Thursday, October 15, 2026
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary 470
First Reading — Ephesians 1:1–10
Ephesians 1:1–2 — Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by God’s will, greets the faithful in Ephesus with grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:3–4 — God has blessed His people through Christ with every spiritual blessing in heaven. He chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world to live holy and blameless lives.
Ephesians 1:5–6 — In His love, God planned to adopt believers as His children through Jesus Christ, according to His gracious purpose.
Ephesians 1:7–8 — Through Christ’s blood, believers have redemption and forgiveness of sins according to the abundant riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians 1:9–10 — God has revealed His previously hidden plan, established through Christ, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under Him when the appointed time was fulfilled.
Paul reminds the first-century believers that God’s eternal plan of redemption and adoption was being revealed and accomplished through Jesus Christ.
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 98:1, 2–3ab, 3cd–4, 5–6
Response: The Lord has made known his salvation.
Psalm 98:1 — Sing a new song to the Lord because He has accomplished wonderful things. His power has brought victory.
Psalm 98:2–3 — God has revealed His salvation before the nations. He has remembered His mercy and faithfulness toward Israel.
Psalm 98:3–4 — People throughout the earth have witnessed God’s saving power. Let every nation rejoice and praise Him.
Psalm 98:5–6 — Praise the Lord with music and joyful celebration, for He is the King over all.
Alleluia — John 14:6
Jesus declares that He is the way to the Father, the source of truth and life. Through Him alone, people come to the Father.
Gospel — Luke 11:47–54
Luke 11:47–48 — Jesus condemns the religious leaders for honoring the tombs of the prophets while following the example of their ancestors who killed them.
Luke 11:49 — Jesus declares that God would send prophets and apostles, but some would be persecuted and killed.
Luke 11:50–51 — Jesus warns that His own generation would be held accountable for the blood of the prophets, from Abel to Zechariah.
Luke 11:52 — Jesus rebukes the teachers of the Law for withholding the knowledge needed to understand God’s truth. They refuse to enter and prevent others from entering.
Luke 11:53–54 — The scribes and Pharisees become increasingly hostile toward Jesus, questioning Him and looking for an opportunity to accuse Him.
Jesus warns His first-century audience that rejecting God’s messengers and His Messiah would bring judgment upon their generation.
Kingdom Connection
Today’s readings reveal God’s unfolding plan of redemption and the coming judgment upon those who rejected His Messiah.
Paul explains that God’s eternal purpose was being fulfilled through Jesus Christ, bringing redemption, forgiveness, and adoption into God’s family.
Jesus specifically warns that His own generation would be held accountable for the blood of the prophets.
This warning points toward the judgment upon Jerusalem in AD 70, when the earthly temple and its Old Covenant system came to an end.
God’s eternal Kingdom, established through Jesus Christ, brings together His redeemed people under one King.
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