Monday of week 21 in Ordinary Time
Saint Louis, King
Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest
First reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5,8-10
Saint Paul praises the Thessalonians for showing their faith in action, laboring in love, and persevering in hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. These three virtues, faith, hope, and love, are not abstract ideas but lived realities that mark the life of every true disciple. Faith is proven by concrete choices and deeds, not just words; love requires work, sacrifice, and often hidden service; and hope calls us to persevere with trust even when trials persist. On this day, the Church remembers Saint Louis, who as a king sought justice and charity in his governance, and Saint Joseph of Calasanz, who poured out his life in educating the poor. Both lived these virtues in very different states of life, showing us that holiness is not limited to one path but is measured by how we let faith, love, and hope shape our actions daily. Their example challenges us to examine how visible these virtues are in our own lives: not as occasional gestures, but as the steady rhythm of discipleship in Christ. Let’s reflect: Do my daily choices clearly show a living faith, a love that works in sacrifice, and a hope that perseveres, as seen in the lives of the Thessalonians and the saints we celebrate today?
Don Giorgio