November 13, 2025
Memorial of Saint Frances
Xavier Cabrini, Virgin
[In the Dioceses of the United States]
Lectionary: 494
Reading
1
In Wisdom is a
spirit
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.
Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
Responsorial
Psalm
Psalm 119:89, 90, 91, 130,
135, 175
R. (89a) Your
word is for ever, O Lord.
Your word, O LORD, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Through all generations your truth endures;
you have established the earth, and it stands firm.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let your countenance shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Let my soul live to praise you,
and may your ordinances help me.
R. Your word is for ever, O Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord:
whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Asked by the
Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."
Then he said to his disciples,
"The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111325.cfm
Commentary on Wisdom
7:22—8:1
Today’s passage is a hymn to Wisdom. It reflects much of
Greek philosophical influence affecting the Jewish author who treats Wisdom as
a person and gives his own version of earlier personifications. In so far as
Wisdom is identified with God as its origin, we might rephrase the first
sentence of John’s Gospel to say that:
In the beginning there was Wisdom and Wisdom was with God
and Wisdom was God.
The writer describes both the nature and origin of Wisdom
and begins by listing twenty-one attributes of Wisdom. Borrowing freely from
the vocabulary of Greek philosophy, the author next points out the various
characteristics of Wisdom and concludes by identifying it with divine
providence—in the last sentence of our reading.
The eulogy begins with the attributes of Wisdom, divided
into three sets of seven each, that is, the multiplication of seven (for
perfection) by three (for divinity). It is, in the thinking of the time, the
most perfect of perfect numbers. The attributes are set out as follows so that
each one can be looked at and considered separately:
There is in her a spirit that is intelligent, holy,
unique, manifold, subtle,
agile, clear, unpolluted,
distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen,
irresistible, beneficent, humane,
steadfast, sure, free from anxiety,
all-powerful, overseeing all,
and penetrating through all spirits that are intelligent, pure, and altogether
subtle.
There then follows some other attributes:
For wisdom is more mobile than any motion because of her
pureness; she pervades and penetrates all things.
Wisdom is totally devoid of any deception or distortion; she
provides a clear vision which “pervades and penetrates all things”. Wisdom is:
…a breath of the power of God and a pure emanation of the
glory of the Almighty.
The Spirit of God is also described as a movement of air—a
‘breath’ or a ‘wind’. Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus said:
The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound
of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. (John
3:8)
Here there is a play on the word pneuma, meaning
both ‘spirit’ and ‘wind’. Similarly at Pentecost the coming of the Spirit is
accompanied by a wind blowing through the place where the disciples are
gathered. As well, on the cross, Jesus’ death is described as giving out
the pneuma—which can be both his final breath and also his Spirit:
Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John
19:30)
This is Pentecost on the cross.
The “glory of the Almighty” is “the eternal light” that is
God. In the Old Testament, God is never called ‘light’. Some earlier texts
already hinted at the concept of a transcendent light emanating from God,
illuminating the faithful or his nation, being the radiance of his glory, or
residing with him, but it will only be in the First Letter of John that we read
explicitly “God is light” (1 John 1:5). Jesus himself will say virtually the
same thing:
I AM the Light of the World. (John 8:12)
Wisdom is a reflection of the eternal light of God:
…a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of
his goodness.
When we are possessed by true wisdom we are already in touch
with God, with his power, with his love and with his goodness.
There is a loftiness and exclusiveness about Wisdom, for she
is unique:
Although she is but one, she can do all things, and while
remaining in herself, she renews all things.
Though herself unchanging and unchangeable, she changes the
world through her insight and unending creativity.
In generation after generation, she has passed into the
lives of good people, making “them friends of God and prophets”. In the Old
Testament such friends were Abraham and Moses. Jesus, as the Son of God, called
his disciples his friends. Prophets include not only the great prophets and
inspired scribes, but all who, by their holy life and intimacy with God,
penetrate into the knowledge of his will and his mysteries, and so become his
authorised ‘interpreters’ to enlighten their fellows. Among these will be the
many outstanding spiritual and theological writers and preachers who have given
new insights into living with God and for God.
God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with
wisdom.
Of course, God, who is Love, extends that love infinitely
and equally to every single person and thing he has created. It is never
withheld or withdrawn. But obviously, there is a special relationship with
those who open their hearts and respond totally to the Love extended to them
and who, in turn, pass that Love on to all those who come into their lives.
There is a brightness to Wisdom that is unique:
She is more beautiful than the sun and excels every
constellation of the stars.
Since those words were written, we know so much more about
the enormity of the constellations and the galaxies and yet the statement
remains perfectly valid.
Compared with the light she is found to be more radiant,
for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail.
Nothing can avail against Wisdom, which contains all Truth,
Goodness and Beauty.
And at the end, Wisdom is linked with the loving Providence
of God which governs our world:
She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the
other, and she orders all things well.
The attributes that Paul gives to love in his famous passage
in his First Letter to the Corinthians can also be applied to Wisdom. Divine
Wisdom embraces both Truth and Love.
To be a friend of God, then, is to share his Wisdom, that
is, to see and understand reality as he does. This is the most precious thing
we can have in life for it gives meaning and direction to everything that we
experience. It is to live in a light that is never extinguished and against
which evil is impotent.
Let us pray today for this wisdom that will guide our lives
and bring us the happiness, peace and security which we constantly seek.
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Commentary on Luke
17:20-25
Jesus was asked by some Pharisees when the Kingdom of God
would come. In their mind, it was a definitive time that would be suddenly
realised by the arrival of a triumphant Messiah-King. Jesus says it is not
going to be like that at all. The Kingdom cannot be found by looking around for
telltale signs so that you can say it is ‘here’ or ‘there’.
No, says Jesus:
…in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.
Not only is it “among” them, it is right in front of them!
It is first of all in the very person of Jesus, who is the embodiment of God’s
Reign. He is the Messiah-King. He is the living incarnation of God’s loving
power revealed in his authoritative teaching, in his many healings of the sick,
in his freeing of those from the power of evil spirits, and in his compassion
for the sinner and the outcast. All are clear evidence that the reign of God
“is among you”.
In every age, including our own time, there are people who
get worked up about the ‘final coming of Christ’. But instead of focusing on a
date in the calendar, we should be focusing on the realities of our everyday
lives where, to those with eyes that see, the reign of God can easily be
discerned working in other people’s lives and in our own. Wherever people are
reflecting in their lives the vision of life—the values that Jesus revealed to
us—the Kingdom is there. And such people are not confined to the Church. They
can be, and are found, everywhere.
Jesus then turns to his disciples, telling them they :
…will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and
you will not see it.
In the very early Church, many were convinced that Jesus
would make his final coming during their own lifetime. It is likely that, from
time to time, certain events were interpreted as signs of that final coming.
People were saying, “Look there! or Look here!”, i.e. he is to be found in this
place or that. But by the time Luke’s Gospel was written, many in that first
generation of Christians had already died and there was still no sign of Jesus’
coming.
The ‘days’ following his expected coming may have all the
more been longed for during times of severe persecution, when they looked for
relief and help from their pain. An anxiety is reflected in the story of the
disciples’ trying to wake a sleeping Jesus while their boat is threatened by
mountainous seas (see Mark 4:35-41).
Jesus says that, when his day does come, it will be:
…as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one
side to the other…
It will be both sudden and everywhere. In the meantime,
Jesus:
…must endure much suffering and be rejected by this
generation.
These words clearly refer to his own suffering and death,
but can also be applied to the whole Risen Christ, including the Church, his
risen Body, into our own age.
So, on the one hand, the reign of God is already here among
us, and we need look no further than the daily experiences of our own lives to
know and experience the power and presence of Jesus. On the other hand, the
time of that final coming which “will wipe every tear from [our] eyes” and be
the end of all suffering and rejection is not for us to decide—nor to be
anxious about.
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https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/o1325g/
Thursday,
November 13, 2025
Ordinary Time
Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
protect us from all harm. Give us freedom of spirit and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Gospel reading - Luke 17:20-25
When asked by the Pharisees when
the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer: "The coming
of the kingdom of God comes not with observation and there will be no one to
say, "Look, it is here! Look, it is there!" For look, the kingdom of
God is within you."
He said to the disciples, "A
time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of man and will
not see it.
They will say to you, ’Look, it is there!’ or, ‘Look, it is
here!’ Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing
from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of man when His
Day comes. But first He is destined to suffer many things and be rejected by
this generation.”
Reflection
•
Today’s Gospel gives us the discussion between
Jesus and the Pharisees on the coming of the Kingdom. The Gospel today and that
of the following days deal with the coming of the end of time.
•
Luke 17, 20-21: The Kingdom is among you. “Asked
when the Kingdom of God was to come?” Jesus answered “The coming of the Kingdom
of God does not come with (through) observation and there will be no one to
say, ‘Look, it is here! Look, it is there! For look, the Kingdom of God is
within you!” The Pharisees thought that the Kingdom could come only after
people would have reached the perfect observance of the Law of God. For them,
the coming of the Kingdom would be the reward from God for the good behavior of
the people, and the Messiah would have come in a very solemn way as a king, to
be received by his people. Jesus says the contrary. The coming of the Kingdom
cannot be observed as the coming of an earthly king is observed. For Jesus, the
Kingdom of God has already come! It is already among us, independently of our
effort or merit. Jesus sees things in a different way. He has another way of
reading life. He prefers the Samaritan who lives with gratitude to the nine who
think that they merit the good that they receive from God (Lk 17, 17-19).
•
Luke 17, 22-24: The signs to recognize the
coming of the Son of Man. “A time will come when you will long to see one of
the days of the Son of Man, and will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look it
is there!’ or ‘Look, it is here!’ Make no move, and do not set off in pursuit.
For as the lightening flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so
will be the Son of Man when His Day comes”. In this affirmation, from there are
elements taken from apocalyptic visions of history quite common in the first
centuries after Jesus. An apocalyptic vision of history has certain
distinguishing characteristics.. Certainly, in time of great persecution and
oppression the poor have the impression that God loses control of history. They
feel lost, without a horizon and without any hope of liberation. In those
moments of apparent absence of God, prophecy assumes the form of apocalypse.
The apocalyptic vision seeks to enlighten the desperate situation with the
light of faith in order to help people not lose hope and continue to have
courage . To show that God does not lose control of history, they describe the
different stages of the realization of the project of God throughout history.
Begun in a particular significant moment in the past, this project of God
advances, stage after stage, through the situations lived by the poor, until
the final victory is obtained at the end of history. In this way, the
apocalyptic places the present moment like a stage which has already been
foreseen in the overall project of God. Generally, the last stage, before the
coming of the end, is represented as a moment of suffering and crisis, which
many try to profit from by deceiving people. “They will tell you: Look it is
here, or look it is there, but do not move, do not follow them. Because like
lightening flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the
Son of man when His Day comes”. Having the eyes of faith which Jesus
communicates, the poor can perceive that the Kingdom is already among them (Lk
17, 21), like lightening, without any doubt. The coming of the Kingdom brings
with it its own evidence and does not depend on the forecast or prediction of
others.
•
Luke 17, 25: By the Cross up to the Glory. “But
first He is destined to suffer many things and be rejected by this generation”.
Always the same warning: the Cross, scandal for the Jews and foolishness for
the Greek, but for us the expression of the wisdom and the power of God (1Co 1,
18.23). The path toward the glory passes through the Cross. The life of Jesus
is our Canon. It is the canonical norm for all of us.
Personal questions
•
Jesus said “The Kingdom is in your midst!” Have
you already found some sign of the Kingdom in your life, in the life of your
nation or in the life of your community?
•
The cross in our life: How do you consider or
see suffering? What do you do about it?
Concluding prayer
He keeps faith for ever,
gives justice to the oppressed, gives food to the
hungry; Yahweh sets prisoners free. (Ps 146:6-7)
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