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Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 : Galatians 1:13-24

Brothers and sisters:
You heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it,
and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race,
since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when he, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
and called me through his grace,
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood,
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
to those who were Apostles before me;
rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas
and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the Apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
(As to what I am writing to you, behold,
before God, I am not lying.)
Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
And I was unknown personally to the churches of Judea
that are in Christ;
they only kept hearing that “the one who once was persecuting us
is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
So they glorified God because of me.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15

R. (24b) Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
O LORD, you have probed me and you know me;
you know when I sit and when I stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.
My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,
with all my ways you are familiar.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.
I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.
My soul also you knew full well;
nor was my frame unknown to you
When I was made in secret,
when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
R. Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.

Alleluia : Luke 11:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 10:38-42

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a beautiful truth:
God transforms our past, knows our present, and invites us into a deeper relationship with Him.
• Paul’s story shows that grace can rewrite any life.
• The psalm reminds us that God knows us completely and lovingly.
• Jesus teaches that being with Him is more important than doing for Him.
The message is clear: Let God shape your story, your identity, and your priorities.

Reflection for the Day

Paul’s testimony in Galatians is powerful.
He was once a persecutor — feared, misguided, convinced he was right. But God intervened. Grace broke through. His life changed direction forever.
“God… called me through His grace.”
Paul’s story reminds us that no past is too broken, too violent, too misguided for God to redeem. Grace does not erase history — it transforms it.
Psalm 139 brings this transformation close to the heart:
• “You have searched me and know me.”
• “You knit me in my mother’s womb.”
• “I praise You, for I am wonderfully made.”
God knows every detail of your life — your wounds, your gifts, your fears, your desires. And He loves you through all of it.
Then the Gospel shifts to a quiet home in Bethany.
Martha is busy — serving, preparing, working. Mary is still — listening, resting, receiving.
Jesus does not dismiss Martha’s service. He simply reveals a deeper truth:
“Mary has chosen the better part.”
The better part is not inactivity — it is intimacy.
It is choosing Jesus before tasks, presence before performance, relationship before responsibility.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Let grace rewrite your story.
   Your past does not define your future.
2. Rest in God’s intimate knowledge of you.
   You are seen, known, and loved.
3. Choose the “better part.”
   Make space to sit at Jesus’ feet — to listen, to be still, to receive.
   Let today be a day of transformation, trust, and quiet closeness with Christ.

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, thank You for the grace that transforms lives and rewrites stories.
You know me completely — my strengths, my struggles, my hopes. Teach me to rest in Your love and trust Your work in my life.
Help me choose the “better part” today: to sit at Your feet, to listen to Your voice, and to let Your presence shape my heart.
Make my life a testimony to Your mercy and Your grace.
Amen.