Monday, September 15, 2025 | John 19:25-27

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his motherand his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,and Mary Magdalene.When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he lovedhe said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."Then he said to the disciple,"Behold, your mother."And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Jesus said to Nicodemus:"No one has gone up to heavenexcept the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,so must the Son of Man be lifted up,so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,so that everyone who believes in him might not perishbut might have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,but that the world might be saved through him.

Jesus said to his disciples:"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.For every tree is known by its own fruit.For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,nor do they gather grapes from brambles.A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command?I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,listens to my words, and acts on them.That one is like a man building a house,who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;when the flood came, the river burst against that housebut could not shake it because it had been well built.But the one who listens and does not actis like a person who built a house on the groundwithout a foundation.When the river burst against it,it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."

Jesus told his disciples a parable:“Can a blind person guide a blind person?Will not both fall into a pit?No disciple is superior to the teacher;but when fully trained,every disciple will be like his teacher.Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?How can you say to your brother,‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;then you will see clearlyto remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

Jesus said to his disciples:"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,pray for those who mistreat you.To the person who strikes you on one cheek,offer the other one as well,and from the person who takes your cloak,do not withhold even your tunic.Give to everyone who asks of you,and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.Do to others as you would have them do to you.For if you love those who love you,what credit is that to you?Even sinners love those who love them.And if you do good to those who do good to you,what credit is that to you?Even sinners do the same.If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,what credit is that to you?Even sinners lend to sinners,and get back the same amount.But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,and lend expecting nothing back;then your reward will be greatand you will be children of the Most High,for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful."Stop judging and you will not be judged.Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.Forgive and you will be forgiven.Give and gifts will be given to you;a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,will be poured into your lap.For the measure with which you measurewill in return be measured out to you."

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:"Blessed are you who are poor,for the Kingdom of God is yours.Blessed are you who are now hungry,for you will be satisfied.Blessed are you who are now weeping,for you will laugh.Blessed are you when people hate you,and when they exclude and insult you,and denounce your name as evilon account of the Son of Man."Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.For their ancestors treated the prophetsin the same way.But woe to you who are rich,for you have received your consolation.But woe to you who are filled now,for you will be hungry.Woe to you who laugh now,for you will grieve and weep.Woe to you when all speak well of you,for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way."

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,and he spent the night in prayer to God.When day came, he called his disciples to himself,and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,Simon who was called a Zealot,and Judas the son of James,and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the peoplefrom all Judea and Jerusalemand the coastal region of Tyre and Sidoncame to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.Everyone in the crowd sought to touch himbecause power came forth from him and healed them all.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to shame,decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,"Joseph, son of David,do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins."All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through the prophet:Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means "God is with us."

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,and he turned and addressed them,“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,wife and children, brothers and sisters,and even his own life,he cannot be my disciple.Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after mecannot be my disciple.Which of you wishing to construct a towerdoes not first sit down and calculate the costto see if there is enough for its completion?Otherwise, after laying the foundationand finding himself unable to finish the workthe onlookers should laugh at him and say,‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’Or what king marching into battle would not first sit downand decide whether with ten thousand troopshe can successfully oppose another kingadvancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?But if not, while he is still far away,he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.In the same way,anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessionscannot be my disciple.”

While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath,his disciples were picking the heads of grain,rubbing them in their hands, and eating them.Some Pharisees said,“Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”Jesus said to them in reply,“Have you not read what David didwhen he and those who were with him were hungry?How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering,which only the priests could lawfully eat,ate of it, and shared it with his companions?”Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”