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Daily Readings

Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Ordinary TimeGreen

Today's Mass Readings
First Reading

Jeremiah 3:14-17

Return, rebellious children, says the LORD,
for I am your Master;
I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan,
and bring you to Zion.
I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart,
who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.
When you multiply and become fruitful in the land,
says the LORD,
They will in those days no longer say,
“The ark of the covenant of the LORD!”
They will no longer think of it, or remember it, 
or miss it, or make another.

At that time they will call Jerusalem the LORD’s throne;
there all nations will be gathered together
to honor the name of the LORD at Jerusalem,
and they will walk no longer in their hardhearted wickedness.

Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm
Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13
The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Verse: Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,
proclaim it on distant isles, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock. 

Response: The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Verse: The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen.

Response: The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Verse: Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.

Response: The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.

Second Reading

Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation
Luke 8:15
Alleluia, alleluia.

Verse: Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.

Response: Alleluia, alleluia.

The Holy Gospel

Matthew 13:18-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Hear the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

ReflectionReflection Guide

Jesus explains that the seed is the Word of God, generously sown into every heart. The difference is not in the seed but in the soil. At times, we are like the path, distracted before God's Word can take root. Other times, we are rocky ground, receiving His message with enthusiasm but giving up when life becomes difficult. There are also moments when worries, busyness, and the desire for more slowly choke our faith, like thorns growing around a healthy plant.

The good news is that soil can be cultivated. Through prayer, the sacraments, Scripture, and the encouragement of a faith community, our hearts become more open to God's grace. Every Mass, every Gospel reading, and every quiet conversation with the Lord is another opportunity to let Him prepare the soil within us. May we become the rich soil that not only receives His Word but also bears fruit through lives marked by love, mercy, and faithful service.