Mass Readings
Liturgical Readings for : Thursday, 18th September, 2025Léachtaí Gaeilge
Next Sunday’s Readings
Thursday of the Twenty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, Cycle 1
The Holy Spirit showed how when Jesus was taken up in glory he showed his divinity to his disciples.
FIRST READING
A reading from the first letter of St Paul to Timothy 4:12-16
Take great care about what you do and what you teach.
Think hard about all this, and put it into practice, and everyone will be able to see how you are advancing. Take great care about what you do and what you teach;
always do this, and in this way you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 110: 1-6. rv2
Response Great are the works of the Lord.
Or Alleluia!
1. His works are justice and truth: his precepts are all of them sure,
standing firm for ever and ever: they are made in uprightness and truth. Response
2. He has sent deliverance to his people and established his covenant for ever.
Holy his name, to be feared. Response
3. To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who do so prove themselves wise.
His praise shall last for ever! . Response
Gospel Acclamation 2 Cor 5: 19
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
Or Mt 11: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 7:36-50 Glory to you, O Lord.
Her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,
‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who this woman is that is touching him and what a bad name she has.’
Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you’.
‘Speak, Master’ was the reply.
‘There was once a creditor who had two men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty.
They were unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?‘
‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon.
Jesus said, ‘You are right.’
Then he turned to the woman.
‘Simon,’ he said ‘you see this woman? I came into your house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and wiped them away with her hair.
You gave me no kiss, but she has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in.
You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
For this reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who shows little love.’
Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven‘
Those who were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he even forgives sins?‘
But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Gospel Reflection Thursday, Twenty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 7:36-50
At the end of today’s gospel reading, Jesus says that it is the one who is forgiven little who shows little love. The woman who had broken into the meal at which Jesus was a guest had been forgiven much. She had earlier experienced God’s forgiving and unconditional love towards her through the person of Jesus. Having been forgiven much, she loved much. Her outpouring of loving gratitude to Jesus was lavish in the extreme.
In contrast, Jesus’ host, a Pharisee, had been forgiven little, in the sense that he had no awareness of his need for the forgiveness of God that Jesus had come to offer. Having been forgiven little, he loved little, denying Jesus even the ordinary rituals of hospitality, no basin of water for Jesus to wash his feet, no kiss of greeting, no anointing of his head with oil. The woman’s loving gestures more than compensated for the Pharisee’s lack of love. The story reminds us that receiving comes before giving. The woman recognized that she had received much from God through Jesus and, so, she gave much to Jesus in return. The Pharisee had received nothing from God through Jesus and, so, he gave nothing to Jesus in return.
We always come before the Lord as beggars, open to receive all those graces that only he can give, including the grace of God’s forgiveness for our sins and failings. It is in learning to receive from the Lord in our poverty, like the woman, that we are empowered to give generously in gratitude for what we have been given.
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The scripture readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Gospel reflection is available with our thanks from Reflections on the Weekday Readings : You have the Words of Eternal life by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop
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