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Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1: Revelation 10:8-11

I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me.
Then the voice spoke to me and said:
“Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel
who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.
He said to me, “Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”
I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, “You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

R. (103a) How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!

Alleluia : John 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 19:45-48

Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written,
My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.”
And every day he was teaching in the temple area.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,
were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.

Message from the Readings

In the First Reading, John receives God’s message in a deeply personal way. Before he can proclaim it to others, he must first consume it himself. The sweetness of the scroll reflects the beauty and truth of God’s Word, while its bitterness points to the sacrifices, challenges, and responsibilities that often accompany discipleship.
The Psalm echoes this truth, rejoicing in the sweetness of God’s promises. The psalmist treasures God’s commands more than riches and delights in His wisdom.
In the Gospel, Jesus enters the Temple and drives out those who have turned a sacred place into a marketplace. His actions reveal His zeal for God’s house and His desire that His people worship with sincere hearts.
Together, the readings teach us that God’s Word must be received deeply, cherished wholeheartedly, and lived authentically. True discipleship requires both devotion and transformation.

 Reflection

Most Christians appreciate the comforting promises of Scripture. We find joy in God’s mercy, love, and faithfulness. Yet the Word of God is not merely meant to make us feel good. Like the scroll John consumed, it is sweet because it reveals God’s saving love, but it can also be challenging because it calls us to repentance, conversion, and obedience.
The Gospel asks us another important question: What is the condition of the temple of our hearts?
Just as Jesus cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem, He desires to cleanse our hearts of anything that prevents authentic worship. Distractions, selfish desires, unforgiveness, pride, and worldly attachments can quietly occupy the sacred space that belongs to God alone.
When we truly allow God’s Word to enter our hearts, it begins to purify us. It confronts what needs changing, strengthens what is weak, and inspires us to live differently. This transformation is not always comfortable, but it is always for our good.
Today, Jesus invites us to listen attentively to His voice, welcome His Word, and allow Him to make our hearts a true house of prayer. From that place of intimacy with God, we become credible witnesses to the world around us.

Prayer for the Day

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of Your Word, which guides, strengthens, and transforms my life.
Help me to receive Your truth with an open heart, delighting in Your promises and accepting the challenges that come with following You. Purify my heart of anything that draws me away from You.
Lord Jesus, cleanse the temple of my soul and teach me to make prayer the centre of my daily life. Give me the courage to live according to Your Word and to proclaim Your love through my actions, words, and example.
May Your voice be the one I follow, and may my life bring glory to Your holy name.
Amen.

Daily Challenge

Spend 10 minutes today reading a passage of Scripture in silence. Ask God to reveal one area of your life that needs cleansing and one action you can take to grow closer to Him.
“How sweet to my taste is your promise!” (Psalm 119:103)
May God’s Word be sweet to your heart, transformative in your life, and powerful in your witness today. 🙏📖✨