25 August 2025 (Monday) / Monday of week 21 in Ordinary Time or Saint Louis IX of France or Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest / Ordinary Weekday/ Saint Louis IX of France, Married Man/ Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest, Religious Founder

25 August 2025 (Monday)

Monday of week 21 in Ordinary Time or Saint Louis IX of France or Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest.

Ordinary Weekday/ Saint Louis IX of France, Married Man/ Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest, Religious Founder.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: First Thessalonians 1: 1-5, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 149: 1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
Alleluia: John 10: 27
Gospel: Matthew 23: 13-22

First Reading : 1 Thessalonians 1:1‐5,8‐10

From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, and constantly remember before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ. We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction. And you observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread – and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 149:1‐6,9

The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!

Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel rejoice in its Maker, let Zion’s sons exult in their king.

The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music with timbrel and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people. He crowns the poor with salvation.

The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!

Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, shout for joy and take their rest. Let the praise of God be on their lips: this honour is for all his faithful.

The Lord takes delight in his people.
or
Alleluia!

Alleluia: John 10: 27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
27 The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice, says the Lord, I know them and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Matthew 23:13‐22

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to. ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him you make him twice as fit for hell as you are. ‘Alas for you, blind guides! You who say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” Fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Or else, “If a man swears by the altar it has no force; but if a man swears by the offering that is on the altar, he is bound.” You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’

For our reflection today:

This takes away the ability to understand the revelation of God, to understand the heart of God, to understand the salvation of God—the key to knowledge we could say that it is a serious forgetfulness.  Forgetfulness of the gratuity of salvation, forgetfulness of God’s closeness, and forgetfulness of mercy. And thus, distancing oneself from salvation is also at the root of “taking away the key of knowledge”. This is happening today”, because “the Pharisees, doctors of the law, are not things of days gone by: even today there are many of them”. For this reason, it is necessary to pray for us pastors, so that we do not lose the key to knowledge and we do not close the door on ourselves and on the people who want to enter. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 19 October 2017)

Jonathan Fabian Ginunggil,
Most High Servant,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph Ministry of Love (Blessed  and Saints and the Nine Choirs of Angels)