Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Alas For You Pharisees!
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
Paul warns his Romans that they may not conduct themselves like the pagans, whose scandalous behavior he has just denounced. But all are called to conversion, whether of pagan or Jewish origin. For God shows no partiality.
It is surprising that Jesus could cure all ills – the blind, the deaf, lepers, yes, and also sinners aware of their failures. But he could not cure Pharisees and scribes from their “open-eyed” blindness. Jesus does perhaps not attack them so much for their literal observance of the last detail of the law but for getting so absorbed by the details of the law that they did not see the roots of all laws, justice and love. This is also the key teaching of Paul in his letter to the Galatians: not laws but the Spirit.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
your Son Jesus was the fulfillment
of the Law and the Prophets.
He knew and taught and lived
that the fulfillment of the Law and the promises
lies in the service of people and of you
in justice and love.
Let these too be the guides of our lives,
that with him we seek people
and above all the living person
of you, our God for ever and ever.
Responsorial Psalm
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Only in God is my soul at rest;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all.
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
R. Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Woe to you, Pharisees! You give a tenth of all, including mint, rue, and other herbs, to the temple, but you neglect justice and the love of God. These should be done without ignoring the other obligations.
Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted in the marketplace.
Woe to you, for you are like tombstones of the dead, which are hard to see; people don’t notice them and make themselves unclean by stepping on them.
Then a teacher of the law spoke up and said:
“Master, when you speak like this, you insult us too.”
And Jesus answered:
“Woe to you also, teachers of the law. You prepare unbearable burdens and load them on the people, while you yourselves do not lift a finger to help them.
Prayers of the Faithful
- For missionaries and all who proclaim the faith, that their own lifestyle may be a strong argument to follow Christ, we pray:
- For all prophets in the Church, that their personal encounter with Christ may give them the power to speak for what is right and good, we pray:
- For us, that we may care little about outward display but for the things that matter: honesty, justice and love, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
we offer you ourselves through these gifts
and ask you to send us
the Holy Spirit of you and your Son.
Let him change these offerings into Jesus
and let him guide our minds and hearts
to bear fruits of life: love, joy, peace and patience
and all that brings happiness to God’s people.
May we thus live the life
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
your Son has spoken hard words today
not just to scribes and Pharisees of the past
but to us, your people today.
Let these words wake us up
from our self-complacency,
our peace with ourselves.
Keep us from deceiving ourselves
or wasting our time and effort
on things that do not matter;
make us absolutely sincere
with ourselves and with people
and honest to you, our God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We believe in Jesus Christ. We recognize him as our Lord and Savior. This commits us, then, to practice justice and love of God and neighbor. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
15 October 2025
Teresa of Avila
Luke 11:42-46
Danger of missing the heart of the Gospel
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks strong words against the Pharisees and the lawyers. They were meticulous about external duties—tithing even the smallest herbs, claiming the best seats in the synagogue, receiving public greetings with pride. Yet they neglected what was essential: justice and the love of God. Jesus compared them to unseen graves—appearing respectable on the surface, but spreading corruption without people realising it.
This is a hard truth: it is possible to look religious, to fulfil every outward duty, and yet to miss the heart of the Gospel. True holiness is not about appearances but about love—love of God and love of neighbour.
Jesus also cautions against the pursuit of honour and position. The Pharisees loved the best seats and public recognition. But life is not about titles or status—it is fragile, like an omelette: today on top, tomorrow at the bottom. Our worth is not measured by power or recognition, but by how faithfully we love and serve.
And a further warning: faith must never be imposed. Christianity is a calling, a free response to God’s love. To force or harass others only breeds rejection and distorts the image of God. Our task is not to impose but to propose—to show the freshness of the Gospel through our own witness of joy and compassion.
Like Teresa of Avila, we are called to move beyond external religion to an interior life rooted in God. Yes, practices of faith—Mass, prayer, tithes, devotions—are important. But if they do not transform us into people of mercy, justice, and humility, they remain empty gestures.
The Pharisees sought honor from people; Teresa sought intimacy with God. The Pharisees loved being seen; Teresa loved being hidden in prayer. Jesus calls us to follow her path: to let our faith be authentic, our hearts uncluttered by pride, our lives marked by love.
May St. Teresa help us to remember that real holiness is not in being noticed, but in belonging entirely to Christ.
Practice what you teach
We continue to read from Chapter 11 of St. Luke, where Jesus continues his criticism of the Pharisees. The Pharisees emphasized the meticulous observance of the Law of Moses and believed that following the numerous traditions accumulated over the centuries was essential for a devout Jew.
Jesus expressed frustration and strong disapproval towards religious leaders who were teaching a distorted catechism and misrepresenting the true nature of God to their followers. These leaders emphasized the importance of adhering to religious rituals, observing the Sabbath, and tithing as a means to appease God and avoid punishment, rather than focusing on the core principles of love, compassion, and justice that Jesus preached.
This sounds familiar even in our times as well. Even today, some people believe in a punishing God. Many people hold on to the observance of the traditions and rituals as a crucial part of their lives in the Church. Some leaders have even been more anxious aboutpreserving traditions and rituals than leading people to a more profound love of Christ and one another. Religious traditions and rituals should not be at the expense of the greatest commandment of Jesus: Love of God and love of neighbour.
Jesus condemns the Pharisees' desire for attention and power. Even now, some Church leaders anticipate receiving the same level of respect. However, the habit alone does not make the monk, the Roman collar, the priest, the mitre, the bishop. In the rite of Ordination to the diaconate, the Bishop would give an all-important instruction to the one ordained as Deacon: ‘Believe what you read. Teach what you believe. Practise what you teach.’