November 19
Thursday, week 33 in Ordinary Time
Year II
Today is a ferial day—an ordinary weekday—in the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time. The term 'feria' refers to days in the liturgical calendar that do not commemorate a specific saint or feast, allowing communities to focus on the regular progression of the Church’s prayer and lectionary. Ordinary Time itself is dedicated to spiritual growth and daily Christian living, inviting the faithful to listen attentively to Scripture, particularly as the readings walk us through the teachings and journeys of Jesus and the Apostles.
During ferial days, the liturgy allows for flexibility: the Mass readings follow a set cycle, inviting reflection on God's Word as it unfolds through the seasons, while the prayers and liturgical color—green—emphasize hope, renewal, and the fruitful living out of our baptismal call. Ferial days remind us that sanctity is not reserved for special occasions, but is cultivated amid the routine of daily life. The Church, by giving space to these ordinary days, encourages each believer to seek God in every moment, sanctifying time itself and finding Christ in the simplicity of the everyday.
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Questions about Thursday, week 33 in Ordinary Time (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingAp 5, 1-10
I, John,
saw,
in the right hand of the one seated on the Throne,
a scroll,
written on the inside and on the outside,
sealed with seven seals.
Then I saw a mighty angel,
who proclaimed with a loud voice:
"Who is worthy to open the Scroll
and break its seals?"
But no one, in heaven, on earth, or under the earth,
was able to open the Scroll and look at it.
I wept greatly,
because no one was found worthy
to open the Scroll and look at it.
But one of the Elders said to me:
"Do not weep.
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
the root of David, has conquered:
he will open the Scroll and its seven seals."
And I saw,
between the Throne, the four Living Creatures and the Elders,
a Lamb standing, as though slain;
his horns were seven in number,
as well as his eyes, which are the seven spirits of God
sent out into all the earth.
He went and took the Scroll
from the right hand of the one who was seated on the Throne.
When the Lamb had taken the Scroll,
the four Living Creatures and the twenty-four Elders
fell down before him.
Each held a harp
and golden bowls full of incense
which are the prayers of the saints.
They sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the Scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain,
you ransomed for God, by your blood,
people from every tribe,
language, people, and nation.
For our God, you have made them
a kingdom and priests:
they shall reign on the earth."
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 149, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6a.9b
Sing to the Lord a new song,
praise him in the assembly of his faithful!
In Israel, joy for its creator;
in Zion, rejoicing for its King!
Dance in praise of his name,
play for him with tambourines and harps!
For the Lord loves his people,
he gives the humble the splendor of victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory,
cry out their joy at the hour of triumph.
Let them proclaim the praises of God,
it is the pride of his faithful.
GospelLc 19, 41-44
At that time,
when Jesus was near Jerusalem,
seeing the city, he wept over it, saying:
"Oh! If you too had recognized on this day
what brings peace!
But now it is hidden from your eyes.
Yes, days will come for you
when your enemies will build siege works against you,
surround you and press you from every side;
they will destroy you,
you and your children within you,
and they will not leave in you one stone upon another,
because you did not recognize
the time when God visited you."
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org