Gospel: September 27, 2025
September 27, 2025 (Saturday)
25th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 1 / (White)
St. Vincent de Paul, priest
Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.
1st Reading: Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15a
Gospel: Luke 9:43b-45
And all who saw it were astonished at God’s wonderful work. But while all were amazed at everything Jesus did, he said to his disciples, “Listen, and remember what I tell you now: The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.” But the disciples didn’t understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
Reflection:
“The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.”
When it comes to God’s blessings, our memories are short. In Jesus’ ministry, all were amazed at the wonders done by God. And yet, Jesus foretells that he will be betrayed and condemned to death. Similarly, Saint Vincent de Paul followed Christ’s path as a true shepherd to people by his simplicity, his selflessness and his honest and eloquent speech. People marveled at the wonders achieved by this priest in his shabby cassock as he cared for the poor. And yet, they quickly forgot God’s mercies worked through Vincent when he became an obstacle to their plans. At that time, in reaction to the decadence in the Church, the Jansenist movement was gaining popularity. It sought to restore virtue, but its beliefs eclipsed the mercy of God. Jansenists took a perfectionist view of Christian life, denied the universality of God’s love, and discouraged people from receiving the sacraments out of a fear of unworthiness. It was the opposite of what Vincent and his missionaries preached. The Jansenists vigorously condemned Vincent, calling him an ignorant peasant, but he persisted in preaching God’s mercy. Do we remain faithful to Christ, like Vincent, when we are attacked for speaking the truth?
