Friday, October 12, 2025

 

Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Joel 1:13-15.2:1-2; Luke 11:15-26)

Recent surveys show that more than four-fifths of the Church in the United States leave for other churches or no longer practice any faith.  Today’s gospel indicates why.

Jesus is warning the crowd following him not to test him by seeking signs.  He tells the people that it should be obvious that he works for God.  If he were in league of the devil when he casts out demons, the devil would be defeating himself.  Then Jesus delivers a critical message.  Once a devil has been cast out, the person who was possessed must take care to follow Jesus closely.  If not, the devil who was cast out will find in that person a vacuum which he and other evil spirits could enter.

Although few of us have been possessed, as we think of the term, by a devil, all of us have had our sins forgiven.  Jesus’ message then applies to us who have been freed from sin.  If we dawdle in fantasies of unbelief or of corrupt pleasures, we will find ourselves sinning worse than before.  Once forgiven of sin, we should continue praying and participating in the sacraments so that we do not sin again.

Thursday, October 9, 2025

 

Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Malachi 3:13-20b; Luke 11:5-13)

In a city known for its corrupt government a building inspector insisted that a poor widow give him a bribe before he would approve the sale of her house.  The woman made all the improvements the inspector called for, but the official would not sign off without being paid.  The widow knew that it was useless to seek recourse with the city’s managers.  Paying bribes to inspectors was the way the city functioned.

The first reading today paints a similar picture of global corruption.  The prophet Malachi writes in the last part of the fifth century before Christ. The idealism that accompanied the rebuilding of the Temple a century before has given way to defiance of the Law.  Malachi notes that the people question the value of following the Law’s commands.  They would rather extoll depravity and evil doing. 

Only a small number of the citizenry care to live righteously.  Their names are etched in the Lord’s book of life.  God promises that the sun of justice will arise and heal them of the wounds they suffer.  Like in the Canticle of Zechariah of Luke’s Gospel, the “sun of justice” refers to Jesus Christ.  He brings about the defeat of evil with his resurrection from the dead.

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

 

Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Jonah 4:1-11; Luke 11:1-4)

The story of Jonah testifies to the universal mission of God’s chosen people.  God called Israel to bring all the nations of the world to Himself.  This is another example of God’s care for creation.  Close to God, who is love, people thrive.  God’s unifying will is memorably expressed in the Isaiah 2: "All nations will come and say, 'Come, let's go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob's God. He will teach us his ways, so we may walk in his paths'". 

Jonah rebelled at the thought of Israel’s enemies being converted and enjoying God’s favor.  In today’s first reading God reproaches Jonah for his narrow and spiteful viewpoint.  God tenderly expresses His love for all with His question to Jonah, “…  should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left …?”

Jesus Christ has brought God’s mission to its climax.  His death on the cross and resurrection spurred the preaching of God’s love to all the world.  We like Jonah have a role in this universal mission.  God wants us to tell others of His love in both with both words and deeds.

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

 

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

(Jonah 3:1-10; Luke 10:38-42)

Today’s Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary recalls the victory of European naval forces over the Turkish fleet in 1571.  Pope Saint Pius V called on Europe to pray the rosary in hope of stopping the Muslim incursion in Europe.  The prayer was granted with the combined European forces decisively defeating the Turkish navy at the Battle of Lepanto.

Prayer is effective.  The first reading demonstrates how even the Ninevites, Israel’s antagonists, secure the Lord’s favor through prayer and fasting.  The gospel too hints of the power of prayer.  Martha goes to Jesus with her complaint that Mary should be helping her.  The Lord answers her petition although not in the way Martha imagined.  He explains that Mary helping her is not needed so much as her joining Mary in listening to him.

The rosary is a tedious prayer which Catholics do not pray as much as they used to.  Nevertheless, it does focus the mind and heart on Jesus and his Mother.  It might be done while exercising or working to fend off tedium.  Often during the day we perform mindless tasks which might be combined with effective prayer forms such as the rosary.

Monday, October 6, 2025

 Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary time

 (Jonah 1:1-2:2.11; Luke 10:25-37)

 Several years ago a leading Catholic university removed the crucifixes from its classrooms.  Having a multi-ethnic student body, the university administration reasoned that the crucifixes might offend students of other religious traditions.  One Muslim student, however, was bothered by the removal.  After all, he asked, what kind of guest would he be if he could not respect the symbols and artifacts of his hosts’ religion?  Eventually, the crucifixes were returned to the classrooms, and their removal, no doubt, was attributed to political correctness.

 The Book of the Prophet Jonah similarly testifies to people from other religions showing greater sensibility to true religion than they of the dominant tradition.  Jonah, the Jew, is disgusted with the Lord for his parallel love of other peoples.  He flees when God commands him to preach in the city of Nineveh, Israel’s captors.  In his flight the sailors on the ship that transports Jonah show more regard for the Lord than he.  They pray to God for help and shudder to think that their act of appeasement may not please God.

 We find Jesus making a similar point in the gospel.  He describes the heretical Samaritan who comes to the aid of the dying stranger as giving God greater praise than the priest and Levite. The Holy Spirit works among different peoples and religions just as surely as it lavishes graces upon us.