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Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 : 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Brothers and sisters,
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another,
“I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?

What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God’s co-workers;
you are God’s field, God’s building.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 33:12-13, 14-15, 20-21

R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
From his fixed throne he beholds
all who dwell on the earth,
He who fashioned the heart of each,
he who knows all their works.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Alleluia : Luke 4:18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 4:38-44

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.

At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, “To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

 Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a simple but challenging truth:
Spiritual maturity is measured not by knowledge, but by humility, unity, and openness to God’s work.
• Paul exposes the immaturity caused by division and ego.
• The psalm reminds us that God sees the heart and sustains those who trust Him.
• Jesus shows that His mission is bigger than personal comfort or local expectations.
The message is clear: Growth comes from God—our part is cooperation, unity, and surrender.

 Reflection for the Day

Paul’s words to the Corinthians are strikingly relevant today.
He sees a community divided by comparison, pride, and spiritual immaturity. Some claim loyalty to Paul, others to Apollos—forgetting that both are merely servants.
Paul resets their perspective:
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.”
In other words:
• Your progress is God’s work.
• Your gifts are God’s grace.
• Your community belongs to God—not personalities, preferences, or factions.
This is a call to humility and unity.
Psalm 33 deepens this truth. God sees every heart, every motive, every hidden struggle. He is our shield, our help, our joy. Spiritual maturity begins when we stop relying on ourselves and start trusting Him.
Then the Gospel shows Jesus in motion.
He heals Simon’s mother‑in‑law with a simple rebuke. He lays hands on the sick and cures them. He silences demons who recognize Him. And when the crowds try to keep Him for themselves, He says:
“I must proclaim the good news to other towns also.”
Jesus refuses to be limited by comfort, familiarity, or popularity. His mission is expansive, outward‑moving, always reaching the next soul.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Grow in humility.
   Let go of comparison, rivalry, and ego.
2. Trust God’s work in you.
   He sees your heart and sustains your growth.
3. Live the mission outwardly.
   Faith is not meant to be contained—it is meant to be shared.
   Let today be a day of spiritual maturity, unity, and renewed purpose.

Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, teach me to grow in humility and free me from jealousy, comparison, and pride.
Help me trust Your work in my life and rely on Your strength rather than my own.
Give me a heart open to Your mission— ready to serve, ready to love, ready to go wherever You send me.
Make me Your co‑worker, Your field, Your building.
Amen.