Friday of Week 15 in Ordinary Time
Liturgical Colour: Green
Year: A (II)
First Reading — Isaiah 38:1–6, 21–22, 7–8
The Lord hears Hezekiah's prayer and heals him.
Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him:
"The Lord says this, 'Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live.'"
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to the Lord:
"Ah, Lord, remember, I beg you, how I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what is right in your eyes."
And Hezekiah shed many tears.
Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:
"Go and say to Hezekiah, 'The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days' time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria, I will protect this city.'"
"Bring a fig poultice," Isaiah said, "apply it to the ulcer and he will recover."
Hezekiah said, "What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of the Lord?"
"Here," Isaiah replied, "is the sign from the Lord that he will do what he has said. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun go back ten steps on the steps of Ahaz."
And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm — Isaiah 38:10–12, 16
Response: You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
I said, "So I must go away, my life half spent, assigned to the world below for the rest of my years."
Response: You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
I said, "No more shall I see the Lord in the land of the living, no more shall I look upon men within this world."
Response: You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
"My home is pulled up and removed like a shepherd's tent. Like a weaver you have rolled up my life, you cut it from the loom."
Response: You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
"For you, Lord, my heart will live, you gave me back my spirit; you cured me, kept me alive, changed my sickness into health."
Response: You saved my life, O Lord; I shall not die.
Gospel Acclamation — John 10:27
Alleluia, alleluia!
My sheep listen to my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel — Matthew 12:1–8
The Son of Man is master of the sabbath.
Jesus took a walk one sabbath day through the cornfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick ears of corn and eat them.
The Pharisees noticed it and said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath."
But he said to them:
"Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry—how he went into the house of God and how they ate the loaves of offering which neither he nor his followers were allowed to eat, but which were for the priests alone?
Or again, have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath day the Temple priests break the sabbath without being blamed for it?
Now here, I tell you, is something greater than the Temple. And if you had understood the meaning of the words: 'What I want is mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the blameless.
For the Son of Man is master of the sabbath."
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection
Today's readings reveal two qualities that sit at the very heart of God: He listens with compassion, and He acts with mercy.
King Hezekiah receives news that no one ever wants to hear. His life is coming to an end. Rather than becoming angry or giving in to despair, he turns towards God. His prayer is simple, honest and deeply personal. Scripture tells us that he wept bitterly. Those tears were not hidden from God. Before Hezekiah had time to leave his place of prayer, the Lord had already answered. "I have heard your prayer and seen your tears."
There is enormous comfort in those words. We often wonder whether our prayers make any difference, especially when answers seem slow to come. We may pray for healing, for a loved one, for work, for peace within our family or simply for strength to face another day. Sometimes heaven feels silent. Yet today's reading reminds us that God never ignores the sincere cries of His children. He not only hears our words; He sees the tears we cannot always put into words.
The Gospel shifts our attention from prayer to mercy. The Pharisees believed they were defending God's law, but in doing so they had forgotten why the law existed in the first place. They saw hungry disciples breaking a regulation, while Jesus saw people in need. Quoting the prophet Hosea, He reminds them: "What I want is mercy, not sacrifice."
These words remain just as challenging today. It is possible to become so focused on rules, routines or being correct that we lose sight of the people standing in front of us. We can insist on having the last word while neglecting kindness. We can defend principles yet fail to show compassion. Jesus never dismisses the importance of truth, but He insists that truth must always be expressed through love and mercy.
Our daily lives provide countless opportunities to live this teaching. A tired parent who needs encouragement rather than criticism. A colleague struggling under pressure who needs patience instead of judgement. A friend who has made mistakes but longs for someone willing to listen. Mercy is often found in ordinary moments. It is expressed through forgiveness, understanding and choosing compassion when harshness would be easier.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that prayer is the living relationship of God's children with their loving Father, who always desires to hear and draw near to them (CCC 2558–2565). It also reminds us that mercy lies at the heart of the Gospel and that Christians are called to imitate the compassion they themselves have received from God (CCC 2447, 2842–2845).
Perhaps today's readings invite us to ask two simple questions. What burden do I need to place before the Lord with the honesty of Hezekiah? And where is God asking me to choose mercy instead of judgement today?
The God who heard a king's tears still hears ours. The Christ who placed mercy above empty religion still calls His disciples to reflect that same mercy in the way they speak, forgive and love. When we entrust our burdens to Him and allow His compassion to shape our own hearts, we begin to reflect the very character of God.
One Line to Carry Today
The heart that has experienced God's mercy becomes a source of mercy for others.
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