Do What Is Good
1Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.
3Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.
When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love,
Reflection
Paul writes to Titus, his trusted delegate in Crete, around 64-65 AD to guide him in establishing proper order and discipline in the young Christian community there. In Ordinary Time, when the Church focuses on living out Christian virtue in daily life, this letter reminds us that our moral conduct flows not from our own effort but from the transformative mercy we have already received through Christ. We are called to gentleness and humility not as a heavy burden, but as a joyful response to a salvation freely given, which reshapes our relationships and our place in the world.
Psalm 23
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A psalm of David.
1The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
3He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,*23:4 Or the dark valley of death.
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
Reflection
Psalm 23, attributed to David in the superscription, is one of the most beloved prayers in Scripture, expressing the comfort of divine care through the intimate metaphor of God as a shepherd. In Ordinary Time, when we return to the rhythms of daily Christian life after the great liturgical celebrations, this psalm reminds us that the Lord's gentle guidance and protection are not reserved for moments of crisis but are woven into every ordinary day, renewing our strength as we walk the common paths before us. The psalm's assurance that goodness pursues us all our days invites us to recognize God's faithful presence in the simple mercies and peaceful moments that sustain us week after week.
Ten Healed of Leprosy
11As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria.
14He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”*17:14 See Lev 14:2-32. And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
15One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”
17Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?
Reflection
Luke, writing for a primarily Gentile Christian community in the late first century, presents this healing narrative to explore themes of faith and gratitude. During Ordinary Time, when the Church reflects on Jesus's daily ministry and its meaning for ordinary believers, this passage invites us to examine our own hearts: Do we recognize and give thanks for the healings—spiritual, emotional, and physical—that Christ continually offers us, or do we take them for granted and move forward without acknowledging the source of our transformation? The Samaritan's return to give glory to God reminds us that genuine faith expresses itself not merely in receiving God's mercy, but in returning to witness and celebrate it.