Holding Hearts

Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Philippians 1:1-11

Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,
to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the Gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right that I should think this way about all of you,
because I hold you in my heart,
you who are all partners with me in grace,
both in my imprisonment
and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel.
For God is my witness,
how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer:
that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception,
to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 111:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (2) How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Majesty and glory are his work,
and his justice endures forever.
He has won renown for his wondrous deeds;
gracious and merciful is the LORD.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has given food to those who fear him;
he will forever be mindful of his covenant.
He has made known to his people the power of his works,
giving them the inheritance of the nations.
R. How great are the works of the Lord!
or:
R. Alleluia.

 

 

Alleluia John 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 14:1-6

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.
Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,
“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”
But they kept silent; so he took the man and,
after he had healed him, dismissed him.
Then he said to them   
“Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,
would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”  
But they were unable to answer his question.

- - -

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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