Saint of the day · August 17
Ferial Day
WeekdayLiturgical colour : Green
Today, the Church celebrates a feria, or 'ferial day,' in Ordinary Time. Ferias are weekdays on which there is no obligatory feast or memorial of a particular saint or event in the universal liturgical calendar. During Ordinary Time, these days provide the faithful with the opportunity to focus on the regular rhythm of the liturgy and to meditate on the mystery of Christ in the ordinary circumstances of life. The readings at Mass follow a continuous sequence, inviting deeper engagement with Scripture and spiritual growth. Ferias remind us that holiness can be found in daily life and that every moment is an invitation to encounter God. The green liturgical color symbolizes hope and renewal, encouraging us to grow in faith and charity.
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Mass readings
Ezekiel will be a sign for you: everything he has done, you will do — Ez 24, 15-24
The word of the Lord was addressed to me:
"Son of man, I am about to take away from you suddenly
the delight of your eyes.
You must not lament or weep,
you must not let your tears flow.
Sigh in silence, do not enter into mourning;
put your turban on your head,
put your sandals on your feet, do not cover your lips,
do not eat the funeral meal."
In the morning, I was still speaking to the people,
and in the evening my wife died.
The next morning, I did as I had been commanded.
The people said to me:
"Will you not explain to us what you are doing there?
What does this mean for us?"
I replied to them:
"The word of the Lord was addressed to me:
Tell the house of Israel:
Thus says the Lord God:
I am about to profane my sanctuary,
your pride and your strength,
the delight of your eyes,
the passion of your heart.
Your sons and daughters whom you left in Jerusalem
will fall by the sword.
Then you will do as I have done:
you will not cover your lips,
you will not eat the funeral meal,
you will put turbans on your heads,
and you will put sandals on your feet.
You will not lament,
you will not weep.
But you will rot in your sins,
and you will all groan together.
Ezekiel will be a sign for you:
everything he has done, you will do.
And when this happens,
you will know that I am the Lord God."
– The word of the Lord.
Dt 32, 18-19, 20, 21
You scorn the Rock who gave you birth;
the God who fathered you, you forget.
The Lord saw it: he rejected
his sons and his daughters who had provoked him.
He said: "I will hide my face from them
and see what their future will be.
Yes, they are a perverse generation,
they are children without faith.
"They have made me jealous with a god that is not God,
provoked me with their empty idols;
I will make them jealous
by a nation that is not a nation,
I will provoke them with a foolish people.
"If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you own, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven" — Mt 19, 16-22
At that time,
someone approached Jesus and said:
"Teacher, what good must I do
to have eternal life?"
Jesus said to him:
"Why do you ask me about what is good?
There is only One who is good—God!
If you wish to enter into life,
keep the commandments."
He said to him:
"Which ones?"
Jesus replied:
"You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness.
Honor your father and mother.
And also:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
The young man said to him:
"I have kept all these:
what am I still lacking?"
Jesus answered him:
"If you wish to be perfect,
go, sell what you own,
give it to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."
When he heard these words, the young man went away sad,
because he had great possessions.
– Let us acclaim the word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org