26 September 2025 (Friday) / Friday of week 25 in Ordinary Time or Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs / Ordinary Weekday/ Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs

26 September 2025 (Friday)

Friday of week 25 in Ordinary Time or Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs.

Ordinary Weekday/ Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Haggai 2: 1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 43: 1, 2, 3, 4
Alleluia: Mark 10: 45
Gospel: Luke 9: 18-22

First Reading : Haggai 1:15‐2:9

In the second year of King Darius, on the twenty‐first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows, ‘You are to speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the high commissioner of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people. Say this, “Who is there left among you that saw this Temple in its former glory? And how does it look to you now? Does it seem nothing to you? But take courage now, Zerubbabel – it is the Lord who speaks. Courage, High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak! Courage, all you people of the country! – it is the Lord who speaks. To work! I am with you – it is the Lord of Hosts who speaks – and my spirit remains among you. Do not be afraid! For the Lord of Hosts says this: A little while now, and I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations and the treasures of all the nations shall flow in, and I will fill this Temple with glory, says the Lord of Hosts. Mine is the silver, mine the gold! – it is the Lord of Hosts who speaks. The new glory of this Temple is going to surpass the old, says the Lord of Hosts, and in this place I will give peace – it is the Lord of Hosts who speaks.”’

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 42(43):1‐4

Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.

Defend me, O God, and plead my cause against a godless nation. From deceitful and cunning men rescue me, O God.

Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God. Since you, O God, are my stronghold, why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning oppressed by the foe?

Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.

O send forth your light and your truth; let these be my guide. Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.

And I will come to the altar of God, the God of my joy. My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp, O God, my God.

Hope in God; I will praise him still, my saviour and my God.

Alleluia: Mark 10: 45
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
45 The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
(43. Among you this is not to happen. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44. and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all.
45. For the Son of man himself came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.')
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 9:18‐22

One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’ And they answered, ‘John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ It was Peter who spoke up. ‘The Christ of God’ he said. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this. ‘The Son of Man’ he said ‘is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.’

For our reflection today:

In the Synoptic Gospels Peter's confession is always followed by Jesus' announcement of his imminent Passion. Peter reacted to this announcement because he was not yet able to understand. Nonetheless, this was a fundamental element on which Jesus strongly insisted. Indeed, the titles attributed to him by Peter - you are "the Christ", "the Christ of God", "the Son of the living God" - can only be properly understood in light of the mystery of his death and Resurrection. And the opposite is also true: the event of the Cross reveals its full meaning only if "this man" who suffered and died on the Cross "truly was the Son of God", to use the words uttered by the centurion as he stood before the Crucified Christ (cf. Mk 15: 39). These texts clearly say that the integrity of the Christian faith stems from the confession of Peter, illumined by the teaching of Jesus on his "way" toward glory, that is, on his absolutely unique way, being the Messiah and the Son of God. It was a narrow "way", a shocking "manner" for the disciples of every age, who are inevitably led to think according to men rather than according to God (cf. Mt 16: 23). Today too, as in Jesus' day, it does not suffice to possess the proper confession of faith: it is always necessary to learn anew from the Lord the actual way in which he is Saviour and the path on which we must follow him. (Pope Benedict XVI, Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, 29 June 2007)

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