TODAY’S GOSPEL READING – 28 JUNE

TODAY’S GOSPEL READING
28 JUNE, 2025
Matthew 8:5-17

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

When Jesus entered Capernaum,
a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,
“Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply,
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
For I too am a man subject to authority,
with soldiers subject to me.
And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;
and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes;
and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,
“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,
but the children of the Kingdom
will be driven out into the outer darkness,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion,
“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”
And at that very hour his servant was healed.

Jesus entered the house of Peter,
and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
He touched her hand, the fever left her,
and she rose and waited on him.

When it was evening, they brought him many
who were possessed by demons,
and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,
to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:

He took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD!

REFLECTION

In this passage, we witness Jesus’ willingness to respond with compassion and authority. The centurion’s faith stands out—he recognizes Jesus’ divine power and humbly trusts in His word alone for healing. Jesus is amazed by such faith, especially from a Gentile, showing that God’s kingdom is open to all who believe. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law further reveals Jesus’ care for the sick and His desire to restore and serve. His touch brings not just physical healing, but wholeness, prompting a response of service.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith like the centurion’s, to trust fully in Your word and power. Teach me humility and dependence on You. As You touched and healed many, touch my life today and bring healing wherever it is needed—body, mind, or spirit. Help me, like Peter’s mother-in-law, to rise and serve others with a grateful heart. May my life reflect Your mercy and love. Amen

OR

HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
28 JUNE, 2025
Luke 2:41-51.
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD!

REFLECTION

In this passage, we witness a pivotal moment in Jesus’ early life as He remains in the temple, deeply engaged with the teachers, while His parents search anxiously for Him. Mary and Joseph’s concern reveals their humanity, while Jesus’ response—”Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”—reveals His divine identity and sense of mission, even at a young age. This moment reminds us that spiritual growth and obedience to God’s calling may not always align with human expectations, but they are rooted in a higher purpose.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the example of Jesus, whose heart was set on doing Your will from His youth. Help me to seek Your presence daily and to prioritize time in Your Word. Teach me to trust Your purposes, even when they are beyond my understanding. May I grow in wisdom, obedience, and grace, just as Jesus did. In Jesus’ Name, Amen