September 25
Friday, week 25 in Ordinary Time
Canada : Sts. Cosmas and Damian, martyrs · Switzerland : St. Nicholas of Flue, hermit
Today, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates a weekday in Ordinary Time, known simply as a 'feria.' Unlike major feasts or the commemorations of saints, a ferial day gives particular attention to the daily readings and prayers assigned in the liturgical calendar, without the overlay of a special celebration. Ordinary Time makes up the majority of the Church year and is marked by green vestments, symbolizing hope and growth in the Christian life.
Ferial days invite the faithful to deepen their relationship with God in the rhythm of ordinary life. The scriptures read at Mass guide believers through the story of salvation and the teachings of Jesus, offering ongoing nourishment for spiritual growth. While the Church does not commemorate a specific saint or event on ferial days, this very simplicity allows the focus to rest on Christ’s teaching and presence in the every day. The absence of particular solemnity does not make the day less important; rather, it highlights the continual call to holiness in the ordinary moments of life.
In the 25th week of Ordinary Time, the lectionary follows continuous readings from books such as Ecclesiastes and the Gospel according to Luke, underlining themes of wisdom, perseverance, and attentive listening to God’s word. The daily celebration of the Eucharist on ferial days renews and sustains the faithful for their daily mission. In this quiet, ongoing journey, the Church encourages all to encounter God not just in the grand feasts, but also in the peaceful, steadfast walk of faith through the week.
Permanent link
Ask a question about today’s feast
Questions about Friday, week 25 in Ordinary Time (Novus Ordo Missae)
Local variations
- Canada — Sts. Cosmas and Damian, martyrs
- Switzerland — St. Nicholas of Flue, hermit
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingQo 3, 1-11
There is a moment for everything,
and a time for every affair under heaven:
a time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to uproot.
A time to kill,
and a time to heal;
a time to tear down,
and a time to build.
A time to weep,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance.
A time to throw stones,
and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace,
and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to seek,
and a time to lose;
a time to keep,
and a time to throw away.
A time to tear,
and a time to sew;
a time to be silent,
and a time to speak.
A time to love,
and a time to not love;
a time for war,
and a time for peace.
What profit has the worker
from all the toil he endures?
I have seen the occupation that God imposes on the sons of Adam
to keep them busy.
All the things that God has made
are good in their time.
God has set the whole duration of time in the mind of man,
but he is unable
to grasp the work that God has done
from beginning to end.
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 143 (144), 1a.2abc, 3-4
Blessed be the Lord, my rock!
He is my ally, my fortress,
my stronghold, the one who frees me;
he is the shield who shelters me,
What is man, that you know him, Lord,
the son of man, that you take thought of him?
Man is like a breath,
his days are a passing shadow.
GospelLc 9, 18-22
On that day, Jesus was praying apart.
As his disciples were there,
he questioned them:
"Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They replied:
"John the Baptist; but for others, Elijah;
and for others, one of the ancient prophets who has arisen."
Jesus asked them:
"And you, who do you say that I am?"
Then Peter spoke up and said:
"The Christ, the Messiah of God."
But Jesus, with authority,
strongly ordered them not to tell this to anyone,
and declared:
"The Son of Man must suffer greatly,
be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
be killed,
and on the third day be raised."
– Let us acclaim the word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org