The Word today, 27C
- Admin
- Oct 4
- 3 min read
October 06 - October 11, 2025
St Bruno, monk
For three days we read from the book of Jonah. This intriguing novella belongs to a group of intertestamental stories (e.g. Tobit or Judith), designed to encourage or challenge Jews and Jewish practice of the time. Using drama, pastiche, irony and wit, the writer challenges tendencies to religious exclusivity and national superiority. Even the Ninevite moo cows do penance, after all, for whatever sins they might have committed!
Jonah 1:1-2:1, 11 This reading sets up the opening story of the very reluctant prophet Jonah, but God “nets” him at the end.
Luke 10:25-37 The teaching of this passage is very clear and needs almost no comment. The mention of the Samaritan — traditionally despised “cousins” — creates an intentional shock. To recreate the sense of shock, we need to explore our own prejudices. Is there anyone in our society of whom we would not expect such goodness?
Our Lady of the Rosary
Jonah 3:1-10 Jonah is called a second time and proclaims God’s word among the people of Nineveh, who are non-Jews. To his surprise (and chagrin), they listen to him! Even the cows do penance—part of the distorting wit of the book. (Bovine sins do not feature elsewhere in the Bible.)
Luke 10:38-42 Balancing life and prayer, the active and the contemplative, is always a challenge. Years ago, Archbishop Temple noted that it is not that action matters and prayer helps, but rather that prayer matters and action is its test. In this way, he moves away from the tempting either/or towards a more integrated approach.
Jonah 4:1-11 Jonah is very disappointed because his preaching is successful (!) and he gets to see no fireworks against Nineveh. God’s outreach beyond the confines of Israel is exactly the point of the book, which ends with a great question from God.
Luke 11:1-4 The Lord’s Prayer arises in Matthew and Luke. Luke’s setting is much more realistic and may touch our own need to be taught how to prayer. The prayer is also briefer and may be close to the original. Lord, teach us to pray!
St John Henry Newman, priest, religious and doctor; St Denis, bishop, and companions, martyrs
Malachi 3:13-20 Our reading reflects on a questions we all feel from time to time: what’s the point in believing, seeing that evil doers evidently prosper?
Luke 11:5-13 There’s a double teaching here, a kind of marvellous tension between persistence / resistance and the natural desire to give what is good to you children.
The book prophet Joel comes from the post-Exilic period, some time around 445-353 BC. It is usually regarded as a late book because of its cross-references to other books and on account of its complex eschatology.
Joel 1:13-15,2:1-2 This reading sounds more like something for Ash Wednesday: it is a clarion call to repentance, to a change of heart and of life.
Luke 11:15-26 It still shocks that some people attributed Jesus’ powers to the spirit of evil. There is, however, a kind of logic: if not from God, then from where? Jesus’ own logic is irrefutable: even evil cannot be selfdestructive!
St John XXIII, bishop of Rome; St Canice, abbot
Joel 4:12-21 You might sometimes wonder where our images regarding the end of time come from. This reading is the source of much of it—a bit scary, but at the same time “the Lord will be a shelter for his people”. The reading closes on a positive note.
Luke 11:27-28 This is an unexpected story, given the substantial profile of the mother of Jesus in Luke 1-2. The unknown woman utters a beatitude, an acclamation of blessing. Jesus, in his reply, gives an a fortiori response, profiling the hearing and keeping of the word of God.
References
-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2025ch, October 5). Twenty-seventh Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100525.cfm
-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings
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