October 1
Wednesday

26th Week in Ordinary Time
Thérèse of the Child Jesus
 

First Reading: Job 9:1-12, 14-16

Then Job answered:
Very well I know that it is so.
But how can a mortal be just before God?
If one were to contend with him,
not once in a thousand times would he answer.
His power is vast, his wisdom profound.
Who has resisted him and come out unharmed?
He moves mountains before they are aware;
he overturns them in his rage.
He makes the earth tremble
and its pillars quake.
He commands the sun, and it does not shine;
he seals off the light of the stars.
He alone stretches out the skies
and thread on the waves of the seas.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and every constellation.
His wonders are past all reckoning,
his miracles beyond all counting.
He passes by, but I do not see him;
he moves on, but I do not notice him.
If he snatches away, who can stop him?
Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"
How then can I answer him
and find words to argue with him?
If he does not answer when I am right,
shall I plead with my judge for mercy?
Even if I appealed and he answered,
I do not believe that he would have heard.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15
Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 9:57-62
 

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
To another Jesus said, "Follow me." But he answered, "Let me go back now, for first I want to bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Another said to him, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family." And Jesus said to him, "Whoever has put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."
 

Commentary
There is immediacy in Jesus' call. The Lord's invitation is direct and requires of us an immediate response. We cannot put off until tomorrow the task of following Jesus, nor can we ask Him to wait on us to make up our minds.
The opportunities that we have today to serve the Lord might never pass again. This day we have the opportunity to do so many great and wonderful things to help other people. Let us be resolved to do those things today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today. For the opportunities of this day might never pass again.
 

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October 2
Thursday

26th Week in Ordinary Time
Guardian Angels

First Reading: Ex 23:20-23

See, I am sending an Angel before you to keep you safe on the way and bring you to the place I have made ready.
Be on your guard in his presence and listen to him; do not resist him for he will not pardon your wrong-doing, for my name is in him.
If you listen to him and do what I say, I will be enemy to your enemies and the opponent of your opponents. My Angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; all these I will destroy.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 91:1-2, 3-4ab, 4c-6, 10-11
The Lord has put angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.
 

Gospel Reading: Mt 18:1-5, 10
 

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and said, "I assure you that unless you change and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes lowly like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives such a child in my name receives me.
"See that you do not despise any of these little ones, for I tell you: their angels in heaven continually see the face of my heavenly Father."

Commentary
Do you believe in angels? The Bible and the Church are clear in teaching not only the existence of angels, but of their constant, loving presence in our world. The angels are God's messengers, and offer to us more help each day than we can possibly imagine.
God's ways are not our ways, and the Lord often acts in ways that we perceive only by looking back and realizing that without God's help we would never have made it through a difficult situation. May we offer thanks this day for our guardian angel, that spiritual creature who communicates God's personal interest in our lives.
 

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October 3
Friday

26th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5

Then Yahweh answered Job out of the storm:
Have you ever commanded the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
that it might grasp the earth by its edges
and shake the wicked out of it,
when it takes a clay color
and changes its tint like a garment;
when the wicked are denied their own light,
and their proud arm is shattered?
Have you journeyed to where the sea begins
or walked in its deepest recesses?
Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of Shadow?
Have you an idea of the breadth of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
Where is the way to the home of light,
and where does darkness dwell?
Can you take them to their own regions,
and set them on their homeward paths?
You know, for you were born before them,
and great is the number of your years!

Job said:
How can I reply, unworthy as I am!
All I can do is put my hand over my mouth.
I have spoken once, now I will not answer;
oh, yes, twice, but I will do no further.

 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 139:1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Gospel Reading: Lk 10:13-16
 

Jesus said, "Alas for you Chorazin! Alas for you Bethsaida! So many miracles have been worked in you! If the same miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would already be sitting in ashes and wearing the sackcloth of repentance. Surely for Tyre and Sidon it will be better than for you on the Judgment Day. And what of you, city of Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead.
"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects the one who sent me."
 

Commentary
The word repentance translates the Greek word that means to change one's mind. Believing in the Lord and following in His footsteps requires of us daily change in the way in which we live. So often we tend naturally toward selfishness and immediate gratification of the senses. The Lord tells us that we are better than that. In fact, St. Paul would put it thus, "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
Being a follower of Jesus means acting in a manner different from the way others act. May we dare to be different.

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October 4
Saturday

26th Week in Ordinary Time
Francis of Assisi

First Reading: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17

This was the answer Job gave to Yahweh:
I know that you are all powerful;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
I spoke of things I did not understand,
too wonderful for me to know.
My ears had heard of you,
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I retract all I have said,
and in dust and ashes I repent.
Yahweh blessed Job's latter days much more than his earlier ones. He came to own fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-donkeys. He was also blessed with seven sons and three daughters. The first daughter he named Dove, the second Cinnamon, and the third Bottle of Perfume. Nowhere in the land was there found any woman who could compare in beauty with Job's daughters. Their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.
Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. He died old and full of years.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130
Lord, let your face shine on me.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 10:17-24
 

The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy. They said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on your name." Then Jesus replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, don't rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven."
At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, "Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see but did not, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

Commentary
The disciples' joy sprang from their realization that they could accomplish such wonderful things when they used Jesus' name. On their own they could do nothing, but with Him their accomplishments were astounding. Their joy was sincere as they gave to the Lord the glory and honor that was His due. With His help there was no end to the good that they could do.
That same joy is ours when we express thanks to God for all of the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Gratitude is the womb of joy, for a person cannot be both grateful and unhappy at the same time.

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October 5
Sunday

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Is 5:1-7

Let me sing for my beloved the love song of my beloved about his vineyard.
My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up, cleared the stones, and planted the choicest vines. He built there a watchtower and hewed out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do that I have not done for my vineyard? Good grapes was the yield I expected, why did it yield only sour grapes?
Now I will let you know what I am going to do with my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be burned; I will break down its wall and it will be trampled on. I will make it a wasteland, I will neither prune nor hoe it, and briers and thorns will grow there. I command the clouds, as well, not to send rain on it.
The vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the people of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant vine. He looked for justice, but found bloodshed; He looked for righteousness but heard cries of distress.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20
The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Second Reading: Phil 4:6-9
 

Brothers and sisters, do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God. Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, lovely and noble. Be mindful of whatever deserves praise and admiration. Put into practice what you have learned from me, what I passed on to you, what you heard from me or saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel Reading: Mt 21:33-43
 

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders, "There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a hole for the winepress, built a watchtower, leased the vineyard to tenants and then went to a distant country. When harvest time came, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the harvest. But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another and stoned another.
"Again the owner sent more servants, but they were treated in the same way.
"Finally, he sent his son, thinking: 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they thought: 'This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let us kill him and his inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
"Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do with the tenants when he comes?" They said to him, "He will bring those evil to an evil end, and lease the vineyard to others who will pay him in due time."
And Jesus replied, "Have you never read what the Scriptures say? The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; and we marvel at it. Therefore I say to you: the kingdom of heaven will be taken from you and given to a people who will yield a harvest."

Commentary
How foolish of the tenants to think that they could get away with such actions! No court of law would recognize their claims upon the land of the owner, yet the ground ran with blood because of their presumption.
We presume upon the mercy of God when we are allured by the seductive whisper of the Evil One, the One who tells us of our sins "It's not so bad," and "Don't worry, everyone does it." How foolish we are when we allow ourselves to be convinced by the one whose promises are empty and whose aim is only to destroy our souls.
 

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October 6
Monday

27th Week in Ordinary Time
Bruno

First Reading: Gal 1:6-12

I am surprised at how quickly you have abandoned God who called you according to the grace of Christ, and have gone to another gospel. Indeed, there is no other gospel, but some people who are sowing confusion among you want to turn the Gospel of Christ upside down.
But even if we ourselves were giving you another gospel different from the one we preached to you, or if it were an angel from heaven, I would say: let God's curse be on him! As I have said I now say again: if anyone preaches the Gospel in a way other than you received it, fire that one. Are we to please humans or obey God? Do you think that I try to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel we preached to you is not a human message, nor did I receive it from anyone, I was not taught of it but it came to me as a revelation from Christ Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 111:1b-2, 7-8, 9 and 10c
The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 10:25-37
 

Then a teacher of the Law came and began putting Jesus to the test. And he said, "Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?" Jesus replied, "What is written in the Scripture? How do you understand it?" The man answered, "It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus replied, "What a good answer! Do this and you shall live." The man wanted to keep up appearances, so he replied, "Who is my neighbor?"
Jesus then said, "There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite saw the man and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, too, was going that way, and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion. He went over to him and treated his wounds with oil and wine and wrapped them with bandages. Then he put him on his own mount and brought him to an inn where he took care of him.
The next day he had to set off, but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and told him: 'Take care of him and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I come back.'"
Jesus then asked, "Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The teacher of the Law answered, "The one who had mercy on him." And Jesus said, "Go then and do the same."
 

Commentary
The priest and the Levite were probably upstanding citizens. They erred in thinking that someone else would come to the aid of the injured man, and that he was not their responsibility.
We do a good thing when we accept responsibility for the well-being of those less fortunate than ourselves. Making a monetary contribution to assist those in need is an act of kindness and is to be praised. Deserving of even more admiration are those acts of mercy that put us in direct contact with the poor. For whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do for the Lord.

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October 7
Tuesday

27th Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lady of the Rosary

First Reading: Gal 1:13-24

You have heard of my previous activity in the Jewish community; I furiously persecuted the Church of God and tried to destroy it. For I was more devoted to the Jewish religion than many fellow Jews of my age, and I defended the traditions of my ancestors more fanatically.
But one day God called me out of his great love, he who had chosen me from my mother's womb; and he was pleased to reveal in me his Son, that I might make him known among the pagan nations. Then I did not seek human advice nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. I immediately went to Arabia, and from there I returned again to Damascus. Later, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord's brother. On writing this to you, I affirm before God that I am not lying.
After that I went to Syria and Cilicia. The churches of Christ in Judea did not know me personally; they had only heard of me: "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he tried to uproot." And they praised God because of me.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 10:38-42
 

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he entered a village and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. She had a sister named Mary who sat down at the Lord's feet to listen to his words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving and finally she said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?"
But the Lord answered, "Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her."

Commentary
In listening to the words of Jesus, Mary anticipates the good things that are in store for us in heaven, when we will enjoy a blessed communion with the Lord and all the saints. Being busy with the daily concerns of life is important, but even more important is taking time to pray from the heart and to attend to the Lord in contemplative silence.
Martha is honored as a saint, yet Mary is identified as having chosen the better part. May we find ourselves committed to finding time each day for quiet prayer, for in so doing we store up for ourselves spiritual treasure.

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October 8
Wednesday

27th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Gal 2:1-2, 7-14

After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and Titus came with us. Following a revelation, I went to lay before them the Gospel that I am preaching to the pagans. I had a private meeting with the leaders-lest I should be working or have worked in a wrong way.
They recognized that I have been entrusted to give the Good News to the pagan nations, just as Peter has been entrusted to give it to the Jews. In the same way that God made Peter the apostle of the Jews, he made me the apostle of the pagans.
James, Cephas and John acknowledged the graces God gave me. Those men who were regarded as the pillars of the Church stretched out their hand to me and Barnabas as a sign of fellowship; we would go to the pagans and they to the Jews. We should only keep in mind the poor among them. I have taken care to do this.
When later Cephas came to Antioch, I confronted him since he deserved to be blamed. Before some of James' people arrived, he used to eat with non-Jewish people. But when they arrived, he withdrew and did not mingle anymore with them, for fear of the Jewish group. The rest of the Jews followed him in this pretense, and even Barnabas was part of this insincerity. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas publicly: If you who are Jewish agreed to live like the non-Jews, setting aside the Jewish customs, why do you now compel the non-Jews to live like Jews?

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 117:1bc, 2
Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:1-4
 

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." And Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say this:
Father, hallowed be your name,
may your kingdom come,
give us each day the kind of bread we need,
and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive all who do us wrong,
and do not bring us to the test."

Commentary
This simple oration can be memorized by small children, yet it holds within it every prayer that we could ever need. When we pray for daily bread, we ask the Lord for material sustenance along our earthly journey, yet we ask for much more as well. The daily bread that we truly need is the bread of His sacred presence, the precious gift of His Body and Blood given to us in Holy Communion.
Without food for our stomach we cannot survive, nor can we live without food for the soul. Through the power of the Lord's Prayer, may we never be far from the Holy Eucharist.
 

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October 9
Thursday

27th Week in Ordinary Time
Denis and Companions / John Leonardi

First Reading: Gal 3:1-5

How foolish you are, Galatians! How could they bewitch you after Jesus Christ has been presented to you as crucified? I shall ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by the practice of the Law, or by believing the message? How can you be such fools: you begin with the Spirit and end up with the flesh!
So you have experienced all this in vain! Would that it were not so! Did God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you, because of your observance of the Law or because you believed in his message?
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:5-13
 

Jesus said to his disciples, "Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says: 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived and I have nothing to offer him.' Maybe your friend will answer from inside: 'Don't bother me now; the door is locked and my children and I are in bed, so I can't get up and give you anything.' But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you are a friend, yet he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need.
"And so I say to you, 'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened.
"If your child asks for a fish, will you give a snake instead? And if your child asks for an egg, will you give a scorpion? Even you evil people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more then will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those who ask him!"
 

Commentary
Persistence pays in obtaining what we want in human relationships. The best price in the marketplace is often the fruit of lengthy negotiation and tireless efforts. If that is so in our dealings with others, why should we not persevere in our prayer?
The popular anagram puts it thus: "PUSH: Pray Until Something Happens!" We per-severe in our prayer not because God does not listen, but because so often something happens within us the more we pray. In fact, persistence in prayer bears fruit in abundance when our minds and hearts are conformed more and more to the will of God.

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October 10
Friday

27th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Gal 3:7-14

Understand then that those who follow the way of faith are sons and daughters of Abraham.
The Scriptures foresaw that by the way of faith, God would give true righteousness to the non-Jewish nations. For God's promise to Abraham was this: In you shall all the nations be blessed. So now those who take the way of faith receive the same blessing as Abraham who believed; but those who rely on the practice of the Law are under a curse, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not always fulfill everything written in the Law.
It is plainly written that no one becomes righteous, in God's way, by the Law: by faith the righteous shall live. Yet the Law gives no place to faith, for according to it: the one who fulfills the commandments shall have life through them.
Now Christ rescued us from the curse of the Law by becoming cursed himself for our sake, as it is written: there is a curse on everyone who is hanged on a tree. So the blessing granted to Abraham reached the pagan nations in and with Christ, and we received the promised Spirit through faith.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 111:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6
The Lord will remember his covenant for ever.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:15-26
 

When Jesus was casting out a devil some of the people said, "He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons." So others wanted to put him to the test by asking him for a heavenly sign.
But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your fellow members drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.
"But suppose I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as the strong and armed man guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger one attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on and disposes of his spoils.
"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me, scatters.
"When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands looking for a resting place. And finding none, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' When it comes, it finds the house swept and everything in order. Then it goes to fetch seven other spirits even worse than itself. They move in and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first."
 

Commentary
These words about evil spirits are from the Lord, and we must take them seriously. The Prayer to St. Michael speaks about the evil spirits who prowl the world seeking the ruin of souls. Insidious and deceptive are these spirits, who strive to convince us that we need not keep the commandments, and that our separation from the Lord is nothing to worry about.
Evil spirits are powerful, and we should maintain constant vigilance against them, always by abiding in the Lord Jesus, the good and gentle shepherd whose power over our enemies is without compare.

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October 11
Saturday

27th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Gal 3:22-29

But the written Law has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ, would be accomplished in those who believe.
Before the time of faith had come, the Law confined us and kept us in custody until the time in which faith would show up. The Law then was serving as a slave to look after us until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. With the coming of faith, we are no longer submitted to this guidance.
Now, in Christ Jesus, all of you are sons and daughters of God through faith. All of you who were given to Christ through baptism, have put on Christ. Here there is no longer any difference between Jew or Greek, or between slave or freed, or between man and woman: but all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Christ, you are of Abraham's race and you are to inherit God's promise.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:27-28
 

As Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to him, "Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you!" Jesus replied, "Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well."

Commentary
The image of the closeness of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her beloved Son is always before us, for she is the model of discipleship, the first one to hear the Word of God and keep it.
During the month of October we express our devotion to the Blessed Mother through frequent and public recitation of the Most Holy Rosary. The mysteries of the Rosary are scriptural and focused upon the life, death and resurrection of our Lord. Meditating upon these mysteries every day of our life is a tried and true way of growing closer to Jesus and being more faithful in keeping His Holy Word.

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October 12
Sunday

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Is 25:6-10a

On this mountain
Yahweh Sabaoth will prepare
for all peoples a feast
of rich food and choice wines,
meat full of marrow,
fine wine strained.
On this mountain he will destroy
the pall cast over all peoples,
this very shroud
spread over all nations,
and death will be no more.
The Lord Yahweh will wipe away
the tears from all cheeks and eyes;
he will take away
the humiliation of his people
all over the world: for Yahweh has spoken.
On that day you will say: This is our God.
We have waited for him to save us,
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
For on this mountain the hand of Yahweh rests.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

 

Second Reading: Phil 4:12-14,19-20
 

Brothers and sisters, I know what it is to be in want and what it is to have plenty. I am trained for both: to be hungry or satisfied, to have much or little. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
However you did right in sharing my trials.
God himself will provide you with everything you need, according to his riches, and show you his generosity in Christ Jesus. Glory to God, our Father, for ever and ever: Amen.

Gospel Reading: Mt 22:1-14
 

Jesus went on speaking to the chief priests and elders in parables: "This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king celebrated the wedding of his son. He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come.
"Again he sent other servants ordering them to say to the invited guests: 'I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and other animals, and now everything is ready; come then, to the wedding feast.' But they paid no attention and went away, some to their fields, and others to their work. While the rest seized the servants of the king, insulted them and killed them.
"The king became angry. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants: 'The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy. Go, then, to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.'
"The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests.
"The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment. So he said to him: 'Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?' But the man remained silent. So the king said to his servants: 'Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Commentary
The banquet hall must be filled! This is the master's command to the servants, one that would ensure a grand celebration of his son's wedding feast.
The wedding feast of the Bridegroom, the Son of God, is the eternal banquet awaiting us in heaven, a banquet that is anticipated in every celebration of the Holy Eucharist. This banquet celebrates the victory of the Lord over the enemy, a celebration in which the Lord intends to include every person. May we never be so foolish as to excuse ourselves from the Lord's invitation. May His banquet hall be filled!

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October 13
Monday

28th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1

It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by the free woman, his wife. The son of the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but the son of the free woman was born in fulfillment of God's promise.
Here we have an allegory and the figures of two covenants. The first is the one from Mount Sinai, represented through Hagar: her children have slavery for their lot.
But the Jerusalem above, who is our mother, is free. And Scripture says of her: Rejoice, barren woman without children, break forth in shouts of joy, you who do not know the pains of childbirth, for many shall be the children of the forsaken mother, more than of the married woman.
Brethren, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
Christ freed us to make us really free. So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5a and 6-7
Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:29-32
 

As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, "People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah's preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah."

Commentary
The Old Testament prophets called the people of God to conversion of heart, and Jonah went forth to call the pagans in Nineveh to repentance.
We are to pay special heed to the words of Jesus, for He is far greater than any of the prophets. The daily reading of the Bible is important if we are to conform our will to His, and if we are to live as His ambassadors. As we read daily from the Bible, may we ask the important "conversion" question, "What must I change in my life, now that I have heard the Word of God?"
 

October 14
Tuesday

28th Week in Ordinary Time
Callistus I

First Reading: Gal 5:1-6

Christ freed us to make us really free. So remain firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. I, Paul, say this to you: if you receive circumcision, Christ can no longer help you. Once more I say to whoever receives circumcision: you are now bound to keep the whole Law. All you who pretend to become righteous through the observance of the Law have separated yourselves from Christ and have fallen away from grace.
As for us, through the Spirit and faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. In Christ Jesus it is irrelevant whether we be circumcised or not; what matters is faith working through love.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 119:41, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48
Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:37-41
 

As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So he went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him, "So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean."
 

Commentary
Without interior conversion, we are no better than the Pharisee.
Through our daily reading of the Bible, and through regular and frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist, we allow the Lord Jesus into our lives so that He might accomplish within us the renewal that He intends.
Interior renewal always effects exterior changes: our words and actions become more Christ-like, and a sense of peace and well-being surrounds us. Others will want to know the secret of our serenity, and we will be quick to tell them of the good things that the Lord has done for us.

October 15
Wednesday

28th Week in Ordinary Time
Teresa of Jesus

First Reading: Gal 5:18-25

But when you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law.
You know what comes from the flesh: fornication, impurity and shamelessness, idol worship and sorcery, hatred, jealousy and violence, anger, ambition, division, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I again say to you what I have already said: those who do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy and peace, patience, understanding of others, kindness and fidelity, gentleness and self-control. For such things there is no Law or punishment. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its vices and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us live in a spiritual way.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:42-46
 

Jesus said, "A curse is on you, Pharisees; for the Temple you give a tenth of all, including mint and rue and the other herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. This ought to be practiced, without neglecting the other. A curse is on you, Pharisees, for you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplace. A curse is on you for you are like tombstones of the dead which can hardly be seen; people don't notice them and make themselves unclean by stepping on them."
Then a teacher of the Law spoke up and said, "Master, when you speak like this, you insult us, too." And Jesus answered, "A curse is on you also, teachers of the Law. For you prepare unbearable burdens and load them on the people, while you yourselves don't move a finger to help them."

Commentary
Jesus continues his criticism of the Pharisees by pointing our their hypocrisy. They are concerned only with themselves, and neglect the fundamental commandment to love their neighbor.
All of our outward religious observance is for naught if we do not concern ourselves with the well-being of others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. We cannot show God the respect and reverence that is His due unless we also show respect for His children-our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Care and concern for others is the hallmark of discipleship, the means by which others will know that we truly love the Lord.

October 16
Thursday

28th Week in Ordinary Time
Hedwig / Margaret Mary Alacoque

First Reading: Eph 1:1-10

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
to the saints in Ephesus, to you who share Christian faith:
receive grace and peace from God our Father and from Jesus the Lord.
Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord,
who in Christ has blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing.
God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world
to be holy and without sin in his presence.
From eternity he destined us in love
to be his adopted sons and daughters through Christ Jesus,
thus fulfilling his free and generous will.
This goal suited him:
that his loving-kindness which he granted us in his Beloved
might finally receive all glory and praise.
For in Christ we obtain freedom, sealed by his blood,
and have the forgiveness of sins.
In this appears the greatness of his grace,
which he lavished on us.
In all wisdom and understanding,
God has made known to us his mysterious design,
in accordance with his loving-kindness in Christ.
In him and under him God wanted to unite,
when the fullness of time had come,
everything in heaven and on earth.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
The Lord has made known his salvation.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 11:47-54
 

Jesus said to the Pharisees, "A curse is on you, for you build memorials to the prophets your ancestors killed. So you approve and agree with what your ancestors did. Is it not so? They got rid of the prophets, and now you can build!"
(The Wisdom of God also said,) "I will send prophets and apostles and this people will kill and persecute some of them. But the present generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all.
"A curse is on you, teachers of the Law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering."
As Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to harass him, asking him endless questions, setting traps to catch him in something he might say.
 

Commentary
Jesus' criticism of the lawyers and Pharisees was not without consequence. He spoke the truth, and in so doing became marked for death. His words would be used against Him, and those who felt the sting of His teaching would seek to bring Him down.
When the Word of God takes root within us we can expect similar consequences. When we live the Gospel we act in a manner that is threatening to the status quo. We cannot follow Jesus without finding ourselves ridiculed, ignored or even persecuted. Following Jesus means walking with Him all the way to the cross.
 

October 17
Friday

28th Week in Ordinary Time
Ignatius of Antioch

First Reading: Eph 1:11-14

By a decree of Him who disposes all things
according to his own plan and decision
we, the Jews, have been chosen and called
and we were awaiting the Messiah,
for the praise of his glory.
You, on hearing the word of truth,
the Gospel that saves you,
have believed in him.
And, as promised, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit,
the first pledge of what we shall receive,
on the way to our deliverance as a people of God,
for the praise of his glory.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13
Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 12:1-7
 

Such a numerous crowd had gathered that they crushed one another. Then Jesus spoke to his disciples in this way,
"Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be made known. Whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places, will be proclaimed from the housetops.
"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who put to death the body and after that can do no more. But I will tell you whom to fear: Fear the One who after killing you is able to throw you into hell. This one you must fear. Don't you get five sparrows for two pennies? Yet not one of them has been forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have been numbered. So do not fear: are you not worth more than a flock of sparrows?

Commentary
The Lord challenges us to be much better than we think ourselves capable of being, for He calls us to the good life, a life of holiness and virtue. Yet the Lord does not simply invite us to such a life, He draws us to Himself by removing all obstacles that can stand in the way of our blessedness. He pays the price to ransom us from our sins, considering us worth every drop of blood that He would shed upon the cross.
May we never forget the sufferings that the Lord endured that we might have life to the full.

October 18
Saturday

28th Week in Ordinary Time
Luke

First Reading: 2 Tim 4:10-17b

You must know that Demas has deserted me for the love of this world: he returned to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is a useful helper in my work. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
Bring with you the cloak I left at Troas, in Carpos' house and also the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander the metalworker has caused me great harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. Distrust him for he has been very much opposed to our preaching.
At my first hearing in court no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength to proclaim the Word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 10:1-9
 

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, "The harvest is rich, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know."
"Whatever house you enter, first bless them saying: 'Peace to this house.' If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house."
"When they welcome you in any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there and say to them: 'The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.'"

Commentary
A lamb has no means of defending itself, save only to run. Yet the Good Shepherd keeps a vigilant watch over the flock, safeguarding them from all that could bring them harm.
Just as the lambs have no choice but to trust in the protection of the shepherd, the Lord invites us to an absolute trust in His protection. He invites us to place all of our confidence in Him, and promises that we will not be disappointed. As we face the task of living out our faith amidst the opposition of the world, may we remember that He is never far.
 

October 19
Sunday

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Is 45:1, 4-6

Thus says Yahweh to his anointed, to Cyrus:
I have taken you by the right hand
to subdue nations before you
and strip kings of their armor,
to open the gateways before you
so that they will be closed no more.
For the sake of Jacob my servant,
of Israel my chosen one,
I have called you by your name
and given you your mission
although you do not know me.
I am Yahweh, and there is no other;
there is no God besides me.
I armed you when you did not know me,
so that, from the rising
to the setting of the sun,
all may know
that there is no one besides me;
I am Yahweh, and there is no other.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10
Give the Lord glory and honor.

Second Reading: 1 Thes 1:1-5b
 

From Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy to the church of Thesalonica which is in God the Father and in Christ Jesus, the Lord.
May the peace and grace of God be with you.
We give thanks to God at all times for you and remember you in our prayers. We constantly recall before God our Father the work of your faith, the labors of your love and your endurance in waiting for Christ Jesus our Lord.
We remember, brothers and sisters, the circumstances of your being called. The gospel we brought you was such not only in words. Miracles, Holy Spirit and plenty of everything were given to you.

Gospel Reading: Mt 22:15-21
 

The Pharisees went out and took counsel on how they could trap Jesus with his own words. They then sent their disciples with the members of Herod's party for this purpose.
They said to Jesus, "Master, we know that you are an honest man and truly teach God's way; you are not influenced by others nor are you afraid of anyone. Tell us, then, what you think: is it against the Law to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
But Jesus understood their evil intent, and said to them, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? Show me the coin with which you pay the taxes."
They showed him a denarius, and Jesus said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose name?" They answered, "Caesar's." Then Jesus replied, "Therefore, return to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Commentary
Being part of a society carries with it numerous responsibilities, including the payment of taxes. We rightly develop the virtue of patriotism and strive to do our best to contribute to the common good. Yet our obligations to "Caesar" are not absolute. We answer to a higher King, and His commands are always to be kept.
St. Thomas More defended himself against the capital charges brought against him by asserting, "I am the king's good servant, but God's first." May his example and intercession assist us as we navigate the sometimes difficult waters between our secular and spiritual duties.

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October 20
Monday

29th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Eph 2:1-10

You were dead through the faults and sins. Once you lived through them according to this world and followed the Sovereign Ruler who reigns between heaven and earth and who goes on working in those who resist the faith. All of us belonged to them at one time and we followed human greed; we obeyed the urges of our human nature and consented to its desires. By ourselves, we went straight to the judgment like the rest of humankind.
But God, who is rich in mercy, revealed his immense love. As we were dead through our sins, he gave us life with Christ. By grace you have been saved! And he raised us to life with Christ, giving us a place with him in heaven.
In showing us such kindness in Christ Jesus, God willed to reveal and unfold in the coming ages the extraordinary riches of his grace. By the grace of God you have been saved through faith. This has not come from you: it is God's gift. This was not the result of your works, so you are not to feel proud. What we are is God's work. He has created us in Christ Jesus for the good works he has prepared that we should devote ourselves to them.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 100:1b-2, 3, 4ab, 4c-5
The Lord made us, we belong to him.

Gospel Reading: Lk 12:13-21
 

Someone in the crowd spoke to Jesus, "Master, tell my brother to share with me the family inheritance." He replied, "My friend, who has appointed me as your judge or your attorney?" Then Jesus said to the people, "Be on your guard and avoid every kind of greed, for even though you have many possessions, it is not that which gives you life."
And Jesus continued with this story, "There was a rich man and his land had produced a good harvest. He thought: 'What shall I do? For I am short of room to store my harvest.' So this is what he planned: 'I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones to store all this grain, which is my wealth. Then I may say to myself: My friend, you have a lot of good things put by for many years. Rest, eat, drink and enjoy yourself.' But God said to him: 'You fool! This very night your life will be taken from you; tell me who shall get all you have put aside?' This is the lot of the one who stores up riches instead of amassing for God."

Commentary
A greedy person has fallen prey to the seductive allure of material possessions. He begins to think that his value as a human being is dependent upon his earthly riches, and strives to acquire more and more, even to the detriment of his family life and his spiritual well-being.
Greed is a force that is powerful and real, yet with God's grace it can be conquered. Specific and regular acts of generosity toward the poor and less fortunate bring a person to the realization that happiness comes not from one's possessions, but from being loved by the Lord. Nothing else matters.

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October 21
Tuesday

29th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Eph 2:12-22

At that time you were without Christ, you did not belong to the community of Israel; the covenants of God and his promises were not for you; you had no hope and were without God in this world. But now, in Christ Jesus and by his blood, you who were once far off have come near.
For Christ is our peace, he who has made the two peoples one, destroying in his own flesh the wall-the hatred-which separated us. He abolished the Law with its commands and precepts. He made peace in uniting the two peoples in him, creating out of the two one New Man. He destroyed hatred and reconciled us both to God through the cross, making the two one body.
He came to proclaim peace; peace to you who were far off, peace to the Jews who were near. Through him we-the two peoples-approach the Father in one Spirit.
Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord. In him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 85:9ab-10, 11-12, 13-14
The Lord speaks of peace to his people.

Gospel Reading: Lk 12:35-38
 

Jesus said to his disciples, "Be ready, dressed for service, and keep your lamps lit, like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding. As soon as he comes and knocks, they will open to him. Happy are those servants whom the master finds wide-awake when he comes. Truly, I tell you, he will put on an apron and have them sit at table and he will wait on them. Happy are those servants if he finds them awake when he comes at midnight or daybreak!"

Commentary
The Lord will return in glory at a time that is known to Him alone. Meanwhile, we are vigilant. We act as though his return is imminent, remaining faithful to our res-ponsibilities and steadfast in our prayer. We know neither the day nor the hour, yet we continue to stay alert and wake, ready for His coming.
A person who is truly wise remembers that time is fleeting and that death is always near. Every day is a blessing, another opportunity to serve the Lord and to make progress along the way to heaven.
 

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October 22
Wednesday

29th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Eph 3:2-12

You may have heard of the graces God bestowed on me for your sake. By a revelation he gave me the knowledge of his mysterious design, as I have explained in a few words. On reading them you will have some idea of how I understand the mystery of Christ.
This mystery was not made known to past generations but only now, through revelations given to holy apostles and prophets. Now the non-Jewish people share the Inheritance; in Christ Jesus the non-Jews are incorporated and are to enjoy the Promise.
This is the Good News of which I have become minister by a gift of God, a grace he gave me, when his power worked in me.
This grace was given to me, the least among all the holy ones: to announce to the pagan nations the immeasurable riches of Christ and to make clear to all how the mystery, hidden from the beginning in God, the Creator of all things, is to be fulfilled.
Even the heavenly forces and powers will now discover through the Church the wisdom of God in its manifold expression, as the plan is being fulfilled which God designed from the beginning in Christ Jesus, our Lord. In him we receive boldness and confidence to approach God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 12:39-48
 

Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to this: If the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect."
Peter said, "Lord, did you tell this parable only for us, or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "Imagine, then, the wise and faithful steward whom the master sets over his other servants to give them food rations at the proper time. Fortunate is this servant if his master on coming home finds him doing his work. Truly, I say to you, the master will put him in charge of all his property.
"But it may be that the steward thinks: 'My Lord delays in coming,' and he begins to abuse the menservants and the servant girls, eating and drinking and getting drunk. Then the master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he doesn't know. He will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.
"The servant who knew his master's will, but did not prepare to do what his master wanted, will be punished with sound blows; but the one who did what deserved a punishment without knowing it shall receive fewer blows. Much will be required of the one who has been given much, and more will be asked of the one entrusted with more."

Commentary
The Lord generously bestows upon us blessings without measure. He is so very good to us, yet He also expects much of us. We are called to be good and faithful stewards of all that the Lord entrusts to us.
A good steward is grateful, always thanking God for blessings received. A good steward is also responsible with the gifts that God has bestowed, using them wisely and never taking them for granted. Finally, a good steward generously shares with others, believing Jesus' words that it is better to give than to receive. Good stewardship is always pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
 

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October 23
Thursday

29th Week in Ordinary Time
John of Capistrano

First Reading: Eph 3:14-21

And now I kneel in the presence of the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth has received its name.
May he strengthen in you the inner self through his Spirit, according to the riches of his glory;
may Christ dwell in your hearts through faith;
may you be rooted and founded in love.
All of this so that you may understand with all the holy ones the width, the length, the height and the depth-in a word, that you may know the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge, that you may be filled and reach the fullness of God.
Glory to God who shows his power in us and can do much more than we could ask or imagine; glory to him in the Church and in Christ Jesus through all generations for ever and ever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Lk 12:49-53
 

Jesus said to his disciples, "I have come to bring fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled; but I have a baptism to undergo and what anguish I feel until it is over!
"Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be 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 her mother-in-law."

Commentary
Jesus' words in today's Gospel are discomforting, for they speak of divisions within families that bring pain and anguish. Jesus is not against the unity of the family, but He does make clear that following Him draws us into a spiritual family whose bonds are thicker than blood. Some people who convert to the faith find that certain familial relationships are strained because of it. Their choice to follow the Lord is not without deep, personal consequences, and we should admire them for that.
Family relationships are very important in this life, but our relationship with the Lord always comes first.
 

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October 24
Friday

29th Week in Ordinary Time
Anthony Mary Claret

First Reading: Eph 4:1-6

Therefore I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to live the vocation you have received. Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep among you the unity of Spirit through bonds of peace. Let there be one body and one spirit, for God, in calling you, gave the same Spirit to all. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God, the Father of all, who is above all and works through all and is in all.
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 12:54-59
 

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 the wind blows from the south, you say: 'It will be hot'; and so it is. You superficial people! You understand the signs of the earth and the sky, but you don't understand the present times.
"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is fit? When you go with your accuser before the court, try to settle the case on the way, lest he drag you before the judge and the judge deliver you to the jailer, and the jailer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny."

Commentary
Our God is a just judge who holds us accountable for our deeds. We must always remember that the actions of today have eternal consequences. Our God is just and He is merciful. How foolish we would be if we did not appeal to the mercy of God by confessing our sins and asking for His pardon!
Making regular use of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is key to spiritual health, for in that Sacrament we face up to our sins honestly and humbly, and there do we hear the words we long to hear: "Your sins are forgiven, go in peace."
 

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October 25
Saturday

29th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Eph 4:7-16

But to each of us divine grace is given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said: When he ascended to the heights, he brought captives and gave his gifts to people.
He ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended to the lower parts of the world? He himself who went down, then ascended far above all the heavens to fill all things. As for his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles, to others prophets, or even evangelists, or pastors and teachers. So he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ, until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Thus we shall become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity and sharing the fullness of Christ.
Then no longer shall we be like children tossed about by any wave or wind of doctrine, and deceived by the cunning of people who drag them along into error. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we shall grow in every way towards him who is the head, Christ. From him comes the growth of the whole body to which a network of joints gives order and cohesion, taking into account and making use of the function of each one. So the body builds itself in love.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4ab, 4cd-5
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Gospel Reading: Lk 13:1-9
 

Some persons told Jesus what had occurred in the Temple: Pilate had Galileans killed and their blood mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus replied, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this? I tell you: no. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did.
"And those eighteen persons in Siloah who were crushed when the tower fell, do you think they were more guilty than all the others in Jerusalem? I tell you: no. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish as they did."
And Jesus continued with this story, "A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard and he came looking for fruit on it, but found none. Then he said to the gardener: 'Look here, for three years now I have been looking for figs on this tree and I have found none. Cut it down, why should it use up the ground?' The gardener replied: 'Leave it one more year, so that I may dig around it and add some fertilizer; and perhaps it will bear fruit from now on. But if it doesn't, you can cut it down."

Commentary
Jesus makes clear the need for us to repent of our sins and make changes in our lives. God is merciful and good, but He is not without His standards. When we think ourselves as not needing to engage in ongoing conversion of heart, we liken God to be an indulgent parent with whom there are no consequences for foolish or sinful behavior. Jesus tells us that nothing could be further from the truth.
We have the opportunity today to make amends and resolve to live a new life. God gives us today, but He does not promise us tomorrow.

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October 26
Sunday

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading: Ex 22:20-26

Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel this: You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
"You shall not harm the widow or the orphan. If you do harm them and they cry out to me, I will hear them and my anger will blaze and I will kill you with the sword, and your own wives will be widows and your own children orphans.
"If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and do not charge him interest.
"If ever you take a person's cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him by sunset, for it is all the covering he has for his body. In what else will he sleep? And when he cries to me I will hear him, for I am full of pity."
 

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51
I love you, Lord, my strength.
 

Second Reading: 1 Thes 1:5c-10
 

Brothers and sisters, you know how we dealt with you for your sake.
In return, you became followers of us and of the Lord when, on receiving the word, you experienced the joy of the Holy Spirit in the midst of great opposition. And you became a model for the faithful of Macedonia and Achaia, since from you the word of the Lord spread to Macedonia and Achaia, and still farther. The faith you have in God has become news in so many places that we need say no more about it. Others tell of how you responded to us and turned from idols to the Lord. For you serve the living and true God, and you wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who frees us from impending trial.
 

Gospel Reading: Mt 22:34-40
 

When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. One of them, a teacher of the Law, tried to test him with this question, "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the Law?"
Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments."

Commentary
The culture in which we live promotes radical individualism. We are told to think of ourselves first, and to act always in our own best interest.
Jesus' message of solidarity challenges the individualism of our day. We are to think not of ourselves first, but God, and after Him, we are to think of our neighbor. Only when this order is kept intact in our lives do we experience the blessedness the Lord has in store for us. Selfishness and self-absorption have no place in the Kingdom, for the Kingdom is about love of God and neighbor
 

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October 27
Monday

30th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Eph 4:32-5:8

Be good and understanding, mutually forgiving one another as God forgave you in Christ.
As most beloved children of God, strive to imitate him. Follow the way of love, the example of Christ who loved you. He gave himself up for us and became the offering and sacrificial victim whose fragrance rises to God. And since you are holy, there must not be among you even a hint of sexual immorality or greed, or any kind of impurity: these should not be named among you. So too for scandalous words, nonsense and foolishness, which are not fitting; instead offer thanksgiving to God.
Know this: no depraved, impure or covetous person who serves the god 'Money' shall have part in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for these are the sins which God is about to condemn in people who do not obey. Do not associate with such people. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Behave as children of light.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Behave like God as his very dear children.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 13:10-17
 

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath and a crippled woman was there. An evil spirit had kept her bent for eighteen years so that she could not straighten up at all. On seeing her, Jesus called her and said, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity." Then he laid his hands upon her and immediately she was made straight and praised God.
But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant because Jesus had performed this healing on the Sabbath day and he said to the people, "There are six days in which to work; come on those days to be healed and not on the Sabbath."
But the Lord replied, "You hypocrites! Everyone of you unties his ox or his donkey on the Sabbath and leads it out of the barn to give it water. And here you have a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound for eighteen years. Should she not be freed from her bonds on the Sabbath?"
When Jesus said this, all his opponents felt ashamed. But the people rejoiced at the many wonders that happened through him.

Commentary
Charity is the highest law. Jesus makes this clear when He teaches that disciplinary laws do have exceptions, especially when the health and well-being of others is at stake.
St. Augustine said that the moral law could be reduced to a single phrase: "Love God and do as you will." This is so because when we truly love God we will desire only to serve Him and to do good for our neighbor. Jesus is the one who gives us the clearest insights into the mind of God. Drawing near to Him allows us to be most closely conformed to God's will
 

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October 28
Tuesday

30th Week in Ordinary Time
Simon and Jude

First Reading: Eph 2:19-22

Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people: you are of the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a holy temple in the Lord. In him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
Their message goes out through all the earth.

Gospel Reading: Lk 6:12-16
 

Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God. When day came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them whom he called apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.

Commentary
The twelve were called apostles, a title that means to be sent forth. Jesus works closely with the twelve so as to form them in the Gospel and to teach them His will. Before He ascends into heaven, Jesus will send them forth to bring the Good News to the ends of the earth, a task that is continued to this day by the successors of the apostles, the bishops of our Church.
All who follow Jesus are called to share in this fundamental task of evangelization. May our daily reading of the Bible help to equip us for that task.

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October 29
Wednesday

30th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Eph 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents for this is right: Honor your father and your mother. And this is the first commandment that has promise: that you may be happy and enjoy long life in the land. And you, fathers, do not make rebels of your children, but educate them by correction and instruction which the Lord may inspire.
Servants, obey your masters of this world with fear and respect, with simplicity of heart, as if obeying Christ. Do not serve only when you are watched or in order to please others, but become servants of Christ who do God's will with all your heart. Work willingly, for the Lord and not for humans, mindful that the good each one has done, whether servant or free, will be rewarded by the Lord.
And you, masters, deal with your servants in the same way, and do not threaten them, since you know that they and you have the same Lord who is in heaven, and he treats all fairly.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 145:10-11, 12-13ab, 13cd-14
The Lord is faithful in all his words.
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 13:22-30
 

Jesus went through towns and villages teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, is it true that few people will be saved?"
And Jesus answered, "Do your best to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you will stand outside; then you will knock at the door calling: 'Lord, open to us.' But he will say to you: 'I do not know where you come from.'
"Then you will say: We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets! But he will reply: 'I don't know where you come from. Away from me all you workers of evil.'
"You will weep and grind your teeth when you see Abraham and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves left outside. Others will sit at table in the kingdom of God, people coming from east and west, from north and south. Some who are among the last will be the first, and others who were first will be last!"
 

Commentary
Do not be late lest you be locked out! This haunting message should motivate us to make our priorities in life align with God's plan for our salvation. Too often we spend our time and energy on activities that are of no great importance or that are patently sinful. Jesus says that must not be so.
Today is the day to make changes in life, for we know neither the day nor the hour when we will no longer be able to do so. Jesus stands ready to assist all of us poor sinners to reform our lives and enter through the narrow door.

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October 30
Thursday

30th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Eph 6:10-20

Finally, be strong in the Lord with his energy and strength. Put on the whole armor of God to be able to resist the cunning of the devil. Our battle is not against human forces but against the rulers and authorities and their dark powers that govern this world. We are struggling against the spirits and supernatural forces of evil.
Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that in the evil day, you may resist and stand your ground, making use of all your weapons. Take truth as your belt, justice as your breastplate, and zeal as your shoes to propagate the Gospel of peace. Always hold in your hand the shield of faith to repel the flaming arrows of the devil. Finally, use the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, that is, the Word of God.
Pray at all times as the Spirit inspires you. Keep watch, together with sustained prayer and supplication for all the holy ones. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, I may be given words to proclaim bravely the mystery of the Gospel. Even when in chains I am an ambassador of God; may he give me the strength to speak as I should.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 144:1b, 2, 9-10
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
 

Gospel Reading: Lk 13:31-35
 

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and gave him this warning, "Leave this place and go on your way, for Herod wants to kill you." Jesus said to them, "Go and give that fox my answer: 'I drive out demons and heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my course!' Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and for a little longer, for it would not be fitting for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone your apostles! How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused! From now on you will be left with your temple and you will no longer see me until the time when you will say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

Commentary
Jesus loved the city of Jerusalem from his childhood onward. As He would travel with His family to the Holy City for religious festivals, He would learn its streets and its shops, its people and its Temple. It is no wonder that He would weep over the city as He contemplated its imminent destruction.
Jesus knew that the old Jerusalem must pass in order for the New and Eternal Jerusalem to take its place. The ancient stones of the temple would be replaced with the living stones that make up the Church, with Christ Himself as the cornerstone.

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October 31
Friday

30th Week in Ordinary Time
 

First Reading: Phil 1:1-11

From Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to the saints in Philippi, with their bishops and deacons; to you all in Christ Jesus:
May grace and peace be yours from God, our Father, and Christ Jesus the Lord.
I give thanks to my God each time I remember you, and when I pray for you, I pray with joy. I cannot forget all you shared with me in the service of the Gospel, from the first day until now. Since God began such a good work in you, I am certain that he will complete it in the day of Christ Jesus.
This is my hope for you, for I carry you all in my heart: whether I am in prison or defending and confirming the Gospel, you are with me and share the same grace.
God knows that I love you dearly with the love of Christ Jesus, and in my prayers I ask that your love may lead you each day to a deeper knowledge and clearer discernment, that you may have good criteria for everything. So you may be pure of heart and come blameless to the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of holiness that comes through Christ Jesus, for the glory and praise of God.

Responsorial Psalm:
Ps 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
How great are the works of the Lord!

Gospel Reading: : Lk 14:1-6
 

One Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and he was carefully watched. In front of him was a man suffering from dropsy; so Jesus asked the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" But no one answered. Jesus then took the man, healed him and sent him away. And he addressed them, "If your lamb or your ox falls into a well on a Sabbath day, who among you doesn't hurry to pull it out?" And they could not answer.
 

Commentary
Jesus' miracles of healing show His compassion and care for those who suffer in body, mind and spirit. He is no stranger to suffering, but knows intimately our sorrows and pain. He is not distant to our cares and concerns, but extends Himself generously to us.
Jesus will let nothing stand in the way of our being healed from the affliction of sin and death. He will take upon Himself the weight of our sinfulness and be nailed to the cross, all because He wants us to be free. May we never take for granted the precious gift of Jesus' Body and Blood.

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