Today, June 25
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Readings of the Day
2nd book of Kings 24,8-17.
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his forebears had done. At that time the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, himself arrived at the city while his servants were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin, king of Judah, together with his mother, his ministers, officers, and functionaries, surrendered to the king of Babylon, who, in the eighth year of his reign, took him captive. He carried off all the treasures of the temple of the LORD and those of the palace, and broke up all the gold utensils that Solomon, king of Israel, had provided in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had foretold. He deported all Jerusalem: all the officers and men of the army, ten thousand in number, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None were left among the people of the land except the poor. He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, and also led captive from Jerusalem to Babylon the king's mother and wives, his functionaries, and the chief men of the land. The king of Babylon also led captive to Babylon all seven thousand men of the army, and a thousand craftsmen and smiths, all of them trained soldiers. In place of Jehoiachin, the king of Babylon appointed his uncle Mattaniah king, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Psalms 79(78),1-2.3-5.8.9.
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the corpses of your servants as food to the birds of heaven, the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury them. We have become the reproach of our neighbors, the scorn and derision of those around us. O LORD, how long? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; deliver us and pardon our sins for your name's sake.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7,21-29.
Jesus said to his disciples: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.' Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined." When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Daily Reflection
Worldly people, in order to exempt themselves from working to acquire holiness, which, without doubt, would hinder them too much in their way of living, want you to believe that, to be saints, one must perform brilliant actions, apply oneself to extraordinary devotional practices, embrace great austerities, do many fasts, leave the world to sink into the deserts, in order to spend the days and nights in prayer. No doubt this is very good, it is indeed the route that many saints have followed; but this is not what God asks of everyone. No, this is not what our holy religion demands of us; on the contrary, she tells us: “Lift up your eyes to heaven, and see if all those who fill the holy places have done wonderful things. Where are the miracles of the Blessed Virgin, of St. John the Baptist, of St. Joseph? » Listen: Jesus Christ himself said that many on the day of judgment will cry out: “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name; have we not cast out demons and performed miracles? » (Mt 7:22) “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, the righteous Judge will answer them; What ! you commanded the sea, and you did not know how to command your passions? You have delivered those possessed by the devil, and you have not kept my commandments?... Go, you wretches, into the eternal fire; you have done great things, and you have done nothing to save yourself and deserve my love." You see therefore that holiness does not consist of doing great things, but of faithfully keeping the commandments of God, and of fulfilling one's duties in the state in which the good God has placed us.