12 November 2025 (Wednesday) / Saint Josaphat, Bishop, Martyr on Wednesday of week 32 in Ordinary Time / Saint Josaphat, Bishop, Religious, Martyr Obligatory Memorial / Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

12 November 2025 (Wednesday)

Saint Josaphat, Bishop, Martyr on Wednesday of week 32 in Ordinary Time.

Saint Josaphat, Bishop, Religious, Martyr Obligatory Memorial.

Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Wisdom 6: 1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 82: 3-4, 6-7
Alleluia: 1 Thessalonians 5: 18
Gospel: Luke 17: 11-19

First Reading : Wisdom 6:1‐11

Listen, kings, and understand; rulers of remotest lands, take warning; hear this, you who have thousands under your rule, who boast of your hordes of subjects. For power is a gift to you from the Lord, sovereignty is from the Most High; he himself will probe your acts and scrutinise your intentions. If, as administrators of his kingdom, you have not governed justly nor observed the law, nor behaved as God would have you behave, he will fall on you swiftly and terribly. Ruthless judgement is reserved for the high and mighty; the lowly will be compassionately pardoned, the mighty will be mightily punished. For the Lord of All does not cower before a personage, he does not stand in awe of greatness, since he himself has made small and great and provides for all alike; but strict scrutiny awaits those in power. Yes, despots, my words are for you, that you may learn what wisdom is and not transgress; for they who observe holy things holily will be adjudged holy, and, accepting instruction from them, will find their defence in them. Look forward, therefore, to my words; yearn for them, and they will instruct you.

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 81(82):3‐4,6‐7

Arise, O God, to judge the earth.

Do justice for the weak and the orphan, defend the afflicted and the needy. Rescue the weak and the poor; set them free from the hand of the wicked. Arise, O God, to judge the earth. I have said to you: “You are gods and all of you, sons of the Most High.” And yet, you shall die like men, you shall fall like any of the princes.’ Arise, O God, to judge the earth.

Alleluia: 1 Thessalonians 5: 18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
18 In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
(14. We urge you, brothers, to admonish those who are undisciplined, encourage the apprehensive, support the weak and be patient with everyone.
15. Make sure that people do not try to repay evil for evil; always aim at what is best for each other and for everyone.
16. Always be joyful;
17. pray constantly;
18. and for all things give thanks; this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
19. Do not stifle the Spirit
20. or despise the gift of prophecy with contempt;
21. test everything and hold on to what is good
22. and shun every form of evil.
23. May the God of peace make you perfect and holy; and may your spirit, life and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ).
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 17:11‐19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’

For our reflection today:

This Sunday’s Gospel (cf. Lk 17:11-19) invites us to acknowledge God’s gifts with wonder and gratitude.  On the way to his death and resurrection, Jesus meets ten lepers, who approach him, keep their distance and tell their troubles to the one whom their faith perceived as a possible saviour: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (v. 13).  They are sick and they are looking someone to heal them. Jesus responds by telling them to go and present themselves to the priests, who according to the Law were charged with certifying presumed healings. In this way, Jesus does not simply make them a promise; he tests their faith. At that moment, in fact, the ten were not yet healed. They were restored to health after they set out in obedience to Jesus’ command.  Then, rejoicing, they showed themselves to the priests and continued on their way. They forgot the Giver, the Father, who cured them through Jesus, his Son made man. All but one: a Samaritan, a foreigner living on the fringes of the chosen people, practically a pagan!  This man was not content with being healed by his faith, but brought that healing to completion by returning to express his gratitude for the gift received. He recognized in Jesus the true Priest, who raised him up and saved him, who can now set him on his way and accept him as one of his disciples.

To be able to offer thanks, to be able to praise the Lord for what he has done for us: this is important!  So we can ask ourselves: Are we capable of saying “Thank you”?  How many times do we say “Thank you” in our family, our community, and in the Church?  How many times do we say “Thank you” to those who help us, to those close to us, to those who accompany us through life?  Often we take everything for granted!  This also happens with God.  It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but to return and give thanks. That is why Jesus so emphasizes the failure of the nine ungrateful lepers: “Were not ten made clean?  But the other nine, where are they?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Lk 17:17-18). On this Jubilee day, we are given a model, indeed the model, to whom we can look: Mary, our Mother.  After hearing the message of the Angel, she lifted up her heart in a song of praise and thanksgiving to God: “My soul magnifies the Lord…”  Let us ask our Lady to help us recognize that everything is God’s gift, and to be able to say “Thank you”.  Then, I assure you, our joy will be complete.  Only those who know how to say “Thank you”, will experience the fullness of joy.

It also takes humility to be able to give thanks. In the first reading we heard the singular story of Naaman, the commander of the army of the King of Aram (cf. 2 Kg 5:14-17).  In order to be cured of his leprosy, he accepts the suggestion of a poor slave and entrusts himself to the prophet Elisha, whom he considered an enemy.  Naaman was nonetheless ready to humble himself.  Elisha asks nothing of him, but simply orders him to bathe in the waters of the River Jordan. This request leaves Naaman perplexed, even annoyed.  Can a God who demands such banal things truly be God?  He would like to turn back, but then he agrees to be immersed in the Jordan and immediately he is cured.
The heart of Mary, more than any other, is a humble heart, capable of accepting God’s gifts.  In order to become man, God chose precisely her, a simple young woman of Nazareth, who did not dwell in the palaces of power and wealth, who did not do extraordinary things.  Let us ask ourselves – it will do us good – if we are prepared to accept God’s gifts, or prefer instead to shut ourselves up within our forms of material security, intellectual security, the security of our plans.

Significantly, Naaman and the Samaritans were two foreigners. How many foreigners, including persons of other religions, give us an example of values that we sometimes forget or set aside!  Those living beside us, who may be scorned and sidelined because they are foreigners, can instead teach us how to walk on the path that the Lord wishes.  The Mother of God, together with Joseph her spouse, knew what it was to live far from home.  She too was long a foreigner in Egypt, far from her relatives and friends.  Yet her faith was able to overcome the difficulties.  Let us cling to this simple faith of the Holy Mother of God; let us ask her that we may always come back to Jesus and express our thanks for the many benefits we have received from his mercy. (EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY MARIAN JUBILEE HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS St Peter's Square Sunday, 9 October 2016).

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