Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection October 19, 2025
Sunday – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
19th October 2025 (Sunday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Exodus 17:8-13
In those days: Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 R.(cf. 2)
R/. Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Beloved: Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
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 18:1-8
At that time: Jesus told his disciples a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Sunday – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Main Point: The power of prayer is not in the guarantee or the speed or quantity of favours or the number of prayers. But it is in the perseverance
1. Many times, many measure the quality, efficacy, and greatness of prayer in terms of favours received. Questions of number, quantity, and speed concerning the favours requested become very decisive. Accordingly, one is rated to be a devout person if he receives many favours so quickly or immediately.
2. This is very much in line with the mind and culture of the present society. It is a culture where number, quantity, and speed are the measuring rods for greatness. How many, how much, and how fast – these are the deciding criteria. This is in fact, a worldly, profane, and materialistic mindset. It is a calculative and quantitative mentality.
3. The same mentality affects the spiritual realm as well. Consequently, oftentimes, interiority and depth take a back seat while the externals take the upper hand. Thus, there is the danger of losing patience and perseverance, and falling into shallowness and superficiality.
4. The serious problem with this kind of “instant” and favour-interested” mentality is, faith becomes unsteady and fluctuating. How? When one prays and gets what he wants, it is okay. But what about not receiving what is prayed for? What about not getting how, how much and when we want it?
5. Therefore, what is required for the right spirit of prayer is “perseverance”. All three readings of the day focus on this. In the first reading, we hear that “his (Moses’) hands were steady until the going down of the sun”. It was the context of the fight between Israel with Amalek. And “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.”
6. In the second reading, we are exhorted to “Continue in what we have learned and firmly believed.” Here, the purpose of all scripture and the efficacy of all prayer are so explicit. It is a fourfold purpose: “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Further, we are urged to “be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
7. In the gospel too, Jesus is crystal clear that our prayer must be persevering and not easily giving up. “We ought always to pray and not to lose heart.” He drives home this message through a simple example of a widow. She was approaching an unrighteous judge for justice. For a while he refused. But he had to relent and do justice because of her continual, persistent coming.
My Practice: The power and effect of prayer is not to be measured in terms of favours. It consists of perseverance in accomplishing the purpose of divine knowledge, reproof. correction and steady growth in righteousness
