Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection October 06, 2025

06th October 2025 (Monday)

Psalter: Week 3

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Jonah 1:1-17; 2:1,10

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish. And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

Jonah 2:2, 3, 4, 7 (R. 6d)

R/. You brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. A new commandment I give to you, says the Lord, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

R/. Alleluia

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37

At that time: A lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Monday – 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Main Point: Charity has no bounds and boundaries!

1. The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most familiar, outstanding, and inspiring teachings of all times. It has been the inspiration for many humanitarian and charitable services, both individual and collective. Not to reduce the positive, this parable is also at times used to demand help and service from others, quoting the example of the Good Samaritan.

2. The supreme command of God is very clear: Love God in totality and love the neighbour as one loves one’s own self. Only this will bring us to inherit eternity, if at all one truly believes in such a destiny beyond the temporary and temporal.

3. Now the parable dwells on the crucial question, “Who is my neighbour?” This is very crucial and relevant especially in our own times and in our society. The first duty today is to clarify our own hopelessly restricted and narrowed notion of a neighbour.

4. The neighbourhood is demarcated by the boundaries of physical proximity, confined by the affinities like country, race, lineage, caste, region, language, culture, religion, rite, occupation, or controlled by the concerns like profit, gratification, convenience, etc.

5. Accordingly we find different kinds of neighbours: those who are totally indifferent and unconcerned toward others, being totally self-interested and self-serving; those who harm others for their gain; those who help others but with ulterior motives, expecting a return or good impression; those who are selectively and conveniently good, only to some or only in some matters or situations. What kind of neighbours are we?

6. Today we are reminded and challenged to rise beyond our narrow demarcations. A neighbour is anyone in need, who is in difficulty. The neighbourhood is a matter of assistance and service to attend to the need. It is not a matter of self-gain or convenience. It is not a choice but a duty. It is not an option but an obligation. It is not a favour but a mandate. It is not a possibility but a priority.

7. Always and everywhere, one should seek to be a good neighbour to the other. One should not look for good neighbours who can help us and fulfill our needs but should strive to be good neighbours to others in need. Fraternity is our identity, sensitivity is our quality and charity is our priority – this in simple is the essence of being a good neighbour.

8. The fault of the priest and the Levite in the gospel is that they failed in their primary identity of being brothers and sisters, failed in the quality of being sensitive to the victim’s need, and failed in giving priority to charity.

9. They might even be a good priest and Levite, doing well their duty and profession. They might have their own reasons to avoid helping the victim, to go away in haste. But nothing of these can justify their failure in fraternity, sensitivity, and charity. But the Good Samaritan had no botheration about his convenience or gain or schedule or work or time or money.

10. Real charity demands not to “pass by on the other side” like the priest and the Levite, but to “see aside and turn around our attention by the roadside”, to “stop and create space” from one’s busy schedule, to “take the trouble and be humble to get down” from one’s riding on self and self-interests, to “take courage to go out of one’s way”, to “take time to move” to those in need, to “care the wounds of others”, to “accompany them in a process of healing and recovery of strength”.

11. There is also a spiritual side to this story of Good Samaritan, along with the fraternal side. God is the Supreme Good Samaritan because He always keeps close to us in our need and suffering. He is sensitive and benevolent to us always and everywhere, even without any merit or return from our part. He cares for our wounds inflicted by sin and troubles of life. He cleans us, heals us and makes us sane again, by his own blood.

My Practice: How many of us are Good Samaritans, genuinely and selflessly? How much are we aware of the boundless compassion of God, the supreme Good Samaritan? How much are we grateful and appreciative of numerous Good Samaritans?