📖 Readings for October 4, 2025
First Reading – Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29
“Take courage, my people, memorial of Israel:
You were sold to the Gentiles, not for your destruction; but because you provoked God to wrath, you are delivered to your adversaries.
For you have provoked him who made you… offering sacrifice to evil spirits, and not to God.
For you have forgotten God, who reared you, and you have saddened Jerusalem that nursed you.
For she saw the wrath of God approaching you…
Be of good comfort, my children, and cry to the Lord; for you shall be remembered by him who hath led you away.
For as it was your mind to go astray from God; so when you return again you shall seek him ten times as much.
For he that hath brought evils upon you, shall bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation.”
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 69:33-35, 36-37
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
Let the poor see and rejoice: seek God, and your soul shall live.
For the Lord has heard the poor, and has not despised his prisoners.
Let the heavens, earth, sea, and all that moves in them praise him!
For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah;
The descendants of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell there.
Alleluia – Matthew 11:25
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
Gospel – Luke 10:17-24
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us because of your name.”
He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Yet do not rejoice because the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. At that very moment He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.’ Then turning to the disciples he said in private, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.’”
✨ Verse of the Day
“Yet do not rejoice because the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” — Luke 10:20
Reflection
I. Introduction
On this memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, the readings draw our attention to humility, spiritual insight, and God’s hidden revelation. The disciples return rejoicing at their power, but Jesus calls them to a deeper joy—that their names are known in heaven. St. Francis lived this reality, embracing poverty, seeing God in all creatures, and pointing others to the unseen Kingdom.
II. The Gospel Passage and Its Context
The seventy-two return with triumph over demons, proud of their authority in Christ’s name. Jesus gently reorients their joy: the true cause for rejoicing is not power over evil but the assurance of being known by God. He underscores that divine mysteries are revealed not to the “wise and learned,” but to the humble and childlike.
III. Broader Scriptural Resonance on Humility & Revelation
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The First Reading (Baruch) pleads for Israel’s return to God, acknowledging past infidelity. God’s call is toward restoration and joy, even from a place of exile and failure.
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The Psalm celebrates God’s care for the poor and His rescue for those who seek Him. It affirms that God hears the lowly and lifts them up.
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These set the stage for Jesus’ message: the Kingdom is known through friendship with God, not through spectacle.
IV. Reflections
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Spiritual power without humility can lead to pride. Jesus counters that the greater gift is to be known by God.
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God reveals Himself to those with open hearts, not necessarily to those of great status or learning.
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The disciples were blessed to witness what many longed to see but did not. Their experience invites us to recognize and give thanks for what we are privileged to see and hear.
V. Practical Applications
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Reexamine your sources of joy: Do we rejoice in power or in being friends of God?
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Cultivate childlike humility: Ask God to hide you from pride; make you simple in trust.
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Live with gratitude: Count moments when God reveals Himself to you quietly.
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Use whatever authority you have to bless others humbly—not for acclaim, but for God’s glory.
VI. Conclusion
Today’s readings remind us that the true power of the Christian life is not in domination but in divine intimacy. Our joy is rooted not in what we do, but in who we are before God. May we share in the humility of St. Francis, seeing all creation, and rejoicing in the name written in heaven.
🙏 Prayer for the Reader
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for calling me into Your Kingdom and revealing Yourself to me in humble ways. Grant me the heart to rejoice not in powers or achievements, but in knowing You. Help me walk in humility, seeing others with Your eyes, and living in the joy of Your presence. Strengthen me for the journey ahead.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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