16 October 2025 (Thursday) / Thursday of week 28 in Ordinary Time or Saint Hedwig, Religious or Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin / Ordinary Weekday/ Saint Hedwig, Religious / Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin

16 October 2025 (Thursday)

Thursday of week 28 in Ordinary Time or Saint Hedwig, Religious or Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin.

Ordinary Weekday/ Saint Hedwig, Religious / Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Romans 3: 21-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 130: 1-6
Alleluia: John 14: 6
Gospel: Luke 11: 47-54

First Reading : Romans 3:21‐30

God’s justice that was made known through the Law and the Prophets has now been revealed outside the Law, since it is the same justice of God that comes through faith to everyone, Jew and pagan alike, who believes in Jesus Christ. Both Jew and pagan sinned and forfeited God’s glory, and both are justified through the free gift of his grace by being redeemed in Christ Jesus who was appointed by God to sacrifice his life so as to win reconciliation through faith. In this way God makes his justice known; first, for the past, when sins went unpunished because he held his hand, then, for the present age, by showing positively that he is just, and that he justifies everyone who believes in Jesus. So what becomes of our boasts? There is no room for them. What sort of law excludes them? The sort of law that tells us what to do? On the contrary, it is the law of faith, since, as we see it, a man is justified by faith and not by doing something the Law tells him to do. Is God the God of Jews alone and not of the pagans too? Of the pagans too, most certainly, since there is only one God.

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 129(130):1‐6

With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord, Lord, hear my voice! O let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.

With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: for this we revere you.

With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

My soul is waiting for the Lord. I count on his word. My soul is longing for the Lord more than watchman for daybreak.

With the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption.

Alleluia: John 14: 6
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
6 I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.
(1. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God, trust also in me.
2. In my Father's house there are many places to live in; otherwise I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you,
3. and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to myself, so that you may be with me where I am.
4. You know the way to the place where I am going.
5. Thomas said, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?'
6. Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
7. If you know me, you will know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.
8. Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.' Jesus said to him,
9. 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, "Show us the Father"?
10. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works.
11. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works.
12. In all truth I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.
13. Whatever you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it).
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 11:47‐54

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. ‘And that is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet’s blood 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, this generation will have to answer for it all. ‘Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.’ When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.

For our reflection today:

In ideologies there is not Jesus: in his tenderness, his love, his meekness. And ideologies are rigid, always. Of every sign: rigid. And when a Christian becomes a disciple of the ideology, he has lost the faith: he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, he is a disciple of this attitude of thought. For this reason Jesus said to them: ‘You have taken away the key of knowledge.’ The knowledge of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and also moralistic knowledge, because these close the door with many requirements.” And when a prophet or a good Christian reproaches them, they the same that they did with Jesus: ‘When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him’ – they are ideologically hostile – ‘and to interrogate him about many things,’ – they are insidious – ‘for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.’ They are not transparent. Ah, poor things, they are people dishonoured by their pride. We ask the Lord for Grace, first: never to stop praying to never lose the faith; to remain humble, and so not to become closed, which closes the way to the Lord.” (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 17 October 2013)

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