THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, OCTOBER 26, 2025

MASS READINGS

Reading 2 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Beloved:

I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand.

I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.

From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me.

May it not be held against them!

But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.

And I was rescued from the lion's mouth.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom.

To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

REFLECTION

"I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith."

This is the part where Saint Paul is closing his letter to Timothy. He tells him and we, the readers, about perseverance. And how God gave him the strength to continue despite all the bad things that happened to him throughout his missionary journeys.

St. Paul is saying his goodbyes, and he thanks God that for the strength to preach the good news to the gentiles.

This perseverance is heroic. We need to remember that if we want to do good, we must ask God to help us. We can take that first step towards Him, but even to get started we need His grace. And to finish this race, we need more of Him to overcome all the obstacles we are going to encounter throughout our lives when we try to live a congruent Christian life.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that:

Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith." To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; it must be "working through charity," abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church. (CCC 162)

Let's thank God for this gift of faith He's given us. And pray that we can continue to have it, and grow it, throughout all of our lives, until we finally meet God face to face. For this we need to be in constant prayer, and be strengthened by the gift of His Body in the Holy Eucharist. Pray, like St. Paul, that we can cross the finish line of this race despite all and any hurdles we encounter in the way.

God bless y'all!