November 20
Friday, week 33 in Ordinary Time
Year II
Today is a 'ferial' day in the liturgical calendar, specifically a Friday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time. The term 'feria' comes from the Latin for 'day,' and in the Church's context, it refers to days that do not carry a specific saint, feast, or solemnity. On such days, the Church invites Catholics to enter more deeply into the rhythm of ordinary life and to sanctify their daily actions through prayer and fidelity to Christ. The readings for these days are drawn from the continuous cycle of Scripture, allowing for a rich meditation on the mysteries of salvation history even outside of great solemnities.
Ordinary Time itself is a season devoted to the growth and maturation of faith, marked not by the excitement of feasts but by the steady nourishment of the Word and participation in the Eucharist. Though 'ferial' days may seem less significant compared to great feast days, they emphasize the importance of perseverance, conversion, and grace in the quiet moments of life. The green liturgical color symbolizes hope and the ongoing growth of the Christian soul. On Fridays, especially, Catholics are encouraged to recall Christ's Passion, sometimes with acts of penance or charity.
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Questions about Friday, week 33 in Ordinary Time (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingAp 10, 8-11
I, John,
the voice that I had heard, coming from heaven,
spoke to me again and said:
"Go, take the open scroll
in the hand of the angel
who is standing on the sea and on the earth."
I went up to the angel
to ask him to give me the little scroll.
He said to me:
"Take it, and eat it up;
it will make your stomach bitter,
but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey."
I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand,
and I ate it up.
In my mouth it was as sweet as honey,
but when I had eaten it,
it made my stomach bitter.
Then I was told:
"You must prophesy again
about many peoples,
nations, languages and kings."
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 118 (119), 14.24, 72.103, 111.131
I find in the way of your commands
more joy than in all riches.
I take delight in your statutes;
they are my counselors.
My happiness is the law from your mouth,
more than heaps of gold or silver.
How sweet is your promise to my palate;
honey has less flavor in my mouth!
Your statutes will remain my heritage,
the joy of my heart.
Mouth wide open, I long for you,
thirsty for your will.
GospelLc 19, 45-48
At that time,
having entered the Temple,
Jesus began to drive out the sellers.
He declared to them:
"It is written:
My house shall be a house of prayer.
But you have made it a den of thieves."
And he was teaching every day in the Temple.
The chief priests and the scribes, as well as the leaders,
were trying to kill him,
but they could not find what they might do;
indeed, all the people,
hanging on his words, were listening to him.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org