Daily Mass Readings – Thursday, 26 October 2028

14 For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom all paternity in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his Spirit with might unto the inward man,

17 That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts; that being rooted and founded in charity,

18 You may be able to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth:

19 To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge, that you may be filled unto all the fulness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us;

21 To him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus unto all generations, world without end. Amen.

R. (5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

1 Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright.

2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.

R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.

5 He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

11 But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.

R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.

19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.

R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

8-9 I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

49 I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?

50 And I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized: and how am I straitened until it be accomplished?

51 Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.

52 For there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three.

53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against his father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Christ comes to kindle a fire on the earth, and his fire does not leave us unchanged. The Gospel speaks plainly about the division that can arise even within a household when people respond differently to him. Faith is not simply an idea we hold privately; it asks for a real surrender to Christ, even when that choice brings tension or misunderstanding.

Yet this demanding call is held within the vast charity of God. Paul prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith and that we may be rooted and founded in love, strong enough to grasp the breadth and depth of Christ’s love. The psalm gives us the ground for such courage: the earth is full of the Lord’s goodness, and his eyes remain upon those who hope in his mercy. We do not choose Christ by our own strength. We receive strength from the Spirit, treasure him above all else, and trust God to work more abundantly than we can understand. Fidelity may cost us peace with others, but it must never cost us charity toward them.

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in our inmost being by your Holy Spirit. Let Christ dwell deeply in our hearts, so that our choices may be guided by faith and rooted in charity. When following him brings misunderstanding or division, keep us faithful without making us harsh. Teach us to treasure Christ above every lesser gain, while still showing mercy, patience, and reverence toward those who do not understand our faith. Help us trust the goodness that fills the earth and the mercy that sustains us. May your love become visible in our lives. Amen.