On this Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time, the Church calls us to reflect on faithful trust in God’s word and mission. We pause to lift our hearts and minds to the Lord, seeking the grace to align our lives with his will, following Christ who calls us to hear and obey.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty ever-living God, who established in a wonderful order the dignity of human nature, grant that by your help we may pursue rightly what you command and accomplish what you promise.
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.
Mass Readings of the Day
From Daily Mass Readings for Thursday, 25 September 2025
- First Reading: Haggai 1:1-8
- Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a & 9b
- Gospel: Luke 9:7-9
📖 First Reading: Haggai 1:1-8
In this passage, the prophet Haggai speaks during a time when the people of Israel had returned from exile in Babylon. They were back in Jerusalem, but instead of rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, they focused on building comfortable homes for themselves.
Haggai delivers God’s challenge: “Consider your ways!” You work hard, but you never have enough. You eat, but are never satisfied. You earn wages, but it’s like putting money in a bag with holes. Why? Because you’ve neglected God’s house.
The Lord urges them: “Go up into the hills, bring wood, and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified.”
Reflection: This reading calls us to examine priorities. Do we put God first, or do we chase material comfort while neglecting prayer, worship, and service? When we honor God, everything else falls into its rightful place.
📖 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a & 9b
Response: “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
This psalm is a joyful hymn celebrating God’s kingship and his love for his chosen ones. It calls the faithful to sing, dance, and praise with instruments. God delights in his humble servants and crowns them with victory.
Reflection: God is not distant—He rejoices in us. Our praise isn’t just duty; it’s entering into a joyful relationship with the Lord who delights in our love and trust.
📖 Gospel: Luke 9:7-9
Herod the tetrarch hears about Jesus and is deeply puzzled. People are saying different things: some believe Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead, others think he is Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets returned.
Herod, who had ordered John the Baptist’s execution, is troubled: “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he desired to see Jesus.
👉 Reflection: Herod represents those who are curious about Jesus but not willing to repent or change. He wanted to see Jesus, but not to follow Him. The question lingers for all of us: Who is Jesus for me? Just a figure of curiosity, or the Lord of my life?
Saint of the Day: St. Firmin (Firminus) of Amiens
In the early 4th century, amidst the trials of Christian persecution, Firmin (also spelled Firminus) answered God’s call in a time when faith cost dearly. Born perhaps in the region around Pamplona or southern France, he felt compelled to evangelize. His zeal led him to preach in various towns and eventually to the city of Amiens, in what is now northern France
There he was recognized as bishop, shepherding a flock in times of unrest and spiritual challenge. As the persecution of Christians intensified under the Roman imperial system, Bishop Firmin did not abandon his mission. He remained steadfast, even when arrested and imprisoned for professing Christ. According to tradition, he was beheaded in prison—thus sealing his witness with his blood.
Over the centuries, his memory was honored throughout northern France and Spain, especially in Navarre, where he is venerated as a co-patron. His martyrdom became a beacon: a testimony that the Gospel is to be lived even unto death, but also a reminder that even in suffering, one’s pastoral heart continues to bear fruit, inspiring others in faith and courage.
10 Facts about St. Firmin (Firminus) of Amiens
- Time period: Firmin likely lived in the 3rd to early 4th century, during the era of Roman persecution of Christians.
- Region of birth / ministry: Though origins are uncertain, he is especially linked to Pamplona (Spain) and the region of present-day France.
- Evangelizer: He traveled and evangelized various communities, bringing the Gospel to places where it had not yet taken root.
- Bishop of Amiens: He served as bishop in the city of Amiens, guiding Christians in his diocese with pastoral care.
- Martyrdom: He was arrested and executed (beheaded) because of his faith. His death in confinement marks him among the martyrs.
- Feast day: His feast is commemorated on September 25 in the liturgical calendar.
- Patronage: He is traditionally regarded as a co-patron saint of Navarre (in Spain).
- Cultural veneration: He is remembered especially in northern France and Spain, where churches, parishes, and local devotion commemorate his legacy.
- Symbol of endurance: His life and martyrdom serve as a Christian example of steadfastness: facing persecution without denying faith.
- Legacy of witness: His story encourages believers to trust in God’s grace in times of trial, and to view evangelization as a mission worth any cost—even life itself.
