Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
In The Hands Of God
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
Abraham was saved not by what he did but because, when was a pagan and a sinner, he discovered a caring God in whom he believed. He knew that he stood before God with empty hands and accepted to receive gratuitously from the hands of God.
Christ continues to denounce the Pharisees. In the contradictions of a life that wants to be faithful to the gospel, Christians have to go God’s ways, not their own. They entrust themselves into the hands of God who cares and to whom we are very precious.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
we stand before you with empty hands.
Our good intentions, the things we do
are powerless to save us.
God, help us to accept this truth,
for it hurts our pride.
Teach us to receive gratuitously
your grace, your merciful love
and also the help and love of our neighbor.
Save us from ourselves and from sin
by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us;
who have put our hope in you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Meanwhile, a large crowd had gathered so tightly that they pushed and crushed one another. Then Jesus spoke to his disciples in this way,
“Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered; or hidden, that will not be made known.
Whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed from housetops.
I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who can only kill the body and then have nothing more they can do.
But I will tell you whom to fear: Fear the one who, after killing you, can throw you into hell.
This is the one you must fear.
Don’t you buy five sparrows for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Even the hairs of your head are numbered. Don’t be afraid! Are you less valuable in God’s eyes than many sparrows?
Prayers of the Faithful
– That our faith may be a personal encounter with a living God to whom we commit ourselves, we pray:
– That we may not boast about what we have done for God, but recognize with humility and gratitude what God has done for us, we pray:
– That with great trust we may put ourselves into the hands of God, who loves us deeply in Christ, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, merciful Father,
in the face of contradiction and opposition
your Son Jesus went his loyal way to you,
for he knew that he lived
in the palm of your hand.
In these signs of bread and wine
we too entrust ourselves to you,
for we know that we are your friends
and that you care for us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Our God and Father,
you love us as we are,
even when you see our faults and failures.
You forget the evil we do
and we are good enough for you
to give us your Son Jesus Christ.
Accept our thanks
and let your Son fill us
with his Spirit of trust and love,
that we too may learn
to trust and love one another
and to be a community in which Jesus lives,
he who is our Lord for ever.
Blessing
Jesus assures us that God cares for us and that we are precious to him. Ask him to keep us in his love. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
17 October 2025
Luke 12:1-7
Being truthful to God, others and ourselves
In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Hypocrisy is pretending to be what we are not, putting on a mask of goodness while our hearts remain far from God. Sadly, even in the Church, this danger exists. Sometimes envy, pride, or hunger for power take root, even among those who claim to serve God. We must be vigilant—not only against the hypocrisy of others, but also against the risk of falling into it ourselves. Let us never use God as a cover to hurt others.
Jesus reminds us that “nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.” God asks us to live with honesty, transparency, and truth. We are not meant to live in secrecy or false appearances. To live in truth is to live in freedom. If you want to be free, learn to speak the truth, live by the truth, and walk in the light of Christ.
Then Jesus reassures us: “Do not be afraid.” Human power is limited—it can harm the body, but never the soul. Our true worth comes from God. Even the sparrows are counted and cared for, and we are worth far more than many sparrows. Too often, humiliation or criticism leads us to feel worthless. But in God’s eyes, you are infinitely valuable. No one is superior to another—we are all beloved children of the same Father.
So today, let us strip away all masks and live sincerely before God. Let us resist fear, trust in the Father’s care, and learn to see ourselves and others with dignity. Perhaps pray a Rosary for someone you have humiliated, or who has humiliated you, asking God to heal your heart with forgiveness.