DAILY READINGS

DAILY MASS READINGS

Tuesday 10 November 2026

Saint Leo the Great, Pope, Doctor

on Tuesday of week 32 in Ordinary Time

Liturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II)

Readings at Mass

Readings for the feria (Tuesday)

There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Tuesday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise

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*First reading*
*Titus 2:1-8,11-14*

You must preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine

It is for you to preach the behaviour which goes with healthy doctrine. The older men should be reserved, dignified, moderate, sound in faith and love and constancy. Similarly, the older women should behave as though they were religious, with no scandal-mongering and no habitual wine-drinking – they are to be the teachers of the right behaviour and show the younger women how they should love their husbands and love their children, how they are to be sensible and chaste, and how to work in their homes, and be gentle, and do as their husbands tell them, so that the message of God is never disgraced. In the same way, you have got to persuade the younger men to be moderate and in everything you do make yourself an example to them of working for good: when you are teaching, be an example to them in your sincerity and earnestness and in keeping all that you say so wholesome that nobody can make objections to it; and then any opponent will be at a loss, with no accusation to make against us. You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and saviour Christ Jesus. He sacrificed himself for us in order to set us free from all wickedness and to purify a people so that it could be his very own and would have no ambition except to do good.

*Commentary*

*The earlier part of today’s reading outlines a sober way of behaviour which accords with healthy doctrine – especially from a male viewpoint. Among other duties it stresses the obligations of women towards their menfolk without mention of the reciprocal obligations of men towards their womenfolk, thus reflecting the gender-limitations of contemporary morality and custom*.
*In the later part the universality of God’s plan for the salvation of the whole human race is again stressed, as it was in 1 Timothy 2.4, ‘he wants everyone to be saved’. It is in fact overwhelmingly in the Pastoral Letters that God and Christ are called ‘Saviour’, perhaps in deliberate opposition to the Roman claims of other Saviour-religions and especially the claim of the divine Emperor to be a universal saviour. Both God and Christ are so called, separately, in tomorrow’s reading. The translation of the phrase ‘the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus’ is not the only possible one; it could also be translated ‘…of our great God and of our Saviour Christ Jesus’. So it is not clear that Christ Jesus is directly given the title ‘God’. But in any case the ‘appearing’/Epiphany is elsewhere normally used of Christ’s appearing, while ‘glory’ is normally a divine quality. So this is an attribution of divine glory to Jesus Christ*.
*Since the analysis in Lumen Gentium of the ways in which not only Catholics, not only non-Catholic Christians, not only members of the Abrahamic faiths, but even those who seek God under other signs and symbols are in some way members of the Body of Christ, it has been easier to understand that all these may be saved by Christ. Quite how this is the case is still disputed. Nor is it clear how the salvation of all people is compatible with the doctrine of free will. Perhaps it is enough simply to rejoice that this is the will of God*

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*Responsorial Psalm*
*Psalm 36(37):3-4,18,23,27,29*

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

If you trust in the Lord and do good,
then you will live in the land and be secure.
If you find your delight in the Lord,
he will grant your heart’s desire.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

He protects the lives of the upright,
their heritage will last for ever.
The Lord guides the steps of a man
and makes safe the path of one he loves.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Then turn away from evil and do good
and you shall have a home for ever;
The just shall inherit the land;
there they shall live for ever.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

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*Gospel Acclamation*
*Mt4:4*

Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!

Or:
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!

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*Gospel*
*Luke 17:7-10*

You are merely servants

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal immediately”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards”? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.”’

*Commentary*

*The two sections of this Gospel reading appear at first sight to be entirely separate, the first about faith, the second about the reward of service; but they do fit together. The faith required consists not in reciting a creed but in hanging on by one’s finger-tips, through thick and thin, to God’s power and will to save. In nothing else is there any hope, not in my own power or ability. That is why, in the second section, we have no right to expect any sort of reward as our due from God. Our work is valueless; only our admission of helplessness and our trust in God’s power can save us*.
*Moreover, not all parables should be taken as allegories. The severe master here is not necessarily God, any more than the master who in the earlier parable praises his crooked farm-manager. When we hear the unyielding command of the master to the slave to expect nothing and to set about serving supper, we cannot forget that at the Last Supper it was Jesus who put on his apron and washed his disciples’ feet. We may be worthless slaves, but this gives us confidence that our Master cares for us and ministers to us*
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