Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Daily Mass Readings for Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Cycle 1 is used in odd numbered years and Cycle 2 is used in even numbered years. The gospel is the same for both years.

• First Reading (Cycle 1) - Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22: A woman named Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, face the loss of their husbands in the land of Moab. Naomi decides to return to her homeland, and despite Naomi's urging, Orpah decides to stay in Moab while Ruth remains devoted to Naomi, expressing her loyalty and commitment by saying, "Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay."
• First Reading (Cycle 2) - Ezekiel 37:1-14: The prophet receives a vision of a valley filled with dry bones, representing the hopelessness and spiritual desolation of the people of Israel. Through God's power, the bones are brought back to life, symbolizing the restoration and revitalization of Israel, demonstrating that God can breathe new life into a seemingly hopeless situation.
• Responsorial Psalm (Cycle 1) - Psalm 146: Blessed is the one who finds help and hope in the God of Jacob, the creator of heaven, earth, and all that is in them. The Lord is praised for keeping faith, securing justice, providing for the needy, giving sight to the blind, uplifting the oppressed, and showing love and protection to the just and strangers.
• Responsorial Psalm (Cycle 2) - Psalm 107: The redeemed of the Lord, gathered from all directions, proclaim their deliverance from the enemy's grasp. They wandered in the wilderness, afflicted and longing, but God heard their cry, rescued them, and led them to safety, satisfying their hunger and filling their souls with good things.
• Gospel - Matthew 22:34-40: The Pharisees test Jesus by asking Him about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by summarizing the essence of the entire law, stating that the greatest commandment is to love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind, and to love one's neighbor as oneself.

Themes for the Daily Mass Readings for Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

• The Greatest Commandments: Jesus' response to the question about the greatest commandment highlights the theme of love. He condenses the entire Law into two fundamental commandments: love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.
• Love as the Core: The passage underscores the theme of love as the core principle of Christian living. Jesus emphasizes that love for God and others is the foundation upon which all other commandments rest.
• Holistic Love: Jesus' inclusion of both loving God and loving neighbor illustrates the theme of holistic love. This emphasizes that our relationship with God and our treatment of others are inseparable aspects of a meaningful spiritual life.
• Priority of Love: The commandments' order - love God first, then love your neighbor - showcases the theme of priority. This emphasizes the importance of our vertical relationship with God as the basis for our horizontal relationships with others.
• Simplicity of Faith: Jesus' concise summary of the Law underscores the theme of simplicity. This emphasizes that the essence of faith is not in complicated rituals or rules, but in genuine love expressed through our actions.
• Unity of Faith and Practice: The commandments' unity in love emphasizes the theme of the interconnection between faith and practice. This highlights that true love for God naturally results in love for others, bridging the gap between belief and action.

Reflection for Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

In the Gospel reading for Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time, we delve into an essential aspect of our faith journey. Jesus, in response to a question about the most important law, distills our purpose down to a singular directive: to love God. This command might appear simple, but its implications are profound. Our love for God ought to be the foundation upon which we build all aspects of our lives.

This love, as Jesus emphasizes, extends beyond mere sentiments. It's an active devotion that requires us to transcend self-interest. To love God is to emulate His boundless compassion and selflessness. The Gospel reminds us that this love is intertwined with our love for one another. Our understanding of God's love is mirrored in the way we treat those around us.

Yet, we must admit that our human nature sometimes dampens the fervor of our love. Like lukewarm water, our devotion can fall short of the boiling point. Here, the role of the Holy Spirit becomes crucial. We need the Spirit's guidance and empowerment to elevate our love from tepid to fervent. It is through this divine partnership that we can truly embrace the sacrificial nature of love – the willingness to give everything for the well-being of others.

We must assess the temperature of our love. Are we willing to offer ourselves entirely for the sake of God and our neighbors? Are our actions a reflection of the love that Jesus exemplified? As we ponder these questions, we invite the Spirit to kindle the flames of devotion within us. May our love, once lukewarm, be transformed into a blazing force that shapes our interactions, decisions, and way of life. Through such transformation, we fulfill the greatest commandment and draw closer to the heart of our Creator.

Prayer for Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Lord, teach me to truly love. Help me to passionately love you and all of your creation. Set me free of the attachments which I love more than you. Amen.