Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection August 17, 2025
Sunday – 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
17th August 2025 (Sunday)
Psalter: Week 4
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10
Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. Ebed-melech went from the king’s house and said to the king, “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
Psalm 40:2, 3, 4, 18 R. (14b)
R/. Lord, make haste to help me!
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord, I know them, and they follow me.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Luke 12:49-53
At that time; Jesus said to his disciples, “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Sunday – 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Main Point: In a world that is often lukewarm and indifferent with regard to God and good, we need to be persons ablaze with fire
1. In today’s gospel, Jesus states shockingly: I came to bring division and not peace”. This really disturbs and upsets anyone and everyone because we believe that he is the prince of peace.
2. We pray to him for peace amidst all our troubles and disturbances. But, he openly states that he came not to bring peace but to disturb it.
3. Further, in a world that is torn by dissensions and divisions, we always pray for unity. But strangely Jesus declares that he has come to bring division.
4. This requires then to understand what exactly Jesus means by this division caused and the peace disturbed.
5. Clearly, the division that is caused by Jesus is not the negative, unhealthy and harmful division that is caused by narrow-mindedness, prejudices, and self-vested interests, in the name of factors like race, nation, religion, language, culture, caste, rite, et cetera. Such a division is a manifestation of a shrunken and narrowed world.
6. Also, the peace that is disturbed by Jesus’ coming is only the false peace that is built on comfort, convenience, compromise, indifference, lack of involvement, concern, and non-committal attitude.
7. It is thus a peace that shelters itself in self-demarcations and self-confinements. It does not allow anyone to enter into one’s self-made territories.
8. These divisions and disturbances are created because of the fire that Jesus has spread. What is this fire? It is the fire of passion, conviction, authenticity, vigour, and commitment.
9. Therefore, one who is passionate for God, convinced, authentic, vigorous, and committed will surely experience division and disturbance.
10. The reason is quite clear. It is because of the “contrast”. Such persons are on “fire”, that is, burning for God and His values are in contrast to the rest of the people of the world. 11. Their passion is in contrast to the tepidity of many others. Their conviction is in contrast to the compromise of many others. Their authenticity is in contrast to the duplicity of many others. Their vigour is in contrast to the passivity of many others. And their commitment is in contrast to the mediocrity and non-committal attitude of many others.
12. There is certainly difference and division between the true and false, between commitment and convenience, responsibility and escapism, between conviction and compromise, between firmness and instability, between sensitivity and indifference, between fervor and lethargy, between passion and mediocrity, between fidelity and defection, between honesty and deception, between authenticity and duplicity, between surrender and self-indulgence, between love and hatred, between altruism and egoism, between patience and aggression, between sentiment and resentment, between forgiveness and retaliation, between generosity and greed, between benevolence and malice, between magnanimity and jealousy, between sharing and grabbing.
13. Therefore such contrast automatically leads to resentment, opposition, division, aggression, and persecution. But then what should be our approach and response?
14. The word of God always provides some basic answers. Be focused, be surrendered, and be enduring. Jeremiah in the first reading and Jesus himself in the second reading stand before us as the models for this focus, surrender, and endurance.
My Practice: The fire of many followers of Christ is either dwindling or almost extinguishing. We need to re-ignite it and make it again burning brightly and steadily
