Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection October 14, 2025

By CL

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Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection October 14, 2025

First Reading: Romans 1:16-25

Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5 (R. 2a)

R/. The heavens declare the glory of God.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. The word of God is living and active, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

R/. Alleluia

Gospel: Luke 11:37-41

At that time: While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

Daily Gospel Reflection

1. In human life, there is always the tension between the exterior and the interior, the exterior purity, and the interior purity. In religious circles, this struggle often leads to a conflict and dichotomy, which eventually leads to mutual exclusion.

2. In simple terms, it means that the external rituals and spiritual activities fail to foster inner purity. They are meant to cleanse a person’s heart and life. They are meant to make a person pure.

3. But the sad thing is, very often the religious rituals and devotional practices fail to touch and change the interior. They remain only at the surface level. This was the real failure of the Pharisees and scribes.

4. They cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside are full of extortion and wickedness. The external ablutions are meant to indicate and induce interior purification. Just as the cup and dish are cleansed, so also our minds must be cleansed.

5. All this contradiction and failure is due to the lack of deep faith. A deep faith implies an openness to truth, the truth of God and oneself. It is to realise God’s inalienable role in our life and a total belonging to him.

6. It is to realise the futility and senselessness of our thinking and pursuits without due space for God. It is not to fall prey to lusts and impurities. It is not to deify merely earthly and worldly and dethrone God. True faith includes righteousness. And faith without righteousness forfeits salvation.

Catholic Leaf is website that provides Sundays and Weekdays catholic reflections. Please use catholic leaf as a tool for preparing your Homily.