ST. JOSAPHAT, BISHOP & MARTYR - WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 32 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

For all things give thanks,
because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus. 1TH 5:18

WISDOM 6:1-11

My Soul's Beloved, 

It is easy to become discouraged when we look at our world, its leaders, those with power and influence who use their position and their wealth for personal aggrandizement. However, Lord, we also know that Your word is true. The day of the wicked is coming, and when it arrives, they will be destroyed and annihilated like dry grass in a furnace. We know that the Day of the Lord is approaching and justice will be meted out to all, great and small, powerful and powerless, rich and poor, the good and the wicked and corrupt. All will have their day of judgment before the holy and righteous judge appointed by the Father.

In every nation, O Lord, only a few leaders are God fearing, but they too often compromise with the world to remain in power. Those who refuse to stand down but hold on to the truth, unafraid of the consequences, are more often than not taken down and destroyed by evil forces that have covertly infiltrated every institution, both man-made and divine. What can the poor man do, Lord? We can pray and hope in You, and all who place their trust in You will be vindicated.

You, O Lord, will come to rule and judge the world in fairness, and evil will be annihilated by the power of the Blood of the Lamb and the victory of the Cross. While we wait, Beloved, we pray with confidence, and we shall not lose hope or courage. Maranatha, Lord Jesus, Maranatha!

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.

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.

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.

LUKE 17:11-19

My Soul's Beloved,

These ten lepers who cried out piteously to You to be healed were met with compassion, mercy, tenderness, and were granted all they asked for. They were healed completely, and You directed them to go and show themselves to the priest so they would be declared clean and they could return to their homes and community. While they were on their way to do as You had commanded, they saw that they no longer bore any trace of the dreaded disease that had made them outcasts and beggars. While nine proceeded to go to the priest, one of them, overwhelmed with joy and uncontainable gratitude, returned to throw himself at Your feet and thanked You with all his heart. He was a Samaritan, a foreigner. You noticed and You commented and You granted him further blessings, saying to him, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.’ While the others received only a physical healing, this man received both physical and spiritual restoration.

These nine lepers who were healed represent those who take their rank, power, and privilege for granted as if it were their due. They forget that all we receive comes from the hands of our loving and generous God. A grateful heart filled with thanksgiving and praise invites even greater blessings from You, O Lord. We need to acknowledge every grace that we receive, for without Your goodness and mercy, we would surely perish. Too often, we are consumed with our physical well-being and forget that it is our spiritual well-being that will determine where we spend eternity.

Grant O Lord that we never take Your gifts, both spiritual and temporal, for granted and remain always grateful for You, O Lord are the Giver of every good and perfect gift. 

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.’