Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection November 16, 2025
Sunday – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
16th November 2025 (Sunday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Malachi 4: 1-2a
Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.”
Psalm 98:5-6, 7-9a, 9bcd (R. see 9cd)
R/. The Lord comes to judge the peoples with fairness.
Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12
Brethren: You yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labour we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Luke 21: 5-19
At that time: some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Sunday – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Main Point: Christian life is not an escape from trials but a faithful passage through them; it is not a lazy waiting for the end but a persevering witness until the end.
1. The last Sundays of the liturgical year always turn our attention to the “last things”: judgment, the end times, and the final destiny of the just and the wicked. The readings today place us before the seriousness of the “Day of the Lord”. It is not a threat to frighten us but a light to straighten us.
2. The prophet Malachi speaks of that day coming like a burning oven. For the proud and evildoers, it will burn like stubble and leave neither root nor branch. But for those who fear the Lord, “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings”. The same day is destruction for the arrogant and healing for the humble.
3. The gospel continues this theme. Jesus speaks of the destruction of the magnificent temple, of wars and insurrections, of earthquakes, famines, and plagues, of persecutions and betrayals. Naturally, such words can disturb and shake anyone. But the Lord says clearly, “Do not be terrified”, and promises, “By your endurance you will gain your lives”.
4. Thus, the issue is not whether troubles will come or not; they surely will. The real issue is how we stand in the midst of them. What differentiates the children of God from the children of this world is not the absence of problems but the presence of perseverance, faith, and fidelity in problems.
5. Many today wish for a faith that guarantees comfort, success, and uninterrupted peace. But the Lord offers us a different path: not a path without crosses, but a path where we carry the cross with Him; not a life without opposition, but a life where opposition becomes an occasion for testimony.
6. Jesus says, “This will be a time for you to bear testimony”. Persecutions, false accusations, and resistance are not mere misfortunes but privileged moments to show whose we are and whom we serve. The problem is that we often see difficulties only as threats to our safety, not as chances for our fidelity.
7. In this context, the second reading brings in another very concrete aspect: the value of responsible labour. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he and his companions worked “night and day” so as not to be a burden. He warns against idleness and the disorderly who do not work at all but become busybodies. For him, waiting for the Lord’s coming can never be an excuse for laziness or irresponsibility.
8. How often spirituality is misunderstood as passivity and waiting for God as doing nothing! But true hope is never idle. True faith does not make us spectators but workers. “If anyone will not work, let him not eat” is not a harsh sentence, but a reminder that grace does not cancel effort and charity does not support irresponsibility.
9. Therefore, the right preparation for the Day of the Lord has two essential dimensions: interior fidelity and exterior responsibility. Interiorly, we remain steadfast in faith, not shaken by crises, not seduced by false messiahs, not discouraged by delays. Exteriorly, we live honestly, work diligently, serve generously, and carry our daily duties as a sacred trust.
10. The Lord does not promise that we will be spared from hatred or betrayal. He explicitly says that we may be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. But He assures us: “I will give you a mouth and wisdom” and “not a hair of your head will perish”. God may not remove the fire, but He stands with us in the fire.
11. The Day of the Lord, then, is not only a future event but already begins now. Every moment of trial tests our loyalties. Every temptation reveals whether we stand on God’s side or on the side of convenience. Every difficulty asks us: do you trust the Lord or do you abandon Him?
12. Are we preparing for that final encounter by our daily fidelity? Are we enduring small irritations, misunderstandings, and injustices with patience? Are we living our work, our family responsibilities, and our commitments as a serious Christian duty? Or are we idle, careless, and easily shaken whenever something does not go our way?
My Practice: Let us not fear the end but fear only infidelity; for those who work faithfully and endure steadfastly in the Lord, the burning day becomes a healing sunrise and the path of trial becomes the road to life.
