About Today
Wednesday 26 November 2025
Wednesday of week 34 in Ordinary Time
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth: serve the Lord with gladness.
Year: C(I). Psalm week: 2. Liturgical Colour: Green.
Other saints: St Leonard of Porto Maurizio (1676 - 1751)
Hexham & Newcastle
Leonard was born in Porto Maurizio in 1676, the son of a master mariner. He joined the Franciscan order and for forty-seven years preached, wrote letters and sermons, and travelled the whole length of Italy. The popularity of the Stations of the Cross is much due to the impetus he gave to the devotion. He died at Rome in 1751.
Other saints: Saint John Berchmans (1599-1621)
26 Nov (where celebrated)
Gospel: Luke 21:12-19 I will give you a mouth and wisdom
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it, therefore, in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and sisters, and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.’
Reflection on the Sculpture
Today’s Gospel takes place shortly before Jesus begins his Passion. In this passage, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the trials they will face for following him. He warns them that they will be seized, persecuted, handed over to authorities, and even imprisoned - all because they bear His name. These words have proven true throughout the Church’s history. Even today, countless people around the world suffer persecution for their faith in Jesus.
While we may not face persecution for our faith here at home, being a believer in today’s society has its own challenges. The cultural and social support for faith has diminished, making it harder to live openly as Christians. The heavily secularised society often pressures us to confine our Christian faith to the private sphere, discouraging any public expression of belief. This shows that every generation of Christians faces its own unique struggles.
n the Gospel, Jesus offers reassurance to us. He promises that he will give us eloquence and a wisdom when we bear witness. this is a massive comfort. And isn't it true that sometimes we can find exactly the right words in the right situation and we don't quit know where those words came from?
Of course, this doesn’t suddenly make us great orators or polished public speakers. Yet there is much we can learn from those who have mastered the art of speaking with conviction. Among the greatest orators who ever lived was Demosthenes, the 4th-century BC Athenian statesman. Born with a weak voice and a speech impediment, he trained himself relentlessly... reciting speeches with pebbles in his mouth, speaking over the roar of the sea, and practising before a mirror... until his delivery became both powerful and persuasive. His Orations, especially those against Philip II of Macedon (the Philippics), stirred his fellow citizens to defend their freedom and uphold justice. What made Demosthenes so remarkable was not only his command of language, but the passion and integrity that lay behind his words. He spoke not to impress, but to move hearts and inspire action.
Demosthenes: cast of a Roman version of a lost Greek original, ca. 295 BC-285 BC
After Polyeuctus (active circa 295 BC -285 BC),
Plaster cast
Given by John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset in 1771
© Royal Academy of Arts, London
Wednesday of week 34 in Ordinary Time
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth: serve the Lord with gladness.
Year: C(I). Psalm week: 2. Liturgical Colour: Green.
Other saints: St Leonard of Porto Maurizio (1676 - 1751)
Hexham & Newcastle
Leonard was born in Porto Maurizio in 1676, the son of a master mariner. He joined the Franciscan order and for forty-seven years preached, wrote letters and sermons, and travelled the whole length of Italy. The popularity of the Stations of the Cross is much due to the impetus he gave to the devotion. He died at Rome in 1751.
Other saints: Saint John Berchmans (1599-1621)
26 Nov (where celebrated)
Gospel: Luke 21:12-19 I will give you a mouth and wisdom
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, ‘They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it, therefore, in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and sisters, and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.’
Reflection on the Sculpture
Today’s Gospel takes place shortly before Jesus begins his Passion. In this passage, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the trials they will face for following him. He warns them that they will be seized, persecuted, handed over to authorities, and even imprisoned - all because they bear His name. These words have proven true throughout the Church’s history. Even today, countless people around the world suffer persecution for their faith in Jesus.
While we may not face persecution for our faith here at home, being a believer in today’s society has its own challenges. The cultural and social support for faith has diminished, making it harder to live openly as Christians. The heavily secularised society often pressures us to confine our Christian faith to the private sphere, discouraging any public expression of belief. This shows that every generation of Christians faces its own unique struggles.
n the Gospel, Jesus offers reassurance to us. He promises that he will give us eloquence and a wisdom when we bear witness. this is a massive comfort. And isn't it true that sometimes we can find exactly the right words in the right situation and we don't quit know where those words came from?
Of course, this doesn’t suddenly make us great orators or polished public speakers. Yet there is much we can learn from those who have mastered the art of speaking with conviction. Among the greatest orators who ever lived was Demosthenes, the 4th-century BC Athenian statesman. Born with a weak voice and a speech impediment, he trained himself relentlessly... reciting speeches with pebbles in his mouth, speaking over the roar of the sea, and practising before a mirror... until his delivery became both powerful and persuasive. His Orations, especially those against Philip II of Macedon (the Philippics), stirred his fellow citizens to defend their freedom and uphold justice. What made Demosthenes so remarkable was not only his command of language, but the passion and integrity that lay behind his words. He spoke not to impress, but to move hearts and inspire action.
Demosthenes: cast of a Roman version of a lost Greek original, ca. 295 BC-285 BC
After Polyeuctus (active circa 295 BC -285 BC),
Plaster cast
Given by John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset in 1771
© Royal Academy of Arts, London