3 November 2025 (Monday) / Monday of week 31 in Ordinary Time or Saint Martin de Porres, Religious / Ordinary Weekday/ Saint Martin De Porres, Religious / Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

3 November 2025 (Monday)

Monday of week 31 in Ordinary Time or Saint Martin de Porres, Religious.

Ordinary Weekday/ Saint Martin De Porres, Religious.

Monday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time.

Readings from the Bible of the Roman Catholic Church:

First Reading: Romans 11: 29-36
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 69: 30-31, 33-34, 36
Alleluia: John 8: 31-32
Gospel: Luke 14: 12-14

First Reading : Romans 11:29‐36

God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice. Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind. How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods! Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen.

Responsive Psalm : Psalm 68(69):30‐31,33‐34,36‐37

In your great love, answer me, O God.

As for me in my poverty and pain let your help, O God, lift me up. I will praise God’s name with a song; I will glorify him with thanksgiving.

In your great love, answer me, O God.

The poor when they see it will be glad and God‐seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains.

In your great love, answer me, O God.

For God will bring help to Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah and men shall dwell there in possession. The sons of his servants shall inherit it; those who love his name shall dwell there.

In your great love, answer me, O God.

Alleluia: John 8: 31-32
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
31-32 If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, says the Lord.
(31. To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples;
32. you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free).
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 14:12‐14

Jesus said to his host, one of the leading Pharisees, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.’

For our reflection today:

If one does not understand the gratuity of God’s invitation, then one understands nothing. God’s invitation is “always free”, thus posing the question: “In order to go to this banquet what should one pay?”. The entrance ticket is to be sick, to be poor, to be a sinner, that is, we must be in need, both in body and in soul. To be in need of care, healing, and love. And I, who am a practising Catholic, I go to mass every Sunday, I carry out my duties, and to me, nothing? The fact is that “he does not understand the gratuity of salvation; he thinks that salvation is the fruit of ‘I pay and you save me’”. Rather, “salvation is free, if you do not enter into such a dynamic of gratuity you will not understand anything”. Salvation, “is a gift from God to which I respond with another gift, the gift of my heart”. They feel safe, they feel secure, they feel saved in their own way, outside of the banquet”, for “they have lost the meaning of gratuity; they have lost the meaning of love and they have lost a greater and more beautiful thing”, namely, “the capacity to feel themselves loved”, which leaves “no hope”; when you no longer feel loved, “you have lost everything”, “we implore the Lord to save us from losing the capacity to feel loved”. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 7 November 2017)

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