September 11
Friday, week 23 in Ordinary Time
Today is a weekday (feria) in the 23rd week of Ordinary Time. In the Catholic liturgical calendar, Ordinary Time refers to those weeks outside of the main liturgical seasons (Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter), providing a space for ongoing reflection on the teachings of Jesus and the mysteries of faith in daily life. The readings during Ordinary Time invite the faithful to contemplate the life, ministry, and parables of Christ, encouraging growth in discipleship and everyday holiness.
A 'feria' is a day on which no particular saint or special feast is celebrated; instead, the liturgy centers on the unfolding Scripture readings assigned for the week. This steady rhythm is essential in Catholic spirituality, as it mirrors the importance of the ordinary, daily journey of faith. It is an opportunity to focus on the Word of God, particularly the Gospel, and to live out Christ's teachings in the quiet routines of daily life.
The Church, in her wisdom, recognizes that holiness is not only found in the great feasts but also in the patient, persistent living out of faith in everyday circumstances. As such, ferial days invite each person to encounter God in the ordinary moments, growing in grace and virtue amid life's daily challenges and joys.
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Questions about Friday, week 23 in Ordinary Time (Novus Ordo Missae)
The liturgical day
Mass readings
Reading1 Co 9, 16-19.22-27
Brothers,
to preach the Gospel
is not for me a cause for pride,
it is a necessity that is imposed upon me.
Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!
Certainly, if I do it of my own accord,
I deserve a reward.
But I do not do it of my own accord;
it is an entrusted mission.
So what is my reward?
It is to preach the Gospel without seeking any material advantage,
and without claiming my rights as a preacher of the Gospel.
Yes, though I am free as regards all,
I have made myself the slave of all
in order to win over as many as possible.
With the weak, I became weak,
to win the weak.
I have become all things to all,
so that I might by all means save some.
And all this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
You know well that in the stadium,
all the runners take part in the race,
but only one receives the prize.
So, you too, run in such a way as to win it.
All athletes in training
impose strict discipline on themselves;
they do so to receive a laurel crown that will wither,
but we, one that will never wither.
As for me, when I run, I do not run aimlessly;
when I box, I do not waste my blows.
But I harden my body,
I make it my slave,
so that after having proclaimed the Gospel to others,
I myself might not be disqualified.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 83 (84), 3, 4, 5-6, 12
My soul yearns and fades
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
toward the living God!
The bird even finds a home,
and the swallow, a nest for her brood:
your altars, Lord of hosts,
my King and my God!
Happy are those who dwell in your house:
they will sing your praise yet again!
Happy are those whose strength is in you:
paths are opened in their hearts!
The Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord gives grace and glory.
Never does he withhold happiness
from those who walk with integrity.
GospelLc 6, 39-42
At that time,
Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide another blind person?
Will not they both fall into a pit?
The disciple is not above the teacher;
but once fully trained,
each will be like his teacher.
Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye,
while the beam in your own eye,
you do not notice?
How can you say to your brother:
‘Brother, let me take out the splinter in your eye,’
when you yourself do not see the beam in your own eye?
Hypocrite! Remove first the beam from your own eye;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”
– Let us acclaim the word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org