Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, October 25, 2026 (EPISODE: 608)
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A . - Sunday, October 25, 2026
(EPISODE:608 )
Readings for Sunday, 25th October 2026
FIRST READING: Exod 22:20-26
Ps 18:2-3a, 3b-4, 47+51. "I love you, Lord, my strength."
SECOND READING: 1 Thess 1:5c-10
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 14:23). Alleluia, alleluia! All who love me will keep my words, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them.
GOSPEL: Matt 22:34-40
Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/j9imxn1Ryw4ZHRD0AuiK/love-your-neighbour-as-yourself-says-the-lord?ru=Paul-Evangelion
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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass (Readings, prayers and homily), for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, October 25, 2026, by clicking this link here: https://on.soundcloud.com/dHcrFZdzIPj0OuahMH (EPISODE:608 )
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*Prologue Fr Paul W. Kelly
- [Gospel values included in the readings: Love God, Love Neighbour as self. Justice, especially to the stranger and outcast]
Even after the busiest days, Jesus would go up into the hills to a lonely place and spend the night praying to his Heavenly Father. So, it’s fair to say Jesus’ whole life was one great act of worship and praise to his Father. Jesus' life offers many examples of how he gave himself entirely in service to others.
His whole life was one great big act of service and love to his neighbour—that is, to all in need around him. These two realities must be two sides of the same coin and are not contradictory. The great Saint John Chrysostom once said, “I cannot believe in the salvation of those who do not work also for the salvation of their neighbours.”
Another great monk once was heard to say to his brothers, when they were focusing too much on rules and regulations and not on the heart of the gospel message: “My friends, you have torn the gospel of Christ in two. There are two great commandments. Show love for God by how you love your neighbour, just as you would love and care for yourself.”
Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say there’s really only one commandment: to love, which, of course, has two facets. In any case, splitting up these two commandments seriously distorts Christ’s gospel.
Two extremes must be avoided:
First, some emphasise the worship of God to the point that doing anything practical for those in need seems like an optional extra. This is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. The other extreme is not right either.
Some people are so caught up in social justice and practical action that they lose sight of the fact that Christian justice and Christian charity—that is love—always flow from our relationship with God. We are all God’s children, and both our human actions and God’s will matter. So if someone emphasises social response and neglects prayer, worship, and their faith in God—the author and sustainer of all things—as essential as practical care for those in need, it loses focus. If we ever disconnected it from worship and prayer, it would become merely humanistic. It would reflect a faulty sense that humans are their own saviours and can do all things themselves without reference to God.
Jesus shows us that both prayer and action are possible and necessary. Again, I must say I always feel that the Catholic groups of lay people, such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Surface Paradise Catholic Ladies Group, and Roses, to name just a few—but not to exclude the countless other groups that do great works—are wonderful expressions and examples of both important aspects: prayer and action together, praying and then acting in practical ways. They focus on practical action: helping those in need, the hungry, those seeking shelter, those seeking clothing, and those they visit.
Also integral to this is meeting regularly to pray and reflect on Christ’s gospel. This is vital. This connection to the person of Christ makes sense of, and empowers, our care for our neighbour.
So many other groups and individuals model this, and we give thanks for all of them. In Jesus’ commandment—which is truly a masterpiece of summing up thousands of biblical rules and regulations and observances into a few amazing words, and of enshrining the very heart of the meaning—“love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and love your neighbour as yourself”—it becomes clear that every other person is truly our neighbour, especially when the person is in need.
We must love everyone who comes into our lives. No one can be excluded from being our neighbour. Love of neighbour is at the heart of serving God and being faithful to what God is asking of us.
Love of neighbour is not an optional extra in our Christianity; it’s essential. It’s an expression of our love of God. Saint Paul says this beautifully in the second reading.
We must take Christ as our model. We must try to imitate Christ. In imitating Christ, we can find a whole way of living: gentleness yet strength in how we deal with others, along with understanding and acceptance, grounded in a clear vision of what’s right and what is wrong.
It’s clear that Jesus did not merely accept everything and anything as good. He never said, “anything goes”. He pointed out what was not good.
However, Jesus did this while consistently keeping his eyes on the gospel's primary value: love received and given. That’s a different model to imitate. Our Lord did not focus on righteousness for its own sake.
He emphasised love, compassion, and the good of all. Everything he did was primarily motivated by the love that flowed from him as God the Son. This is another example of Jesus' cross.
This suffering comes from living in right relationship with the Father and with one another, while keeping this way of life front and centre: love for others, reverence, real care, compassion, empathy. Because in the end, it’s entirely about love. Love is God’s nature.
We show our love for God in how we love our neighbour.
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References:
Fr. Paul W. Kelly
Abbot's Homily, The Monastery of Christ in the Desert Homily for October 22 2008.
Flor McCarthy. Sundays and Holy Day Liturgies. Year A.
Gutierrez, Sharing the Word through the Liturgical Year.
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A . (Sunday, October 25, 2026) (EPISODE: 608 )
The Lord be with you.
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{{May Our Lord's Fidelity strengthen you.}} Welcome, everyone. We gather to offer our praise, prayers and intercessions to God. On this Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A.
Coming together as brothers and sisters, with confidence, let us ask the Father's forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion
Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to draw all people to yourself: Lord, have mercy//You shouldered the cross, to bear our suffering and sinfulness: Christ, have mercy// You open for your people the way from death into life: Lord, have mercy//
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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Ps 18:2-3a, 3b-4, 47+51. "I love you Lord, my strength."
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 14:23). Alleluia, alleluia! All who love me will keep my words, and my Father will love them and we will come to them.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary I
Eucharistic Prayer II
Communion side. pwk:
(theme variation: 1 )
(post version: v1-long)
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{thank you so much for taking this time with me to listen to God's word and for praising God for his goodness and care.}
Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com
To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.
Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).
Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria, Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.
"Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
"Quiet Time." Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.
"Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly. Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.
Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.
Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser.
Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).
NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)
Sound Processing: iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)
[ Production - KER - 2026]
May God bless and keep you.
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