Holding Hearts

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Ephesians 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters:
Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.
Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm
against the tactics of the Devil.
For our struggle is not with flesh and blood
but with the principalities, with the powers,
with the world rulers of this present darkness,
with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God,
that you may be able to resist on the evil day
and, having done everything, to hold your ground.
So stand fast with your loins girded in truth,
clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,
and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace.
In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield,
to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication,
pray at every opportunity in the Spirit.
To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication
for all the holy ones and also for me,
that speech may be given me to open my mouth,
to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel
for which I am an ambassador in chains,
so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9-10

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

 

 

Alleluia See Luke 19:38; 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
 

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Holding Hearts

October 30, 2026 // Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Philippians 1:1-11 

Reflect on the Word // 

Halfway through folding laundry, I remembered.

I had promised a friend I would pray for an important meeting that morning. The clock on the microwave told me the meeting had probably already started. I laughed at myself, abandoned the pile of socks, and paused for a minute. Lord, please be with her right now.

Friendship has a funny way of interrupting us. A song reminds us of someone. A birthday pops up on the calendar. We pass her favorite coffee shop and wonder how she is doing. Those little interruptions are often invitations where the Lord is gently asking us to pray.

Saint Paul had that habit. When people came to mind, gratitude came first (see Philippians 1:3). He held his friends in his heart, even from a prison cell. He did not need perfect circumstances to love them well. He trusted that God was already at work in their lives (see Philippians 1:6). Rather than asking the Lord to make everything easy, Saint Paul desired something deeper. He wanted them to grow in love, to become who God created them to be (see Philippians 1:9).

That changes the way I think about friendship. Loving someone is not only showing up with soup, sending a funny meme, or remembering how they take their coffee, although all of those things certainly help. It is quietly carrying them to Christ, believing that His love reaches places mine never could. Sometimes the greatest gift I can offer a friend is a few faithful seconds of prayer between the laundry and the next item on my to-do list.

We all carry people in our hearts. What if those little reminders throughout the day are not distractions at all? What if they are invitations from the Holy Spirit to love more deeply? A grateful heart notices its friends. A faithful heart remembers to entrust them to the Heart of Jesus. I can hold my friends in my heart for a moment. Jesus can hold them in His Sacred Heart forever.


Relate to the Lord // Is there a friend that comes to mind today? Pray for their needs and entrust them to Jesus.

 

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