Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection November 05, 2026
Thursday – 31st Week of Ordinary Time
05th November 2026 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 3
Here are the Catholic Mass readings and a daily Gospel reflection for Thursday, November 05, 2026. Paul counts everything as loss compared to knowing Christ, and Jesus tells of a shepherd and a woman who will not stop searching.
Catholic Mass Readings
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Philippians 3:3-8a
Brethren: We are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (R. 3b)
R/. Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Luke 15:1-10
At that time: The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Thursday – 31st Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Gospel Reflection
Main Point: A sheep can at least bleat. A coin can do nothing at all. It just lies in the dark, silent and lost. Jesus says God searches for us the way a woman sweeps her whole house for one small coin.
1. A woman has ten silver coins, and one of them is gone. Perhaps it rolled under a cot or slipped between the floor stones. She does not shrug and say nine is enough. She lights a lamp, takes a broom, and sweeps the whole house, searching carefully until she finds it.
2. Think about the coin for a moment. It cannot call out. It cannot roll back into the light. It does not even know it is lost. It simply lies there in the dust under the bed. If it is ever found, it will be entirely because someone came looking.
3. That is how Jesus pictures us. Not first as people who find our way back to God, but as something precious that God refuses to stop searching for. Before we ever turn toward Him, the lamp is already lit and the broom is already moving.
4. The Pharisees grumble because Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners. This man welcomes sinners, they say. Jesus answers with the sheep and the coin. Of course He welcomes them. He came looking for them. The lost are exactly the ones He sweeps the house to find.
5. And when the woman finds her coin, she calls her friends and neighbors together. Rejoice with me, I have found the coin I had lost. Jesus says there is joy like that in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Heaven throws a small party over one coin from under the bed.
6. Paul knew what it was to be found. He had every religious credential, and he counted all of it as loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. He did not find Christ by being impressive. Christ found him on the road, a lost coin who thought he was the most valuable piece in the purse.
7. Perhaps you feel like that coin today, lost in the dust, too tired even to try. You do not have to find your way back by your own strength. Someone has already lit a lamp. Someone is already sweeping.
My Practice: Today, I can stop trying so hard to find my own way back to God and simply let Him find me. In a quiet moment, I will tell Him honestly where I feel lost.
Prayer
Lord, like a woman with a lamp and a broom, You search for us in the dark corners where we have rolled away. We cannot always find our way back to You. Sometimes we do not even know we are lost. Thank You that You never stop looking. Find us where we lie hidden today, under the weight of sin, tiredness, or shame. Lift us into the light of Your face, and let heaven rejoice again over us. And make us glad, not grumbling, when You find others too. Amen.
Question to Reflect Today
- Where do you feel lost or hidden right now, and can you believe that God is already searching for you there?
Thank You
Tags: Daily Mass Reflection, Ordinary Time, Gospel of Luke, Catholic Mass Readings, November 2026
