Thursday, November 5, 2026

Thursday of the Thirty-first Week of Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

Selected Mass Reading

Gospel — Luke 15:1-10

Now the publicans and sinners drew near unto him to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And he spoke to them this parable, saying: What man of you that hath an hundred sheep, and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after that which was lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing? And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost? I say to you that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance. Or what woman having ten groats, if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently until she find it? And when she hath found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the groat which I had lost. So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.

Feast Days

Saint Emeric of Hungary Prince 1000–1031

Saint Emeric of Hungary was born around 1007, the son of King Stephen I of Hungary and Queen Giselle of Bavaria. Named for his maternal uncle, Emperor Henry II, Emeric grew up as the hope of Hungary’s Christian future and the intended heir to his father’s throne. From about the age of fifteen he was formed in a strict, ascetical spirit under the guidance of Benedictine monks, especially Saint Gerard, learning to unite princely duty with deep personal holiness. King Stephen even composed his Admonitions to prepare Emeric for wise and virtuous rule. Emeric married in 1022, though the identity of his wife is uncertain. His promising life ended suddenly on September 2, 1031, when he was killed by a boar during a hunt, only twenty-four years old. Buried at Székesfehérvár, his tomb soon became a place of healings and conversions. In 1083 his relics were solemnly raised, and he was canonized for his purity and piety. He is often shown as a crowned knight holding a lily. His feast day is November 4.

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Trofimena Virgin, Martyr d. 700

Saint Trofimena is remembered as a young martyr, said to have been born in Patti, Sicily. According to ancient tradition, while still only about twelve or thirteen, she longed to be baptized and belong wholly to Christ. Her family had already made plans for her marriage, but a heavenly messenger is said to have warned her of an approaching martyrdom and strengthened her to remain faithful. The legend recounts that her own father, enraged by her desire for Christianity, killed her, and her body was placed in an urn and cast into the sea. Carried by the currents, the urn reached the shore of Minori on the Amalfi Coast, where the faithful received her as a gift from God. Her relics became the heart of Minori’s spiritual life, preserved through centuries of trials, removals, and joyful returns, and honored for miracles and protection—especially in times of danger. Trofimena is venerated as the patroness of Minori, where her relics rest in the basilica’s crypt. Her principal feast day is November 5.