13 November 2025 (Thursday) / Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini on Thursday of week 32 in Ordinary Time / Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin, Religious Obligatory Memorial / Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]

13 November 2025 (Thursday)

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini on Thursday of week 32 in Ordinary Time.

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin, Religious Obligatory Memorial.

Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Wisdom 7: 22 – 8: 1
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 119: 89, 90, 91, 130, 135, 175
Alleluia: John 15: 5
Gospel: Luke 17: 20-25

First Reading : Wisdom 7:22‐8:1

Within Wisdom is a spirit intelligent, holy,vunique, manifold, subtle, active, incisive, unsullied, lucid, invulnerable, benevolent, sharp, irresistible, beneficent, loving to man, steadfast, dependable, unperturbed, almighty, all‐surveying, penetrating all intelligent, pure and most subtle spirits; for Wisdom is quicker to move than any motion; she is so pure, she pervades and permeates all things. She is a breath of the power of God, pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; hence nothing impure can find a way into her. She is a reflection of the eternal light, untarnished mirror of God’s active power, image of his goodness. Although alone, she can do all; herself unchanging, she makes all things new. In each generation she passes into holy souls, she makes them friends of God and prophets; for God loves only the man who lives with Wisdom. She is indeed more splendid than the sun, she outshines all the constellations; compared with light, she takes first place, for light must yield to night, but over Wisdom evil can never triumph. She deploys her strength from one end of the earth to the other, ordering all things for good.

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 118(119):89‐91,130,135,175

Your word, O Lord, stands for ever.

Your word, O Lord, for ever stands firm in the heavens: your truth lasts from age to age, like the earth you created.

Your word, O Lord, stands for ever.

By your decree it endures to this day; for all things serve you. The unfolding of your word gives light and teaches the simple.

Your word, O Lord, stands for ever.

Let your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees. Give life to my soul that I may praise you. Let your decrees give me help.

Your word, O Lord, stands for ever.

Alleluia: John 15: 5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord: whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
(5. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing).
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 17:20‐25

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’ He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’

For our reflection today:

The Lord never says that the Kingdom of God is a spectacle. Of course, “it is a celebration, but it’s different! It’s a beautiful celebration, a grand feast. And Heaven will be feast, but not a spectacle”. Instead, “our human weakness prefers a spectacle”. As opposed to a spectacle,  there is “the perseverance of so many Christians carrying the family forward: men, women who care for their children, take care of grandparents, who have only 50 cents in their pocket by month’s end, but they pray”. And the Kingdom of God “is there, hidden in that holiness of daily life, that everyday holiness”. Because “the Kingdom of God is not far from us, it’s close”. The very “closeness is one of the characteristics” of the Kingdom. It is an “everyday” closeness. the Kingdom of God is humble, like a seed: humble; but it becomes big by the power of the Holy Spirit”. And we have to “let it grow within us, without boasting. May the Spirit come, change our soul and lead us forth in silence, in peace, in quiet, in closeness to God, to others, in adoration of God, without pageantry”. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 13 November 2014)

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