Friday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Sin - In Us
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
The reading from Baruch is not from the hand of Baruch, who was the secretary of Jeremiah. It dates from the time of the Maccabees and is like a penitential celebration deploring the sins that had led to the present calamities and oppression.
Modern means of communications have brought the world more closely together and shown us more clearly too the presence of sin and evil in the world; more than half of the world is hungry and exploited, the world economy has gone out of hand notwithstanding dole-outs for development aid, and whole nations are not free from inside or from outside. And in our own little worlds, there is repeated selfishness, pride at the expense of others, suspicion… While condemning the sins of society, let us not lose our personal sense of sin in the process; let us not forget our solidarity of sin and at the same time live better our solidarity with love and life on account of Christ. Sin is a rejection of Christ and his message.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, merciful Father,
it is easy for us to condemn wars, civil strife,
corruption, exploitation, slavery of any kind.
But we ask you, Lord God, though very timidly,
to open our eyes to the evil in us.
Make us see, Lord, that we are doing
on a small scale, in our own little worlds,
the evil for which we blame the big world.
Make us see that we too are sinners in need of forgiveness
brought us by Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
You will say: May everyone acknowledge the justice of our God, but on this day, shame and confusion befit the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, and our ancestors,
because we have sinned before the Lord.
We have disobeyed him and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, nor have we followed the commandments that the Lord had given us.
From the day the Lord brought our ancestors out of Egypt until now, we have disobeyed the Lord our God and rebelled against him instead of listening to his voice.
Because of this, from the day the Lord brought our ancestors out of Egypt to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, the evils and the curse that the Lord pronounced through Moses, his servant, have followed us ever since.
We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God, speaking through the words of the prophets he sent to us,
but each of us followed his perverted heart, serving false gods and doing what displeases the Lord our God.
Responsorial Psalm
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have given the corpses of your servants
as food to the birds of heaven,
the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
They have poured out their blood like water
round about Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever?
Will your jealousy burn like fire?
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. For the glory of your name, O Lord, deliver us.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Sure enough, it will be better for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you.
And what about you, city of Capernaum? Will you be raised to heaven? No, you’ll be thrown down to the grave.
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
Prayers of the Faithful
– That the world of today may not lose its sense of sin and “legalize” things that are wrong, we pray:
– That all those hardened in sin may be touched by the Spirit of the Lord to repent and change their ways, we pray:
– That the many who bear a heavy burden of sin and guilt and those who suffer from the sins of others may keep trusting in God’s liberating and forgiving goodness, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, merciful Father,
in these signs of bread and wine
your Son comes among us with his cross
to put an end to all pride of sin
and to be the starting point of our new existence.
In him, you showed us the new person.
Give us his strength to repent and to be converted,
to rise above our petty selfishness
and like him, to love and serve
without counting the cost.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, merciful Father,
you respect and educate our freedom.
You do not give us guarantees against failure
but you call us to make a choice and make a decision.
God, forgive us and help us
when in our clumsy, awkward efforts
to see your Son’s freedom become real and alive,
we take risks and make mistakes.
We want to remain faithful to you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We regret it, and in our best moments, we don’t really want it, but sin always returns. May God have mercy on us and help us. May God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
3 October 2025
The Responsibility of Hearing God’s Word
Today’s readings remind us that hearing God’s Word is both a gift and a responsibility. In the Gospel, Jesus laments over Chorazin and Bethsaida—towns that had witnessed His mighty works yet refused to repent. In the first reading, the people confess their sins: “We have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.”
The truth is clear: God’s Word is never neutral. Every time we hear the Gospel, it calls us to a decision. To receive it with faith is to find life. To reject it is to close the door on the very One who desires to save us.
A true disciple cannot use the Gospel for personal advantage, and the servant of a crucified Lord cannot be a seeker of luxury. This is a lesson not only for priests and preachers, but for every Christian: our witness must be rooted in humility and service, not in self-interest.
Jesus also tells us that the more light we receive, the greater our responsibility. If we hear the Word week after week, if we are nourished by the sacraments, then we are entrusted with much. As disciples, we cannot remain indifferent.
Yet, this call is not heavy—it is life-giving. To accept God’s Word is to find peace, joy, and strength for our journey. So let us ask the Lord today: give us ears to listen, hearts ready to obey, and the courage to live your Word faithfully. And may our Guardian Angels guide us always on the path of love and service.
Repent of our ecological sins
In the Gospel today, Jesus rebukes the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for their lack of repentance despite witnessing His mighty works. This passage invites us to reflect on our own response to God’s presence and action in the world, especially in the context of creation. Have we become indifferent to the damage we are inflicting on the environment? Do we hear the call to repentance for our role in the ongoing ecological crisis?
Interestingly, Jesus rebuked Chorazin for their lack of response to his mighty works, implyingthat he did many works there. However, in the gospels, Chorazin is never even mentioned as a place of Jesus’ activity, and we do not know anything about what Jesus did or spoke there. This highlights how much we still have to learn about Jesus's life. It reminds us that the gospels are not biographies but only glimpses into his life.
A path of conversion, not only in our hearts but also in how we live harmoniously with nature. As we conclude the Season of Creation, we are reminded that caring for the Earth is not an optional task but an integral part of our faith. Our renewed commitment to protect God’s creation acknowledges that in doing so, we honour the Creator Himself.