October 01, 2025 Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Daily Readings: Nehemiah 2:1-8; Luke 9:57-62
Nehemiah the priest was in the court of King Artaxerxes, around 465–424 BCE. Though healthy, he is deeply saddened. The king notices his sorrow and asks about its cause. Nehemiah explains the miserable state of Jerusalem, its graves desecrated and its gates destroyed by fire. Before presenting his request, he makes a fervent prayer to God. The king then grants him permission to go to Judah to rebuild the city and sets a date for his return to the palace.
As a master strategist, Nehemiah secured a letter of passage for safe travel across different provinces and another letter to the forest officer to obtain timber for building the gates of the temple fortress, the city wall, and the house he would occupy. Nehemiah humbly confesses that the king granted all his requests because “the gracious hand of my God was upon me” (Nehemiah 2:8). His faith in God and love for his country and people shine through, especially in his concern for preserving the dignity of the graves of his ancestors.
The Gospel passage of the day reveals the mysterious ways in which the call to follow Jesus is given. There is no single pattern of discipleship. The first group of followers must learn to rely entirely on God’s Providence, for the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. The second group must distinguish between the spiritual and material aspects of life. The third group must learn to prioritize their commitments. To follow Jesus is to embrace the cost of discipleship with undivided loyalty.
Call to Action: St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus attained holiness through her “Little Way,” as revealed in The Story of a Soul. What is it that I wish to learn from her?
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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