit Missionary to the Orient
(1506-1552)

 

A young Spanish gentleman, in the dangerous days of the Reformation, was making a name for himself as a professor of philosophy at the University of Paris. He was aspiring, apparently, to a high dignity, until Saint Ignatius of Loyola decided to undertake the spiritual conquest of this ardent soul. What does it profit a man to gain the entire world, if he suffers the loss of his soul? Ignatius often repeated to the brilliant teacher. The words of Christ, joined to the example of Ignatius and his disciples, prevailed. It was not long before his gifted friend decided to labor for the glory of God, by adopting the evangelical life of an apostle, to which he was indeed called. He was among the first five members of the Society of Jesus, those who with Ignatius made their religious vows in the church of Montmartre in Paris, on the feast of the Assumption in 1534.

On his way to Rome with the others, handicapped by severe penances he had imposed on himself, he remained in Venice and exercised a brief apostolate by caring for the sick in the city hospital. The others waited for him to regain his ability to walk. These first fervent Jesuits were intending to embark for the Holy Land, but were prevented by a war. In Rome, Francis again went to a hospital to serve the sick; he also visited the prisons to encourage and console the poor inmates, while preparing for ordination with the others, according to the desire of the pope.

Saint Ignatius having remained in Venice, the other five returned there afterwards. Francis was sent by Saint Ignatius to the Orient in 1534, where for twelve years he labored unceasingly to win souls, sleeping only three hours a night, eating very little, and bearing the Gospel to Hindustan, to Malacca, and as far as Japan. At all times thwarted by jealousy, covetousness, and the carelessness of those who should have helped and encouraged him, he did not slacken in his apostolic endeavors despite opposition and the difficulties of every sort which he encountered. The gift of tongues and miracles accompanied him everywhere; he resurrected several dead persons. And his inexhaustible kindness was not the least of his assets in winning thousands of pagans to the Faith. He baptized so many that his arm became virtually disabled, ten thousand in a single month in the kingdom of Trevancor, where in the same space of time he saw to the building of forty-five churches. At Meliapour, site of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas, he found the marble on which the Apostle was sacrificed, and which exuded blood the first time Mass was said upon it. Passing through various islands, cities and provinces of India, he strengthened his first conquests by additional preaching. He planted crosses in the public squares and overcame all obstacles.

From India he went to Japan; Saint Francis is called Apostle of Japan as well as of India. There the pagan priests opposed and calumniated him, and tried without success to outwit him in debates. Humiliated, they used subtle means to instill dislike for him in the minds of the court authorities. But he won the love as well as the respect of those he evangelized, blessing them with such miracles as filling the hitherto sterile sea of Cangoxima with inexhaustible reserves of fish. The vast kingdom of China appealed to his charity, and he was resolved to risk his life to force an entry, when God took him to Himself. It was on December 2, 1552, that the Apostle of the Indies died on Sancian, an island facing the city of Canton in China, like Moses, in sight of the land of promise.

Reflection: Some are specially called to work for souls; but there is no one who cannot help greatly to win their salvation. Holy example, earnest intercession, the offerings of our sacrifices and works on their behalf, are within the reach of all. What is needed is the spirit which animated Saint Francis Xavier — the desire to make some return to God for His bounties, with much confidence in His paternal love.

Source: https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_francis_xavier.html

Daily Readings

December 2, 2025

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

Reading 1

Isaiah 11:1–10

On that day: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples – of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting-place shall be glorious.

Responsirialol pslam

Psalm 72:1–2, 7–8, 12–13, 17

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

O God, give your judgment to the king,

to a king’s son your justice,

that he may judge your people in justice,

and your poor in right judgment.  

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

In his days shall justice flourish,

and great peace till the moon is no more.

He shall rule from sea to sea,

from the River to the bounds of the earth.  

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

For he shall save the needy when they cry,

the poor, and those who are helpless.

He will have pity on the weak and the needy,

and save the lives of the needy.  

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

May his name endure forever,

his name continue like the sun.

Every tribe shall be blest in him,

all nations shall call him blessed. 

Response: In his days shall justice flourish, and great peace forever.

Alleluia

R. Alleluia,

Behold, our Lord shall come with power; he will enlighten the eyes of his servants.

Gospel

Luke 10:21–24

At that hour: Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Reflection

Life unveils treasures – beautiful, precious, and deeply meaningful. Sadly, we often miss out on such pearls of life due to our ignorance or distractions of life. God sought to write a perfect script for humanity. But human beings, by their disobedience and pride, chose to malign this script and failed to recognise the Lord. The disciples were, however, given the special privilege to behold the Messiah! The Messiah is very much present in our world, especially in the Most Holy Eucharist. Do we acknowledge this mighty presence of the Eucharistic Lord? Does the Lord sometimes fail to receive our due honour, attention and time? Amidst life’s trials, the Eucharist stands as our strength and empowers us with courage, joy, and peace. Let’s cherish this treasure, echoing the Divine call, “Blessed are those who see.”

Saint Bibiana, Virgin and Martyr

 The Church of Saint Bibiana in Rome, said to have been dedicated by Pope Saint Simplicius and to have contained her body, has existed since the fifth century.

A Roman native, Bibiana was the daughter of a zealous Christian named Flavian, ex-prefect of the city, and his equally devout wife, Dafros. Apprehended on account of his Christian beliefs Flavian was burned in the face with hot iron and banished to Acquapendente, where he died of his wounds. Dafrosa was on the same account confined to her house for some time before being beheaded. Bibiana and her sister, Demetria, deprived of all they had in the world, spent five months in their own house, fasting and praying.

Summoned by Apronianus, Governor of Rome, during the reign of Julian the Apostate, Demetria boldly confessed her faith before falling dead in the presence of the Governor. Bibiana was ordered to be given over to a crafty woman named Rufina, who undertook to bring her to another way of thinking but to no avail! And while they failed to lure Bibiana away from her faith and chastity, blows were found to be fruitless too.

She was then scourged at the pillar with leaden plummets till she breathed her last. The body of this saint who had undergone torture so cheerfully, was left out in the open to be eaten by scavenging dogs, none of whom however dared touch it. Having thus lain exposed for two days, it was buried at night by a priest named John in the very house where lay the remains of her mother and sister, near the palace of Licinius.

Reflection: “It is certain that whatever happens, takes place by the Divine Will” (Saint Alphonsus de Liguori). 

Daily Readings

December 1, 2025

Monday of the first week of Advent

 

Reading 1

Isaiah 4:2–6

In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honour of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Sion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Sion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Sion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

 

Psalm

Psalm 122:1–2, 3–4ab, 4cd–5, 6–7, 8–9 (R. see 1)

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

Jerusalem is built as a city bonded as one together. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.

 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

For Israel’s witness it is to praise the name of the Lord. There were set the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

For the peace of Jerusalem pray, “May they prosper, those who love you.” May peace abide in your walls, and security be in your towers.

 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

 

For the sake of my family and friends, let me say, “Peace upon you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God, I will seek good things for you.

 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

Alleluia

See Psalm 80:4

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come to save us, Lord our God, let your face shine on us, and we shall be saved.

 

Gospel

Matthew 8:5–11

 

At that time: When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralysed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go’, and he goes, and to another, ‘Come’, and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this’, and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marvelled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Reflection

The Gospel unveils a powerful story of unprecedented faith that even Jesus praises! A Centurion, unusual in his care for a mere slave, exhibits exceptional trust in Christ’s power. His unwavering trust moves Jesus profoundly, receiving unparalleled praise: “In no one in Israel have I found such faith.” This incident challenges us amid life’s trials. When negativity surrounds us, can we trustingly say, “Just a word, Lord... and I’ll be healed?” Praising the Lord is indeed easy; but earning His accolades demands firm faith, love, and hope. Heeding to Prophet Isaiah, we are challenged to make the Lord the “canopy of our life!” Shall we make our Christian faith, worthy of an ovation from the King of kings?

 

Saint Eligius (Eloi) (Bishop, Confessor) (c. 588 -660)

 

Saint Eligius was born of Roman parents in Limoges, a city in central France. A noted goldsmith, he crafted a golden throne, adorned with precious stones, for Clotaire II. Because of his incorruptible honesty, he was made master of the mint at Marseilles, where he also collected alms for the redemption of the poor captives arriving at the great port in a constant stream: Saxons, Bretons, Moors… He edified the court by his life as a layman, following the Irish rule for monks, introduced into Gaul by Saint Columban.

 

Eligius was responsible for the founding of a number of monasteries and convents, the one in Paris sheltering no less than 300 virgins. When Dagobert I died in 639, Eligius left the court, became a priest and the following year was elected Bishop of Noyon by popular acclaim. This diocese, which comprised the region of Flanders, was still inhabited to a great extent by pagans, and it was to the eradication of their superstitious beliefs and practices and their conversion to Christianity that he devoted his every effort throughout the remaining 20 years of his life. He died on 1 December 660.

 

Saint Eligius, who was loved greatly by the people, is still the most popular saint in Flanders and in France. He is revered as the patron of cab drivers and of all who work with metal, especially goldsmiths and blacksmiths.

Daily Readings

November 30, 2025

First Sunday of Advent

 

Reading 1

Isaiah (2:1-5)

 

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

 

RESPONSORIAL PSALM

Psalm 122:1–2, 4–5, 6-7, 8–9

 

Response: We shall go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord. And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

 

Response: We shall go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s witness it is to praise the name of the Lord. There were set the thrones for judgement, the thrones of the house of David.

 

Response: We shall go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

For the peace of Jerusalem pray, “May they prosper, those who love you.” May peace abide in your walls, and security be in your towers.

 

Response: We shall go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

For the sake of my family and friends, let me say, “Peace upon you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God, I will seek good things for you.

 

Reading 2

Romans (13:11-14a)

 

Brethren: Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh.

 

ALLELUIA

Ps 85:8

 

Let us see, O Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation. Alleluia.

 

Gospel

Matthew: 24:37-44

 

At that time Jesus said to his disciples, as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 

Reflection

 

On this First Sunday of Advent, we are invited to respond honestly to two questions: How can we draw maximum spiritual benefit during this season of Advent? How can we experience the joy of Christmas in our lives? We have lived through many seasons of Advent and have celebrated many Christmases. What impact did these celebrations have on our lives? Today’s readings offer us two key phrases that should become the foundation for our Advent journey to Christmas. These phrases are: “Wake up” and “Be alert”.

If we wish to draw spiritual benefit from this season of Advent, then what we need is a strong desire for spiritual reawakening – a complete renewal from within to eliminate sin from our lives. As the Prophet Isaiah exhorts, we need to wake up from the darkness of our lives in order “to walk in the light of the Lord”. We live in darkness when we keep God away from our lives by our sins of pride, selfishness and patterns of bad behavior through indifference and carelessness.

Oftentimes, we pretend that we have no sin and there is nothing wrong with us. It is others – family members, co-workers, and friends – who need renewal. The reality is that all of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God (cf. Rom 3:23). The more we are aware of our sinful limitations, the greater will be our dependence on God for spiritual power. As St Paul advises us, we need to make a conscious and deliberate decision to “throw off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light”. In other words, we have to come out of our spiritual indifference, whereby we lose our sense of sin, if we want to make this season of Advent a life-changing experience.

The spiritual awakening in us is sustained by our continuous effort to “stay alert” to the situations around us, so that we do not fall back into the works of darkness. We need to allow God to mould us and shape us, and thus allow him to teach us his ways. In this way, we guard ourselves against the temptations of the flesh and open our lives to God. Staying alert does not mean we remain passive and detached from action. God wants an active presence of his children in the world – never letting down our guard, never stopping. Look at all that happens around us with the eyes of faith, not with the eyes of the world. If we do, we will see signs of hope around us.

Some of the ways in which we can stay alert to God working within us are spending a little more time in personal prayer, frequently receiving the sacrament of reconciliation, offering generously God’s gift of forgiveness by our willingness to forgive. Besides these, visiting the sick and the lonely, assisting the weak and the needy, and becoming a light for the neighbour can help us prepare to welcome into our hearts Jesus, the God-with-us. When we do this, we prepare ourselves to experience the joy of Christmas throughout the year. As we light the candles of this Advent wreath each week, may the light of Christ become stronger in our lives. May we grow stronger in our commitment to Christ and to his people.

(Source: The Sunday Liturgy)

 

Saint Andrew
Apostle
(† First century)

 

Andrew, like his father John and brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman from the town of Bethsaida in Galilee. Originally he was a disciple of St John. The Baptiser pointing to Jesus had declared: “Look, here is the Lamb of God.” On this testimony, Andrew left John the Baptist and followed Jesus. He then hastened to bring his brother Peter to the newfound Master and Messiah. “He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You are to be called Ce’phas (which is translated Peter) (Jn 1:35-42). Both the brothers followed Jesus intermittently till the final and permanent call, which came by the seashore. “As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting out a net into the sea – for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately they left their nets and followed him” (Mt 4:18-20).

According to the Gospel of St John, again it was Andrew who introduced to Jesus the boy with five barley loaves and two fishes and paved the way for the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6:8-9). Later Andrew, along with Philip, introduced to Jesus the Greeks who wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with Him (Jn 12:20-22). As one of the chosen twelve, Andrew was admitted to the innermost circle of the apostles during the public life of Jesus. Along with the others, he was present at the Last Supper, beheld the Risen Lord, witnessed His Ascension, filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and was privileged wear the martyr’s crown while spreading the message of his Master. According to tradition, Andrew preached the Gospel initially in Turkey and later on in Greece where he is said to have been bound (not nailed) to an X- shaped Cross at Achaia around the year 60 AD under emperor Nero. His relics seem to be preserved in the cathedral of Amalfi, Italy.

Reflection

1) An amazing trait of Andrew was his ability to introduce people to Jesus and its outcome was stunning - Peter became the Prince of the Apostles and the loaves and fish were the starting point for an astounding miracle. When we introduce children or grown-ups to Jesus, these individuals become transformed in the hands of the divine architect and sky is the limit in the process of the actualization of their potentialities.

2) Andrew was the first disciple to follow Jesus. Yet he never claimed any superiority over the latecomers nor did he entertain thoughts of jealousy or animosity towards Simon Peter whom he had recruited, when Christ appointed the latter Head of the Apostolic College.

Quotation

“After Andrew had stayed with Jesus and had learned much from him, he did not keep this treasure to himself, but hastened to share it with his brother” (St Chrisostom).

 

Daily Readings

November 29, 2025

Saturday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Daniel 7:15–27

 

“As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. ‘These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever.’ Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, you sons of men,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, O Israel,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, you priests,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, you servants of the Lord

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, you who are holy and humble in heart,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Alleluia

Luke 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to stand before the Son of Man.

 

Gospel

Luke 21:34–36

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

Reflection

 

Today’s Gospel reminds us to stay spiritually alert in a world full of distractions. Jesus warns against being consumed by worldly pleasures and anxieties and urges us to be watchful. The image of the ‘day closing on us suddenly like a trap’ is a powerful metaphor for the unpredictability of life’s challenges. Trials and obstacles can come suddenly, just like a trap snapping shut. The Gospel reminds us to maintain a state of spiritual readiness. It doesn’t mean living in fear or being paranoid about the future, but rather living with intention and awareness. We are encouraged to stay connected with God through prayer, seeking His guidance, and relying on His strength to navigate life’s challenges. Let us make conscious efforts to live with a daily awareness of God’s presence. Let’s work on enhancing our inner awareness.

 

St Francis Anthony Fasani Priest, Religious

 

St. Francesco (Francis) Antonio Fasani was born as Giovanneillo in Lucera, Italy in 1681, the son of Giuseppe Fasani and Isabella Della Monaca. He entered the Conventual Franciscans in 1695 and took the names of St. Francis and St. Anthony. He spent much of his time studying, and was ordained a priest 10 years after entering the order. He then taught philosophy to younger friars, served as the guardian of his friary, and later became provincial of his order. When his term of office as provincial ended, Francesco became a novice-master, and eventually pastor in his hometown. In all his various ministries, he was loving, devout and penitential. He was a sought-after confessor and preacher. One witness at the canonical hearings regarding Francesco’s holiness testified, "In his preaching he spoke in a familiar way, filled as he was with the love of God and neighbor; fired by the Spirit, he made use of the words and deed of Holy Scripture, stirring his listeners and moving them to do penance." Francesco showed himself a loyal friend of the poor, never hesitating to seek from benefactors what was needed. He was also a mystic, known for his deep prayer life and supernatural gifts, and was known to levitate while praying. The people of Lucera were known to compare him with St. Francis of Assisi, from whom he derived his name. He died in 1742 and was canonized in 1986.

 

Reflection:  “Whoever has little faith has little zeal. One with little faith persuades no one. Those who have faith, instead, have the ideals of God” (Blessed James Alberione).

Daily Readings

November 28,2025

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Daniel 7:2–14

“I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then as I looked its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man, and the mind of a man was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side. It had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh.’ After this I looked, and behold, another, like a leopard, with four wings of a bird on its back. And the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Responsorial Pslam

Daniel 3:75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, mountains and hills,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all things that grow on the earth,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, seas and rivers,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, you springs,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, you whales and all creatures that move in the waters,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all birds of the air,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all beasts and cattle,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Alleluia

Luke 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Gospel

Luke 21:29–33

At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Reflections

Luke 21:29-33 teaches us to pay attention to the signs around us and trust in God’s enduring promises. Just as the budding leaves of a fig tree indicate the approach of summer, there are signs in our lives that indicate God’s unfolding plan. Jesus urges us to stay spiritually prepared, be aware of the world, and engage with our faith actively. Unlike changing seasons, God’s Word and His promises are constant and everlasting. They provide a solid foundation in an uncertain world, reminding us of God’s unchanging love. We have a responsibility to observe both natural and divine signs, seeking to understand and respond to God’s messages. Paying attention to the signs in nature helps us to remember God’s promises. How can we better appreciate nature and let it strengthen our faith in God?

Saint Catherine Labouré, Virgin (1806 - 1876)

“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!” This invocation, which, together with the wearing of the “miraculous medal”, has been responsible for many miracles, is attributed to a series of revelations made by our Blessed Mother to St Catherine Labouré in the year 1830.

The ninth of a family of seventeen children, she received no formal education, yet sustained her desire since an early age to become a religious. In 1830, she entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul at Rue du Bac in Paris, taking the name Catherine. Here her supernatural manifestations began with the visible presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and his apparition as King on Trinity Sunday.

In one of her apparitions, Our Lady explained that the rays emanating from her hands symbolized the graces which she bestowed upon those who asked for them.

Catherine’s method of meditating was touchingly simple: “I place myself before God and say to Him: ‘Here I am, O Lord, give me what you will.’ If he gives me anything, I am very pleased and I give him thanks. But if he gives me nothing, I thank him just the same, for I am not deserving of anything. Then again I tell him all the matters which pass through my mind...... and I listen.”

She was canonized in 1947.

Reflection: “Take your part in suffering as a loyal soldier of Christ” (2 Tim 2:3).

Daily Readings

November 27, 2025

Thursday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading I

Daniel 6:11–27

In those days: Some men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians,which cannot be revoked.”  Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he laboured till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live for ever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions – they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring for ever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, dews and snows,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, nights and days,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, light and darkness,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, ice and cold,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, frosts and snows,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Let the earth bless the Lord;

let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Alleluia

Luke 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Gospel

Luke 21:20–28

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Reflections

In Luke 21:12-19, we hear profound messages that hold great significance. “Do Not Worry” and “Not a hair of your head will perish.” In a world filled with uncertainties and challenges, Jesus reassures us that even in the face of adversity, we need not succumb to worry.  He offers a profound message of comfort, reminding us that God’s providence extends to the minutest details of our lives. “Stand firm, and you will win life.” These words resonate as a call to resilience and unwavering faith. Jesus acknowledges that life may present us with trials and betrayals, even from those close to us. However, He empowers us to stand firm in our convictions and trust. We will not be defeated. His wisdom will guide our actions and decisions.

Saint Virgilius of Salzburg, Bishop Confessor

Saint Virgilius was a scientist far ahead of his time! As abbot of Aghaboe near Dublin, Ireland, he was known as “the Geometer” because of his knowledge of geography. In 743, he left Ireland for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but got no farther than the court of Pepin, the father of Charlemagne. In 745, when Pepin defeated Odilo, Duke of Bavaria, he sent Virgilius to be abbot of the monastery of Sankt Peter and Bishop of the diocese of Salzburg.

Contrary to continental tradition, Irish custom decreed that the bishop be subject to the abbot, who was the real head of the diocese. Virgilius thus had himself consecrated bishop on 15 June 767.

Early on in Salzburg, he had locked horns with St Boniface over the form of baptism, which the pope decided in Virgilius’ favour. His most notable accomplishments were the conversion of the Alpine Slavs and sending missionaries into Hungary and other places where no missionary had yet gone. Returning from a preaching mission to a distant part of his diocese, he fell ill and died on 27 November 784.

The discovery of his grave in 1181, consequent to the destruction of the grand cathedral he had built and dedicated to St Rupert at Salzburg, led to his canonization at the hands of Pope Gregory IX in 1233.

Reflection: “We have not been telling you fairy tales when we explained to you the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. My own eyes have seen his splendour and his glory: I was there on the holy mountain when he shone out with honour given him by God his Father” (2 Peter 1:16-18).

Daily Readings

November 26, 2025

Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Daniel 5:1–6, 13–14, 16–17, 23–28

 

In those days: King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s colour changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold round your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. You have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honoured. Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, sun and moon,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, stars of heaven,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, all rain and dew,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, all winds,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, fire and heat,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer heat,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Alleluia

Revelation 2:10c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Be faithful unto death, says the Lord, and I will give you the crown of life.

 

Gospel

Luke 21:12–19

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

 

Reflection

 

In Luke 21:12-19, we hear profound messages that hold great significance. “Do Not Worry” and “Not a hair of your head will perish.” In a world filled with uncertainties and challenges, Jesus reassures us that even in the face of adversity, we need not succumb to worry.  He offers a profound message of comfort, reminding us that God’s providence extends to the minutest details of our lives. “Stand firm, and you will win life.” These words resonate as a call to resilience and unwavering faith. Jesus acknowledges that life may present us with trials and betrayals, even from those close to us. However, He empowers us to stand firm in our convictions and trust. We will not be defeated. His wisdom will guide our actions and decisions.

 

Blessed James Alberione, Priest Founder

 

Having finished high school at sixteen, frail James, fourth son of a devout peasant family, joined the seminary of Alba. On the midnight of 31 December 1900, the night that divided the two centuries, as he prayed, long and fervently, before the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral of Alba, a special light came from the monstrance and “he felt deeply obliged to prepare himself to do something for the Lord and for the people of the new century.” That “something” translated itself into the apostolate of the “good press” as he termed it, at a time when the Church looked upon the media hostilely in matters associated with the Gospel.

 

Ordained priest in 1907, the Lord willed and guided James to use the media of social communications to spread the Gospel in the spirit of Paul the Apostle. In 1914, he laid the foundation of the Society of St Paul by opening a press training school in Alba. In 1915, he founded the Daughters of St Paul with the same mission. A man of vision, he started the Union of Lay Pauline Co-operators in 1917, giving lay involvement in the Pauline apostolate of the media due importance. Reading the signs of the times, he went on to found seven other Institutes, the ten collectively making up what is called the Pauline Family, the ideal of personal holiness and the mission of giving to the world ‘Jesus Master, the Way, the Truth and the Life’ being its source of unity and animation.

 

He was beatified in 2003.

 

Reflection: “Truly I belong to Jesus Christ with all my powers, everywhere, in all places. Like Peter, I have wept, hoped, prayed and loved; my trust however is greater than all my humiliations” (Blessed James Alberione).

Daily Readings

November 25, 2025

Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Daniel 2:31–45

 

In those days: Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all – you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:57, 58, 59, 60, 61

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, you heavens,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, all waters above the heaven,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Bless the Lord, all powers,

sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Response: Sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

 

Alleluia

Revelation 2:10c

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Be faithful unto death, says the Lord, and I will give you the crown of life.

 

Gospel

Luke 21:5–11

 

At that time: As some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.”

 

Reflection

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us to be cautious about predictions of the future, urging us to focus on living faithfully in the present. He warns against deception by false prophets and emphasizes the unpredictability of the end times. Instead of fixating on the unknown, we are called to remain steadfast in our faith, practise repentance, and find hope in God’s presence, even in turbulent times. This passage encourages us to trust God’s plan, endure life’s challenges, and seek peace and justice while holding on to Christian hope.  It is a powerful reminder that, no matter how difficult things may seem, there is always a glimmer of hope, a ray of light, and a source of strength to guide us through the darkest times. How can I nurture my hope during uncertain times?

 

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin, Martyr (4th cent)

 

Numbered among early women martyrs, Catherine holds a special place among the prophetic saints in the Church because of her role as philosophical defender of the Faith. In Church art, she is depicted wearing a crown, for she was of royal birth; holding a book, for she was extremely learned; and steering a spiked wheel, indicating her martyrdom.

 

Converted by a vision of Our Lady, she boldly protested the persecution of Christians under the Roman emperor Maxentius who, unable to refute the arguments she raised with him directly, had a battery of some fifty eminent philosophers assembled to counter her views. However, their admittance of defeat before her prowess rung the death-knell both for them and for her—they were burned alive while she was put in prison where she succeeded in converting not only the gaolers but also the emperor’s wife, Faustina! Any wonder then why she is considered patroness of philosophers, too! Incidentally, the spiked wheel to which she was fastened mysteriously broke apart, leaving Catherine unscathed, thus emerging as patroness of wheelwrights. Finally beheaded, angels are said to have taken her remains atop Mount Sinai, where they were discovered (c 800).   

 

Reflection:  “Anybody who wants to reach paradise must share in the fruits of the redemption, in the fruits of the cross. Jesus says: “I am the Good Shepherd and I give my life for my sheep.” This is charity. How much love did Jesus have for us? The Gospel says: “Having loved those who were his own in the world, he loved them to the end.” The final sign of his love is that which impelled him to die for us on the cross and to leave himself as food for our souls” (Blessed James Alberione).

Daily Readings

November 24, 2025

Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-L?c, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

Reading 1

Daniel 1:1–6, 8–20

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favour and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors,

and to be praised and highly exalted forever;

and blessed is your glorious, holy name

and to be highly praised and highly exalted forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you in the shrine of your holy glory

and to be extolled and highly glorified forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you, who sits upon cherubim and looks upon the deeps,

and to be praised and highly exalted forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you upon the throne of your Kingdom

and to be extolled and highly exalted forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven

and to be sung and glorified forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Alleluia

Matthew 24:42a, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Stay awake, and be ready, the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Gospel 

Luke 21:1–4

At that time: Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Reflection

The value of an offering is not measured in its quantity but in the sincerity and sacrifice behind it. In Luke 21:1-4, the story of the widow’s total offering touches the deepest cores of the human heart, revealing a profound lesson in selflessness and faith. It was her sacrificial act that Jesus praised the most. The widow’s unwavering faith and willingness to give everything, despite her poverty, shows the essence of true devotion. We have all met people like her in our lives – those with boundless love and generosity. They inspire us to give from our hearts, even when we have very little to give. Our acts of selflessness can make a difference in God’s eyes and in the lives of those we help. Today, let us aim to touch someone in need.

Saint Andrew Dung-lac & companions, Priest, religious & laity, confessors & Martyrs

Vietnam (then three separate kingdoms) received its baptism in the Christian Faith through the Portuguese. The first permanent mission was opened at Da Nang in 1615 by Jesuit missionaries who ministered to Japanese Catholics hunted out of Japan. The French and the Spanish gradually followed.

Severe persecution raged from time to time, all missionaries being banned and the rulers attempting to wipe off every trace of Christianity by way of getting the converts to apostatize by trampling on the crucifix. Between 100,000 to 300,000 were subjected to various kinds of hardship and fatal torture. The last to be so martyred numbered 17 laypersons which included a 9-year-old lad. That very year, i.e., 1862, a treaty with France guaranteed religious freedom to Catholics, though of course it did not stop all persecution. 

Among those martyred between 1820 and 1862 were Andrew Dung-Lac and 116 others. Members of this group were beatified in batches on four different occasions between 1900 and 1951 and were all canonized by Pope John Paul II on 18 June 1988.

Reflection:  “The Church’s altars have not been able to find room in their glory for all those who have given testimony for Christ through the Cross. The Cross is the gate through which God entered definitely into man’s history—and remains in it. The Cross is the gate through which

God ceaselessly enters our lives” (Blessed James Alberione).

Daily Readings

November 24, 2025

Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-L?c, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

Reading 1

Daniel 1:1–6, 8–20

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favour and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

Responsorial Psalm

Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors,

and to be praised and highly exalted forever;

and blessed is your glorious, holy name

and to be highly praised and highly exalted forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you in the shrine of your holy glory

and to be extolled and highly glorified forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you, who sits upon cherubim and looks upon the deeps,

and to be praised and highly exalted forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you upon the throne of your Kingdom

and to be extolled and highly exalted forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven

and to be sung and glorified forever. 

Reponse: You are to be praised and highly exalted forever!

Alleluia

Matthew 24:42a, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Stay awake, and be ready, the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Gospel 

Luke 21:1–4

At that time: Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Reflection

The value of an offering is not measured in its quantity but in the sincerity and sacrifice behind it. In Luke 21:1-4, the story of the widow’s total offering touches the deepest cores of the human heart, revealing a profound lesson in selflessness and faith. It was her sacrificial act that Jesus praised the most. The widow’s unwavering faith and willingness to give everything, despite her poverty, shows the essence of true devotion. We have all met people like her in our lives – those with boundless love and generosity. They inspire us to give from our hearts, even when we have very little to give. Our acts of selflessness can make a difference in God’s eyes and in the lives of those we help. Today, let us aim to touch someone in need.

Saint Andrew Dung-lac & companions, Priest, religious & laity, confessors & Martyrs

Vietnam (then three separate kingdoms) received its baptism in the Christian Faith through the Portuguese. The first permanent mission was opened at Da Nang in 1615 by Jesuit missionaries who ministered to Japanese Catholics hunted out of Japan. The French and the Spanish gradually followed.

Severe persecution raged from time to time, all missionaries being banned and the rulers attempting to wipe off every trace of Christianity by way of getting the converts to apostatize by trampling on the crucifix. Between 100,000 to 300,000 were subjected to various kinds of hardship and fatal torture. The last to be so martyred numbered 17 laypersons which included a 9-year-old lad. That very year, i.e., 1862, a treaty with France guaranteed religious freedom to Catholics, though of course it did not stop all persecution. 

Among those martyred between 1820 and 1862 were Andrew Dung-Lac and 116 others. Members of this group were beatified in batches on four different occasions between 1900 and 1951 and were all canonized by Pope John Paul II on 18 June 1988.

Reflection:  “The Church’s altars have not been able to find room in their glory for all those who have given testimony for Christ through the Cross. The Cross is the gate through which God entered definitely into man’s history—and remains in it. The Cross is the gate through which

God ceaselessly enters our lives” (Blessed James Alberione).

Daily Readings

November 23, 2025

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

 

Reading 1

Samuel 5:1-3

 

In those days all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, "Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel. " So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

 

Responsorial Psalm

PSALM (122)

Response: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

I rejoiced when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.

 

Response: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. For Israel's witness it is to praise the name of the LORD. There were set the thrones for judgement, the thrones of the house of David.

 

Response: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 

Reading 2

colossians 1:12-20

 

Brethren, give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

 

ACCLAMATION

Mk 11:9b, 10a

Alleluia. Alleluia.

 

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Alleluia.  

 

GOSPEL

Luke 23:35-43

 

At that time the rulers scoffed at Jesus, saying, "He savedothers; let him save himself, ifhe is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.

 

Reflection

 

The Liturgical Year that began with the First Sunday of Advent ends triumphantly with the celebration of Christ, the Universal King.

 

During the year, we have had the opportunity to see how the child born in a manger achieved the status of universal kingship. The Solemnity of Christ the King was initiated by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to counteract the unbridled secularism that took over the World at the wake of the 20th century and was meant to show the Sovereignty of Christ over all creation.

 

The Readings of the day express the dialectics involved in the kingship of Christ as the one who fulfils the messianic expectations. On the one hand, the Readings show the validity of Christ's kingship by expressing its divine and human roots, and on the other hand, they hint at the paradoxes involved in this kingship.

 

The First Reading of today gives an account of the choice of David as king. It was a unanimous choice by all the tribes of Israel and David accepted to be king by making a covenant with them. Despite human weakness and failures David emerged as the model king of Israel for his obedience to God. He provided the family line for Jesus the King of the Jews.

 

The 2nd reading from Paul's letter to the Colossians makes plain the oneness of Christ with the Father. It also shows God's graciousness in making the Church, the Body of Christ, sharer in the inheritance of Christ, delivering her from the power of darkness and transferring her into God's wonderful light.

 

The gospel of today presents the paradox of Christ's kingship. The characters in the gospel question Christ's kingship, and not surprisingly! Hanging on the cross, he was anything but a king; clad in a strip of rag rather than a royal garb, surrounded by men who derided him rather than singing his praises. The rulers sneered at him, the soldiers jeered at him, even the sign above his head "this is the king of the Jews" was designed as a mockery! Despite all these, Jesus is King because he has a kingdom, but his kingdom is totally at odds with any display of power. Some people like to dominate others, abuse their power, and manipulate others all of which have no place in Jesus' kingdom.

 

Even one of the criminals crucified with him was disappointed in him, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" Christ did not respond to these words of degradation. He only responded to the one who was ready for his kingdom, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise". Christ stated clearly that his kingdom was not of this world, it was rather our heavenly homeland prepared for those who are found worthy. Remember, Christ came in the flesh to share our human affinity with us, that he may also offer us his divine nature.

 

As the people of Israel sought David's kingship, may we who are the body of Christ cling to our divine heritage with him, in order to be admitted into his heavenly kingdom. This feast is an invitation to all those who have power or authority of any kind to compare their use of power or authority with Jesus. Are they using their power to serve others or to manipulate? Are they using their power for the building up of a more just society or to feather their own nest? Are they using their power in any way that might cause pain to others or in a way that could help to alleviate pain? In the prayer Jesus taught us, we pray, "thy Kingdom come." Jesus has shown how to bring about that Kingdom. We hope that nations and individuals will be humble enough to look at how Jesus used power and brought about the Kingdom of God.

 

(Source: The Sunday Liturgy)

 

Saint Clement I, Pope Martyr, Apostolic Father of the Church

 

Tradition has it that St Clement was a Jewish convert, a disciple of Sts Peter and Paul, and that he is the Clement mentioned in Philippians 4:3, as Paul’s “fellow labourer.” St Irenaeus of Lyons writing toward the end of the 2nd century, said of Clement that “he saw the blessed Apostles and conversed with them. He had their preaching still ringing in his ears.” Clement succeeded St Anacletus as Pope [c 88 to c 100]. Exiled in the Crimea, he became the consolation of some 2,000 fellow Christians before being (according to legend) cast into the sea and drowned.

 

Clement’s writings were universally held in great admiration and were read on Sundays in the churches of both the East and the West. When a violent faction in the Corinthian Church had defied and expelled the clergy, Pope Clement appealed to their charity and sense of discipline to overcome the jealousy which had been the cause of much internal strife. “Observe order, as all creation does! Arrogance is absurd, for man is nothing! Without love nothing is acceptable to God. Christ showed us that nothing is more beautiful than charity, when he gave his own flesh for our flesh and his soul for our souls. Whoever disobeys the words spoken by him through us, involves himself in no light transgression and danger!”This is the earliest known Papal decree, and by its tone of authority already clearly shows the supremacy of Rome.

 

St Clement is named 3rd in the Canon of the Mass, after the Apostles. He is the patron of mariners and stone cutters.

 

Reflection: “We must hasten with all earnestness and readiness of mind, to perfect every good work, labouring with cheerfulness, for even the Creator and Lord of all things rejoices in his own works” (St Clement).

Daily Readings

November 22, 2025

Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

 

Reading 1

1 Maccabees 6:1–13

 

In those days: King Antiochus was going through the upper provinces when he heard that Elymais in Persia was a city famed for its wealth in silver and gold. Its temple was very rich, containing golden shields, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian king who first reigned over the Greeks. So he came and tried to take the city and plunder it, but he could not, because his plan became known to the men of the city and they withstood him in battle. So he fled and in great grief departed from there to return to Babylon. Then someone came to him in Persia and reported that the armies that had gone into the land of Judah had been routed; that Lysias had gone first with a strong force, but was turned back before the Jews; that the Jews had grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils that they had taken from the armies they had cut down; that they had torn down the abomination that he had erected upon the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before and also Beth-zur, his city. When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken. He took to his bed and became sick from grief, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned. He lay there for many days, because deep grief continually gripped him, and he concluded that he was dying. So he called all his friends and said to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes and I am downhearted with worry. I said to myself, ‘To what distress I have come! And into what a great flood I now am plunged! For I was kind and beloved in my power.’ But now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem. I seized all her vessels of silver and gold; and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good reason. I know that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me; and behold, I am perishing of deep grief in a strange land.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 9:2–3, 4 and 6, 16 and 19

 

Response: I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

 

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;

all your wonders I will confess.

I will rejoice in you and be glad,

and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.

 

Response: I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

 

See how my enemies turn back,

how they stumble and perish before you.

You have rebuked the nations, destroyed the wicked;

you have wiped out their name forever and ever.

 

Response: I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

 

The nations have fallen in the pit which they made;

their feet have been caught in the snare they laid.

for the needy shall not always be forgotten,

nor the hopes of the poor ever perish.

 

Response: I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.

 

Alleluia

See 2 Timothy 1:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Our Saviour Christ Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

 

Gospel

Luke 20:27–40

 

At that time: There came to Jesus some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. And the second and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. Afterwards the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

 

Reflection

 

In today’s Gospel Reading, the Sadducees pose a tricky and bizarre question about marriage and the afterlife. Jesus, however, lifts their perspective to a cosmic vision, emphasizing that in the heavenly realm, there is no marriage, and all are children of God. Jesus reminds us that we are part of a divine cosmos that transcends earthly limitations, and in the resurrection, we share in the eternal Now of God, breaking free from human tangles. Instead of trying to be clever, we are called to aim for the kind of wisdom that Jesus values – simplicity and understanding God’s ways. In God’s eyes, every person has dignity and God loves us all perfectly as His own. Let us open our hearts to Jesus and his vision of God’s amazing plans for us.

 

Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

 

From an early age, Cecilia had determined to remain single for the love of God; on her wedding day, with the music of the marriage-hymn still ringing in her ears, Cecilia renewed her vow of virginity to God. On retiring to the bridal chamber, Cecilia plucked up courage and said to Valerian, her bridegroom: “I have a secret to share with you—I have an angel of God watching over me. If you touch me in the way of marriage, he will be angry and you will suffer; and if you respect my maidenhood he will love you as he loves me.”

 

Valerian agreed to comply if Cecilia would but show him this angel. “If you believe in the one living and true God and receive the water of baptism, then you will see the angel,” was Cecilia’s reply. Valerian consented and she sent him to find Bishop Urban, who baptized him. On his return, he found her conversing with an angel. The angel approached him and laid upon the head of each a chaplet of roses and lilies. Valerian was so moved that within a few days he and his brother, Tiburtius, who had been brought by him to the knowledge of the Faith, sealed their confession with their martyrdom—they were beheaded.

 

Even so, when called upon to repudiate her faith, she answered the Prefect thus: “Do you not know that I am the bride of my Lord Jesus Christ?” Though sentenced to death by various means, it was only three days of bleeding after having been struck on her head and breast that she died, singing God’s praises.

 

Reflection: “Do you not know that nothing will make me so happy as to die for Christ?” (St Cecilia)

Daily Readings

November 21, 2025

Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Reading I

Zechariah 2:10-13

 

Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

OR

1 Macc 4:36-37, 52-59

 

Judas and his brothers said,
“Now that our enemies have been crushed,
let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.”
So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.

Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month,
that is, the month of Chislev,
in the year one hundred and forty-eight,
they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law
on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had made. 
On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it,
on that very day it was reconsecrated
with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals.
All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven,
who had given them success.

For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar
and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices
of deliverance and praise.
They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields;
they repaired the gates and the priests’ chambers
and furnished them with doors.
There was great joy among the people
now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.
Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel
decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar
should be observed with joy and gladness
on the anniversary every year for eight days,
from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Luke 1:46–47, 48–49, 50–51, 52–53, 54–55

 

Response: He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

 

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

 

Response: He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

 

For he has looked on

the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on

all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty

has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

 

Response: He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

 

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

 

Response: He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

 

He has brought down the mighty

from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

 

Response: He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

 

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring

for ever.

 

Response: He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name

 

Alleluia

Luke 11:28

R.    Alleluia, alleluia.

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.

 

Gospel

Matthew 12:46–50

 

At that time: While Jesus was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

 

Reflection

 

Today, we celebrate the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel of Luke, we find a beautiful hymn of praise to our compassionate God, who stands with the poor and the marginalised (Responsorial Psalm). Mary’s song of gratitude reflects the goodness she experienced in her life. She dedicated herself to God, and her unwavering trust and thankfulness made her a beacon of hope. Mary’s presence brought light and comfort, especially to the poor, because she believed in God’s goodness. Let us learn from Mary the virtues of gratitude and trust in God’s goodness, and be a source of hope and divine presence for others.  We must also nurture a sense of profound silence in our lives for it is in deep stillness that we encounter God’s goodness. How can we follow Mary’s example in serving and showing compassion to the poor through our lives?

 

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

According to the Protoevangelium of St James (7:1-2), a 2nd century work, and the Gospel of pseudo-Matthew (4), neither of which is included in the Bible, Sts Joachim and Anna, in fulfilment of their vow, brought their three-year-old daughter Mary from Nazareth to the Temple in Jerusalem (a distance of some 80 miles), there to be educated by the holy women, and, together with the other young virgins, consecrated to God’s service. As for the date of this feast, it is derived from the dedication of a church to Our Lady in Jerusalem on this day in 543.

 

Though unhistorical, this feast serves an important theological purpose. Continuing the impact of the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and the Nativity of Mary, it emphasizes that the holiness conferred on Mary from the very inception of her life on earth, and which continued through her early childhood and beyond, was a result of her total dedication to God. Our Lady ardently desired an increase in grace and virtue so that she might merit servant-hood and, before long, become the mother of the long awaited Messiah. God indwelt in her in a marvellous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in His plan for our redemption.

 

St Alphonsus urges us to “present ourselves today to Mary without reserve”. In heaven’s temple, Mary presents our prayers to her Son and through her intercession we hope one day to be presented to him in glory.

 

Reflection:  “The prayers of his Mother are a pleasure to the Son, because he desires to grant all that is granted on her account, and thus recompense her for the favour she did him in giving him his body” (St Theophilus).

Daily Readings

November 20, 2025

Thursday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading I

1 Maccabees 2:15–29

 

In those days: The king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to make them offer sacrifice. Many from Israel came to them; and Mattathias and his sons were assembled. Then the king’s officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: “You are a leader, honoured and great in this city, and supported by sons and brothers. Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honoured with silver and gold and many gifts.” But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations which live under the rule of the king obey him and have chosen to do his commandments, departing each one from the religion of his fathers, yet I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers. Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.” When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Modein, according to the king’s command. When Mattathias saw it, he burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and slaughtered him upon the altar. At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. Thus he burned with zeal for the law, as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salom. Then Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: “Let everyone who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city. Then many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down to the wilderness to dwell there.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50:1–2, 5–6, 14–15

 

Response: To one whose way is blameless, I will show the salvation of God.

 

The God of gods, the Lord,

has spoken and summoned the earth,

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Sion, the perfection of beauty,

God is shining forth.

 

Response: To one whose way is blameless, I will show the salvation of God.

 

Gather my holy ones to me,

who made covenant with me by sacrifice.

The heavens proclaim his justice,

for he, God, is the judge.

 

Response: To one whose way is blameless, I will show the salvation of God.

 

Give your praise as a sacrifice to God,

and fulfil your vows to the Most High.

Then call on me in the day of distress.

I will deliver you

and you shall honour me.

 

Response: To one whose way is blameless, I will show the salvation of God.

 

Alleluia

Psalm 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Today harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord.

 

Gospel

Luke 19:41–44

 

At that time: When Jesus drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade round you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

 

Reflection

In today’s Gospel, we witness a poignant moment as Jesus approaches Jerusalem and weeps over the city. His tears reveal the depth of his compassion and sorrow for the people who do not recognize the time of God’s visitation. It is a powerful reminder of God’s longing for us to turn to Him and embrace His love and guidance. Jesus’ lament also foreshadows the impending destruction of Jerusalem, a consequence of the city’s rejection of God’s message. This passage calls us to reflect on our own lives and consider whether we are open to God’s presence and the opportunities for transformation that He offers. It serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and indifference, urging us to seek God’s mercy and recognize the signs of God’s presence in our lives.

 

Saint Felix of Valois, Confessor

 

Born in the French province of Valois, St Felix gave up his possessions as a young man and retired to a dense forest near Meaux, where he spent his life as a hermit. He was already 71 when St John of Matha, 33 years his junior, who came to his retreat, suggested the foundation of a religious Order for redeeming Christian captives from the Moors in Spain and North Africa. In obedience to a vision, the two saints set out for Rome in 1198, and after the matter had been considered in several solemn conclaves of Cardinals and Papal advisers, Pope Innocent III confirmed the “Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of Captives”.

 

Returning to France, Felix was enthusiastically welcomed, and King Philip Augustus helped to establish the new Order at the site of St Felix’s hermitage, and from there the Trinitarians spread with amazing rapidity, so that within 40 years there were 600 monasteries established in all parts of the world. Felix remained in France, establishing the new Order there and in Italy while his co-founder, St John of Matha, travelled to Spain and Barbary. St Felix was never officially canonized but his cult was recognized by Pope Alexander VII in 1666.

 

Reflection: “When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?” The king will reply, “I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did it for me” (Mt 25:39-40).

 

 

 

Daily Readings

November 19, 2025

Wednesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20–31

 

In those days: It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine’s flesh. The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable memory. Though she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. She encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers. Filled with a noble spirit, she fired her woman’s reasoning with a man’s courage and said to them, “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of mankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.” Antiochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Antiochus not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his fathers and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs. Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself. After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: “My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb and nursed you for three years and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life and have taken care of you. I urge you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them and recognise that not out of things that already existed did God make them, and so too the human race comes into being. Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get you back again along with your brothers.” Now as she was speaking, the young man said, “What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king’s command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses. But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not escape the hands of God.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 17:1, 5–6, 8 and 15

 

Response: When I awake, O Lord, I shall be filled with the vision of your presence.

 

O Lord, hear a cause that is just;

pay heed to my cry.

Turn your ear to my prayer:

no deceit is on my lips.

 

Response: When I awake, O Lord, I shall be filled with the vision of your presence.

 

I kept my steps firmly in your paths

My feet have never faltered.

To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God.

Turn your ear to me; hear my words.

 

Response: When I awake, O Lord, I shall be filled with the vision of your presence.

 

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

As for me, in justice I shall behold your face;

when I awake I shall be filled

with the vision of your presence.

 

Response: When I awake, O Lord, I shall be filled with the vision of your presence.

 

Alleluia

See John 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, says the Lord.

 

Gospel

Luke 19:11–28

 

At that time: Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’” And when Jesus had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

 

Reflection

The lesson from today’s Gospel is clear: just as the nobleman entrusted his servants with gifts, Jesus has given each of us unique talents and a special mission to serve God and others. The story also tells us that we should share our gifts with those who need them. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom, and we have a responsibility to work for God’s goals and purposes. When we share our gifts, we don’t lose; we gain even more in return, creating a beautiful cycle of giving and receiving. Sometimes, we want immediate results, just like the people in the Gospel. But Jesus reminds us that real faith lasts and leads to action.  Let us use our gifts,  trusting that God will bless us abundantly as we serve him and others.

 

Saint Gregory the Wonder-worker, Confessor, Father of the Church

 

Named Theodore at birth, St Gregory was born and raised as a pagan in Pontus, Asia Minor (Turkey). At 14 he set out with his brother, Athenodorus to study law at the famous school of Beirut. At Caesarea in Palestine he fell under the persuasive influence of Origen, the head of the Alexandrian catechetical school and embraced Christianity. Abandoning all thought of pursuing law, Gregory spent seven years in the study of philosophy and theology and, at 26, was made bishop of Neo-Ceaserea. During the Decian persecution he retired into solitude near Pontus. Not long after peace was restored, he returned and governed his diocese for some 30 years with outstanding success. He instituted liturgical celebrations honouring the Decian martyrs, and, in c.264, together with Athenodorus, his brother and fellow bishop, he assisted at the first Synod of Antioch which condemned the heresies of Paul of Samosata. In those days, even a group of 10 Christians could have their own bishop and at the time of his accession the colony numbered only 17 Church members; but when he died about the year 270 there remained only 17 unconverted pagans in the entire city!

 

In his “Exposition of the Faith”, Gregory stated clearly the eternity, equality and perfection of each Person of the Blessed Trinity.

 

In time, St Gregory, the story of whose life was written by St Gregory of Nyssa, came to be surnamed Thaumaturgus, i.e., “Wonder-worker” because of the numerous wonders (miracles) God worked through him.

 

Reflection: “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me” (Jesus - Mt 19:21).

 

Daily Readings

November 18, 2025

Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading I

2 Maccabees 6:18–31

 

In those days: Eleazar, one of the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in age and of noble presence, was being forced to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh. But he, welcoming death with honour rather than life with pollution, went up to the rack of his own accord, spitting out the flesh, as men ought to go who have the courage to refuse things that it is not right to taste, even for the natural love of life. Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside, because of their long acquaintance with him, and privately urged him to bring meat of his own providing, proper for him to use, and pretend that he was eating the flesh of the sacrificial meal that had been commanded by the king, so that by doing this he might be saved from death and be treated kindly on account of his old friendship with them. But making a high resolve, worthy of his years and the dignity of his old age and the grey hairs that he had reached with distinction and his excellent life even from childhood, and moreover according to the holy God-given law, he declared himself quickly, telling them to send him to the grave. “Such pretence is not worthy of our time of life”, he said, “lest many of the young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to an alien religion, and through my pretence, for the sake of living a brief moment longer, they should be led astray because of me, while I defile and disgrace my old age. For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet whether I live or die I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty. Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws.” When he had said this, he went at once to the rack. And those who a little before had acted towards him with good will now changed to ill will, because the words he had uttered were in their opinion sheer madness. When he was about to die under the blows, he groaned aloud and said: “It is clear to the Lord in his holy knowledge that, though I might have been saved from death, I am enduring terrible sufferings in my body under this beating, but in my soul I am glad to suffer these things because I fear him.” So in this way he died, leaving in his death an example of nobility and a memorial of courage, not only to the young but to the great body of his nation.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 3:2–3, 4–5, 6–7

 

Response: The Lord upholds me.

 

How many are my foes, O Lord!

How many are rising up against me!

How many are saying about me,

“There is no help for him in God.”

 

Response: The Lord upholds me.

 

But you, Lord, are a shield about me,

my glory, who lift up my head.

I cry aloud to the Lord.

From his holy mountain he answers me.

 

Response: The Lord upholds me.

 

I lie down, I sleep and I wake,

for the Lord upholds me.

I will not fear even thousands of people

who are ranged on every side against me.

Arise, Lord; save me, my God.

 

Response: The Lord upholds me.

 

Alleluia

1 John 4:10b

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

God loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

Gospel

Luke 19:1–10

 

At that time: Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

 

Reflection

 

Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus was very intense.  He would not allow anything to come in the way and prevent him from having a glimpse of Jesus.  He was short in stature and knew that amid that huge crowd, he would not be able to see Jesus if he stood on the ground.  So intense was his desire to see Jesus, that he climbed a sycamore tree and waited for the one he wanted to see.  How deep is our desire to meet Jesus, to do good, to envision a new world for our people? We also see a great willingness in Zacchaeus to transform himself. He demonstrates his commitment by declaring that he would repay fourfold anyone he had wronged through his actions. How ready am I to make amends when I wrong others?

 

Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul

 

The first memorial oratory to be erected over St Peter’s tomb, at the foot of the Vatican Hill in Rome, was the work of Pope St Anacletus (c.76-83). Here the first Pope’s remains have reposed ever since, except for a short period in 258 when they were concealed in the catacombs of St Sebastian for the sake of protection from desecration during the Valerian persecution. Constantine the Great had a magnificent Basilica constructed over the tomb in 319. It was later razed and reconstructed by Pope Julius II who himself had blessed the foundation stone in 1506. The present structure, the world’s greatest and richest church, built from designs of Bramante and Michelangelo, with a capacity of 50,000 worshippers, was solemnly consecrated by Pope Urban VIII in 1626.

 

In 103, Pope Anacletus built an oratory over the tomb of St Paul, near the Abbazia delle Tre Fontane on the Ostian Way, where Paul is believed to have been beheaded or buried.  Such chapels were respected as inviolable under Roman law. In 324, Constantine the Great transformed the oratory into a beautiful basilica.  In 385 a larger edifice, over 400 feet in length, took its place. Situated “outside the walls”, this so­-called Theodosian Basilica fell victim to plunder in 739. It was, however, intermittently restored and embellished between 1500 and 1700. Destroyed in a great fire in 1823, the new St Paul’s which has maintained the ancient dimensions and was consecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1854, is possibly even more magnificent and devotionally awe-inspiring than the enormous Vatican Basilica of St Peter’s.

 

Reflection: “Behold I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world” (Mt 28:20).

Daily Readings

November 17, 2025, Monday

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

 

Reading 1

1 Maccabees 1:10–15, 41–43, 54–57, 62–64

 

In those days: There came forth a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes son of King Antiochus; he had been a hostage in Rome. He began to reign in the one hundred thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. In those days lawless men came forth from Israel and misled many, saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us.” This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorised them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. So they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil. Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people and that each should give up his customs. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege upon the altar of whole burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah and burned incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. The books of the law that they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. Where the book of the covenant was found in the possession of anyone or if anyone adhered to the law, the decree of the king condemned him to death. But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. And very great wrath came upon Israel.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 119:53,61,134,150,155,158

 

Response: Give me life, O Lord, and I will keep your commands.

 

I am seized with indignation

at the wicked who forsake your law.

 

Response: Give me life, O Lord, and I will keep your commands.

 

Though the nets of the wicked ensnare me,

your law I did not forget. 

 

Response: Give me life, O Lord, and I will keep your commands.

 

Redeem me from man’s oppression,

and I will keep your precepts. 

 

Response: Give me life, O Lord, and I will keep your commands.

 

Those who pursue me with malice

draw near; they are far from your law. 

 

Response: Give me life, O Lord, and I will keep your commands.

 

Salvation is far from the wicked,

who are heedless of your statutes. 

 

Response: Give me life, O Lord, and I will keep your commands.

 

I look at the faithless with disgust;

they have not kept your word. 

 

Response: Give me life, O Lord, and I will keep your commands.

 

Alleluia

John 8:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.

 

Gospel

Luke 18:35–43

 

It happened that, as Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he enquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, Have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; Your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

 

Reflection

 

In today’s Gospel (Lk 18:35-43), a blind beggar’s miraculous healing unfolds in four pivotal steps. First, the blind man becomes curious upon hearing the noise of a crowd and inquires about the commotion. Upon discovering that Jesus is passing by, he passionately calls out to him, displaying a profound desire for healing. Second, despite efforts to silence him, the blind man persists in calling to Jesus, refusing to give up until he reaches him. Third, Jesus, moved by the man’s unwavering faith, stops and requests that he be brought closer. Fourth, upon realizing his healing, the blind man expresses profound gratitude by following Jesus, inspiring those around him to praise God. How can we cultivate the kind of persistent faith and gratitude displayed by the blind beggar in our own lives?

 

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow

 

Elizabeth, daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary, was betrothed in infancy to Louis IV, son of Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia. Accordingly, since the age of 4 she was brought up at the Wartburg castle and educated at the magnificently cultured Thuringian court in Germany. Distinguished for her piety from early youth, Elizabeth pursued her devotions and active works of charity quite undeterred by the ridicule and rudeness of the frivolous courtiers and troubadours. Characteristic of her humility was her refusal to wear her golden and bejewelled coronet in church—“How can I, when our dear Lord wears but a crown of thorns!”

 

When the Franciscan Friars arrived in Germany, Elizabeth became their first tertiary—a fact that brought great consolation to St Francis d’Assisi, as he wrote to her in a letter accompanying his cloak, which he sent at the suggestion of his Cardinal-protector a few years before he died.

 

In 1227, while on his way to the Sixth Crusade, Louis suddenly died of the “Typhus, leaving young Elizabeth rather heartbroken and defenceless. With Louis’ brother Henry assuming the regency, Elizabeth had no option but to seek refuge with her uncle, Eckbert, Bishop of Bamberg, who together with Mechtilde, Abbess of Kitzingen, helped her regain her rights. Soon after, Elizabeth distributed much of her wealth among the poor and, after safeguarding her children’s future, retired to Marburg where, miracles of spiritual and bodily healing attributed to her prayers were soon in evidence, Our Lord and his Blessed Mother favouring her with repeated apparitions.

 

St Elizabeth is hailed as the patroness of Franciscan Tertiaries and of bakers.

 

Reflection: “We ought to give everything we can with joy and good grace” (St Elizabeth of Hungary).

Daily Readings

November 16, 2025

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Malachi 3:19-20a

 

“Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 98:5–6, 7–9a, 9bcd

 

Response: The Lord comes to judge the peoples with fairness.

 

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn,

raise a shout before the King, the Lord.

 

Response: The Lord comes to judge the peoples with fairness.

 

Let the sea and all within it thunder;

the world, and those who dwell in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

and the hills ring out their joy

at the presence of the Lord, for he comes.

 

Response: The Lord comes to judge the peoples with fairness.

 

He comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the peoples with fairness.

 

Response: The Lord comes to judge the peoples with fairness.

 

Reading 2

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12

 

Brethren: You yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labour we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

 

Alleluia

Luke 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

 

Gospel

Luke 21:5–19

 

At that time: While some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

 

Reflection

 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus uses dramatic language to talk about the future. He warns about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and of other calamities. Amid these warnings, He advises not to be misled by anyone. Jesus also foretells that we will face hardships and persecution because of our faith. But he comforts us, saying, “Do not be afraid!” He promises to give us the right words to speak, even if we are imprisoned or questioned by those in power. This reminds us of modern prophetic heroes like Sister Rani Maria who championed the cause of the poor and was tragically killed, and Father Stan Swamy who was imprisoned because he supported the marginalized.  They trusted in Jesus’ words: “Stand firm, do not be afraid, for I am with you.” Their courage inspires us to stand strong in difficult times too.

 

Saint Margaret of Scotland, Queen

 

Daughter of the Anglo-Saxon Prince Edward Aetheling and Princess Agatha of Hungary and grand-daughter of King Edmund Ironside of England, Margaret was raised at the Christian court of Hungary during Canute’s Danish domination of England. In 1057, she returned to English soil when her father was sent for by St Edward the Confessor. However, the conquest of her country by the Normans in 1066 drove her family to seek refuge in Scotland, and there in 1070 Margaret was married to King Malcolm III Canmore, whose father, Duncan, had been murdered by Macbeth.

 

A model of Christian virtue, Margaret, by her personal example of holiness, tact, humility and prudence, was able to greatly influence Kings and nobles including her own husband King Malcolm to raise the Scottish people to new heights of Christian culture, prosperity and humanness.

 

Margaret spent long hours in prayer and in ministering to the needs of the poor and destitute. Of her 8 children, two sons became monks and three others successively ruled the country wisely and beneficently, one of whom named David became a saint. Her daughter, St Matilda, married King Henry I of England and is known to history as Good Queen Maud.

 

Margaret, who died on 16 November 1093 and was canonized in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV, is the Patron of Scotland.

 

Reflection: “I thank Thee, Almighty god, that in sending me so great an affliction in the last hour of my life, thou wouldst purify me from my sins, as I hope, by thy mercy” (St Margaret of Scotland).

 Daily Readings

November 15, 2025

Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading I

Wisdom 18:14–16; 19:6–9

 

While gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, your all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of your authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death and touched heaven while standing on the earth. For the whole creation in its nature was fashioned anew, complying with your commands, that your children might be kept unharmed. The cloud was seen overshadowing the camp, and dry land emerging where water had stood before, an unhindered way out of the Red Sea, and a grassy plain out of the raging waves, where those protected by your hand passed through as one nation, after gazing on marvellous wonders. For they ranged like horses and leaped like lambs, praising you, O Lord, who delivered them.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 105:2–3, 36–37, 42–43

 

Response: Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

 

O sing to him, sing his praise;

tell all his wonderful works!

Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice. 

 

Response: Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

 

He struck all the firstborn in their land,

the first fruit of all their strength.

He led out Israel with silver and gold.

In his tribes were none who stumbled.

 

Response: Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

 

For he remembered his holy word,

spoken to Abraham his servant.

So he brought out his people with joy,

his chosen ones with shouts of rejoicing.

 

Response: Remember the wonders the Lord has done.

 

Alleluia

See 2 Thessalonians 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God has called us through the gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Gospel

Luke 18:1–8

 

At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterwards he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

 

Reflection

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus stresses the importance of persistent prayer. While God desires the best for us, we often lose focus and give up too soon on our dreams. Jesus shares a story of a determined widow who, through unwavering persistence, softened the heart of a callous judge. This teaches us that our loving God will answer persistent prayer for justice. The widow’s strength came from her deep faith. When we waver, it is often due to a lack of faith in God, our dreams, and the goodness of those around us. Jesus reminds us that with faith and persistence, we can overcome obstacles and create positive change in our lives and the world. Let us keep our faith strong and persevere in prayer, trusting that God listens and responds.

 

Saint Albert the Great, Bishop Confessor, Doctor of the Church

 

The lectures of Albertus Magnus, the eminent theologian, philosopher and scientist, were so popular in Paris that, the University halls being unable to hold his listeners, he had to speak in the open marketplace.

 

In 1254 Albert was elected Provincial for Germany, but quit the post after two years to resume his studies. In 1260 he accepted, at the Pope’s command, the bishopric of Regensburg (Ratisbon), but resigned two years later and returned to lecturing and writing. From 1263 to 1264, as legate of Pope Urban IV, he preached the crusade throughout Germany and Bohemia. In 1274 Albert returned to Paris and vindicated the orthodoxy of his renowned disciple, the late St Thomas Aquinas, some of whose doctrines had been condemned by the university.

 

His extraordinary knowledge and proficiency in every branch of medieval learning: astronomy, geography, climatology, physics, chemistry, agriculture, mineralogy, zoology, physiology and phrenology that earned him the title “Universal Doctor”.

 

In his personal life Albert remained the humble Dominican, his numerous travels always made on foot. He had a childlike faith in and love of God that expressed itself in an attitude of tenderness towards the poor and unfortunate.

 

He died at Cologne on 15 November 1280. Beatified by Pope Gregory XV in 1622, Albert was declared Saint and Doctor by Pope Pius XI on 16 December, 1931.

 

Reflection: “But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances; endure suffering, do the work of a teacher of the Good News and perform your duty as a servant of God” (2 Tim 4:5).

Daily Readings

November 14, 2025

Friday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Wisdom 13:1–9

 

All men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists, nor did they recognise the artisan while paying heed to his works; but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air or the circle of the stars or turbulent water or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world. If through delight in the beauty of these things people assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord, for the author of beauty created them. And if people were amazed at their power and working, let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them. For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator. Yet these people are little to be blamed, for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him. For as they live among his works they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful. Yet again, not even they are to be excused; for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things?

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 19:2–3, 4–5

 

Response: The heavens declare the glory of God.

 

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims

the work of his hands.

Day unto day conveys the message,

and night unto night

imparts the knowledge. 

 

Response: The heavens declare the glory of God.

 

No speech, no word,

whose voice goes unheeded;

their sound goes forth

through all the earth,

their message to the utmost

bounds of the world. 

 

Response: The heavens declare the glory of God.

 

Alleluia

Luke 21:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

 

Gospel

Luke 17:26–37

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot – they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulphur rained from heaven and destroyed them all – so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

 

Reflection

 

In Luke 17:26-37, Jesus paints a vivid picture of God’s judgement by recalling the times of Noah and Lot. Just as people were caught unawares then, we are reminded to assess our relationship with Christ today. The choices we make in the present moment shape our spiritual journey. We need to prioritise our relationship with Christ above all else. We then become vessels of his joy and peace to the world actively participating in the establishment of God’s reign in our world. Our eventual departure from this world must be accomplished with peace and joy, knowing that we have shared Christ and his values with the world. So, where do we currently stand in our relationship with Christ, and how can we strengthen it to radiate his love and peace to others?

 

Saint Laurence O’ Toole of Dublin, Bishop

 

St Laurence was only 10 when he was delivered up as a hostage

by his own father to Dermod Mac Murchad, King of Leinster. The King treated him rather inhumanly for two years before putting him in the hands of the Bishop of Glendalough, in the county of Wicklow.

 

The holy youth, by his fidelity in corresponding with divine grace, grew to be a model of virtue. In 1150, on the death of the bishop who was also the abbot of the monastery, Laurence, though not yet 25, was chosen successor. Though his diocese was at that time a wealthy one, he reduced himself to poverty in order to bestow all he possessed on the poor, governing his community virtuously and prudently, frequently giving himself to spiritual retreats so as to be the more efficient in the reformation of his flock.

 

In 1161, he was unanimously chosen to fill the new Metropolitan See of Dublin. One day, in about 1171, as he approached the altar to officiate at Mass in England, a maniac, who had heard much of his sanctity, and perhaps led on by the idea of making so holy a man another St Thomas, struck him violently on the head. Obviously, Laurence was mortally wounded; but the holy archbishop, coming to himself, asked for some water and blessed it; then, even as he washed his wounds with it, the flow of blood stopped and he celebrated Mass.

 

He was canonized in 1225.

 

Reflection: “As a stout staff supports the trembling limbs of a feeble old man, so does faith sustain our vacillating mind, lest it be tossed about by sinful hesitation and perplexity” (St John Chrysostom).

Daily Readings

November 13, 2025, Thursday

Thursday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Wisdom 7:22–8:1

 

For in wisdom there is a spirit that is intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, clear, unpolluted, distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen, irresistible, beneficent, humane, steadfast, sure, free from anxiety, all-powerful, overseeing all, and penetrating through all spirits that are intelligent and pure and subtlest. For wisdom is more mobile than any motion; because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things. For she is a breath of the power of God and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her. For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. Though she is but one, she can do all things, and while remaining in herself, she renews all things; in every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God and prophets; for God loves nothing so much as the man who lives with wisdom. For she is more beautiful than the sun and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light, she is found to be superior, for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail. She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Response: Forever is your word, O Lord.

 

Forever is your word, O Lord,

standing firm in the heavens.

 

Response: Forever is your word, O Lord.

 

From age to age is your truth;

like the earth, it stands firm.

 

Response: Forever is your word, O Lord.

 

Your judgments endure to this day,

for all things are your servants.

 

Response: Forever is your word, O Lord.

 

The unfolding of your word gives light,

and understanding to the simple.

 

Response: Forever is your word, O Lord.

 

Let your face shine forth on your servant,

and teach me your decrees.

 

Response: Forever is your word, O Lord.

 

My soul shall live and praise you.

Your judgments give me help.

 

Response: Forever is your word, O Lord.

 

Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I am the vine; you are the branches, says the Lord. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.

 

Gospel

Luke 17:20–25

 

At that time: Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

 

Reflection

 

In Luke 17:20-25, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God. He envisions a world where justice, love, and compassion prevail. Jesus embodies these values. He says the Kingdom is here among us; we just need spiritual insight to see it. The Kingdom is not some distant, unattainable concept. It is already present in our midst through the teachings and actions of Jesus. We don’t need to search far and wide; what we require is a spiritual perspective to recognise and experience the Kingdom of God right where we are.  When we face suffering, we often complain and miss the opportunity for personal growth and a deeper connection with God’s vision for our lives. How can we see and experience God’s Kingdom in our everyday lives, even during tough times?

 

Saint Stanislaus Kostka
Jesuit, Patron of Youth
(1550-1568)

 

Saint Stanislaus Kostka was born in Poland in 1550, of a noble Polish family. At the age of fourteen he was sent with his older brother Paul to study at the Jesuit College in Vienna. Twice a day he would pray at length in the chapel, and he never failed to recite a crown of the Rosary. He avoided the company of students too free in their speech and behavior, and often fasted and inflicted on himself a rude discipline. His love for God did not cease to augment with these practices, and he decided to make a vow to enter the Company of Jesus. He told his confessor of it only six months later, as he wanted it to remain unknown until he would be in a position to carry it out.

He fell ill, and the demon appeared in his room under the form of a black dog which lunged at his throat. The young Saint drove him away with the sign of the Cross; but his illness was growing worse. He was lodged in the residence of a Protestant who would not permit the Blessed Sacrament to be brought to him. Saint Stanislaus remembered having read that those who invoked Saint Barbara never died without the Sacraments, and he begged that she would assist him in his danger and not permit that he die without the Viaticum. His prayer was answered; one night, when his life was despaired of, he saw this beautiful virgin-martyr, accompanied by two Angels, enter his room with the Blessed Sacrament. He was greatly consoled by this favor and another which immediately followed it; the Blessed Virgin also appeared and assured him that God wanted him to enter the Jesuit Society. Soon he felt better and was restored to complete health.

He was still too young to enter the Order in Vienna without his parents' permission; he therefore determined to go to another province where it might be possible. Stanislaus had always been gentle and cheerful, and his sanctity was felt as a reproach by his brother Paul, who had been surveying him constantly and often spoke rudely to him, even going so far as to strike him. Stanislaus nonetheless succeeded in evading him when he left for Augsbourg, dressed as a beggar, to go to Father Peter Canisius, Provincial of Upper Germany, with letters of recommendation he had received from a Father of the Company. His brother, when he realized he had left, pursued him, but even though Stanislaus was on foot, passed him by without recognizing him. A little farther on, Paul's horses refused to advance and he was obliged to return to Vienna.

Saint Peter sent Stanislaus to Rome, a very long distance in those days, over a rugged and dangerous road, where rocks, mountains and rivers made the journey very difficult. Saint Francis of Borgia received him in Rome as a treasure sent by God, and he was clothed in the Jesuit habit in October 1567. His father was very irritated, but the son answered his letters with modesty and firmness, and continued to apply himself to every practice that might lead him closer to God and religious perfection. In ten months it is said that he advanced more than many do over a period of fifty or sixty years. During those ten short months he always had Our Lady in his mind, in his heart and on his lips. A custom was introduced for the novices during his sojourn in Rome; they would turn toward Her church of Saint Mary Major and ask, kneeling, for Her benediction; this practice has been conserved in the Roman novitiate ever since that time.

The fervent novice ardently desired to be in heaven on the feast of Her Assumption; he fell ill of a fever on the 9^th of August, and it was revealed to him that his desire would be fulfilled. In effect, his holy soul departed to rejoin His Heavenly Mother, when She came to claim him at a little after 3 o'clock on the morning of the 15^th of August, 1568. He was eighteen years old. We often see him with the Infant Jesus in his arms, because when Our Lady came to cure him in Vienna with Her Divine Treasure in Her arms, She had placed the Infant Saviour on his bed. Many illnesses were cured at his tomb, and his body was found incorrupt three years after his death. He was soon considered as a Saint in Italy and Poland; in 1604 he was declared Blessed and was canonized in 1726. Paul Kostka wept for long years over his mistreatment of his younger brother, and was about to enter the Society of Jesus himself in 1607, when he died suddenly on November 13^th, anniversary of the discovery of the incorrupt remains of Saint Stanislaus.

Reflection: Saint Stanislaus teaches us in every trial of life, and above all at the hour of death, to have recourse to Our Lady and our patron Saint, and to trust without fear in their aid.

Daily Readings

November 12, 2025

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

 

Reading 1

Wisdom 6:1–11

 

Listen, O kings, and understand; learn, O judges of the ends of the earth. Give ear, you that rule over multitudes and boast of many nations. For your dominion was given you from the Lord, and your sovereignty from the Most High, who will search out your works and enquire into your plans. Because as servants of his kingdom you did not rule rightly or keep the law or walk according to the purpose of God, he will come upon you terribly and swiftly, because severe judgment falls on those in high places. For the lowliest may be pardoned in mercy, but the mighty will be mightily tested. For the Lord of all will not stand in awe of anyone or show deference to greatness; because he himself made both small and great, and he takes thought for all alike. But a strict enquiry is in store for the mighty. To you then, O monarchs, my words are directed that you may learn wisdom and not transgress. For they will be made holy who observe holy things in holiness, and those who have been taught them will find a defence. Therefore set your desire on my words; long for them, and you will be instructed.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 82:3–4, 6–7

 

Response: Arise, O God; judge the earth!

 

Do justice for the weak and the orphan;

give justice to the poor and afflicted.

Rescue the weak and the needy;

set them free from the hand of the wicked.”

 

Response: Arise, O God; judge the earth!

 

I have said to you, “You are gods,

and all of you, sons of the Most High.

And yet, like men you shall die;

you shall fall, like any of the princes.”

 

Response: Arise, O God; judge the earth!

 

Alleluia

1 Thessalonians 5:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

Gospel

Luke 17:11–19

 

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

 

Reflection

 

Gratitude bridges the gap between God and our hearts, transforming our lives into miracles! In today’s Gospel, Jesus singles out and affirms the sole individual who returned to express gratitude upon realizing he had been cured of his leprosy. Jesus poses a poignant question: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Pope Francis urges us to maintain a vocabulary of “thank you” and “sorry” in a world often marked by distrust. We too often take for granted the contributions of those around us, even our own families and communities. Gratitude possesses the potential to heal our ailments, soothe our emotional wounds, repair fractured relationships, and infuse our existence with the essence of joy.  It is essential to ask: How often do I genuinely say “Thank you”?

 

Saint Josaphat Kunsevich, Bishop Martyr

 

Saint Josaphat was born in Lithuania at a time when the Ruthenian Church, having separated from Rome, had fallen on evil days. Named John Kunseyvc at birth, he was a lad of 15 when the promising “Union of Brest-Litowski” withdrew some ten million Christians from allegiance to the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and reunited them to Rome, a step which was to a large extent to become void by persecution in Russia and Poland.

 

Ordained priest in 1609, Josaphat proved to be a great influence for good in the reform of his Order and the regeneration of the clergy. He rose rapidly to be Abbot, Coadjutor and finally, at 38, Archbishop of Polozk, which was one of the Sees where rivalry between the Catholic and Orthodox Clergy was in sharp evidence.

 

His personal life was one of austerity and mortification. In the constant strife between the Uniates and Schismatics, he showed indefatigable zeal for converting souls to union with Rome. He entreated, preached, heard confessions, not only in the churches but in the hospitals, prisons and in the fields. As a result, personages of importance got converted by this “Thief of Souls”! Indeed, so fruitful were Josaphat’s endeavours that the hatred of the schismatics reached the point where, in 1623, they finally martyred him and threw his mangled body into a river. Consequently, the conversions marked a steady rise, not excluding his murderers!

 

Canonized in 1867, Josaphat became the first Easterner to have been formally raised to the honours of the altar by Rome.

 

Reflection: “And as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without good works is dead” (James 2:26).

Daily Readings

November 11, 2025

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

Reading 1

Wisdom 2:23–3:9

God created mankind for incorruption and made him in the image of his own character, but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it. But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an evil thing, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial whole burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his chosen.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 34:2–3, 16–17, 18–19 

Response: I will bless the Lord at all times.

I will bless the Lord at all times;

praise of him is always in my mouth.

In the Lord my soul shall make its boast;

the humble shall hear and be glad. 

Response: I will bless the Lord at all times.

The Lord turns his eyes to the just,

and his ears are open to their cry.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

to destroy their remembrance from the earth. 

Response: I will bless the Lord at all times.

When the just cry out, the Lord hears,

and rescues them in all their distress.

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;

those whose spirit is crushed he will save. 

Response: I will bless the Lord at all times.

Alleluia

John 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.

Gospel

Luke 17:7–10

At that time: Jesus said, “Will any one of you who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterwards you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Reflection

The message from today’s Gospel is clear: we are called to do our duties diligently and wholeheartedly without becoming overly attached to the outcome. Being selflessly committed and not expecting anything in return is a fundamental trait of a Christian. Sometimes, we hold standards too high for others in fulfilling their responsibilities but forget about our commitments. Today’s Gospel reminds us to be faithful in our Christian duties to God, the Church, neighbour and society. Today’s First Reading, taken from the Book of Wisdom underscores what it means to be a Christian. It involves placing trust in the Lord, living in his love, and showing mercy to others, especially those who are in need, like the poor and the lost. This is the essence of our Christian duty. How can I practise this today?

St Martin of Tours, Bishop Confessor

At the time of St Martin’s birth, his father, a pagan, was a military tribune stationed in Pannonia (Hungary). Some years later, he was transferred to Pavia in Lombardy, where, at 15, Martin was recruited to the imperial cavalry at Amiens (Gaul).

One day Martin passed a half-naked beggar, shivering in the cold. Moved with compassion, he split his cloak in two and gave one half to the poor man. Later that night, Christ reportedly appeared to him wearing the cloak. (The other half has long been preserved as “St Martin’s Cloak’” in the chapel of the Frankish Kings.) Not long after this famous incident, Martin received baptism, and, as soon as he was discharged from military service, became a disciple of St Hilary of Poitiers. 

In 361 with Hilary recalled by imperial decree, Martin once more returned to Poitiers. A great many monks gradually gathered around him there, and later formed the famous Benedictine abbey of Ligugé, the first Gallic monastery. St Martin would leave his cell from time to time to undertake missionary journeys through central and western Gaul where idolatry was still rampant among the rural folk. One day in 371, called into the city of Tours (in France) by a ruse, a highly reluctant Martin was forced by popular acclaim into becoming the new Bishop of the vacant See.

Martin’s administration of his diocese was characterized by firmness and justice, and by a great zeal for the purity of the faith against the Priscillianist and Arian heresies, on account of which he made several journeys to Treves (Trier), then the Emperor’s residence. 

Reflection: “Lord, if I am still necessary to your people, I refuse no labour. Your holy will be done” (St Martin of Tours).

Daily Readings

November 10, 2025

Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

 

Reading 1

Wisdom 1:1–7

 

Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord with uprightness and seek him with sincerity of heart; because he is found by those who do not put him to the test and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him. For perverse thoughts separate people from God, and when his power is tested, it convicts the foolish; because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul or dwell in a body enslaved to sin. For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit and will rise and depart from foolish thoughts and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness. For wisdom is a kindly spirit and will not free a blasphemer from the guilt of his words, because God is witness of his inmost feelings and a true observer of his heart and a hearer of his tongue. Because the Spirit of the Lord has filled the world, and that which holds all things together knows what is said.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 139:1–3, 4–6, 7–8, 9–10

 

Response: Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting.

 

O Lord, you search me and you know me.

You yourself know my resting and my rising;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You mark when I walk or lie down;

you know all my ways through and through.

 

Response: Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting.

 

Before ever a word is on my tongue,

you know it, O Lord, through and through.

Behind and before, you besiege me,

your hand ever laid upon me.

Too wonderful for me, this knowledge;

too high, beyond my reach.

 

Response: Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting.

 

O where can I go from your spirit,

or where can I flee from your face?

If I climb the heavens, you are there.

If I lie in the grave, you are there.

 

Response: Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting.

 

If I take the wings of the dawn

or dwell at the sea’s furthest end,

even there your hand would lead me;

your right hand would hold me fast.

 

Response: Lead me, Lord, in the way everlasting.

 

Alleluia

Philippians 2:15d, 16a

 

You shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.

 

Gospel

Luke 17:1–6

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent’, you must forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you.

 

Reflection

 

Jesus’ teachings are filled with positive energy and divine inspiration. He invites us to be channels of this divine energy, especially to those in our care, as found in Luke 17:1-6. To become these channels, we must practise forgiveness, avoid negativity, and show respect to others. We must never mislead others or harbour hostility. Forgiveness should have no limits, even when someone repeatedly makes mistakes. This requires a strong faith in the power and love of Jesus. When our faith is unwavering, miracles can unfold in our lives every day. So, it’s worth asking ourselves: How strong is our/my faith in the incredible power and love of Jesus? By embracing these teachings and fostering a deep faith, we can spread positive energy and bring more joy and light into the world.

 

Saint Leo I, the Great, Pope Confessor, Doctor of the Church

 

At a critical time in the Church’s history, when the Western Empire was disintegrating and the Eastern Church was profoundly disturbed by dogmatic controversies and speculations, God raised to the throne of Peter in 440 a farsighted and wise Pontiff, Leo I; he was to become one of the three saintly Popes whom we honour with the title of “the Great”, Gregory I in the 6th century and Nicholas I in the 9th being the other two.

 

In order to maintain the purity of the Church’s doctrine, Leo took sharp measures against the subtle infiltration of heresies into Italy and Spain, and in the East condemned Monophysitism or Eutychianism. In his famous dogmatic letter “Tome to Flavian”, Archbishop of Constantinople, he clearly set forth the Church’s doctrine that Christ is one person but possesses two distinct natures, the divine and the human; an early example of an infallible Papal pronouncement. At the 4th Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 461, some 600 Eastern bishops, assembled under the presidency of the Papal legates, officially acclaimed this great document as the Church’s true teaching thus: “Peter has spoken by Leo.”

 

Pope St Leo I looked upon his office as that of Christ himself and strove to become “all things to all”. Combining prayer with labour, he proved himself a true father to his people. That he saw himself chiefly as a teacher is evident from the fact that his teachings remain the greatest hallmark of his pontificate.

 

Reflection: “Thy Cross, O Lord, is the source of all blessings, the cause of all graces; by it the faithful find strength in weakness, glory in shame, life in death” (St Leo).

Daily Readings

November 9, 2025

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

 

Reading 1

Ezekiel (47:1–2, 8–9, 12)

 

In those days: The angel brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple towards the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me round on the outside to the outer gate that faces towards the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. And he said to me, “This water flows towards the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

 

Responsorial Psalm (46)

 

Response: The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place, the dwelling of the Most High.

 

God is for us a refuge and strength, an everpresent help in time of distress: so we shall not fear though the earth should rock, though the mountains quake to the heart of the sea.

 

Response: The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place, the dwelling of the Most High.

 

The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place, the dwelling of the Most High. God is within, it cannot be shaken; God will help it at the dawning of the day.

 

Response: The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place, the dwelling of the Most High.

 

The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Come and behold the works of the Lord, the awesome deeds he has done on the earth.

 

Response: The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place, the dwelling of the Most High.

 

Reading 2

Corinthians (13:9c–11, 16–17)

 

Brethren: You are God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple

 

Alleluia

2 Chronicles 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there for ever.

 

Gospel

John (2:13–22)

 

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciple remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

 

Reflection

 

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the oldest and highest ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome. The Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Rome and thus the seat of the Pope as Bishop of Rome. It is the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome, not St??Peter’s Basilica as so many mistakenly believe. This Basilica is also called the Church of Holy Saviour or the Church of St John Baptist. In ancient Rome this was the Church where everyone was baptized. It is the oldest Church in the West, built in the time of Constantine and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324. Imposing columns, colossal statues and numerous mosaics make the basilica a unique beauty.

 

Basilicas have certain spiritual, historical, or architectural features by which they earn their special designation. Considered only architecturally, a basilica is a large, rectangular hall built for public gatherings. When Christianity was legalized, its faithful spilled out of their crowded house churches and into the biggest spaces then available, namely, the Basilicas of the Roman Empire. If Christians had met in Arenas, then that word would have been adopted for ecclesial usage instead of Basilica.

 

The Laterani were an ancient Roman noble family whose members served several Roman Emperors. The family built a palace carrying their name on a site which in the fourth century came into the possession of the Emperor Constantine, who then turned it over to the bishop of Rome. An early Pope enhanced and enlarged the basilica style palace into a large church, which, in turn, became the oldest and most important papal church in the eternal city. The Popes lived at the Lateran until the start of the Avignon papacy in present day France in 1309.

 

With the Avignon papacy ensconced far from Rome for seven decades, the Lateran Basilica was damaged by fires and deteriorated so sadly that by the time the Pope returned to Rome in 1377, he found the Basilica inadequate. An apostolic palace was eventually built next to St Peter’s Basilica on the Vatican hill and has been the seat of the successors of Saint Peter ever since. On this solemnity, the Word of God recalls an essential truth: the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, which in their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already understood as a “spiritual edifice”, built by God with “living stones”.

 

The beauty and harmony of the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draws us human beings, limited and sinful, to convert to form a “cosmos,” a well-ordered structure, in intimate communion with Jesus, who is the true Saint of saints. This happens in a culminating way in the Eucharistic liturgy, in which the “ecclesia”, that is, the community of the baptized, come together in a unified way to listen to the Word of God and nourish themselves with the Body and Blood of Christ. From these two tables the Church of living stones is built up in truth and charity and is internally formed by the Holy Spirit transforming herself into what she receives, conforming herself more and more to the Lord Jesus Christ. She herself, if she lives in sincere and fraternal unity will become the spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God.

(Source: The Sunday Liturgy)

Daily Readings

November 8, 2025

Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading I

Romans 16:3–9, 16, 22–27

 

Brethren: Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – to the only wise God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 145:2–3, 4–5, 10–11 

 

Response: I will bless your name forever, my king and my God.

 

I will bless you day after day,

and praise your name forever and ever.

The Lord is great and highly to be praised;

his greatness cannot be measured.

 

Response: I will bless your name forever, my king and my God.

 

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds.

They will tell of your great glory and splendour,

and recount your wonderful works.

 

Response: I will bless your name forever, my king and my God.

 

All your works shall thank you, O Lord,

and all your faithful ones bless you.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign,

and declare your mighty deeds.

 

Response: I will bless your name forever, my king and my God.

Alleluia

2 Corinthians 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Though Jesus Christ was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

 

Gospel

Luke 16:9–15

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful with the unrighteous wealth who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”

 

Reflection

 

Today’s passage from Luke 16:9-15 offers four crucial lessons for life. Firstly, it reminds us that our connections with people matter more than money and fame. Love and kindness are treasures beyond any material wealth. It is a timely reminder that our capacity for compassion holds greater significance than any material wealth. Secondly, it teaches us that being trustworthy in small things leads to greater opportunities. So, always act with integrity. Thirdly, it warns us against trying to serve both God and the pursuit of wealth simultaneously. We must choose our priorities carefully and make wise choices. Lastly, let us remember that God’s perspectives differ from worldly values. God values our inner qualities, intentions, and motivations, in contrast to human judgements based on external achievements or possessions.

 

Saint Godfrey, Bishop Confessor

 

St Godfrey was born of prominent French parents, near Soissons. When his father became a widower, he consecrated himself to God. At the age of five Godfrey was placed in the monastery of St Quentin, under the care of the Holy Abbot Godfrey, who was his godfather.

 

In his youth Godfrey spent much of his time, day and night, in prayer. Ordained priest at 25, he was soon chosen Abbot of Nogent, in Champagne, a monastery which was practically in ruins. He rebuilt the Abbey and caused the religious spirit to flourish once more in it. In 1103, much against his will, he was made Bishop of Amiens. He entered the city barefoot, garbed as a penitent, and lived in the Bishop’s palace like a monk. Remarkable for his meekness and patience, he showed great charity towards the poor, daily feeding 13 poor people at his own table in honour of Christ and the 12 Apostles. Frequenting the hospital of the lepers, he attended to their needs and comforted them.

 

St Godfrey took critically ill while on his way to Reims to confer with his Metropolitan regarding certain important matters. Having received the last sacraments he departed joyfully from this life on 8 November 1115, in the Abbey of St Crispin at Soissons, where he now lies interred.

 

Reflection: “Let us contend with all earnestness, knowing that we are called to the combat. Let us run in the straight road the race that is incorruptible. This is what Christ said: keep your bodies pure and your soul without spot, that you may receive eternal life” (St Clement).

 

 

Daily Readings

November 7, 2025

Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading I

Romans 15:14–21

 

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience – by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God – so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

 

Responsorial Psalm

 Psalm 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4 

 

Response: The Lord has shown his deliverance to the nations.

 

O sing a new song to the Lord,

for he has worked wonders.

His right hand and his holy arm

have brought salvation.

 

Response: The Lord has shown his deliverance to the nations.

 

The Lord has made known his salvation,

has shown his deliverance to the nations.

He has remembered his merciful love

and his truth for the house of Israel.

 

Response: The Lord has shown his deliverance to the nations.

 

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth;

break forth into joyous song,

and sing out your praise.

 

Response: The Lord has shown his deliverance to the nations.

 

Alleluia

1 John 2:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever keeps Christ’s word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

 

Gospel

Luke 16:1–8

 

At that time: Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ‘He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ “He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

Reflection

 

Luke 16:1-8 is often referred to as the Parable of the dishonest manager or the unjust steward. In this parable, Jesus tells the story of a manager who was accused of wasting his employer’s resources. Just as the manager was called to account for his actions, we are all called to be accountable for how we use the resources and opportunities we are given. If we prove ourselves faithful in managing small things, we will be entrusted with greater responsibilities. Worldly wealth is temporary, we are called to use it wisely to prepare for our eternal future and not be controlled by the spirit of worldliness. Just as the manager was focused on securing his earthly future, we,  as children of God, should be concerned with our eternal destiny. How can we make wise use of our resources today?

 

Saint Willibrord, Bishop Confessor

 

Born in Northumbria in 658, St Willibrord was a Benedictine monk who had his early education at the Abbey of Ripon near York. At 20, he went to Ireland and spent 12 years under St Egbert who commissioned him and 11 companions to the mission to Frisia.

 

When Willibrord visited Rome in 692 he received the apostolic authorization for his missionary labours. When he visited Rome a second time he was consecrated Archbishop of the Frisians by Pope Sergius I on 21 November 695 and given the name Clement, which means “merciful”.

 

He founded a monastery at Utreht (Holland), built a church in the city which he made his cathedral and, in 698 established an abbey at Villa Echternach.

 

In 716, Radbod gained possession of Frisia, forcing Willibrord into exile, destroying churches and replacing them with temples dedicated to idols. But soon after his death in 719, Willibrod returned and, with the assistance of St Boniface, undertook the repairs and rebuilding of churches and the work of conversion in Frisia.

 

St Willibrord died at Echternach, Luxembourg, on 7 November 739 and was buried at the abbey church which has ever since been a place of pilgrimage.

 

Reflection: “There are some who desire knowledge merely for its own sake; and that is shameful curiosity. And there are others who desire to know, in order that they may themselves be known; and that is vanity, disgraceful too.… But there are also some who desire knowledge, that they may build up the souls of others with it and that is charity. Others, again, desire it that they may themselves be built up thereby; and that is prudence. Of all these types, only the last two put knowledge to the right use” (St Bernard).

Daily Readings

November 6, 2025

Thursday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 14:7–12

 

Brethren: None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 27:1, 4, 13–14

 

Response: I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

whom should I dread?

 

Response: I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

 

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,

only this do I seek:

to live in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord,

to inquire at his temple.

 

Response: I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

 

I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong;

be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord!

 

Response: I believe I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

 

Alleluia

Matthew 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

 

Gospel

Luke 15:1–10

 

At that time: The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 

Reflection

 

Jesus teaches us a different way of looking at things as compared to the ways of the world. While the world often values the successful, Jesus seeks out those who are lost. In today’s Gospel, he narrates two powerful parables: one about a shepherd leaving ninety-nine sheep to find the one lost sheep and another about a woman searching for a single lost coin. These stories show how personal Jesus’ love is for each person. No matter how imperfect someone may seem, she/he is important in Jesus’ eyes. He is willing to invest time and care for each individual. These parables redefine devotion, showing that devotion is not just our loyalty to God but also God’s faithfulness, always ready to welcome us with an open heart. Are we ready to accept that loving embrace?

 

Saint Leonard of Limousin, Abbot Confessor

 

A nobleman at the Frankish Court of Clovis I, St Leonard is said to have been converted to Christianity by St Remigius of Reims (France). He became a monk, preached the Gospel in Gascony, and founded the Abbey of Noblac, which he governed until his death. Esteemed highly by King Clovis, he was granted the rare privilege of releasing from prison whomever he chose.

 

St Leonard’s was one of the most popular cults in southern Germany, Austria and Bohemia, especially in the Middle Ages, and innumerable favours were noted through his intercession.

 

He is revered as the Patron of the sick, the insane, of women in childbirth, and of prisoners.

 

Reflection: “It is by humility that the Lord allows himself to be conquered, so that he will do all we ask him” (St Teresa of Avila).

Daily Readings

November 5, 2025

Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 13:8–10

 

Brethren: Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet”, and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

 

Responsorial psalm

Psalm 112:1b–2, 4–5, 9

 

Response: It goes well for the man who deals generously and lends.

 

Blessed the man who fears the Lord,

who takes great delight in his commandments.

His descendants shall be powerful on earth;

the generation of the upright will be blest.

 

Response: It goes well for the man who deals generously and lends.

 

A light rises in the darkness for the upright;

he is generous, merciful, and just.

It goes well for the man

who deals generously and lends,

who conducts his affairs with justice.

 

Response: It goes well for the man who deals generously and lends.

 

Open-handed, he gives to the poor;

his justice stands firm forever.

His might shall be exalted in glory.

 

Response: It goes well for the man who deals generously and lends.

 

Alleluia

1 Peter 4:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

 

Gospel

Luke 14:25–33

 

At that time: Great crowds accompanied Jesus, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

 

Reflection

 

To be a genuine disciple of Jesus, we must empty ourselves because he constantly brings forth the new. Jesus desires us to connect with our true selves, where we wholly belong to God. In this divine core, we must respond to life’s demands faithfully. This is how we truly become his disciples. Often, needless attachments weigh us down, blinding us to our inner divinity and the world around us. These attachments, hinder our discipleship. To be a disciple means surrendering completely and letting go of all attachments. It is about having a clear vision of what it means to follow Jesus on the path of surrender. This surrender comes with trust, even in difficulties. Trust lightens life’s burdens and leads to joyful surrender, the essence of discipleship.

 

Saint Bertilla, Virgin

 

Bertilla was Born into one of the most illustrious families in the territory of Soissons (France) during the reign of Dagobert I, Bertilla grew up witnessing the many ills of the world at large, its deceptions and follies and earnestly sought to renounce it. Not daring to inform her parents about her decision she consulted St Ouen, the Bishop of Rouen, who encouraged her in her resolve and advised her to pray for perseverance.

 

In time, when her parents were informed of her desire, God obviously inclined them not to thwart or oppose it. They sent her to Jouarre, a monastery near Meaux, founded not long before under the Rule of St Columban. Received there with great joy, she was trained up in the strictest practices of monastic perfection; by her humility and perfect submission to all, she seemed everyone’s friend in need and acquitted herself with such great charity and edification that she was soon chosen prioress to assist the abbess in her administration.

 

The fame of this saint and her disciplinary acts in this community attracted a number of foreign vocations; it is here that the widowed Queen Bathildis retired, taking the habit from her hands and living a life of humility and submission, as also did another Queen, Hereswitha, widow of King Ethelhere of East Angels. But the holy abbess Bertilla seemed to all the most humble even among these humble Queens.

 

Bertilla governed the community with equal vigour and discretion, until the close of her life.

 

Reflection: “However great the work that God may achieve by an individual, he must not indulge in self-­satisfaction. He ought rather to be all the more humble, seeing himself merely as a tool which God has made use of” (St Vincent de Paul).

 

 

 

 Daily Readings

November 4

Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop

 

Reading 1

Romans 12:5–16a

 

Brethren: We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 131:1, 2, 3

 

Response: Keep my soul in peace at your side, O Lord.

 

O Lord, my heart is not proud,

nor haughty my eyes.

I have not gone after things too great,

nor marvels beyond me.

 

Response: Keep my soul in peace at your side, O Lord.

 

Truly, I have set my soul

in tranquility and silence.

As a weaned child on its mother,

as a weaned child is my soul within me.

 

Response: Keep my soul in peace at your side, O Lord.

 

O Israel, wait for the Lord,

both now and forever.

 

Response: Keep my soul in peace at your side, O Lord.

 

Alleluia

Matthew 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

 

Gospel

Luke 14:15–24

 

At that time: One of those who reclined at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to examine them. Please excuse me.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

 

Reflection

 

Scripture frequently refers to banquets as symbols of abundance and generosity. It is disheartening to know that there are still millions of people in the world who cannot afford even a single nutritious meal a day. Mahatma Gandhi’s profound words remind us that for the hungry, food becomes a divine gift. Today’s Gospel mentions a banquet prepared with care, yet those invited offered excuses, missing out on the feast. This narrative mirrors our lives. God’s invitation to participate in the fullness of life constantly surrounds us. However, we often make excuses that cause us to overlook and miss these divine opportunities. It is crucial to identify our habitual excuses, as they may be barriers preventing us from embracing the abundant life that God offers. Am I open-hearted and receptive? What excuses do I make, that result in missing the divine banquet of abundance?

 

Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop Confessor

 

The 2nd son of Count Giberto Borromeo and Margherita de’ Medici, sister of Pope Pius IV, Charles received the tonsure at age 12 and his doctorate in Civil and Canon Law at 21. Called to Rome by his uncle Pope Pius IV in 1560, he was made administrator of the Papal States, Cardinal Deacon and Papal legate. At 22, though still only a Deacon, he was appointed Administrator of the Archdiocese of Milan. At the Pope’s command the suspended Ecumenical Council of Trent was reassembled and, with Charles as the “‘very soul of the Council”, enacted specific clarifications of doctrine and Church reform. Charles, who had meanwhile been ordained priest, was now consecrated Archbishop of Milan but was detained in Rome for a while to revise the Roman Catechism, Missal and Breviary, as well as to reform Church music and the Roman Curia in accordance with the Council’s decrees. In Milan he instituted the greatest simplicity and economy, sold his valuable furniture and three-armed galleys, limited his food to one meal a day—just bread, water and some dried figs—and his sleep to four hours.

 

Born at Rocca d’Arona, near Lago Maggiore on 2 October 1538, Charles Borromeo died on 3 November 1584 at Milan aged 46. Canonized by Pope Paul V on 1 November 1610, he is venerated as the patron of catechists and is invoked against pestilence.

 

Reflection: “He who desires to make any progress in the service of God must begin every day of his life with new ardour, must keep himself in the presence of God as much as possible, and must have no other view or end in all his actions but the divine honour” (St Charles Borromeo).

 

 

Daily Readings

November 3, 2025

Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Romans 11:29–36

Brethren: The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 69:30–31, 33–34, 36–37

Response: In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord.

As for me in my poverty and pain,

let your salvation, O God, raise me up.

Then I will praise God’s name with a song;

I will glorify him with thanksgiving. 

Response: In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord.

The poor when they see it will be glad,

and God-seeking hearts will revive;

for the Lord listens to the needy,

and does not spurn

his own in their chains. 

Response: In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord.

For God will bring salvation to Sion,

and rebuild the cities of Judah,

and they shall dwell there in possession.

The children of his servants shall inherit it;

those who love his name shall dwell there. 

Response: In your great mercy, answer me, O Lord.

Alleluia

John 8:31b-32

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciple, and you will know the truth, says the Lord.

Gospel

Luke 14:12–14

At that time: Jesus said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Reflection

The teachings of Jesus are path-breaking. The normal way is to do something for someone who will return the goodness to us in some other way. But Jesus is so different, He says don’t expect anything in return. He urges us to give selflessly, especially to those who cannot repay us. Similarly, in today’s Gospel Jesus says, when you organize a party, invite the very poor.  Normally our parties are patronised by guests whom we know well. And after having organized a party, each of us is bound to pay back the gifts we have received at an opportune moment in double quantity. Jesus’ way brings a freedom that releases us from all our bondages, attachments and expectations. Bondage, attachments and expectations always take away true joy from us.

Saint Martin De Porres, Confessor

Martin was born in Lima, Peru, the child of a free love union. His father, Don Juan de Porres, a knight of Alcantara, Spain, abandoned his mother (a freed negro woman from Panama) after the birth of his son. Growing up in utter poverty, he cultivated an immense love for his fellow poor and the afflicted. At 12 the “little mulatto”, as he was wont to call himself, was apprenticed to a surgeon and soon came to be loved by the inmates of the city hospitals and prisons among whom he distributed a part of his meagre wages.

At 15, Martin became an Oblate of the Dominicans, and such was his charity, obedience and humility, that after nine years the Friars insisted upon his becoming a lay brother. He spent many night hours in spiritual reading, prayer and penitential exercises. Though he tried to conceal the miraculous favours which God bestowed upon him, he soon came to be regarded as a saint, an angel of peace and of compassion; he was able to heal the sick by his mere touch, by his prayers, by the Sign of the Cross; he had the gift of prophecy and invisibility; he could read people’s hearts and understand unexpressed desires even at great distances. At certain times God permitted the friars to see Martin accompanied by angels or enveloped in light during his ecstasy.

Twenty-five years after his death his body was found to have remained supple and incorrupt.

Canonized in 1962, St Martin de Porres is called the patron of social justice.

Reflection: “He did all be could to care for the poor farmhands, blacks and mulattos who were looked down upon as slaves, the dregs of society in their time” (John XXIII).

Daily Readings

November 2, 2025

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
(All Souls)

 

Reading 1

Wisdom 3:1–9c

 

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an evil thing, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial whole burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 23:1–3, 4, 5, 6

 

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me;

he revives my soul.

He guides me along the right path,

for the sake of his name.

 

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

Though I should walk in the valley

of the shadow of death,

no evil would I fear, for you are with me.

Your crook and your staff

will give me comfort.

 

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

You have prepared a table before me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

 

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for length of days unending.

 

Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

Reading 2

Romans 6:3–9

 

Brethren: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

 

OR

Romans 5:5–11

 

Brethren: Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

 

Alleluia

 

If we have died with Christ, we will also live with him, and if we endure, we will also reign with him.

 

Gospel

John 6:37–40

 

At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

 

Reflection

 

 

Today is the feast of All Souls when we commemorate all those who have gone before us for their eternal reward. We recognize that they are part of the mystical body in the Church. But today we reflect in a special way, not so much on the dead, but those waiting for their reward at this moment. The celebration of All Souls where the day is based on the theological teaching that some of those who have departed from this world, have not been perfectly cleansed from venial sin, or have not fully atoned for their past transgression. As such, being temporarily deprived of the beatified vision until such time as they have been completely sanctified in Christ; these departed souls are to remain in Purgatory.

 

The Catholic teaching on Purgatory is essentially seen in our belief in two realities: First, that there will be a purification of believers prior to entering heaven, and Second, that the prayers and masses of the faithful are sure to benefit those in the state of purification. As to the duration, place, and exact nature of this purification, the Church has no official dogma, although Saint Augustine and others used fire as a way to explain the nature of the purification.

 

From the early days, Christians have prayed for the dead and have undertaken works of penance and mercy on their behalf. The tradition in the Church of having Masses said for the dead began in the earliest times. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.

 

The Church prays for the faithful departed throughout the entire year during mass. However, All Souls’ Day is the general, solemn day of commemoration, when the Church remembers, prays for, and offers requiem masses for the faithful departed, now in their state of purification. Tradition tells us that Christians have always been praying for their departed brothers and sisters to remain in communion with them. Praying for the dead is actually borrowed from Judaism, as indicated in the second book of Maccabees.

 

In the early days, departed Christians  names were written on special parchments to remind people to pray for them. In the sixth century, Benedictine communities held commemorations for the departed on the feast of Pentecost. All Souls’ Day became a universal festival largely on account of the influence of Odilo of Cluny in AD 998 when he commanded its annual celebration in the Benedictine houses of his congregation.

 

The Scripture readings of today provide rich matter for reflection and touch on the reality of death in general, something we will all have to face one day and for which we ought to be ready. The Scriptures tell us that the Lord will come quietly at an unexpected moment “like a thief in the night”. We do not want to have the door closed in our face and hear those terrible words: “I do not know you.” The Scripture constantly warns us to be ready to meet our Lord at any time. The gospel of John tells us of the glorification of Jesus and that when he is raised up he will draw all people to himself. The word draw is a special word that involves a sense of attraction and it is Jesus who will take us all to himself. In the Gospel of Mark, we have the confession of Peter who professes that Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus in response tells the disciples that he will suffer and die and will be raised from the dead. Our resurrection is as certain as that of Christ himself. On All Souls’ Day, we ask God for mercy on those who have died. We pray for an ever deeper and abiding awareness of the steadfast love of God.

(Source: The Sunday Liturgy)

Daily Readings

November 1, 2025

Solemnity of All Saints

Reading 1

Revelation 7:2-4.9-14

I, John, saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of the sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 24:1–2, 3–4ab, 5–6

Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world, and all those who dwell in it.

It is he who set it on the seas;

on the rivers he made it firm.  

Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The clean of hands and pure of heart,

whose soul is not set on vain things.  

Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

Blessings from the Lord shall he receive,

and right reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the people who seek him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.  

Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

Reading 2

1 John 3:1-3

Beloved: See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Alleluia

Matthew 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Gospel

Matthew 5:1-12a

At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Reflection

This All Saints’ Day, as we reflect on the Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12), we discover a revolutionary magna carta for Christian living. Blessings aren’t found only in expected joyful circumstances but also in places and occasions of pain and tears, and when comforting and reaching out to others. Christian living is a profound spiritual journey, centred on living the Beatitudes ourselves, and empowering others to embrace them too. The saints exemplified this in their unique ways. Mahatma Gandhi embraced the spirit of the Beatitudes and led India to freedom. The blueprint of the Beatitudes empowers us to find happiness by reaching out to others. By following this selfless path, we become true disciples of Jesus, opening ourselves to abundant blessings and holiness of life. How can I live the beatitudes in my daily life to bring happiness and grace to others and myself?

All Saints

Each age has produced its crop of holy men and women who go to make the amazing galaxy of saints in the Catholic Church. There are the canonized, the beatified, the venerable, the well-known and the little known, coming from all walks of life, cutting across all time frames as well as age and gender divides, some named in the book of saints, many others not, all too numerous to be counted! Indeed, it is to celebrate the grace-filled memory of all those in the realm of heaven who have accepted the saving grace of Christ, whether explicitly or implicitly, that the Church has instituted the “Feast of All Saints”.

The exact origin of this feast, which has been accorded the highest rank among feasts, viz., a “Solemnity”, is unclear, observed as it has been on different days in different places. According to Sts Ephraem Syrus (c.306-373) and John Chrysostom (c.349-407), a feast honouring all the martyrs of the Church was already being observed on 13 May in the Eastern Church in the 4th century. It is this date that may have prompted the choice of the same date on the part of Pope Boniface IV when he dedicated the Pantheon in Rome—which he had received from Emperor Phocas (d.610) in 609 or 610—to Our Blessed Mother and the Martyrs.           

The broadening of the feast to include all the saints and martyrs of the Universal Church and its observance on 1 November is variably ascribed to Pope Gregory IV (827-844) and Gregory VII (1020-1085).

Reflection: “O pleasant happiness to see the Saints, to be with the Saints, to be a Saint!” (St Augustine)

Daily Readings

October 31, 2025

Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Romans 9:1–5

Brethren: I am speaking the truth in Christ – I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit – that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed for ever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 147:12–13, 14–15, 19–20

Response: O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

O Sion, praise your God!

He has strengthened the bars of your gates;

he has blessed your children within you. 

Response: O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

He established peace on your borders;

he gives you your fill of finest wheat.

He sends out his word to the earth,

and swiftly runs his command. 

Response: O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

He reveals his word to Jacob;

to Israel, his decrees and judgments.

He has not dealt thus with other nations;

he has not taught them his judgments. 

Response: O Jerusalem, glorify the Lord!

Alleluia

John 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; and I know them, and they follow me.

Gospel

Luke 14:1–6

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not reply to these things.

Reflection

The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath! This yardstick is once again significant in the Gospel of today as Jesus healed a man who had dropsy. Jesus is surrounded by lawyers and the Pharisees; they carefully watch him. Jesus takes them on and pointedly asks them, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” They are stumped and remain silent. Jesus heals the man and sends him away. He continues challenging the lawmakers, asking them if their son (or ox) had fallen into a well on the Sabbath – would they pull him out immediately or not? The one commandment Jesus gives us is to love: to reach out to others in service, to heal our broken world!

St Alphonsus Rodriguez, Confessor (1532-1617)

Alphonsus was a wool merchant in southern Spain. Subsequent to the death of his wife and children, he began a remarkable life of prayer and severe bodily mortification. At 39, he became a lay brother with the Jesuits on the island of Majorca, where he filled the humble position of “porter” (door-keeper) at Mount Sion College and Seminary for 46 years.

Although lacking a formal education, he exercised a remarkable and widespread influence over the steady stream of people who came to the Fathers for advice and guidance. Known for his profound infused knowledge, soundness of doctrine and his childlike confidence in Our Lady he greatly popularized the “Little Office of the Immaculate Conception” by distributing copies hand-written by himself.

As porter, he would tell himself that every time the door­bell rang, it was Christ who was seeking admittance, and with a cheerful “I’m coming, Lord!” he would go to welcome the next caller. The Fathers appreciated his humility and sanctity and often asked him to give one of his unpretentious and affectionate sermons at meal-time. Once, when the Provincial Superior was making a visitation, he jestingly asked Brother Alphonsus to give a short sermon in Greek. Humbly and obediently the old man, who knew little Latin and no Greek, ascended the pulpit, and for a full minute, slowly and solemnly, repeated the great “Kyrie eleison! Christe eleison! Kyrie eleison!”

This was the Saint with whom St Peter Claver was wont to have a daily conference with and who revealed to him marvellous work in South America. Alphonsus Rodriguez was canonized with Peter Claver in1888.

Reflection: “The way of the Cross by trials suffered for God is the way to heaven” (St Alphonsus Rodriguez).

Daily Readings

October 30, 2025

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 8:31b–39

 

Brethren: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 109:21–22, 26–27, 30–31

 

Response: Save me, Lord, with your merciful love.

 

But you, O Lord, my Lord,

do with me as befits your name.

How good your merciful love! Deliver me.

For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is pierced within me.

 

Response: Save me, Lord, with your merciful love.

 

Help me, Lord my God;

save me with your merciful love.

Let them know that this is your hand,

that this is your doing, O Lord.

 

Response: Save me, Lord, with your merciful love.

 

Loud thanks to the Lord are on my lips.

I will praise him in the midst of the throng,

for he stands at the right hand of the poor,

to save his soul from those

who condemn him.

 

Response: Save me, Lord, with your merciful love

 

Alleluia

See Luke 19:38; 2:14

R. Alleluia,

 

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord; peace on earth and glory in the highest.

 

Gospel

Luke 13:31–35

 

At that time: Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

 

Reflection

 

The Pharisees warn Jesus to go away from Jerusalem because Herod wanted to kill him! Since Jesus stood for truth, justice and all that was right, he was surely a threat – not only to the political regime of his time (like Herod) but also to the religious authorities like the Pharisees and the Scribes. Jesus always took sides: but he was never with the oppressors the exploiters and those who put heavy burdens on others. So, in response to the warning that the Pharisees give him, he bluntly tells them to tell Herod the fox that he will continue doing good. He laments that Jerusalem has killed the prophets and stoned the messengers. He is not afraid of meeting the same fate!

 

St Gerard Majella Confessor (1726 -1755)

 

Extremely devout, Gerard, the son of poor parents in southern Italy, was blessed with a gift of profound contemplation and an ardent love of the Blessed Sacrament. “Suffer only for God, and your very sufferings will bring you heaven on earth!” Admitted by the Redemptorists on probation as a lay brother at 23, Gerard, deeply rooted in humility and purity, proved a model of perfect obedience. To the customary three vows he added one to do always that which appeared to be the most perfect — “Everything that is done for God becomes a prayer!”

 

God granted him remarkable spiritual gifts: ecstasies, levitations, bi-locations, invisibility, prophecy, infused knowledge, discernment of spirits, and even power over the forces of nature and Satan himself. His obedience to his superiors was such that he knew and carried out their wishes even if unspoken or given at a great distance. He subjected his body to severe penances and rigorous fasts. Every spare moment was spent in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and at times, when passing the tabernacle, he had to do himself violence: “O Lord, let me go, I beseech thee! There is work that I must do!” When he accompanied the Fathers on their missions, he often converted more hardened sinners by his fervent prayers and winning persuasiveness than the older priests by their sermons.

 

Born on 6 April 1726 at Muzo Lucanzo, Gerard died on 16 October 1755 at Caposele, aged barely 29. Characteristic are the words he wrote on the door of his cell: “Here is done what God wills, as God wills, and for as long as God wills!”

 

Reflection: “We should always do God’s will with joy” (St Gerard Majella).

 

 

 

Daily Readings

October 29, 2025

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading I

Romans 8:26–30

Brethren: The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 13:4–5, 6–7

Response: I trust in your merciful love, O Lord.

Look, answer me, Lord my God!

Give light to my eyes lest

I fall asleep in death;

lest my enemy say,

“I have overcome him”;

lest my foes rejoice when they see me fall. 

Response: I trust in your merciful love, O Lord.

As for me, I trust in your merciful love.

Let my heart rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord who has been

bountiful with me.

I will sing psalms to the name of

the Lord Most High. 

Response: I trust in your merciful love, O Lord.

Alleluia

See 2 Thessalonians 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God has called us through the Gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel

Luke 13:22–30

At that time: Jesus went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”  And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ Then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Reflection

Discipleship has never been about numbers! The fact that Jesus chose only twelve to be his apostles from several of his disciples should be a cue for us all.  Many of us focus on numbers rather than on quality. Discipleship which is qualitative is one’s ability and courage to enter the narrow door. It is not easy to do so: but this is what is expected of us! We are called by Jesus to take up the cross and follow him cheerfully and lovingly. The cross of Jesus brings joy to us and leads us to eternal life. Besides, salvation is meant for all, we should neither exclude nor discriminate against anyone.

St Narcissus, Bishop, Confessor (c.110 - c.222)

Narcissus was of Greek origin and, being renowned for his virtues and miracles, was made Bishop of Jerusalem in 185. At his provincial synod in 198 he proposed the adoption of the Roman custom of celebrating Easter, but was opposed by certain converted Jews, the last adherents of the old Nazarene Church of Jerusalem. Others, who stood in fear of his severity, calumniated and accused him of various crimes, so that Narcissus, for the sake of peace, finally retired to the desert.

Years later, after three Bishops had succeeded him in his See, he emerged from his retirement and was urged by the Bishops of the neighbouring Sees and the faithful to resume his duties. Because of his very advanced age (around 110 years old!), however, he was selected as coadjutor to a certain Cappadocian bishop, St Alexander, who was in Jerusalem on a pilgrimage. This was the first instance of an Episcopal transfer and Co-adjutorship, and had to be officially ratified by the Palestinian hierarchy.

Reflection: “We advance in the path of Divine love only in proportion as we check the movements of self-love” (St John Berchmans).

Daily Readings

October 28, 2025

Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

 

Reading 1

Ephesians 2:19–22

 

Brethren: You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 19:2–3, 4–5

 

Response: Their sound goes forth through all the earth.

 

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims

the work of his hands.

Day unto day conveys the message,

and night unto night imparts the knowledge.

 

Response: Their sound goes forth through all the earth.

 

No speech, no word,

whose voice goes unheeded;

their sound goes forth through all the earth,

their message to the utmost

bounds of the world.

 

Response: Their sound goes forth through all the earth.

 

Alleluia  

We praise you, O God, we acclaim you as Lord; the glorious company of Apostles praise you.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel

Luke 6:12–19

 

In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

 

Reflection

 

Jesus calls his disciples and chooses the twelve whom he named apostles. Among the twelve, are Saints Simon and Jude; we celebrate their feast today. There is little known of most of the chosen twelve, particularly of Saints Simon and Jude. One thing is clear, the twelve, we are told, are chosen after Jesus spends the whole night in prayer. The people whom Jesus chooses are simple, ordinary folk representing all walks of life, particularly those belonging to the vulnerable sections of society, like fishermen. Today each one of us is called by name and chosen for a mission. The First Reading of today reminds us “in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph 2:22).

 

St Simon the Zealot Apostle and Martyr (1st century)

 

Practically nothing is known for certain about the life of this saint — where he preached the Gospel, where he died, and whether he suffered martyrdom; even his tomb is unknown. But his suffix “the Zealot” has been interpreted to mean either that, as a lawyer, he had a special zeal for the Mosaic Law, or that he was a member of the party of zealous patriots who were preparing to throw off the hated yoke of the Romans.

 

The Greeks and the Copts have a tradition that St Simon was the bridegroom at the marriage feast at Cana in Galilee, where Our Lord performed his first public miracle. He is the patron of wood-cutters and tanners.

 

St Jude Thaddeus Apostle and Martyr (1st century)

 

St Jude was the brother of St James the Less and thus a cousin of our Lord. He is the author of the last canonical epistle of which Origen stated that it “contains strong doctrine in a few lines.” It was to Jude’s question during the Last Supper that our Lord replied that he manifests himself only to those who are faithful in keeping his commandments (cfr. Jn14:23-24).

 

There is a tradition that Jude preached the faith mainly in Palestine, but later went to Persia and Armenia, and suffered martyrdom there. The Emperor Domitian once had St Jude’s grandsons brought from Galilee to Rome, but released them when he realized that they were not political rivals. Owing to the similarity of his name to that of Judas Iscariot, Jude Thaddeus was rarely invoked in prayer, which makes it seem likely that seeking his intercession was seen as a final resort when all else    failed. It is thus that his popularity as the patron saint of lost causes has greatly increased in recent times.

 

The lives of the Apostles, Sts Simon and Jude, are shrouded in obscurity and uncertainty. Yet their very closeness to the Lord Jesus as sharers in the great work of redemption is a reminder to us that holiness, from which stems happiness, comes from following closely in the footsteps of Jesus Christ rather than in being known.

 

Reflection: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. But they will do all this to you because you are mine” (Jesus - Jn 15:20-21).

Daily Readings

October 27, 2025

Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 8:12–17

 

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 68:2 and 4, 6–7ab, 20–21

 

Response: This God of ours is a God who saves.

 

Let God arise; let his foes be scattered.

Let those who hate him flee from his presence.

But the just shall rejoice at the presence of God;

they shall exult with glad rejoicing. 

 

Response: This God of ours is a God who saves.

 

Father of orphans, defender of widows:

such is God in his holy place.

God gives the desolate a home to dwell in;

he leads the prisoners forth

into prosperity. 

 

Response: This God of ours is a God who saves.

 

Day after day, may the Lord be blest.

He bears our burdens; God is our saviour.

This God of ours is a God who saves.

The Lord our Lord provides

an escape from death. 

 

Response: This God of ours is a God who saves.

 

Alleluia

John 17:17b, 17a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Your word, O Lord, is truth; sanctify us in the truth.

 

Gospel

Luke 13:10–17

 

At that time: Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

 

Reflection

 

Jesus takes a stand: he sees the woman with a disabling spirit. She has been suffering for eighteen years. Jesus takes the initiative: he calls her and heals her of her disability.  This rankles the powerful ruler of the Synagogue who represents a system that is unjust and exploitative.  He questions Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath stating that Jesus had broken the Law. Jesus, on the other hand, retorts sharply calling the rulers of the Synagogue ‘hypocrites’; he goes on to highlight the liberating presence of God in the lives of people.  Those who are burdened, shackled, and weighed down by oppressive structures and systems must be set free, as soon as possible. These prophetic acts transcend narrow, insensitive rituals.

 

St Frumentius Bishop, Confessor (c.308 - c.380)

 

Frumentius and Aedesius were young Greek disciples of Meropius, a philosopher from Tyre in Phoenicia whom they were reportedly accompanying on a voyage to India. Their vessel was shipwrecked on the Abyssinian coast and the entire crew perished while the two youths were captured and pressed into service at the court of the King of Abyssinia. When they grew to manhood, they were given their liberty and assigned positions of trust; St Frumentius was even made Royal administrator.

 

On the death of the King whom they had succeeded in converting, the widowed Queen prevailed upon the brothers to supervise the education of the Princes. Frumentius used his position and influence to advance the spread of Christianity; Aedesius returned to Tyre after some years and became a Priest there.

 

In the interest of furthering the Christianization of Abyssinia, St Frumentius went to Egypt and requested St Athanasius to send a bishop and some priests to his adopted country. To the holy Patriarch, Frumentius seemed the most suitable man, and so he consecrated him bishop. The See was established at Axum; the young King was baptized, many churches were built, and the Faith spread all through the kingdom. St Frumentius, is believed to have made the first translation of the New Testament into Ethiopian. The people reverenced him as Abuna (Father), or Abba Salama (Father of Peace), titles which are to this day given to the Metropolitan of the Ethiopian Church.

 

Reflection: “A wise man fears and declines from evil; the fool leaps over and is confident” (Prov 14:16).

 

 

Daily Readings

October 26, 2025

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1

Sirach 35:15b-17, 20–22a

The Lord is the judge, and with him is no partiality. He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man; and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan or the widow when she pours out her story. He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him and does justice for the righteous and executes judgment.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 34:2–3, 17–18, 19 and 23

Response: The lowly one called, and the Lord heard him.

I will bless the Lord at all times;

praise of him is always in my mouth.

In the Lord my soul shall make its boast;

the humble shall hear and be glad. 

Response: The lowly one called, and the Lord heard him.

The Lord turns his face against the wicked

to destroy their remembrance from the earth.

When the just cry out, the Lord hears,

and rescues them in all their distress. 

Response: The lowly one called, and the Lord heard him.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;

those whose spirit is crushed he will save.

The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.

All who trust in him shall not be condemned. 

Response: The lowly one called, and the Lord heard him.

Reading 2

2 Timothy 4:6–8, 16–18

Beloved: I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. At my first defence no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia

2 Corinthians 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Gospel

Luke 18:9–14

At that time: Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Reflection

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is about two persons, with two different styles of prayer, one who personifies pride and the other who epitomizes humility. The Pharisee is clear about his so-called ‘holiness’; he is self-righteous about it and he boastfully tells God that he is not a sinner like the tax collector and that he faithfully observes all the ritualistic practices and other prescriptions. The tax collector, on the other hand, is humble, acknowledges that he is a sinner and seeks God’s mercy. The Pharisee does not feel the need of God, he thinks that he is self-sufficient, thanks to his holier-than-thou attitude. On the other hand, the humble tax collector, who stands at a distance, genuinely seeks the face of God. In our prayer, in our attitudes and actions: are we like the Pharisee or the tax collector?

St Evaristus, Pope, Martyr (- c.107)

Very little is known about the life of St Evaristus, the fifth Pope. Believed to have been the son of a Jew from Bethlehem who settled in Antioch, he succeeded St Clement about the year 100 and reigned until c.107.

According to the 6th century “Book of Popes”, it was St Evaristus who divided the city of Rome into 25 parishes or “titles”, each under its own Presbyter. He also decreed that whenever the Pope preached he was to be surrounded by seven Deacons, to give greater glory to God. Finally, he regulated the formal ceremonies for the consecration of churches, which had been handed down from the Apostles and were strongly reminiscent of the Jewish rites of Solomon; these Christian consecrations had to include the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. It was during this Pope’s reign that the last of the Apostles, St John the Evangelist, died at Ephesus.

Reflection: “It is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life” (St Francis d’Assisi).

 Daily Readings

 October 25, 2025

 Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

 

 Reading I

 Romans 8:1–11

 

Brethren: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

 

 Responsorial Psalm

 Psalm 24:1–2, 3–4ab, 5–6  

 

 Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

 

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world, and those who dwell in it.

It is he who set it on the seas;

on the rivers he made it firm.

 

 Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

 

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The clean of hands and pure of heart,

whose soul is not set on vain things.

 

 Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

 

Blessings from the Lord shall he receive,

and right reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the people who seek him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

 

 Response: These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.

 

 Alleluia

 Ezekiel 33:11

 R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.

 

 Gospel

 Luke 13:1–9

 

There were some present at that very time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vine dresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig round it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”

 

 Reflection

Today’s Gospel is divided into two distinct yet interrelated parts. In the first part, Jesus talks about repentance. Wholehearted repentance is a universal condition.  Twice Jesus says that we need to repent, if not we will perish. He refers to death in an eschatological sense, the destruction of one’s soul.  He also speaks of the suddenness of death. In the second part, we have the parable of the unproductive fig tree – which does not bear fruit.  The owner orders the gardener to cut it down. The gardener appeals – for another year; he promises to work hard so that it bears fruit, if not, he says it can be cut down! The same applies to us: to repent of our sinfulness and to bear fruit!

 

 Saints Crispin and Crispinian, Martyrs ( - 304)

 

These two glorious martyrs came from Rome to preach the Faith in Gaul (France) toward the middle of the 2nd century. They were said to be brothers and from a noble family. They fixed their residence at Soissons, and instructed many in the Christian Faith which they preached publicly during the day; at night, in imitation of St Paul, they worked with their hands, making shoes. The infidels listened to their instructions, and were astonished at the example of their lives, especially of their charity, disinterestedness, heavenly piety and contempt of glory and all earthly things. As a result, many were converted to the Faith.

 

They had continued their missionary activities and employment for several years when a complaint was lodged against them, before the Emperor, Maximian. The Emperor, to gratify their accusers and give way to his savage cruelty, ordered that they should be convened before Rictiovarus, the most implacable enemy of the Christians. He tormented them mercilessly in a bid to kill them by various methods such as drowning, boiling, etc., but all his attempts on their life proved in vain. In a surge of despair and fury he took his own life by jumping into the fire prepared for them. Thereupon, on Maximian’s orders they were beheaded.

 

Later, a church was built over their bodies, and St Eligius the Smith, embellished their shrine. They are traditionally venerated as patrons of shoemakers, cobblers and other leather workers.

 

Reflection: “The martyrs were bound, imprisoned, scourged, racked, burnt, rent asunder, butchered — and they multiplied” (St Augustine).

 

 

 

 

Daily Readings

October 24, 2025

Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 7:18–25a

Brethren: I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94

 

Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

 

Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

for I trust in your commands. 

 

Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

 

You are good, and you do what is good;

teach me your statutes. 

 

Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

 

Let your merciful love console me

by your promise to your servant.

 

Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

 

Show me compassion, that I may live,

for your law is my delight.

 

Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

 

I will never forget your precepts,

for with them you give me life.

 

Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

 

Save me, I am yours,

for I seek your precepts. 

 

Response: Teach me your statutes, O Lord.

 

Alleluia

See Matthew 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have revealed to little children the mysteries of the kingdom.

 

Gospel

Luke 12:54–59

 

At that time: Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’, and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

 

Reflection

 

Discipleship implies one’s openness, willingness and ability to read, understand and respond to the signs of the times. Too often, some refuse to do so! The reasons for not doing so are many, but the underlying fact is that one is either too frightened to do so or one is ensconced in one’s comfort zone and does not want to budge. Both these reasons go against the qualities of discipleship. Jesus calls them ‘hypocrites!’  Interpretation of the present times, a contextual understanding of it and an appropriate response are needed today. Reconciliation with God, with our neighbour and with creation becomes paramount on this journey.  Only if and when we do so conscientiously will we be living our discipleship in a meaningful way.

 

St Anthony Mary Claret

 

Anthony started life as a weaver before studying for the secular priesthood to which he was ordained in 1835. In his missionary work he laid great emphasis on the Eucharist and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and in 1849 a group of like-minded priests was formed by him into the “Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”, the Claretians.

 

In 1851 he was made Archbishop of Santiago in Cuba, where, during his six years, he reformed the seminary and improved clerical discipline and on his many local missions throughout the diocese validated thousands of marriages. Keenly conscious of the importance and need to create material conditions favourable for a good Christian family life, he fostered sound farming methods and credit unions among the poor.

 

Recalled to Spain in 1857 to become, much against his wishes, the confessor of Queen Isabella II, he was exiled with her by the revolution of 1868. His apostolic successes so inflamed the hate of anti-clerical politicians in Spain and Cuba that many attempts were made on his life.

 

A firm believer in a strong Catholic Press, he founded the great Religious Publishing House at Barcelona, which is famous for issuing millions of low-priced copies of the best Catholic works of ancient and modern times, including over 130 works from his own pen.

 

At Vatican I, in 1870, he spoke forcefully in defence of Papal infallibility. After his death at the Cistercian monastery of Fontfroide, France, his heart was found to have remained incorrupt at the time of the translation of his relics in 1897. He was canonized in 1950.

 

Reflection: “Since we cannot send missionaries everywhere, let us send good books which can do as much good as the missionaries themselves” (St Anthony Mary Claret).

Daily Readings

October 23, 2025

Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 6:19–23

Brethren: I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 1:1–2, 3, 4 and 6

 

Response: Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

 

Blessed indeed is the man

who follows not the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the path with sinners,

nor abides in the company of scorners,

but whose delight is the law of the Lord,

and who ponders his law day and night.

 

Response: Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

 

He is like a tree that is planted

beside the flowing waters,

that yields its fruit in due season,

and whose leaves shall never fade;

and all that he does shall prosper.

 

Response: Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

 

Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they, like winnowed chaff,

shall be driven away by the wind.

For the Lord knows the way of the just,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

 

Response: Blessed the man who has placed his trust in the Lord.

 

Alleluia

Philippians 3:8-9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and be found in him.

 

Gospel

Luke 12:49–53

 

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

 

Reflection

 

We live today in a world that is broken and divided: a world which desperately needs healing and peace.  For some, the Gospel of today is controversial and can be interpreted in a very narrow way. Jesus speaks about ‘fire’ – that he has come to cast fire on the earth! True,  fire is a cleansing agent: it purifies. The Holy Spirit at Pentecost comes in the form of tongues of fire: to strengthen us to be authentic witnesses of Jesus today.  When Jesus speaks about bringing in ‘division’ he is stating the obvious: those who follow him will take the side of truth, justice, compassion, peace and fraternity. Sadly, there are many today who are not ready to accept and live these basic values of life!

 

St John Capistran, Confessor (1386-1456)

 

Saint John Capistran studied both Civil and Canon Law at Perugia with brilliant success, and at the age of 27 was appointed Governor of Perugia, then part of the Papal States. He was successful in combating civic corruption, but when the city was captured by the Malatesta in 1416, John who went to entreat for peace, was cast into a dungeon where he began to consider seriously the state of his own soul.  On his release, he had made up his mind to abandon the world entirely in obedience to St Francis d’Assisi who had appeared to him in a dream.

 

At 31, getting his non-consummated marriage to the daughter of the Count of San Valentino annulled, John became a Franciscan friar in 1415. St Bernardine of Siena, whose great eloquence had just become manifest, was his principal teacher and guide, and one of his fellow students was St James of the Marches, who, like himself a former law student, was to support him throughout the next 40 years in his missionary labours and in the reform of the strict Observant Order.

 

Ordained priest in 1425, his  outstanding preaching that was accompanied by great miracles took him to  the principal cities of Italy where  the largest churches could not contain his hearers  who numbered  some 20,000 to 30,000, spilling over into the open squares, Brescia  (northern Italy)  witnessing  a crowd numbering  126,000 people!

 

He was canonized in 1690.

 

Reflection: “Be thou faithful until death: and I will give thee the crown of life” (Apoc 2:10).

 

 

Daily Readings

October 22, 2025

Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 6:12–18

 

Brethren: Let not sin reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 124:1–3, 4–6, 7–8

 

Response: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

 

“If the Lord had not been on our side,”

let Israel say –

“If the Lord had not been on our side

when people rose against us,

then would they have swallowed us alive

when their anger was kindled.

 

Response: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

 

Then would the waters have engulfed us,

the torrent gone over us;

over our head would have swept

the raging waters.”

Blest be the Lord who did not give us

a prey to their teeth.

 

Response: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

 

Our life, like a bird, has escaped

from the snare of the fowler.

Indeed, the snare has been broken,

and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

 

Response: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

 

Alleluia

Matthew 24:42a, 44

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Stay awake, and be ready; the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 

Gospel

Luke 12:39–48

 

At this time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming’, and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

 

Reflection

 

‘It is not easy to trust someone else’ is an experience many go through at some time or other in life. One is often let down, betrayed, or cheated even by those whom one trusts very much.  Trust and fidelity are like two sides of a coin; they are also used interchangeably: a faithful servant is trusted, and a trusted servant is faithful. Jesus however, speaks to us today of how a servant can also betray the master’s trust in many different ways. If we look into our own lives, we will realize that we are also unfaithful servants. We are called to get our act together, internalize the trust reposed in us and be faithful to the mission entrusted to us till the very end!

 

Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope (1920-2005)

 

When Cardinal Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a, Archbishop of Krakow, was elected Pope in 1978, he made history by becoming the first non-Italian in over four centuries and also the first Polish ever to occupy the See of Peter! Naming himself after the two conciliar popes, he signalled his determination to have the fruits of Vatican II benefit every believer.

 

The youngest of three children, he received his First Holy Communion at the age of 9 and his Confirmation at 18. He enrolled at the Jagellonian University of Krakow in 1938, but when the occupying Nazis closed the university in 1939, Karol worked (1940-1944) in a quarry and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn a living and to avoid deportation to Germany. Ordained priest in 1946 on completing his seminary and university studies post-war, he obtained a doctorate in Theology for his dissertation on faith as understood in the works of Saint John of the Cross in 1948 and defended his thesis at the Jagellonian University on the possibility of grounding a Christian ethic on the ethical system developed by Max Scheler.

 

Consecrated auxiliary bishop of Krakow in 1958, he contributed significantly to the drafting of the Apostolic Constitution Gaudium et Spes of Vatican II (1962-1965). Appointed Archbishop of Krakow in 1964, he was created Cardinal in 1967.

 

He survived an assassination attempt in 1981 in St Peter’s Square. Saved by the maternal hand of Mary, he forgave and visited the would-be assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca, in prison. Aware of having received a great gift, he further intensified his pastoral commitments with heroic generosity. He was canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday 2014.

 

Reflection: “Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn’t misuse it.” (Pope St John Paul II)

Daily Readings

October 21, 2025

Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1

Romans 5:12, 15b, 17–19, 20b–21

 

Brethren: Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned – If many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 40:7–8a, 8b–9, 10, 17

 

Response: See, I have come, Lord, to do your will.

 

You delight not in sacrifice and offerings,

but in an open ear.

You do not ask for holocaust and victim.

Then I said, “See, I have come.”

 

Response: See, I have come, Lord, to do your will.

 

In the scroll of the book

it stands written of me:

“I delight to do your will, O my God;

your instruction lies deep within me.”

 

Response: See, I have come, Lord, to do your will.

 

Your justice I have proclaimed

in the great assembly.

My lips I have not sealed;

you know it, O Lord.

 

Response: See, I have come, Lord, to do your will.

 

O let there be rejoicing and gladness

for all who seek you.

Let them ever say, “The Lord is great,”

who long for your salvation.

 

Response: See, I have come, Lord, to do your will.

 

Alleluia

Luke 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to stand before the Son of Man.

 

Gospel

Luke 12:35–38

 

At this time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!

 

Reflection

 

Preparedness is the need of the hour! As humans, we do make intense preparations if, for example, we are expecting the visit of a special guest or if we are having some annual event in our society or institution. This is natural – and one does not need too much coaxing to engage in such preparations. Jesus is, however, talking about a different type of preparation in today’s Gospel: the preparation for eternal life.  Preparing for it meticulously and meaningfully will determine how one lives one’s life here on earth. Jesus situates this preparation in the context of a wedding feast when the servants stay awake waiting for their master to return home: they are dressed for action with their lamps burning. Can we say the same about ourselves?

 

St Hilarion the Great, Abbot, Confessor (c.291 –c.371)

 

Born of pagan parents, near Gaza in Palestine, Hilarion schooled at Alexandria, Egypt,  before converting  to Christianity. At 15, having heard about St Anthony the Great, “Father of Anchorites”, he spent two months in the desert under his personal guidance imbibing his life of penance and contemplation. On his return to Palestine, noting that both his parents had died, he divided his fortune among the poor before retiring to the desert of Majuma near Gaza, where, living in abject poverty, he devoted himself to the austere life of an anchorite. For his upkeep, he wove baskets and grew his own vegetables.  He permitted himself just one frugal meal a day, after sunset, consisting of a small piece of bread and some herbs or vegetables.

 

Hilarion performed supernatural cures and exorcized the possessed, even as his guidance came to be in such demand that, with curious pilgrims arriving by the droves, he found it difficult to make time for personal prayer. Nevertheless, many heathens were converted to the Faith and his group of disciples growing considerably.

 

At 69, Hilarion first returned to Egypt and revisited the places associated with  St Anthony who had died  five years  earlier. He managed to escape the Julian persecution by retiring to the Libyan desert.  The danger having passed, he crossed over to Sicily where he lived as a hermit until he was discovered by one of his former disciples. He died in a lonely cave in Cyprus, aged 80.

 

Reflection: “As someone harvests fruit with one hand and clings to the tree with the other so as not to fall, in this way cling to God, who is the tree of life” (Blessed James Alberione).