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SOCL, 33C

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Sunday November 16, 2025


See


When the news from the Middle East —the cradle of civilisation and faith— is so consistently dreadful, our dismay can easily devolve into despair. What about all the innocent lives lost? What of the old, the new-born, the newlyweds and so on? The devastation can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling both powerless and furious. And yet, at the centre of our faith is a deep conviction that the forces of evil and destruction are not, and will not be, the final word. Yes, it is terrible; but no, it is not the last word. God’s faithfulness in Christ’s resurrection assures us and invites us too to the same witness of fidelity, even against the odds.


Listen



Reflect


(Luke 21: 5-19)


Luke presents Jesus as a prophet, capable of reading the signs of the times, and one who offered wise and insightful advice on how to cope with difficult times. Who are the people you see who act like this in the troubled times we live in today? Maybe you yourself have been a calming influence in the face of turmoil within your family, parish, church, workplace, or elsewhere. Can you claim that gift and give thanks for being such a person?


Jesus alerts his listeners to the transitory nature of human grandeur and splendour. How have you been reminded of this truth? What lessons has this given you about life?


In any walk of life troubles will come. Jesus encourages his listeners to stand firm in such circumstances, telling them ‘your endurance will win you your lives’. When you are in the midst of inner turmoil and/or outer trouble or opposition, what have you found gives you the strength and ability to endure?


Pray


Lord God of all the ages, the One who is, who was, and who is to come, stir up within us a longing for your kingdom, steady our hearts in the time of trial, and grant us patient endurance until the sun of justice dawns. We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

 
 
 

The Word today, 33C

ree

November 17 - November 22, 2025


St Elizabeth of Hungary, religious


1 Maccabees 1:10-15,41-43,54-57,62-6 In the middle of the second century BC, a Syrian king, Antiochus IV, initiated a terrible persecution against the Jews and tried to obliterate their Temple and their religion. In Jewish tradition, he is remember till today as ha-rasha, the wicked one. From this reading you can see why.


Luke 18:35-43 Stories like this one are meant to be read at two levels. Jesus did indeed heal people; yet, the story is retold to help us to acknowledge our own need of light, faith and salvation.


Dedication of the basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul


2 Maccabees 6:18-31 The story of the persecution is illustrated in this fascinating vignette. The temptation to pretend is subtle, but the old man is not taken in.


Luke 19:1-10 This story—unique to Luke—is one of the stories most beloved of children, perhaps so account of the stature of Zacchaeus. The word “today” brings us into our own present moment.



2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 The stories of martyrs always fascinate and challenge us. But there is even more to this one than a noble of witness and fidelity. In this chapter 7, we begin to see the traces of faith in the resurrection and life after death. It wasn’t speculation that brought them to believe in life after death. Instead, it was a deep desire to believe in a faithful God, who would be faithful beyond death to those who were faithful to him to the point of death.


Luke 19:11-28 The image of the gentle Luke is somewhat dislodged by this challenging parable and even more by its conclusion. Perhaps originally, there were two separate stories, joined together here for greater impact. At the time of writing, those who refused the king would be understood to be Jesus’ contemporaries.



1 Maccabees 2:15-2 Under pressure of vicious persecution, the Jews eventually rebelled. We see the start of the Maccabean (the word means hammer) revolt in this story. There were many battles and, as is the way, the stability of the victory was assured by the chance death of Antiochus IV.


Luke 19:41-44 A church on the Mount of Olives commemorates this vignette—no doubt historical. The actually happened later to Jerusalem is read back, with the 20:20 vision of hindsight.


Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary


1 Maccabees 4:36-37,52-59 The story moves quickly to the restoration of the Temple. This rededication is still marked today with the eight-day festival of Hanukkah.


Luke 19:45-48 The Temple action—a very disturbing challenge at the time—is very briefly recounted here. Luke’s kindly attitude to the Temple accounts for the brevity and even the lightness of the reference.


St Cecilia, virgin and martyr


1 Maccabees 6:1-13 The last days of Antiochus IV are told with grim satisfaction. It is unlikely he made the conversion placed on his lips here, but it does tell us how the Jews understood his sudden death!


Luke 20:27-40 Jesus was an apocalyptic Jew, who believed along with the Pharisees in the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees were more committed traditionalists and rejected the relatively new teaching about life after death.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025cs, November 16). Thirty-third Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111625.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings


 
 
 

One another, 33C

ree

November 16, 2025



Friends in Christ, God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dear to us as our own needs. Loving our neighbors as ourselves, we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions on behalf of the church and the world:


For the Church: that we may offer hope and vision to all the human family in times of confusion and offer support to those who are searching for God: let us pray to the Lord.


For the grace of perseverance: that God will strengthen and sustain us in remaining faithful to our discipleship in times of trial and distress: let us pray to the Lord.


For a spirit of hope: that God will drive disabling fear from our hearts and help us face the future with confidence and trust that God is always with us and will never abandon us: let us pray to the Lord.


For leaders of the Christian community: that their ministry and preaching will help their communities of faith to continue their deeds of loving service and witness to the Gospel until Christ comes in glory: let us pray to the Lord.


For all who are experiencing an "end of their world": those who have become ill, lost employment, been divorced, or are grieving the death of a loved one may know God's comforting presence this day and be strengthened by God's Spirit: let us pray to the Lord.


For all lacking food, medication, or warmth: that God will unlock the needed resources for them and open the hearts of all to assist them: let us pray to the Lord.


For children who are rejected, abused, or neglected: that God's tender compassion will comfort them and that they may experience love and nurture: let us pray to the Lord.


For freedom from deceit: that we may hear the voice of the one true shepherd who calls us to life and not be confused by the many voices whose promises are empty and whose fruit is destruction: let us pray to the Lord.


For all who are persecuted, deprived of their rights, and used as pawns by the powers of this world: that the Sun of Justice may rise for them, heal their wounds, and restore them to wholeness: let us pray to the Lord.


For inspiration and guidance: that the Spirit will lead to freedom for all who are addicted and give courage to all who are working to assist them: let us pray to the Lord.


For all who have borne witness with their lives by standing for justice and truth, particularly the Jesuit martyrs, the American Churchwomen, and all the unnamed women and men of Central and South America: that they may find the fulfillment of all their hopes in Christ's eternal reign: let us pray to the Lord.


For all who are recovering from natural disasters, particularly those who are in Jamaica and the Philippines: that God will open the hearts of many to assist them, speed the assistance which they need, and renew them in spirit with trust and patience: let us pray to the Lord.


For peace: that God will bring an end to the violence in Ukraine, sustain the ceasefire in Gaza, and protect the human family from weapons of mass destruction: let us pray to the Lord.


For all who have died, particularly those who have served as our pastors, teachers, mentors, and spiritual guides: that God will lead them into the fullness of life in God's presence forever: let us pray to the Lord.


Hear our prayers, God of power, and through the ministry of your Son 

free us from the grip of the tomb, that we may desire you as the fullness of life and proclaim your saving deeds to all the world. Amen.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025cs, November 16). Thirty-third Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111625.cfm

-Cormier, J. (1995). Lord, Hear Our Prayer: Prayer of the Faithful for Sundays, Holy Days, and Ritual Masses.


 
 
 
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