Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection November 19, 2025
Wednesday – 33rd Week in Ordinary Time
19th November 2025 (Wednesday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31
In those days: It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and cords, to partake of unlawful swine’s flesh. The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable memory. Though she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. She encouraged each of them in the language of their fathers. Filled with a noble spirit, she fired her woman’s reasoning with a man’s courage and said to them, “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of mankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.” Antiochus felt that he was being treated with contempt, and he was suspicious of her reproachful tone. The youngest brother being still alive, Antiochus not only appealed to him in words, but promised with oaths that he would make him rich and enviable if he would turn from the ways of his fathers and that he would take him for his friend and entrust him with public affairs. Since the young man would not listen to him at all, the king called the mother to him and urged her to advise the youth to save himself. After much urging on his part, she undertook to persuade her son. But, leaning close to him, she spoke in their native tongue as follows, deriding the cruel tyrant: “My son, have pity on me. I carried you nine months in my womb and nursed you for three years and have reared you and brought you up to this point in your life and have taken care of you. I urge you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them and recognise that not out of things that already existed did God make them, and so too the human race comes into being. Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God’s mercy I may get you back again along with your brothers.” Now as she was speaking, the young man said, “What are you waiting for? I will not abbey the king’s command, but I obey the command of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses. But you, who have contrived all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will certainly not escape the hands of God.
Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8 and 15 (R. 15b)
R/. When I awake, O Lord, I shall be filled with the vision of your presence.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, says the Lord.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Luke 19:11-28
At that time: Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’” And when Jesus had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Wednesday – 33rd Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: We are gifted and talented in abundant ways. But the greatness does not depend on the numerosity of the talents. Rather it depends on the abundance of their use and beneficialness.
1. The parable of talents in today’s gospel is a familiar one to many. A nobleman gives his ten servants one pound each to trade with them. On his return from his trip afar, the servants are summoned to his presence. All gave back to him added pounds as a result of trading, except one.
2. He lays it in a napkin and gives it back to his master. He did no trading. He laid it to waste. He has no regrets for not putting the pound to use. All the more, he blames his master for being a severe and greedy man and so he is faithfully returning the one pound.
3. Obviously, he incurs the wrath of his master on both counts. One, because he failed to be productive; the other, he falsely accuses his master so as to cover up his failure. How often, are we also not like that last servant?
4. God has gifted us with an abundance of gifts. These can be in the form of some external talents and skills like intelligence and knowledge, eloquence, singing, dancing, et cetera. These also can be in the form of more basic gifts like the ability to love, to give, to forgive, in sum, the whole inner power of virtues.
5. God certainly expects results and fruits. How many gifts and talents is not the matter. Rather how and how much do we make use of God-given gifts or talents for the sake of God and good is what matters. We need to bear in mind that concerning external and technical talents, there can be variations.
6. But we need not bother too much about this fact of difference. It is a matter of difference and divergence. It should not be a matter of discrimination. We must be more concerned about the more profound, basic and abiding qualities and gifts like love and virtue.
7. This is where we have the glowing example of a mother and her seven sons in the first reading from the 2 Maccabees. She perseveres in her faith not only personally but also motivates and encourages her sons to remain loyal to their God even in the face of death. Their faith is the greatest gift and talent. And we are called to preserve and foster this gift always.
8. St Cecilia whom we commemorate today lived a holy and committed life with a passionate love for the Lord to the extent of martyrdom. Thus she could merit the heavenly crown.
My Practice: Let us not blame God for our lack of responsibility and accountability. Let us become more assiduous and productive. Let us always be faithful stewards and servants
