A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy

A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy

BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 23, n. 48)

Week 30 in Ordinary Time: October 26 – November 1, 2025

(The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: October 19-25, 2025, 2025 please go to ARCHIVES Series 23 and click on “Ordinary Week 29”.

Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: October 26 – November 1, 2025.)

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October 26, 2025: THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Exalts the Lowly”

BIBLE READINGS

Sir 35:12-14 // 2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18 // Lk 18:9-14

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 18:9-14): “The tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified.”

The story entitled “The Brown Vest” in Guideposts Magazine (January 2004, cf. p. 70-73) presents a contrast of two characters: the retired engineer, John, who sat on the board of elders and the humble Harvey who served as pastor of the congregation. John worked hard. He served on committees. He gave generously, but he never let slip an opportunity to tell Pastor Harvey what he was doing wrong. “Your sermons aren’t spiritual enough.” was one recurring grievance against Pastor Harvey. Then there was the ever-touchy subject of church finances. John told Pastor Harvey at the board meeting: “We squander too much of our resources helping people who are better off learning to help themselves. We need to work more at spreading the gospel.” Pastor Harvey answered gently: “Of course, John. But I think we must also share with those who are less fortunate.” There was no doubt that the elder John was open and straight. One day the self-righteous John was diagnosed with cancer. Pastor Harvey visited him often in the hospital and at home where he returned for hospice care. One Friday afternoon before John was about to die, he motioned Pastor Harvey closer. He said, “You know, Pastor, for a guy who does so much wrong, you really aren’t a bad sort.”

Today’s Gospel parable (Lk 18:9-14) also presents a contrast of two characters: the self-righteous Pharisee and the repentant tax collector. Indeed, the tragedy in the case of the self-righteous Pharisee is that he does not look upon himself as God’s servant but as one who deserves good from God for a job well done. His self-aggrandizing attitude is very much in contrast with Jesus’ exhortation on humble service: “When you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty’” (Lk 17:10, cf. Jerusalem Bible translation). Besides his pride, the Pharisee is also guilty of contempt for the tax collector.

The cutting edge of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is Jesus’ astounding conclusion: “I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 18:14). According to the liturgical scholar, Adrian Nocent: “The conclusion alone is of interest to us: the tax collector went home justified. The word is important. The just man is one whom God makes just; he receives God’s favor, not because he is already just, but because in his humility he believes that God can be merciful to him and forgive him his sins. The deeds of men, even if these deeds be not all evil, could never be such as to merit forgiveness; only the sacrifice of the incarnate Son has that power. Because of that sacrifice, the Spirit bestows forgiveness on those who believe, and they run home justified.”

B. First Reading (Sir 35:12-14, 16-18): “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds.”

When I was reading this Sunday’s scripture passages about the prayer of the lowly (cf. Sir 35:12-14, 16-18 and Lk 18:9-14), the figure of Pierre Toussaint came to my mind. He was a slave, but by the time of his death he was a respected businessman and philanthropist, admired by people of all races for his unshakable faith and for his loving service of God and neighbor. He was a man who translated prayer into charitable action. This extraordinary man of great humility and sacrifice epitomizes the insight given in today’s Old Testament reading: “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds …” (Sir 35:17). In his article, “The Rise of Pierre Toussaint” (cf. GUIDEPOSTS, October 1999, p. 52-61, Large Print Edition), Thomas Fleming depicts the sterling character of this noble personality.

Pierre Tousaint had come to New York in 1787 as a slave in the household of Jean-Jacques Berard and his wife, Marie. Owners of a large sugar plantation on the island of Saint Dominique (which was soon to become Haiti), the Berards were fleeing an imminent revolt by the country’s 700,000 slaves who toiled in the cane fields. The 21-year-old Toussaint and his family were house servants, and the Berards were kind masters. They baptized their slaves and raised them Catholics. They rejected the cruel punishments – common on other plantations – that had brought Saint Dominique to the brink of bloody upheaval.

When Pierre was a boy the Berards saw he was unusually intelligent. They taught him to read, and he was permitted to spend hours in the family’s library, educating himself. He read sermons and books on the Bible by the greatest churchmen of France. He was no doubt fond of a book by Saint Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, which stressed the importance of sanctifying everyday life with acts of kindness and generosity.

In New York, Jean-Jacques Berard decided he did not need Pierre as a house servant. Pierre’s sister, Rosalie, and his aunt, Marie-Boquement, were all the help the Berards required in their modest rented home. “Pierre,” he said, “I have decided you should learn a trade. Mr. Merchant, who has a shop nearby, has agreed to teach you the art of hairdressing.” Pierre discovered he not only liked the art – he had a knack for it … Pierre was soon making as much money as his mentor, Mr. Merchant. There was more to his popularity than his skill as a hairdresser. Women discovered Pierre had an uncanny ability to say exactly what they needed to hear when they talked to him about their husbands, their families, their friends. Often when women discussed some serious problem – a sick husband, a dissolute son – Pierre said, “I will keep him in my prayers.” Frequently the husband recovered, the son changed his ways …

New Yorkers began to realize the unique generosity that animated Toussaint’s soul. He received pleas from both white and black people. He always responded, sometimes with money, more often with other kinds of aid. From his wealthy clients, Toussaint rounded up students for destitute French refugees to teach. He brought firewood to freezing fellow parishioners of Saint Peter’s. He visited lonely men in debtor’s prison. When yellow fever ravaged the city, Pierre was among the few who dared risk the deadly scourge to help the suffering victims … In his later years a client asked Toussaint why he was still working. He had plenty of money. Why not retire? “Madam, then I should not have enough for others,” he said. Many women from the best New York families came to regard the black hairdresser as their spiritual counselor. They sought his advice and prayers on every imaginable problem … Pierre Toussaint died in 1853 at the age of 87. His funeral at Saint Peter’s Church was packed to overflowing with people both black and white.

The author of this Sunday’s Old Testament passage (Sir 35:12-14, 16-18), Jesus Ben Sirach declares that the one who serves God willingly is heard and that his petition reaches the heavens. He affirms that the Lord of justice and salvation responds swiftly to the cry of the poor and the prayer of the lowly. God who is the protector of the lowly and the judge of exploiters heeds the persevering prayer of the anawim – the poor of Yahweh. The prayer of the lowly is pleasing to God and humility is the basic stance of the poor man in prayer.

Aelred Rosser comments: “Here in poetic form we see a summary of the way God responds to those who approach in humble prayer … One’s state in life does not automatically guarantee divine approval of one’s requests. It is the state of our interior life that does that. And the one who serves God willingly is the one who is guaranteed a hearing. Above all else, the point being made here is that a humble stance before God is what gives power to our prayers. Humility is not necessarily abject breast-beating, however. Humility is honesty. Coming to God in prayer with an open and honest realization of both our need and God’s fidelity puts us in a truly humble stance.”

C. Second Reading (2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18): “From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me.”

Saint Paul, in the Second Reading (2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18) crystallizes the humble and trusting stance of the “pray-er”. Having opened himself completely to the grace of God and trusting fully in the Lord who stood by him and gave him strength so that the Gospel may be proclaimed to the nations, the great apostle to the Gentiles manifests the meaning of prayer in his life of a disciple. Prayer configures his entire life of sacrificial love with that of the Lord Jesus, whose life of self-emptying is a magnificent prayer. The humble “pray-er”, Saint Paul has competed well, has finished the race and has kept the faith. Humbly and trustingly, he awaits the crown of righteousness that the faithful Lord keeps for him. His sacrificial prayer would enable him to share in the joy of God’s eternal kingdom. The biblical scholar, Enrique Nardoni remakrs: “The Apostle sees his death as a sacrificial libation of his blood, a departure for the final harbor. He feels the satisfaction of an accomplished mission and an unwavering loyalty to Christ. Therefore he is fully sure of his glorious reward.”

On October 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI canonized Blessed Andre Bessette, known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal”. Like Saint Paul, Brother Andre was a man of prayer and is a modern day icon of a true “pray-er”. He incarnated in today’s world the humble stance of a disciple and the efficacious prayer of the poor and lowly. The following homily delivered by Pope John Paul II at the beatification of Brother Andre testifies to the tremendous power of prayer, service and humility in the life of a Christian disciple (cf. A.A.S. 74, 825 f., May 23, 1982).

We venerate in Blessed Brother Andre Bessette a man of prayer and a friend of the poor, a truly astonishing man.

The work of his whole life – his long life of 91 years – was that of “a poor and humble servant”: Pauper, servus humilis, as is written on his tomb. A manual laborer until the age of twenty-five years on the farm, in workshops and factories, he then entered the Brothers of the Holy Cross, who entrusted to him for almost forty years the task of porter in their school in Montreal; and finally for almost thirty years more he was custodian of Saint Joseph’s Oratory near the school.

Where then does his extraordinary influence, his renown among millions of people, come from? A daily crowd of the sick, the afflicted, the poor of all kinds – those who were handicapped or wounded by life – came to him. They found in his presence in the school parlor or at the Oratory a welcome ear, comfort, faith in God, confidence in the intercession of Saint Joseph. In short, they found the way of prayer and the sacraments and, with that, hope and, very often, manifest relief of body and soul. Do not the poor of today have as much need of such love, of such hope, of such education in prayer?

But what was it that gave Brother Andre this ability? It was God who was pleased to give such an ability to attract, such a marvelous power to this simple man who had himself known the misery of being an orphan among twelve brothers and sisters, of being without riches and education, of having poor health, in short, of being deprived of everything except a great confidence in God. It is not surprising that Brother Andre felt himself close to the life of Saint Joseph, that poor and exiled worker who himself was so close to the Savior and whom Canada and especially the Congregation of the Holy Cross have always greatly honored.

Brother Andre had to put up with misunderstanding and mockery because of the success of his apostolate. Yet he remained simple and joyful. Turning to Saint Joseph or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, he himself prayed long and earnestly, in the name of the sick, doing as he had taught them to do. Is not his faith in the power of prayer one of the most precious signs for the men and women of our time, who are tempted to resolve their problems without recourse to God?

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

In our relationship with God, what role do we usually play: the self-righteous Pharisee who enumerates his virtues and despises the sinner, or the repentant tax collector who beats his breast, praying: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner”? Do we realize that our true assets are openness to the Spirit, sorrow for our sins, and acceptance of God’s love? Do we recognize that humility is a basic stance in our prayer and relationship with God? How do we allow this realization to shape and mould our life of prayer and service of God and others? Do we endeavor to offer to God daily “the prayer of the lowly”?

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

Loving Father,

the gift of justification comes from you alone

and is given to the repentant heart.

Transform our insolence into openness to grace,

so that like the repentant tax collector,

we may go home to your welcoming arms

fully justified by the power of your love

and the saving sacrifice of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,

the innocently suffering Righteous One on the cross.

We give glory and praise to you

now and forever.

Amen.

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk 18:14)

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

In a spirit of repentance, pray slowly and meaningfully three times the ancient-Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Pray for a person whom we have held in contempt. Ask the Lord forgiveness for despising another and for considering ourselves to be the better one.

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October 27, 2025: MONDAY – WEEKDAY (30)

“JESUS SAVIOR: His Compassion Surpasses the Sabbath Law … By His Gift of the Spirit We Cry, Abba! Father!”

BIBLE READINGS

Rom 8:12-17 // Lk 13:10-17

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 12:13-21): “This daughter of Abraham, ought she not to have been set free on the Sabbath day?”

My cousin, a pharmacist, belongs to a medical mission team that goes to Vietnam to assist the sick. She suggested to their Franciscan director that since almost 75% of the team is of Filipino origin, it might be a good idea to do a medical mission also in the Philippines. The suggestion was well taken, but on account of the excessive red tape imposed by the Philippine government, they were not able to carry out their mission to the Filipinos.

In today’s Gospel reading (Lk 13:10-17), the ministry of compassion of Jesus is also threatened by a legalistic bind. A woman is crippled by a malady that makes her incapable of standing erect. Jesus releases her from her bondage while teaching at the synagogue on a Sabbath. The ruler of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus has broken the Sabbath rule but not daring to rebuke him directly, addresses the crowd: “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath day.” The woman has suffered for 18 years, and the ruler wants Jesus to wait one more day to cure her. But the compassionate ministry of Jesus cannot be bound nor postponed. The eruption of the kingdom of God cannot be suppressed by a faulty, legalistic interpretation of the Sabbath law. Jesus exposes the hypocrisy by arguing from the lesser to the greater: If you loosen animals on the Sabbath to refresh them, why not loosen a suffering “daughter of Abraham” from a crippling bondage. The kingdom of God is superior to the Sabbath law. The meaning of the Sabbath is fulfilled by works of compassion to those who yearn for the comfort and peace of God and a “rest” from their anguish.

B. First Reading (Rom 8:12-17): “You have received a spirit of adoption through which we cry, Abba, Father!”

In the Second Reading (Rom 8:12-17), Saint Paul exhorts us to put to death, by the Spirit, our sinful actions that we may live. Moreover, the great apostle asserts that we have been adopted and chosen in love by a divine being so loving that we can respond with the intimate term “Abba”. And we can do so by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Easter gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. As adopted children or “heirs”, we have a right to inherit the promised reign of God just as Christ did through his obedient suffering. The Spirit enables us to bear the suffering that leads to glory. If we share Christ’s suffering and allow ourselves to be totally configured to the divine Son’s obedient and saving death on the cross, we too will share in his eternal glory with the Father and the Son and with the boundless blessings of the kingdom of heaven.

The death of my dear younger brother Gisbert has touched me deeply. The experience of accompanying him in his terminal illness and in the painful process of dying was poignant and transforming. The presence of the one and triune God was especially revealed to me in the terminal illness and passing to eternal life of Gisbert. In his bout with a vicious cancer, he was journeying home to God the Father, his Creator and ultimate destiny. Moreover, he was deeply united with the redemptive suffering of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was for him the Good Shepherd leading him to the green pastures of eternal life. Finally, the Holy Spirit was the Consoler giving him patient endurance. The power and energy of the Holy Spirit enabled him to bear the suffering that led to glory.

Gisbert died in Toronto, Canada in the evening of May 20, 2009. I was with him in his last ten days at the hospital. Together with his wife, Veron, and his six-year old daughter Nicole, I was beside his bed when he expired. I could not attend the funeral rites of my brother, but I composed a eulogy that was read by my niece Erica at his wake. The following excerpt gives insight into the Trinitarian dimension of the paschal experience of death and rising.

“SURELY GOODNESS AND KINDNESS SHALL FOLLOW ME”: In the hospital room where Gisbert spent his last days (exactly, one month), there were many signs of God’s favor and grace.

WATER: There was the sound of gurgling water. It was coming from a hospital water-based mechanism that the nurses used to administer oxygen to Gisbert to ease his breathing problem. That peaceful sound of streaming water evokes the passage from the Book of Revelation: “I am the root of Jesse and David’s son, the radiant star of morning and God’s own light. The Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come.’ Let him who hears their voices say, ‘Come.’ He who has thirst let him come and he who has desire let him drink from the waters of everlasting life. ‘Yes, I come very soon.’ Amen. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:4-5). The Good Shepherd finally answered Gisbert’s Advent expectation and led him to the font of everlasting life.

SUNSET: Gisbert’s hospital room was facing directly toward the west, which has a splendid view of the setting sun in its colorful, splendid glory. Gisbert died at 6:55 P.M. (DST). As the family and friends paid homage to Gisbert’s mortal remains, the dying sun made me remember some intuitive message from the Book of Revelation: “They shall see the Lord face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. The night shall be no more. They shall need no light from the lamps or from the sun, for the Lord will give them light. And they shall reign forever” (Rev 22:16-20).

GROWING PLANT: Gisbert’s six-year old daughter Nicole, as part of her school project, planted a seed in a plastic cup filled with soil. She brought the plant to her dad and it was placed on the window sill. Nicole’s sprouting plant is very suggestive of new life and the resurrection of our body. Saint Paul writes: “What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies … So also is the resurrection of the dead … It is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body” (I Cor 15:36, 42, 44). Like the seed that is buried and dies in the ground, the mortal body of Gisbert dies, but his spirit lives forever and on the last day, even his mortal body will be brought to life.

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

1. Are we truly persons of compassion or do we allow ourselves to be crippled by faulty, legalistic interpretations? Are we totally “free” to carry out works of compassion to those who yearn for the comfort and peace of God?

2. Do we allow the Spirit of God to lead us and enable us to have an intimate filial relationship with God? Are we able to relate to God personally and call him, “Abba, Father”? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen us for the suffering that leads to glory?

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

Loving Father,

we thank you for Jesus Master, the Lord of the Sabbath.

He teaches compassion

and the wisdom to surpass faulty, legalistic interpretation.

Help us to be “free” to carry out works of compassion

for those who are seeking “rest” from their anguish

and are yearning for your comfort and peace.

We love you, dear Father, and serve you, now and forever.

Amen.

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Almighty God,

we are led by the Holy Spirit, your Son’s Easter gift.

Through the same Spirit we are able to cry out to you, Abba! Father!

We believe that in Jesus Christ

and by the power of the Holy Spirit,

we shall attain our eternal destiny

and experience the plenitude of blessings

in your everlasting kingdom.

We adore you and bless you, now and forever.

Amen.

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

“Ought she not to have been set free on the Sabbath day from this bondage?” (Lk 13:16) // “We received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” (Rom 8:15)

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

By your kind words and charitable deeds, alleviate the suffering of the afflicted and enable them to experience “rest” from their anguish. // Be deeply grateful that through the Spirit we are able to cry out to God “Abba! Be an instrument of the Father’s presence and benevolence for the needy and the suffering.

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October 28, 2025: TUESDAY – SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Chooses the Apostles … He Builds the Church upon the Apostolic Witnessing”

BIBLE READINGS

Eph 2:19-22 // Lk 6:12-16

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

In today’s Gospel (Lk 6:12-16), we hear that Jesus goes up to the mountain to pray and he spends the night in prayer to God. The night is fascinating. It can be a moment of deep commune with God and a time of profound prayer. Once again, before making a decisive decision crucial to his messianic mission, Jesus prays. When the day comes, he calls his disciples to himself and chooses the twelve apostles, who represent the “twelve” tribes of the New Israel, the Church. Among the “Twelve” are Simon called the “Zealot” and Jude Thaddeus. Prayer is likewise an important element in the life of the apostles. By the help of prayer, they are able to learn the wisdom of the cross and to fully embrace Christ’s paschal mystery.

As we celebrate the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, apostles, today’s First Reading (Eph 2:19-22) underlines that we are built upon the foundation laid down by the apostles and the prophets whose saving message is centered on the Christ-event. Through the power of Christ, we grow into a spiritual temple sacred in the Lord. We are no longer strangers or sojourners. Because of the reconciling activity of Jesus Christ, we have become fellow citizens with God’s people and his family members. The Gospel proclamation and apostolic witnessing are very important for the growth of the Church, whose glorious capstone and binding force is Jesus Christ himself.

The apostolic message goes out through all the earth. Saints Simon and Jude have carried the “light of faith” to the ends of the world, as the following biographical sketches show (cf. Wikipedia in the Internet).

Simon the Zealot is one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. Little is recorded of him aside from his name. The name of Simon occurs in all of the synoptic gospels and Acts that give a list of apostles. He is called “zealot” because, in seeing the miracle at Cana, Simon left his home, parents and his bride and followed Christ. It is also said that after Pentecost, his mission was in a place called Mauretania in Africa.

In later tradition, Simon is often associated with St. Jude, as an evangelizing team. They share their feast day on 28 October. The most widespread tradition is that after evangelizing in Egypt, Simon joined Jude in Persia and Armenia or Beirut, Lebanon, where both were martyred in 65 A.D. This version is found in the Golden Legend.

He is buried in the same tomb as St. Jude Thaddeus, in the left transept of the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, under the altar of St. Joseph. In art, Simon has the identifying attribute of a saw because according to legend, he was put to death by a saw.

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Jude was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He is generally identified with Thaddeus. The Armenian Catholic Church honors Thaddeus along with Saint Bartholomew as its patron saints. In the Roman Catholic Church he is the patron saint of desperate cases or lost causes.

Saint Jude’s attribute is a club. He is also often shown in icons with a flame around his head. This represents his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles. Another common attribute is Jude holding an image of Jesus Christ. In some instances he may be shown with a scroll or a book or holding a carpenter’s rule.

The legend reports that Saint Jude was born into a Jewish family in Panea, a town in Galilee later rebuilt by the Romans and renamed Caesarea Philippi. In all probability he spoke both Greek and Aramaic, like most of his contemporaries in that area, and was a farmer by trade. According to the legend, Saint Jude was a son of Clopas and his wife Mary, a cousin of the Virgin Mary. Tradition has it that Jude’s father, Clopas, was martyred because of his forthright and outspoken devotion to the Risen Christ.

Tradition holds that Saint Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya. He is also to have visited Beirut and Edessa. The apostles Jude and Bartholomew are traditionally believed to have been the first to bring Christianity to Armenia, and are therefore venerated as the patron saints of the Armenian Catholic Church. In his History Ecclesiastica, Eusebius relates that King Abgar of Edessa (now Sanhurfa in Turkey) sent a letter to Jesus seeking a cure for an illness afflicting him. With the letter he sent his envoy Hannan, the keeper of the archives, offering his own home city to Jesus as a safe dwelling place. The envoy painted a likeness of Jesus with choice paints (or alternatively, impressed with Abgar’s faith, Jesus pressed his face into a cloth and gave it to Hannan) to take to Abgar with his answer. Upon seeing Jesus’ image, the king placed it with great honor in one of his palatial houses. After Christ’s execution, Thomas the Apostle sent Jude to King Abgar and the king was cured. Astonished, he converted to Christianity, along with many people under his rule.

According to tradition, after his martyrdom, pilgrims came to his grave to pray and many of them experienced the powerful intercession of Saint Jude and thus the title, “The Saint for the Hopeless and the Desperate”. Saint Bridget of Sweden and Saint Bernard had visions from God asking each to accept Saint Jude as “The Patron Saint of the Impossible”.

Here is a novena to Saint Jude: “O Holy Saint Jude! Apostle and Martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor for all who invoke you, special patron in time of need; to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart, and humbly beg you, to whom God has given such great power, to come to my assistance; help me now in my urgent need and grant my earnest petition. I will never forget thy graces and favors you obtain for me and I will do my utmost to spread devotion to you. Amen.”

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

What does it mean personally to be a community of faith based on “the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets?

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

(cf. Opening Prayer of the Mass – feast of Sts. Simon and Jude)

Father,

you revealed yourself to us

through the preaching of your apostles Simon and Jude.

By their prayers,

give your Church continued growth

and increase the number of those who believe in you.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

“You are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets.” (Eph 2:20)

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

Continue the apostolic witnessing and the Gospel proclamation in today’s world by living a life of Christian charity that is manifested in compassion and care for the poor and vulnerable.

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October 29, 2025: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (30)

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Calls Us to Enter through the Narrow Gate … With His Spirit All Things Work for Good for Those Who Love God”

BIBLE READINGS

Rom 8:26-30 // Lk 13:22-30

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 13:22-30): “And people will come from the east and the west and will recline at the table in the Kingdom of God.”

In the Poverello News (February 2004), I read this beautiful story, which illustrates the reality of a personal, total response to God’s offer of salvation presented in today’s Gospel reading.

On May 10, 1748, a ship was being violently buffeted by a brutal storm. The captain of the vessel, thinking that death was imminent, prayed in desperation. The captain, John Newton, was not the praying kind. Nicknamed “The Great Blasphemer”, he was a debauched, profane seaman who plied the most despicable trade imaginable: he was a slave trafficker. After his fervent prayer, the storm ceased and the sea calmed. Newton’s deliverance from death had a profound effect on him. He contemplated his life and saw, perhaps for the first time, the full extent of his misery, corruption, and moral ruin. That day was a turning point in his life, a day that ultimately led him to reject his loathsome profession, enter Christian ministry, and later become a key influence in the life of William Wilberforce, a man who had a major role in abolishing slavery in England. However, Newton is not known for his biography. He is best remembered for a hymn he composed. That hymn is today sung all over the world, heard mournfully played by bagpipes at funerals, and is still powerful enough to bring tears to many who hear it. The hymn is “Amazing Grace”. Perhaps it has so much force because it is Newton’s heart-felt confession:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

John Newton’s conversion beautifully depicts the realization of Jesus’ words: “And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold some are last who will be first, and some who are first who will be last” (cf. Lk 13: 29-30). His wholehearted response to God’s “amazing grace”, which saved a “wretch” like him, enabled him to participate in the feast of God’s kingdom.

Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 13:22-30) continues to underline the rich significance of the Lord’s journey to Jerusalem. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to undergo the death that leads to glory. Within the context of this paschal journey, someone asks: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Rather than answer him directly, Jesus prods him with a challenge: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough”. The narrow gate is open to all, but only for those who seek it. Indeed, the gift of salvation is not an indiscriminate prerogative. It must be willingly and fully embraced. We need to make a choice for the kingdom.

The biblical scholar, Samuel Oyin Abogunrin explains that the term “strive” (in Greek, agonizesthe) is the word from which the English “agony” is derived. According to him: “The struggle to enter must be so singularly motivated and focused as to be described as agony that involves the whole person: body, soul, and spirit. Christian life is a daily struggle to rise to a higher spiritual plane. It is wrong to sit back and relax after we have made a personal commitment to Christ. We cannot remain stagnant in our loyalty to God’s kingdom; unless we move forward we shall move backward.”

B. First Reading (Rom 8:26-30): “All things work to the good for those who love God.”

Today’s First Reading (Rom 8:26-30) is one of the most beautiful passages in the New Testament. Saint Paul underlines that it is part of the divine plan of salvation that the Spirit should play a dynamic role in the prayers and aspirations of Christians. The Spirit of Jesus helps us, weak as we are, we who do not know what we ought to pray. The Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will. The gracious God positively recognizes and welcomes such Spirit-assisted prayer.

Saint Paul asserts, moreover, the gratuity and magnanimity of God’s plan. God is in control and “in all things God works for good for those who love him”. His will is that we must be conformed to the image of his Son by a progressive sharing in his risen glorious life: “set apart … called … justified … glorified.” Manifesting his gracious bounty, God’s plan is aimed at the final destiny of glory of us all.

The following story is very charming and illustrates that “in all things God works for good for those who love him (cf. Beverly Roberta Jostad, “Santa Wore Bobby Socks” in Country, December-January 2013, p. 55)

Christmas 1940 makes me misty-eyed every time I think about it. I was a high school student in California’s San Joaquin Valley. In the hard times of the year, people depended upon one another. We collected food, clothing, bedding and household items and gave them to the needy. We saved the toys we collected for Christmas. The home economics classes made new dresses for the dolls, while the shop classes turned lumber into trucks, games and other toys.

That Christmas we students found ourselves wrapping toys and loading packages for delivery. As we presented the gifts, we saw joy in many faces, especially those of the children. We had a few more visits to make on Christmas morning. The air was heavy and chilled us to the bone. A rancher offered his truck for deliveries, and we gratefully accepted. For several hours, we knocked on doors. But as the cold hours passed, our enthusiasm gradually waned.

When we finally headed home, someone pointed to a small house down a canal bank. Although there were no electric or telephone lines running to the structure, smoke curled from the chimney. The house stood bleak in the forlorn terrain that surrounded it. None of us knew who lived there, and we wondered if there were children. We still had a doll, two trucks, assorted small toys, chocolate Santas and a box of groceries. We decided to make one last visit. Three of us climbed down from the truck bed and gathered the gifts.

Mud sucked at our boots, slowing our progress. When we knocked on the door, a young woman whose dark hair was tied back with a red ribbon answered it. Three small children peeked from behind her skirt – a little girl of about 2, and boys perhaps 4 and 5 years old. The mother put an arm around the toddler and looked at us questioningly.

“Merry Christmas”, we chorused as we bent down and handed the gift-wrapped packages to the children and the box of groceries to the mother, whose eyes widened with amazement. She slowly smiled, then quickly said, “Come in.” The catch in her voice was sufficient for us to accept her invitation. We removed our boots and stepped inside.

I knelt to reach the little girl, and it was then that I looked around the room. The linoleum floor was worn but spotless. Bleached flour-sack curtains hung at the windows. Neatly made beds occupied one corner of the room and the kitchen another. A small stove furnished heat. As I turned back to the children, dressed in clean, neatly patched clothes, I noticed several green tree branches standing upright in a dirt-filled pot. A red cloth circled the base. Can lids and paper angels hung on strings, and a tiny paper star graced the treetop. Streamers of popcorn completed the decorations.

The room was silent as the children looked at their mother, wondering if the gifts were really for them. The little girl hugged her doll, and the boys grasped the trucks as they sought an answer. She put her arms around them and said in a choked voice, “I told you Santa Claus would come.”

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

1. Am I willing to enter through the narrow gate that leads to the feast of God’s kingdom? Do I respond to the “amazing grace” that comes from his forgiving love? Do I believe that God wants all to be saved? What do I do personally and concretely to contribute to the mystery of universal salvation? Do I participate in the feast of God’s kingdom with joy and gratitude?

2. Do we believe that all things work for good for those who love God? Do we trust that God is in control? How does this realization affect us personally?

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

Loving Father,

your Son Jesus Christ invites us

to enter through the narrow gate to salvation.

Help us to share in his paschal sacrifice

and the feast of the kingdom.

Let us experience your “amazing grace”

and make us respond to it wholeheartedly.

You live and reign, forever and ever.

Amen.

***

Heavenly Father,

we thank you for the Spirit of Jesus who pleads for us

in accordance with your gracious will.

We thank you because you are God

and you are in absolute control.

It is your plan that we share

in the glorious destiny of your beloved Son.

We are deeply heartened

for we know that in all things

you work for good for those who love you.

Grant that we may fully cooperate in your saving plan

and share in the glory of your beloved Son,

the Risen Christ, who lives and reigns, forever and ever.

Amen.

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” (Lk 13:24) //“We know that all things work for good for those who love God.” (Rom 8:28)

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

Let your daily sacrifice be united with Christ and be a means of sharing in the banquet of God’s kingdom. Study the text of John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” and sing it in a spirit of prayer. // When confronted with trials and difficulties, take courage and strength from Saint Paul’s words of comfort: “All things work for good for those who love God.”

*** %%% *** %%% *** %%% ***

October 30, 2025: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (30)

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Resolves to Journey to Jerusalem … Who Can Separate Us from His Love?”

BIBLE READINGS

Rom 8:31b-39 // Lk 13:31-35

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 13:31-35): “It is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.”

Today’s Gospel reading (Lk 13:31-35) is filled with pathos and drama. Tension mounts as Jesus continues his journey to Jerusalem. Some Pharisees bring the word that Herod wants to kill him. Marked by hostility, their intent is to daunt rather than to help him. But Jesus does not flinch in the face of danger. He remains firm on the course of his divine mission. In accordance with God’s saving plan, it is necessary that Jesus must continue his journey toward Jerusalem and embrace his paschal destiny of passion, death and resurrection. Jesus, however, will not go to Jerusalem before the allotted time. In the meantime he continues his public ministry of healing and exorcism. When eventually he enters the walls of Jerusalem, the praises “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” will resound within the city in his honor. Sadly, the “Hosanna” praises will turn into a note of rejection.

The inevitable suffering Jesus will endure does not cancel his tender love for Jerusalem, which symbolizes the heart of the chosen people. He laments: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets. You stone the messengers God has sent you! I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you would not let me!” Jesus bemoans the destruction that will come upon the obstinate people. However, at the end of his Jerusalem journey – after treading the way of the cross – Jesus Life triumphs!

The following modern day story gives a glimpse into Jesus’ resolve to embrace the paschal mystery (cf. Elizabeth Sherrill in Daily Guideposts 2014, p. 390).

Dr. Li, Chinese Physician: We’d gone to China in 1981 to investigate a rumor that churches were reopening. In Shanghai, sure enough, we attended Sunday service in a redbrick church with a standing-room-only congregation. Afterward, we talked with an elderly physician who’d studied in the United States in the 1930s. For two decades, Dr. Li said, this church had been boarded up. Three months before our visit, it had reopened. “Our first service in twenty-two years.”

The first service, that is, inside … The first Christmas Eve after the church closed in 1959 was just an ordinary night shift at the hospital for Dr. Li. It was cold and drizzly when he returned to his apartment at 10:30. He took off his damp coat – then, suddenly, put it back on. His wife put hers on too, and followed him outside. Through the icy drizzle they walked, left at the corner, across a square, turn right … headed to church. As they drew closer, they became aware of other silent walkers. From every side-street they came, alone or in twos or threes, until hundreds were standing shoulder to shoulder before the locked door. For two hours they stood in the rain. No hymns. No sermon. “But it was Communion all the same.”

For twenty-two years, this was their Christmas service. No one planned any of it. “Just, that night, year after year, we put on our coats and came.”

B. First Reading (Rom 8:31b-39): “Nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Today’s First Reading (Rom 8:31b-39) is a triumphant hymn to the love of God that is made manifest in Christ Jesus. We hear the forceful expression of the hope and faith of Saint Paul: in Jesus Christ, God has given us everything and in the future nothing can separate us from God. Indeed, the love of God is the unshakable foundation of Christian life and hope. God, who did not spare his own Son for our sake, has already pronounced sentence in our favor and there is no reason to expect anything different from him here after. His Savior Son, who died and was raised to life, continues to intercede for us. Hence, none of the dangers and troubles of life can make the true Christian forget the love of God, revealed to us in the sacrificial death of his Son Jesus Christ.

The martyrdom of the Japanese martyrs of Yatsushiro illustrates Saint Paul’s contention that neither death … nor life … nor present things … nor future things … nor principalities … nor powers … nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (cf. Full Sail with the Wind of Grace, ed. “Martyres” Editorial Committee, Tokyo: Don Bosco Sha, 2008, p. 17-20).

Yukinaga was a devout Christian. During his rule he recommended that all the people in the towns and villages become Christians. Through his influence the church in South Higo counted as many as 30 to 40 thousand faithful in their flock. South Higo had become a region where one could everywhere voices in prayer and the chant of hymns, and people lived peaceably helping one another.

Immediately after the defeat of Yukinaga, his enemy Kato Kiyosama, the lord of Higo, sent many troops to South Higo with the command to tear down the churches. “We have lost our lord and they are destroying the churches! What will become of us? cried the people. They were fearful for their future. In the Christian town once filled with prayers and kindness, the storm of persecution had started to blow …

“The Christians in South Higo have the choice of immediately giving up their faith or leaving the territory!” When Kiyosama decreed this order, the higher ranking warrior classes escaped to Satsuma (Kagoshima) or Arima (Shimabara, Nagasaki). The young warrior class who were only recently baptized and the poor peasants were left behind to brave the storm.

Kiyosama pursued the Christians relentlessly to force them to give up their faith. “All Christians in the territory under my rule must immediately register as members of the Buddhist Nichiren sect.” Kiyosama was a fervent follower of the Nichiren sect. The Christians became like small branches swaying and about to break in the violent storm. Brokenhearted, some of the Christians went to register their names at the Nichiren temples saying, “We can’t give up our lives for the Faith. This is too much!”

But there were others who bravely withstood the storm of persecution … These courageous Christians said to Kiyosama, “Please ask yourself this question, is it right to offend God in order to comply with the wish of a mere human. But Kiyomasa didn’t answer. Unable to make them budge, in the end he gave the final order. “Those who do not give up the Christian faith must be executed.” Thus, Yatsushiro became the land of the first martyrs in the Tokugawa period.

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

1. Like Jesus, are we resolved to go on a spiritual journey that will bring to completion the Father’s saving plan?

2. Do we have faith that God is absolutely committed to us and that we have complete victory through him who loves us? Are we prepared to allow nothing to separate us from the love of God that is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord?

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

Heavenly Father,

your Son Jesus journeys resolutely toward Jerusalem.

Totally committed to your saving will,

no threat of death can deter him.

Unite us to Jesus

that we may be strengthened in our paschal journey

and in our spiritual warfare against the forces of evil.

He lives and reigns, forever and ever.

Amen.

***

Loving God,

how marvelous is your benevolence and faithfulness!

You are so absolutely committed to us

that you did not even spare your Son

but handed him over for us all.

In you we conquer all things.

Let nothing separate us from your love

revealed fully through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus,

who lives and reigns, forever and ever.

Amen.

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! I yearn to gather you together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” (Lk 13:34) //“Neither death … nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Rom 8:35)

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

Be deeply aware that in our ongoing paschal journey a spiritual warfare is involved. Commit yourself to daily prayer in order to be strengthened spiritually by God’s mighty power. // When adversities and afflictions come, strengthen your resolve that nothing will be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

*** *** ***

October 31, 2025: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (30)

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Heals Our Infirmities … He is a Child of Israel”

BIBLE READINGS

Rom 9:1-5 // Lk 14:1-6

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

A. Gospel Reading (Lk 14:1-6): “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

Today’s Gospel episode (Lk 14:1-6) underlines that Jesus’ compassionate stance cannot be hindered or obstructed by false legalism. One Sabbath Jesus goes to the home of a leading Pharisee to dine. The people there watch him closely and some of them, no doubt, with an intention to entrap him. A man suffering from dropsy, a disease in which the body swells up with excess fluid, comes to Jesus. The Divine Master raises the issue: “Does our Law allow healing on the Sabbath or not?” The scholars of the Law and the Pharisees keep silent. Their silence is ominous and hostile. Jesus immediately heals the man whose legs and arms are swollen and sends him away. Jesus then prods the Pharisees and the scholars of the Law with a question: “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” They are unable to answer. Just as Jesus is compassionate to the man with dropsy, he likewise shows concern for the Pharisees and the scribes by trying to open their minds to the absurdity of denying healing to a suffering person on the basis of a law of the Sabbath, the day given as a gift by God to refresh his people. Jesus teaches them and us not to postpone a good deed for someone in need. Jesus shows us that love for neighbor transcends false constraints.

Here is a news report I read in the Fresno Bee (July 24, 2006) about the rescue of a young boy from India, trapped for two days in a 60-foot deep irrigation shaft. The story broke into international prominence after the private Zee News channel lowered a camera into the pit and captured haunting images of a child crying helplessly in the dark. The news report helps us appreciate the logic of Jesus’ contention that if a son or ox falls into a cistern, we would immediately pull him out.

Prince fell into the freshly dug hole Friday evening when he was playing in Aldeharhi, a village in the northern state of Haryana. The shaft, covered only with an empty jute sack, was just wide enough to fit the boy and too narrow for an adult. When villagers and local police could not pull him out, they sought the help of the army. Over two days, soldiers from an engineering regiment scooped out drums of mud from an abandoned well 10 feet away from the hole, taking care not to use heavy machinery so soil would not cave in on the boy. Oxygen was pumped into the pit and rescuers talked to the boy to keep his morale up. Rescuers and TV viewers alike could watch the boy looking around timidly, munching on chocolate and biscuits and drinking milk from a can that had been lowered in by rope. With their bare hands, soldiers then created a pipe-reinforced connecting passageway to the irrigation shaft. One soldier reached Prince and, along with four others, took him back through the pipe and up the abandoned well. Making a gripping story even better, Prince was rescued on his birthday. Prince turned 5 on Sunday.

B. First Reading (Rom 9:1-5): “I could wish that I were accused for the sake of my own people.”

The Second Reading (Rom 9:1-5) delineates the apostolic anguish of Saint Paul. He is overwhelmed with sorrow for the rejection of the Gospel of Christ by the chosen people Israel. By recalling God’s irrevocable gifts to Israel, Paul’s faith is strengthened. The liturgical scholar Adrian Nocent remarks: “They have been given the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the law, the worship, and the promises of God. The patriarchs belong to them, and above all, it is from their race that the Christ has been born. Israel has all it needs in order to understand the word of God and to become part of Christ’s new people. Yet all that has not kept them from not receiving Christ. For Paul, this is reason for an immense feeling of sadness. The Christian cannot refuse to acknowledge the riches of the Jewish people, whom God has so loved, and to be saddened, with Paul, that they have not believed in Christ. We must be united with them at least through love and prayer.”

Paul’s sorrow for his fellow Jews is intense. He is willing to be accursed, that is, to undergo the worst possible fate, in imitation of Christ’s suffering, so that the obstinate chosen people may experience life and salvation. Harold Buetow remarks: “Why did the Jews reject Jesus as Messiah? In part, at least, because they had their own preconceived ideas of how God should act; they especially could not accept the scandal of the cross. Paul’s reaction, like God’s most likely, was not one of anger, but of heart-broken sorrow over the people’s rejection.”

The following story, circulated through the Internet, gives us an idea of the graciousness of God, as well as the awfulness of ingratitude and of our ugly refusal to embrace fully the love of God manifested in his Son Jesus Christ.

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, “If I could only see the world, I will marry you.”

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?” The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying, “Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.”

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

1. Do I procrastinate with regards to acts of charity and delay for no valid reason the help urgently need?

2. Do we have compassion for others and experience sorrow and anguish on their behalf? Do we take into our hearts the need for inter-religious dialogue between the Jews and Christians?

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

Loving Jesus,

your love is abounding.

You answer the cry of the poor.

Help us to compassionately serve

our needy brothers and sisters.

Teach us to respond immediately

to their urgent needs.

You live and reign, forever and ever.

Amen.

***

O loving Father,

the children of Israel are your chosen people

and you have filled them with abundant blessings.

In Jesus Christ, we become the new Israel.

Let the Jewish people and all of us

come to the fullness of redemption.

You live and reign, forever and ever.

Amen.

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.

“He had healed him.” (Lk 14:4) //“From them according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is over all.” (Rom 9:5)

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

Be deeply aware that the little kindness, caring and acts of charity that you do are a vital part of God’s saving plan. // Pray for a more efficacious inter-religious dialogue between the Christians and the Jews. Promote the spirit of harmony and concern for others in your daily living.

*** *** ***

November 1, 2025: SATURDAY – ALL SAINTS

“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is the King of All the Saints”

BIBLE READINGS

Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 // I Jn 3:1-3 // Mt 5:1-12a

I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO

Today is the Feast of All Saints. The saints are people who have given intense and incisive witness that salvation comes from God and from the Paschal Lamb, Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes have animated and shaped their lives. Single-heartedly, these exemplary followers of Christ have pursued the goal of holiness to which all are called by God. Through this joyful feast, we celebrate the holiness of God manifested in the lives of the saints. We also thank the Lord for the triumph of righteousness. Today we proclaim our communion with the saints and invoke their intercession for us.

The saints are myriads – from every nation, race, people, and tongue (Rv 7:2-4, 9, 14). But all have trod the path of the Beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12a). As children of God, we too are called to be holy. Like the saints, we strongly hope “to see God as he is” in our glorious destiny in heaven (I Jn 3:1-3).

The biblical scholar Eugene Maly comments: “On this Solemnity of All Saints, Matthew, I John, and Revelation remind us that this is our day. We are to be joyous as we celebrate the solemn festival here below. Our lifetime is a pilgrimage to the heavenly city above. Yet it is only in the total commitment of our personality to Christ that we can make our robes white in his lifeblood and can have the total fulfillment of our hopes. It is in him that we live – and hope to die. We are pilgrims on our way home. The path is found in the beatitudes, and the end is found in heaven. Happy Feast Day!”

The following story, “What Goes Around Comes Around” illustrates the moral fiber and the spirit of sainthood. It gives us a glimpse of “heaven”. It also shows how wonderful our world could be if we live out fully the Gospel spirit of mercy and of the entire Beatitudes.

One day a man saw an old lady stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her. Even with a smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so! Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.” Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hand hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug nut, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that would have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she would give that person the assistance needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.” He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road, the lady saw a small café. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan. After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything … I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.” Under the napkin were four more $100 bills. Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day …

That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard … She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything is going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

Here is another example that holiness and sainthood continue to grace our life today. Ted Wojtkowski, as a young man, was privileged to witness one of the greatest acts of saintly heroism of the twentieth century. His encounter with Father Maximilian Kolbe changed his life and enabled him to be a man of hope (cf. Jay Copp, “Inspired by a Martyr” in Amazing Grace for the Catholic Heart, ed. Jeff Cavins, et. al., West Chester: Ascension Press, 2004, p. 26-29).

The year was 1939. In September, German tanks rumbled into Poland. The first village attacked by the Nazis was the home of Wojtkoswki, then a 20-year-old student. A patriot, Wojtkowski went underground. He and his buddies manned a shortwave radio to gather war news from London and then secretly printed leaflets to let villagers know what was occurring. Before long, Wojtkowski hopped on his father’s bicycle and headed toward Hungary. His destination was France, where he hoped to join the Polish army. The Nazis caught him at the border, jailed him, and sent him to Auschwitz on May 1, 1939.

Auschwitz was not a killing ground for Jews yet; the Nazis were using it for criminals and for foes of their regime, including priests and activists. Wojtkowski, living with eight-hundred men in a two-story barracks, was put to work building more barracks. The Nazis treated the prisoners brutally. Priests were especially singled-out for punishment – guards kicked them in the face and stomach and clubbed them over the head. When a prisoner escaped, all the others were ordered to stand in the sun for days, hands on their heads. After a second escape, ten prisoners were machine-gunned. The third escape occurred on or about July 28, 1941. One hundred members of Wojtkowski’s barracks were forced to stand in rows of ten. Ten of them would die. Wojtkowski stood in the eighth row. The camp commander ordered each row, one after the other, to step forward. He began a random selection. One, two, three were pulled from a group. Wojtkowski hoped that ten would be singled out before his row was reached.

A fourth, fifth, and sixth were picked. The sixth broke down. “My wife, my children …” he sobbed. “Who will take care of them?” A prisoner from the sixth row turned to the commander, “I will take the place of this man with the wife and children”, he said. Most remarkable of all was the volunteer’s demeanor. “His expression was so serene, so peaceful, not a shadow of fear”, Wojtkowski recalls. The commander, however, was not impressed. “You must be some kind of (expletive) priest”, he snarled. But he accepted him as one of the ten. The volunteer and nine others were locked in a bunker. The Nazis would not waste bullets on them. They would be starved to death. The man was indeed a priest, but not just any priest. He was Franciscan Father Maximilian Kolbe. Poles considered Kolbe a saint. His personal assistant Jerome Wierziba, once said of him: “He had something good in his face that emanated God. Just looking at him gave you peace of mind.”

Kolbe published religious magazines and newspapers read by more than one million Poles. He was widely admired, running the largest Catholic religious house in the world. Intensely devoted to the Blessed Mother, Kolbe supervised six-hundred-fifty friars at his City of the Immaculata, an evangelization center near Warsaw. The Nazis naturally regarded Kolbe with suspicion after they invaded Poland. When he resisted pressure to apply for German citizenship for which he was eligible, he was arrested on February 17, 1941.

When the guards were out of earshot, the prisoners shared information with one another about the fate of the ten in the bunker. Kolbe was leading the doomed in prayers and hymns, and a piece of bread had been smuggled in to be used in a Mass. After three weeks, Kolbe was the last to die. The Nazis, impatient to use the bunker to punish others, had a doctor inject poison into Kolbe to finish him off.

The more Wojtkowski thought about Kolbe’s self-sacrifice, the more astounded he was. Francis Gajowniczek, whom Kolbe had saved, was a peasant farmer. Kolbe, forty-seven, was one of the most accomplished men in Poland, a priest with many plans. Already he had begun a missionary center in Japan and was determined to open an evangelization center in each continent. And Kolbe, who possessed great drive and ambition, had given up all his dreams in a moment. He truly was a man of God, Wojtkowski realized. Kolbe saved not only Gajowniczek, but also Wojtkowski. Years of deprivation awaited Wojtkowski. There would be backbreaking labor and physical abuse. But Wojtkowski never lost his will to survive. “Father Kolbe inspired me”, he says. “After his sacrifice, I never thought I would die at Auschwitz. Someday I would be liberated and tell what happened.”

II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO

How does the vision of the great multitude of the redeemed and the beauty of the heavenly liturgy presented in the Book of Revelation affect you? Do you imagine your favorite saints to be participants in this heavenly worship? Do you wish to be united with the saints in their divine worship? What is the personal implication of the Gospel Beatitudes for you? Do you allow yourself to be inspired by the saints in the way they live the spirit of the Beatitudes? Are you deeply aware of our Christian identity as children of God? Do you look forward with hope to our glorious destiny of eternal life with God, with all the saints in heaven?

III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO

Loving Father,

we thank you for the supreme gift of your Son Jesus Christ

whose glory is reflected in the lives of the saints.

The myriads of saints

“from every nation, race, people and tongue”

have trod the path of the Beatitudes.

Each saint has participated fully and uniquely

in the saving passion of your Son on the cross.

Let our lives be inspired

by their total configuration to Christ Redeemer.

In communion with the saints,

may we pursue our Christian vocation to holiness

and attain their glorious destiny with you in heaven.

Together with the multitude of the redeemed

and with all the saints in heaven,

we exclaim:

“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,

honor, power and might be to our God, forever and ever.”

Amen.

IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO

The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” (Mt 5:12a)

V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO

Pray that we may respond fully to our Christian call to holiness. By incarnating the spirit of the Beatitudes, allow our fragmented world of today to have a glimpse of God’s infinite beauty and truth. Let those in need experience “a touch of the saints in heaven”.

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