Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
In Search Of Meaning
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. Today we hear a man who is puzzled: Qoheleth, Ecclesiastes, the preacher (the man who speaks in the assembly), in search of answers to the problems of life; he is apparently a disillusioned man, “the inspired pessimist,” as he is sometimes called, but he is a believer, and there must be answers.
Gospel. Herod, too, was puzzled about this man Jesus. He wanted to see this strange prophet about whom there were so many rumours. Do Jesus, the gospel, life, and our faith puzzle us? Are we in constant search of the deeper meaning of our Christian life?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you came to make all things new
through Jesus Christ, your Son.
Let him question us
and let us question ourselves
whether we give him in our lives
the place he deserves.
Make him the meaning
of all we are and do,
for he is our risen Lord for ever.
First Reading
All is meaningless—says the Teacher—meaningless, meaningless!
There Is Nothing New Under the Sun
What advantage is there for a man in all his work that he labors at under the sun?
A generation passes, a generation comes, and the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, the sun sets, moving toward the place where it rises again.
Blowing south, turning north, the wind goes around in circles, and after all its cycles, it must blow again.
All rivers flow to the sea, but the sea is never full; to the place where the rivers originate, they return.
All words grow tiring and speech ceases, but the eye has never seen enough nor the ear heard too much.
What has happened before will happen again; what has been done before will be done again: there is nothing new under the sun.
If they tell you: “See, it’s new!” know that it happened centuries ago.
There is no memory of ancient people, and future generations will not remember those who come after them.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17bc
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
Prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord;
no one comes to the Father except through me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
King Herod heard all that was happening and was confused, for people said:
“This is John, raised from the dead.”
As for Herod, he said:
“I had John beheaded. Who is this man, about whom I hear such wonders?”
And he was eager to see him.
Prayers of the Faithful
– Lord, keep us always searching to understand you and our gospel better, we pray:
– Lord, let our faith be a light that makes us see the meaning of our lives, we pray:
– Lord, make us patient with those who are lax in their faith, that we may not extinguish the smouldering wick, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
through these offerings of bread and wine
your Son will appear in our midst
as the Lord of life.
Let him touch our hearts,
that we may fully believe in him
and that we may be alive
with the life he brought us.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
we know Jesus, your Son:
he has spoken to us
and shared his table with us.
Make us anxious
to see and recognize him
in the events of life
and in the people around us,
that life may not be empty and vain
but ever beautiful and new
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Is everything really in vain? Is there no meaning in life? In moments of doubt and questioning, we ask ourselves perhaps this question. But then we remember that we are people of faith, and that our faith and our lives are very meaningful. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Luke 9:7-9
Conscience becomes an invitation
Herod hears about Jesus and feels confused. Different people give him mixed explanations. Still haunted by his killing of John the Baptist, Herod wonders, “Who then is this?” and he wants to meet Jesus. But this isn’t genuine faith—it's more about his uneasy conscience than true belief.
Pope Francis noted that Herod attempted to suppress his guilty conscience. However, instead of seeking healing, he tried to silence his conscience by covering one wrongdoing with another. His story serves as a warning: neglecting guilt does not make it go away. Justification, distraction, and blaming others only deepen and prolong the wound.
Conscience is not an enemy sent to condemn us. It is a voice calling us home. Its discomfort can become grace if it leads us to honesty, repentance, and the healing gaze of Christ. Jesus does not ask us to hide our failures; he invites us to bring them into the light where forgiveness can create a new beginning.
Herod wanted to see Jesus. Genuine encounter requires more than curiosity about miracles, teachings, or religious news. To know Jesus is to follow him, listen to his word, and permit him to change our decisions.
Today, we might ask: What truth have I been avoiding? Which inner disturbance have I tried to silence through busyness, excuses, or repeated compromise? May the Spirit give us courage to listen to conscience without despair. When truth meets mercy, remorse becomes repentance, guilt becomes freedom, and a restless heart finally finds peace.