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Friday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 : 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27

Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the Gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.

Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race,
but only one wins the prize?
Run so as to win.
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way.
They do it to win a perishable crown,
but we an imperishable one.
Thus I do not run aimlessly;
I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing.
No, I drive my body and train it,
for fear that, after having preached to others,
I myself should be disqualified.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12

R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
My soul yearns and pines
for the courts of the LORD.
My heart and my flesh
cry out for the living God.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest
in which she puts her young—
Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my king and my God!
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
Blessed they who dwell in your house!
continually they praise you.
Blessed the men whose strength you are!
their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!
For a sun and a shield is the LORD God;
grace and glory he bestows;
The LORD withholds no good thing
from those who walk in sincerity.
R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!

Alleluia : See John 17:17b, 17a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 6:39-42

Jesus told his disciples a parable:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?
Will not both fall into a pit?
No disciple is superior to the teacher;
but when fully trained,
every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim a clear and challenging truth:
Your worship shapes your life, your choices reveal your heart, and your foundation determines your future.
• Paul calls us to exclusive loyalty to Christ.
• The psalm invites us to respond to God’s goodness with thanksgiving.
• Jesus teaches that true discipleship is shown in action, not just words.
The message is simple: Faith that is lived becomes fruit that lasts.

 Reflection for the Day

Paul’s words to the Corinthians are bold and uncompromising.
He reminds them that the Eucharist is not symbolic—it is communion with Christ Himself. To receive His Body and Blood is to belong entirely to Him. Therefore:
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.”
Paul is urging a choice:
• loyalty over compromise,
• worship over convenience,
• holiness over cultural pressure.
Idolatry today may not look like ancient altars, but it can be found in:
• unhealthy attachments,
• addictions,
• pride,
• materialism,
• relationships that pull us away from God.
The psalm then shifts our hearts toward gratitude:
“How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good He has done for me?”
Gratitude is the antidote to idolatry. When we remember God’s goodness, our hearts naturally turn toward Him.
Then Jesus gives one of His most practical teachings:
A tree is known by its fruit.
A house stands or falls depending on its foundation.
Words alone do not build a life. Intentions alone do not produce holiness. Only obedience—hearing and doing—creates stability.
The person who listens to Jesus and acts on His words is like someone who digs deep and builds on rock. Storms will come. Floods will rise. But the house will stand.
The one who listens but does not act builds on sand. Everything collapses when life becomes difficult.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Choose Christ with your whole heart.
   Let go of anything that competes with Him.
2. Cultivate gratitude.
   Thanksgiving strengthens faith and purifies worship.
3. Build your life on obedience.
   Let your actions reflect the Word you hear.
   Let today be a day of clarity, gratitude, and renewed commitment to Christ.

 Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, free my heart from every form of idolatry— anything that competes with Your love.
Teach me to offer a sacrifice of praise and to remember Your goodness with gratitude.
Help me build my life on Your Word, not only hearing but doing, so that my foundation may be strong and my fruit pleasing to You.
Make my heart wholly Yours today.
Amen.