September 24, 2025 Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Ezra 9:5-9; Luke 9:1-6
The first reading from the Book of Ezra highlights the untiring spirit of a true spiritual leader among the returning exiles. Ezra offers a powerful prayer of repentance after discovering that many of the people had entered into intermarriage with the surrounding pagans, something regarded as a grave abomination. This concern, though rooted in ancient Israel, still resonates today in the ongoing tensions between faith, culture, and identity.
Ezra does not stand apart from the people’s guilt but shares in it. At the end of his fasting, he falls on his knees, stretches out his hands, and recalls before God the sins and failures of Israel across the generations. He acknowledges that though the people were once slaves, God did not abandon them or treat them harshly. Instead, in His mercy, God preserved a faithful remnant, gave them the grace to rebuild the Temple, and opened before them the possibility of a new beginning. Ezra also recognizes the unexpected instruments of God’s plan: even the Persian rulers, particularly Cyrus, were stirred by the Spirit of God to allow the return and the restoration of Jerusalem. God’s wonders and miracles are not confined to His chosen people alone; He works through unexpected hands to fulfill His purpose.
In the Gospel, we see the same spirit of dependence on God emphasized by Jesus. As He sends out His apostles on their first mission, He empowers them to heal and cast out demons. Yet He instructs them to carry only the bare minimum, relying not on material security but on Divine Providence. This itinerant lifestyle frees them from attachments, teaching them to travel light and to embrace universal brotherhood. They are to remain wherever they are welcomed, offering peace and blessing. If rejected, they are not to be disheartened but to move on with equanimity.
Both Ezra’s repentance and Jesus’ mission mandate invite us to deeper trust in God.
Call to Action: How do I respond when people do not accept me because I am a follower of Christ?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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