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Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 : Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22

The LORD cried loud for me to hear:
Come, you scourges of the city!
With that I saw six men coming from the direction
of the upper gate which faces the north,
each with a destroying weapon in his hand.
In their midst was a man dressed in linen,
with a writer’s case at his waist.
They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.
Then he called to the man dressed in linen
with the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:
Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it.
To the others I heard the LORD say:
Pass through the city after him and strike!
Do not look on them with pity nor show any mercy!
Old men, youths and maidens, women and children–wipe them out!
But do not touch any marked with the “Thau”; begin at my sanctuary.
So they began with the men, the elders, who were in front of the temple.
Defile the temple, he said to them, and fill the courts with the slain;
then go out and strike in the city.

Then the glory of the LORD left the threshold of the temple
and rested upon the cherubim.
These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth,
the wheels rising along with them.
They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house,
and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them,
while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (4b) The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise, you servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
both now and forever.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
From the rising to the setting of the sun
is the name of the LORD to be praised.
High above all nations is the LORD;
above the heavens is his glory.
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high,
and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?
R. The glory of the Lord is higher than the skies.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia : 2 Corinthians 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.
If he refuses to listen even to the Church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a powerful truth:
God sees everything—our failures, our wounds, our conflicts—and He desires restoration, protection, and unity.
• Ezekiel shows that God’s presence withdraws when hearts turn away, yet He protects the faithful.
• The psalm reveals God’s tenderness toward the humble and forgotten.
• Jesus teaches that reconciliation is not optional—it is the heartbeat of Christian community.
The message is clear: God calls us to protect what is holy, lift up the lowly, and heal what is broken.

Reflection for the Day

Ezekiel’s vision is sobering. The glory of God—once dwelling in the Temple—begins to depart. It is a dramatic reminder that God’s presence cannot be taken for granted. When hearts grow cold, when injustice spreads, when holiness is ignored, God withdraws His glory.
Yet even in judgment, God does something beautiful: He marks the faithful. He protects those who grieve over sin, those who long for holiness, those who remain devoted to Him.
The psalm lifts our eyes from judgment to mercy: God is exalted above the nations, yet He bends down to raise the poor from the dust. He sees the forgotten. He lifts the humble. He restores dignity.
Then Jesus gives us a practical, tender teaching: heal your relationships.
If someone hurts you, go to them privately. Speak with love. Seek reconciliation. If needed, bring others to help. If reconciliation fails, entrust the situation to God.
And then Jesus gives a promise that should steady every heart:
“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
He is present in our conversations, in our attempts to heal wounds, in our efforts to rebuild trust, in our small gatherings of faith.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Guard God’s presence in your life.
   Choose holiness. Reject what distances you from Him.
2. Lift up the lowly.
   See the forgotten. Encourage the discouraged. Be God’s tenderness to someone today.
3. Heal relationships.
   Seek reconciliation. Speak truth with love. Invite Jesus into every conversation.
   Let today be a day of restoration, humility, and renewed unity.

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, protect my heart from anything that draws me away from Your presence.
Teach me to lift up the lowly, to encourage the forgotten, and to reflect Your tenderness.
Give me courage to seek reconciliation where relationships are strained.
Be present in my conversations, my decisions, and my efforts to build peace.
May Your glory dwell in my life and Your love guide my steps today.
Amen.