Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week
in Ordinary Time



“Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead...” (Luke 9:7.)

Saint Ambrose of Milan offers the following insight on this verse from today’s Gospel proclamation:

“After the law has passed away, the food of the gospel begins to feed the hungry hearts of the people. It was fitting that those whom he had healed from the pain of wounds he freed from hunger with spiritual nourishment. Thus none receives the food of Christ unless he was first healed, and the calling first heals those who are called to the feast. If one was lame, he received the ability to walk, so that he came. If one lacked the sight of his eyes, he could indeed not enter the house of the Lord, unless his sight was restored.” (Exposition on the Gospel of Luke, 6.)



Collect
O God,
Who founded all the commands
of Your sacred Law
upon love of You and of our neighbor,
grant that, by keeping Your precepts,
we may merit to attain eternal life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.



Glory to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen