33rd Week in Ordinary Time : Monday 17th November 2025

Throughout Church history, we have many saints who carried out the task of caring for the poor and the sick, especially those whom society rejected, by giving their very best in this ministry. Unfortunately, these figures are largely forgotten and today, we celebrate one who was way ahead of her time– St Elizabeth of Hungary. She went all out to care for those who were sick and feeble even those whom people found to be repulsive and had nowhere to turn to. She was a rich woman who used her wealth to help the sick and the poor and held back nothing for herself. She even went to the extent of begging for alms, which no rich person would ever do. Underneath all this work, the one thing that sustained her was her life of prayer. She truly lived a life that was balanced between apostolic work and prayer. Like Jesus, she touched people’s lives.

Today’s story of the blind man of Jericho is such an example, but Jesus reached out to him and healed him.

This is something that all of us can learn. Very often, we lose ourselves in our ministry and forget that prayer is our power source. Without the practice of prayer, we will eventually run out of power and slowly lose our zeal.

PRAYER: Lord, I turn to You to draw strength for my apostolic work, just as the blind man did to You.