11 November 2025 (Tuesday) / Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop Obligatory Memorial / Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

11 November 2025 (Tuesday)

Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop Obligatory Memorial.

Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Wisdom 2: 23 – 3: 9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19
Alleluia: John 14: 23
Gospel: Luke 17: 7-10

First Reading: Wisdom 2: 23 – 3: 9

For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him. But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world: And they follow him that are of his side. But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure was taken for misery: And their going away from us, for utter destruction: but they are in peace. And though in the sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of immortality. Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well rewarded: because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace he hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust he hath received them, and in time there shall be respect had to them. The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds. They shall judge nations, and rule over people, and their Lord shall reign for ever. They that trust in him, shall understand the truth: and they that are faithful in love shall rest in him: for grace and peace is to his elect.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19

R. (2) I will bless the Lord at all times.

I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall be always in my mouth. In the Lord shall my soul be praised: let the meek hear and rejoice.

R. I will bless the Lord at all times.

The eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and his ears unto their prayers. But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things: to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

R. I will bless the Lord at all times.

The just cried, and the Lord heard them: and delivered them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and he will save the humble of spirit.

R. I will bless the Lord at all times.

Alleluia: John 14: 23
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
23 Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him.
(23. Jesus replied: Anyone who loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make a home in him.
24. Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not my own: it is the word of the Father who sent me.
25. I have said these things to you while still with you;
26. but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you).
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 17: 7-10

But which of you having a servant ploughing, or feeding cattle, will say to him, when he is come from the field: Immediately go, sit down to meat: And will not rather say to him: Make ready my supper, and gird thyself, and serve me, whilst I eat and drink, and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant, for doing the things which he commanded him? I think not. So you also, when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do.

For our reflection today:

How should our faith be? This is the Apostles’ question and ours as well. The answer is: “a faith that is set within the framework of service” to God and to our neighbour. A humble, freely given and generous service which is always “complete”. Only in this way is it possible to truly open oneself to the hope of the final encounter with Jesus. This was the Holy Father’s reflection during Tuesday morning’s Mass at Santa Marta. Discussing the day’s reading from the Gospel according to Luke (17:7-10), the Pope referred back to a passage from the previous day, in which the disciples request: “Lord increase our faith”, to which Jesus responds: “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea’, and it would obey you”. Francis explained that the Lord speaks of “a powerful faith”, one strong enough “to work great wonders”, but on one condition: that this be set “within the framework of service”. It calls for complete service, such as that of the “servant who worked all day” and when he gets home “he must serve the Lord”, prepare dinner for him, “and then relax”.

It seems, the Pontiff remarked, “somewhat demanding, a bit hard”: one might advise “this servant to go to the union to seek some counsel” on how to deal “with a master like this”. But what’s asked for is “complete” service because it is the same that Jesus practised: “He led the way with this conduct of service; He is the servant; He presents himself as the servant, the one who came to serve and not to be served”. When set on the “path of service”, faith “will work miracles”. On the contrary, however, “a Christian who receives the gift of faith in Baptism, but then does not take it forth on the path of service, becomes a Christian without strength, unfruitful, a Christian for himself, to serve himself, to benefit himself. Although this Christian may go to heaven, the Pope said, “what a sad life!”. It happens, then, that “so many of the Lord’s great things” are “wasted” because, as “the Lord clearly stated: service is exclusive”, and one cannot serve two masters: God and wealth. In this regard the Pontiff recalled “at the time of the Prophet Elijah, the Israelites”, who wanted to follow both Yaweh and Baal. Elijah said to them: “you are limping on both legs! Things cannot go on like this!”. Because, Francis emphasized, “we need one Lord”.

Pope Francis then went into the details of everyday life and the difficulties that a Christian has in putting the word of the Gospel into practice. “We can distance ourselves from this conduct of service”, he said, mostly out of “laziness”: we become “comfortable, as did those five inattentive maidens who were waiting for their bridegroom but without having enough oil in their lamps”. Laziness renders “the heart lukewarm”. Thus, out of convenience we are led to seek justifications: “If this one comes, or if that one knocks at the door, tell them I’m not home, because they’re coming to ask a favour, and no, I don’t want...”. In other words, laziness “distances us from service and leads to convenience, to selfishness”. And, the Pope commented, “so many Christians” are like this: “they are good, they go to Mass”, but go “only so far” with regard to service. Yet, he underscored, “when I say service, I mean everything: service to God in adoration, in prayer, in praise”, service “to our neighbour” and “service to the end”. Jesus “is strong” about this and advises: “So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants’”. It is important that service be “freely given, without asking anything” in return.

The Pope continued to speak about another manner of moving away “from the conduct of service”, which is that of “taking control of situations”. This is what happened to the Apostles too, who moved the people away “so as not to disturb Jesus”, but in reality it was also for their own comfort: that is, “they took control of the Lord’s time, they took control of the Lord’s power: they wanted it for their little group”. Actually, “they took control of this conduct of service, turning it into a framework of power”. This is explained, said Francis, “when among themselves, they discussed who was the greatest”; and “it is understood when the mother of James and John went to ask the Lord that one of her sons be prime minister and the other the minister of the economy, with all the power in hand”. The same thing happens to Christians who “rather than servants” become “masters: masters of the faith, masters of the kingdom, masters of salvation. This happens, it is a temptation for all Christians”.

The Lord, however, speaks to us of serving “in humility”, as did “He who, being God, humbled himself, lowered himself, debased himself: to serve. It is service in hope, and this is the joy of Christian service”, which lives, as St Paul writes to Titus: “awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”. The Lord will “knock at the door” and “will come to find us” in that moment, the Pope said, hoping: “Please, let Him find us in this conduct of service”. Certainly, in life “we must really struggle against the temptations that seek to distance us” from this disposition, such as that of laziness, which “leads to convenience” and drives us to provide “incomplete service”; and the temptation to “take control of the situation”, which “leads to arrogance, to pride, to mis-treating people, to feeling important ‘because I’m a Christian, I have salvation’”. The Lord, the Pontiff concluded, “gives us these two great graces: humility in service, in order that we’re able to say: ‘we are unworthy servants’”, and “the hope in awaiting the appearing” of the Lord who “will come to find us”. (Pope Francis - Don’t be lazy Tuesday, 11 November 2014).

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