Continue on for a daily gospel reflection…
Almost every day, I look into the readings that will be read at Mass in the Roman Catholic Church and offer a brief reflection on the gospel for that day. I often take an anachronistic approach allowing the words of Jesus to speak to me today.
May you be blessed as you consider the word of God each day.
St. Jerome
30 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 9:57-62
Readings from September 30, 2026
But first…
Jesus calls each of us to be his disciples, now. How easy it is to give our Lord a qualified yes. Certainly, Lord, I will follow you (at some future indefinite time in a way that pleases me).
We are called to so much more!
Recognize that Jesus calls us to follow him, to learn from him, to be more like him in all that we do. He invites us to share in his mission to bring salvation to the world.
He invites us to participate in in our own salvation.
This is not something to be delayed or undertaken half-heartedly. We must respond immediately. We must respond actively, on God’s terms and not our own.
We must respond with the same self-giving love that Christ showed us.
Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
29 September 2026
A brief reflection on John 1:47-51
Readings from September 29, 2026
Jesus calls Bartholomew and offers him a vision of angels as his future reward. Specifically, he will see angels “ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. This is a view of the beatific vision in which spirits attend to God directly, without the intervention of the senses.
How we must long for this promise to be fulfilled.
In our own way, we too must be as angels, faithfully carrying God’s message to others. Unlike the angels, we may not be called to deliver a specific message, but we are each called to bear the message of Christ our Savior and his love and his redemption to those around us.
It is, after all, a message the world needs to hear.
Monday, Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
28 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 9:46-50
Readings from September 28, 2026
Who is the greatest?
We might tend to think of the greatest as the one with the most, and that may be true. It all depends on what we measure. Most money? No. Most pleasure? No. Most power?. Absolutely not!
The greatest is the one who loves the most.
The greatest is the one whose love of others comes the closest to God’s love for us. It comes the closest to Christ who laid down his life for our salvation while we were yet sinners. It comes closest to pure, self-giving, steadfast, love.
“And the greatest of these is love.”
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
27 September 2026
A brief reflection on Matthew 21:28-32
Readings from September 27, 2026
So many claim to walk in the way of the Lord.
When asked to follow our Lord, we say “yes” yet our actions betray something altogether different. We must always act in a manner that makes our yes a reality in our lives.
Our actions show us as we really are.
Do we dedicate ourselves to knowing the Lord, to knowing his ways, and to following them? Do we dedicate ourselves to study of his word? Do we pray often to know what God has planned for us? Do we follow where he leads us?
I hope the answer is yes!
Saturday, Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
26 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 9:43b-45
Readings from September 26, 2026
Today, we are a bit confused. The Son of Man who does mighty deeds is to be handed over.
How can this be?
We see this in our daily lives when we come face to face with tragedy, with disaster, with poverty, and with war. We ask ourselves, “How can the God who worked such wonders allow this to happen?
Indeed, why would our Lord have allowed himself to be handed over?
We know that suffering is inevitably a part of everyone’s life just as it was a part of Jesus’s life. Suffering is not the end. We are all tried in the crucible in one form or another.
In Christ, our suffering can conform us to him. We can through suffering become more Christ-like.
Friday, Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
25 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 9:18-22
Readings from September 25, 2026
“Who do the crowds say that I am?”
Today Jesus takes on the question of his image, first with the larger audience less familiar with him. They have a generally high opinion of him but a low level of understanding.
“Who do you say that I am?”
Then he asks those who know him best. Peter correctly identifies him as the Anointed One (the Christ) of God. This identification of him is dangerously close to the truth, and is certainly a dangerous identification. There were in that day only two reactions to a claim of being God – total adoration by those who believe the claim and death for those who do not or are threatened by such a claim.
“The Son of Man must suffer greatly…”
Knowing the truth, Jesus acknowledges what will inevitably happen. He will be killed. He enlightens his disciples with the foretelling of his resurrection.
But what is this to us?
Whatever the world may think of us, good or bad, we must focus on who we truly are, adopted daughters and sons of our Most High God and Lord. Will this be good for us? Of course. Will this bring suffering into our lives? Of course. We should not expect more out of our times than Jesus received in his.
We are called to be like Christ both in holiness and in suffering. Being Christ-like is a challenge for our weak and fallen nature, but it is a challenge that we, with God’s help, can rise to accept,
Thursday, Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
24 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 9:7-9
Readings from September 24, 2026
Herod, upon hearing of Jesus wonders…
Herod sees, or rather hears something in Jesus that arouses his curiosity. Who is this one? Jesus’s words and deeds reflect the mighty power of the prophets of old. Herod longs to know more.
Do we long to know more? Do we consider the words and deeds of Jesus in our hearts? Do we reflect on the gospels each day? Do we let this Jesus of Nazareth into our hearts?
Herod desired to see him…
Do we seek Jesus as Herod did? Do we look for God’s movement in our lives? Do we long for our Lord or do we reluctantly follow?
Are we open to all that Jesus has to offer?
Saint Pius of Pietrelcina
23 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 9:1-6
Readings from September 23, 2026
Jesus gave them all they needed.
Jesus sends his disciples forth to preach the good news on his behalf. They take nothing for the journey. God provides all they need through the goodness of those to whom they are sent.
They took nothing, yet in Christ had all they need.
They worked powerful conversions and healings relying solely on the word and authority of Jesus Christ. They proclaimed the good news as we must do. They worked great healings. We must spread the healing word of our Lord to a world who seeks to live unhealthily by denying the importance of God to our lives.
Jesus gives us all we need. Ours is to simply and faithfully follow him and proclaim him to others.
Tuesday, Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
22 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 8:19-21
Readings from September 22, 2026
We must hear the word of God.
Today, Jesus relates the characteristics of those closest to him. First, we must hear the word of God. We must therefore spend time with sacred scripture, reading it in context and with the mind of the Church he established. Recall that text without a context often becomes a simple pretext for our own error. We must, of course, pray with the word of God and let it mold us into the persons our Lord would have us be.
We must act on on what we hear.
Simply knowing the word of God is not sufficient. We must live the word of God in our lives. In prayer, our Lord is present to guide us through right living.
Let us immerse ourselves in the word of God, and allow ourselves to be guided by his Son, the Eternal Word. Then, we shall be most like family to him.
St. Matthew
21 September 2026
A brief reflection on Matthew 9:9-13
Readings from September 21, 2026
“Follow me.”
This seems simple enough. Jesus calls Matthew. He does not, however call Matthew the Apostle and evangelist. He calls Matthew the tax collector, Matthew the customs official, Matthew the sinner. He calls Matthew the outcast.
Jesus’s calling of Matthew leaves me no room to use the excuse that somehow I am not worthy.
I must admit I am tempted both to look upon the great saints as far too holy for me. I am tempted to simply say that because I am not up to their caliber I need not try to become as great as they. Then I read the see what Jesus was able to with Matthew. He summons to himself one who derives a handsome living collaborating with an oppressive regime.
Matthew’s called is echoed in our own.
Jesus calls each of us. His perfect plan for our lives may be humbler than Matthew’s calling. I do not really expect that people will study these writings as they study Matthew’s gospel*, but the call to become holy is there for us all. God does have a plan for our benefit here on earth and into eternity.
It is up to each of us to respond as Matthew did.
*I acknowledge that the majority of scholarly thought holds that the gospel writer was not Matthew himself, I only quibble over the attribution of human authorship for those willing to read the footnotes. As for my own position, I remain unconvinced, even as I recognize that whoever held the pen or dictated the text the Holy Spirit’s inspiration makes the text what it is.
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
20 September 2026
A brief reflection on Matthew 20-1-16a
Readings from September 20, 2026
The Master seeks them at dawn, mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon, and even even at the end of the day.
God is constantly calling us. He is constantly seeking us out. He, who has no need, no lack of anything, is calling us. God seeks us out and asks us to work in his vineyard. Are we open to his call?
Laborers come to work in the vineyard throughout the day.
We respond in all seasons of our lives. Some work in the vineyard from the beginning. Others come later. Some come from families and background steeped in the fullness of the truth. Others come to it later.
Whether early or late, the reward for our repentance and discipleship is great.
My initial reaction to this parable is much like the worker who came at dawn and complains that others who have worked far less have been made equal. This does not seem particularly fair. Yet, our Lord is indeed generous. So generous and so loving that he gave us his Son to save us while we were yet sinners.
To that we must respond in love, whatever the time of day that the good news reaches us.
N.B: For another quite thoughtful reflection on this parable, please consider this wonderful piece by Fr. Marion Nguyen, “The Lord’s Day Reflection: The Whole Denarius”.
Saturday, Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
19 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 8:4-15
Readings from September 19, 2026
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you.”
What a tremendous gift! Do I understand the mysteries fully? Absolutely not. Can I spend my lifetime growing in knowledge and understanding? Absolutely, for that is the nature of a mystery. We have the gift of entering into truths so deep that a lifetime is not enough to fully plumb their depths.\
Do I give this gift the honor that it deserves?
Probably not. As I reflect back, I can readily see times where I have chosen the worldly over the other-worldly, the temporal over the eternal. Yet, the gift remains, and I remain grateful for it.
Where has God’s seed landed in my life?
That depends on the day and the area of my life. All of us have, I believe, areas of our lives in which our soil is fertile and areas of almost impenetrable rockiness.
May God soften my heart that I may receive his word and bear good fruit.
Friday, Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
18 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 8:1-3
Readings from September 18, 2026
They followed him.
Today, our gospel is very short. It describes the women who follow our Lord and his disciples as he journeyed on his mission. Do we follow, or do we simply let the blessed group pass by. Do we follow for a time, but later cease our journey? Do we take another route hoping that our selection will be as good as our Lord’s?
They provided for his needs.
Do we? Do we give of ourselves to build up the mission of Christ and his Church? Do we give of our resources to help those who Jesus loved, including the poor and marginalized?
We really should. We would be blessed if we did.
Thursday, Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
17 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 7:36-50
Readings from September 17, 2026
Today Jesus teaches us a tale of two people, both sinners. Both in a way like we are today.
The man remains aloof. He holds Jesus at arms length. He does not provide the basic hospitality that one would provide to a friend. I get the sense that perhaps Jesus is visiting his home on approval, an interview of sorts. He views Jesus with more skepticism than faith.
Then there is the woman who sees the reality of the situation.
She sees here shortcomings quite clearly. She sees the chasm between her life and Jesus’s life, and she cannot remain aloof. She must engage. Her sins bring tears to her eyes. Her understanding of our Lord brings forth a flurry of activity. She cares for him bodily. She cares for him in the best way she knows.
Her sins are forgiven. The man remains aloof.
Let us engage our Lord and do whatever we can for him and for those he loves. Let us seek forgiveness.
Ss. Cornelius & Cyprian
16 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 7:31-35 & 1 Cor 12:31-13:13
Readings from September 16, 2026
Why is it that we insist on calling the tune?
We do. We desire to be the author of what we call “our own story”. At some level this is admirable. We take responsibility for ourselves. At another level this is wrong-headed. We are not the reason for which we were born. We were created for something much greater than ourselves. We wish to choose the tune and have our Lord dance to it.
We might even go so far as to say that God would support us in our own earthly plans.
We plan our lives with the misunderstanding that our lives are really our own. We look back at all the happiness our hard work has brought contrasted with the unhappiness that bad luck and fate have sent our way. We see our plan as ours. We see no objection from God. But then again, we don’t pray.
There is a much more excellent way – the way of love.
We can love God by choosing Christ as Lord of our lives. This means praying much and following his teachings, his Church, and his guidance in our lives. It requires patience and kindness. It requires us to work constantly for the eternal good of those around us.
In the end, our earthy plans come to nothing. In the end, our knowledge comes to naught. In the end, love endures.
Forever.
Our Lady of Sorrows
15 September 2026
A brief reflection on John 19:25-27
Readings from September 15, 2026
“Woman, behold your son.”
From the cross, Jesus gives his mother to the care of John, the beloved disciple. Mary has suffered the worst a mother can suffer – the death of her son in her very presence. “Woman, behold your son.” The end of Jesus’s life is very near. I cannot begin to imagine the sorrow of this parting.
“Behold your mother.”
In this act, we are admonished by Jesus from the cross to look on Mary as our mother. We are called to turn to her in our need. We are called to love her and recognize her motherly love for us. She who is without sin, Mother of Sorrows, is our mother as well.
Let us honor Mother Mary as we live our lives as daughters and sons of so great a mother.
Pray of us, oh holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
14 September 2026
A brief reflection on John 3:13-17
Readings from September 14, 2026
Today we celebrate the Holy Cross.
How can that be? Can we really celebrate an object of torture and death? Can we really celebrate an object of oppression? After all the goal of crucifixion was more than the death of an enemy of the state. It was to serve as an unforgettable reminder that resistance of the regime is not tolerated.
And, yet, today we celebrate the Holy Cross of Christ.
For all of the horrors of the cross, the torture, the death, and the oppression, we see something greater in the cross of Christ. We see the implement by which death itself is defeated. We see the instrument by which Christ redeemed us while we were yet sinners. We see in its horrors the horrors our Lord bore for our sake.
We celebrate the Holy Cross of Christ as a supreme act of love and a key to our salvation.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.John 3:16
Just as the Israelites looked upon the staff of the serpent the desert so we look upon the Holy Cross of Christ. As many as looked upon the serpent in the desert were saved from death, if not from suffering, so to do we look the Holy Cross of Christ for our salvation.
We celebrate the Holy Cross of Christ without which our salvation would not have been achieved by our Lord.
Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ’s side, blood and water for the world’s cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be canceled, we should not have attained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.
St. Andrew of Crete
Oratio 10 in Exaltatione sanctae crucis
The Holy Cross of Christ, horrific as it was, is the instrument of our salvation. We are right to celebrate it.
We adore you, oh Christ and we bless you,
because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world!
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
13 September 2026
A brief reflection on Mt 18:21-35
Readings from September 13, 2026
Today Jesus relates a parable with a clear moral of forgiveness.
After all, we have all sinned.
None of us makes it through life without sin. Our fallen nature sees to that, and what our human weakness doesn’t accomplish the culture and the devil do. Some temptations are very strong. Equally strong are the narratives that tell us that personal sin is insignificant while corporate sin abounds and those responsible for the ills of this world must be our enemies.
Yet God has forgiven us.
God to whom we owe so much has chosen out of his own love to forgive our sins. God to whom we owe so much has chosen to redeem us through the incarnation, the life, and ultimately the death of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ. He did this for us not because we showed any particular promise but while we were still sinners.
So, then, must we do for others.
If we are to imitate our Lord, we too must become forgiving. This can be difficult. We may need to ask the Lord for his help. Perhaps our forgiveness can only so far. We may only be able to say honestly, “Lord, you know what this one did to me, but I do not want him in hell”. It is a start in the journey of letting go of the burden of unforgiveness. Let us ask our Lord for his help and his guidance. Let us forgive those who have wronged us and remain open to rebuilding the relationship.
Remember, our call to forgive should have no limits just as the forgiveness our Lord offers us truly has no limits.
Saturday, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
12 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 6:43-49
Readings from September 12, 2026
We are known by our fruit.
This seems a simple way of judging the quality of our own actions. Do our actions bear good fruit? Of course, there is a follow up question which is to whom do our actions bear fruit? Do we see its impact upon us? Do we look for its impact upon others? Do we assess whether our actions are pleasing to God? You already know the answer. The answer is yes to all three.
We are fruitful as we follow our Lord
As much as we might like to believe that we are the masters of our own destiny and the authors of our own story, we are not. Rather, we should not attempt this. God has created us. God has given us guidance. Allowing Jesus to actually be our Lord and following his commands will lead us always to a fruitful life. My prayer is constantly to follow his will and I am constantly blessed.
Let us go forth into the world today following the will of our Lord Jesus, and may we bear good fruit!
Friday, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
11 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 6:39-42
Readings from September 11, 2026
Sometimes it is more comfortable to fix someone else.
Looking into and solving the problems of others can be a way to feel as though we are making progress while completely ignoring our own shortcomings. It is the feeling of improvement without the feeling of imperfection.
As comfortable as it may be, Jesus asks for more.
Jesus asks us to look deeply into our own lives and do the hard work to conform it to his way. He asks us to follow him until we are fully trained. Once we are, then we may more and more like him. Then, perhaps, we can be of some use to our brothers and sisters.
As uncomfortable as facing our sins may be, it will do us good to improve.
On this anniversary date of the horrific attacks, let us remember those who perished and those first responders who worked to save and restore life. Let us seek, as difficult as it may be, to love.
Thursday, Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
10 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 6:27-38
Readings from September 10, 2026
The measure with which we measure…
Today Jesus admonishes us to be a little more like him in our ways. We naturally tend to be kind to those who are kind to us, to be generous to those who can return our generosity. Today Jesus calls to more than that. He calls us to be generous to those who cannot repay us, to be kind to those who are unkind toward us.
…will be measured out to you.
There is a different way of considering the life we lead and those around us, a way of looking that does not see “us versus them”. Rather we can see ourselves each as creations made in the image and likeness of God. We can see our baptized fellow humans as beloved daughters and sons of the Most High by adoption.
We are all, after all, created to be with God one day.
We are each on a bit of a journey, a pilgrimage. We are each at different points on this journey. Those farther from the purpose for which we have all been created may position themselves as enemies but it is up to us to not let them become obstacles to our holiness. We share a divine creator. We share a purpose for which we are created. We share the image of God.
With all we share, we might best be measured by our kindness and generosity of spirit.
St. Peter Claver
9 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 6:20-26
Readings from September 9, 2026
Priorities.
Jesus speaks to us today of priorities. He reminds us that those of us who seek the things of the earth – wealth, comfort, pleasure will be disappointed. We may well achieve all of these at the cost of something much greater.
Prioritize the things of heaven.
The examples Jesus gives us show considers the case in which we achieve our earthly desires, and that becomes the extent of our reward. We are left asking the all too common question, “Is this all there is?” If we answer yes to that question it is because we have blinded ourselves to the fullness of the truth.
Prioritize the things of heaven, and be blessed.
More than a reward that we receive for living a holy life, but seeking the things of heaven, of seeking holiness, we enjoy a life of fulfillment. Whatever our situation may be, good or ill, our relationship with our Lord will bring us joy. Joy in the midst of depravation is undeniably a happy thing.
Prirtities. Let us establish them well. Let us prioritize God.
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
8 September 2026
A brief reflection on Mt 1:1-16, 18-23
Readings from September 8, 2026
“God is with us.”
Today we celebrate the birth of the most sublime human being ever born, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Selected from the beginning of time to bring forth our Savior, conceived without sin, she brings forth the child Jesus whose name means, “God is with us.”
God is indeed with us.
The incarnation of Jesus brings with it the salvation and transformation of our sinful selves, opening the gates of heaven to the baptized. It unites God with man in a profound way for which we are as thankful as we can possibly be.
Now, God is with us.
The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary carries with it a celebration of our redemption, of the deification that awaits the faithful, and of our very salvation. The world as God created it and meant it to be sees its restoration nearing with the birth of the Virgin who will conceive a son, Immanuel.
“God is with us”
Monday, Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
7 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 6:6-11
Readings from September 7, 2026
Is it right to do good or do evil?
Is it right to do good or do evil on the sabbath? The answer seems simple. Yet when Jesus cures on the sabbath this is shocking to his adversaries.
The time and the place for doing good is here and now.
The reaction of the religious elite to a cure on the sabbath is more involved than it might appear today, but at its core they are restricting good works to certain times.
For our part, let us reflect the love of Jesus by doing the good we can do now.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
6 September 2026
A brief reflection on Mt 18:15-20
Readings from September 6, 2026
How are we to resolve the inevitable dispute? What do we do when we feel wronged? Today Jesus teaches us how to work to reestablish relationship.
“If your brother sins against you…”
Our faith lives in the real world, amongst people who have fallen, whose fallen nature creates issues. At some time our fellow humans will give us offense. At some time we will give offense. It happens. The key is how we work to resolve the issue and heal the hurt. Jesus gives us a way forward.
“…go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”
The first step is to take steps to restore the relationship, one that necessarily involves hearing one another out. Notice that displaying or publishing his fault for the world (or a social media feed) to see is not included in Jesus’s remedy. The goal is to simply win the other over, to restore and to heal.
“If he does not listen…”
If the rift remains, then it is time to bring in others to help, so that the discussion remains grounded in truth. Let’s face it, some times we are wrong. Sometimes we take offense where there is none. Gathering a few to support one’s case may indeed resolve the issue by forgiveness from our side.
“If he still does not listen…”
If the rift remains, then it is time to refer the matter to the Church. Here I would say that Jesus has in mind an institution, the church that he founded. Once more, the goal is to heal the division by appealing to the authority of the Church.
“If he refuses to listen even to the Church…”
Not every issue is resolved. The issues between people arise from our imperfections. Our imperfections at time prevent timely resolution and healing. In these cases, we may need to simply part company altogether. We do, our course, continue to desire and pray for healing, and forgiveness is always required.
Disagreements erupt. When they do we must always strive for an honest reconciliation. Jesus himself gives us the way forward.
Saturday, Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
5 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 6:1-5
Readings from September 5, 2026
“The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”
This phrase in today’s world is much less meaningful than its first century context. The sabbath was critical to the Jewish identity. In fact the phrase “kept the sabbath” was used to distinguish between Jews and gentiles, insiders and outsiders. The sabbath was established by God. The sabbath was important.
“The Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”
Here is Jesus’s claim that he is greater than the gift given by God that identifies those around him as insiders. This a claim tantamount to divinity, certainly of unusual favor with God.
Is the Son of Man Lord of our sabbath?
That is the question to which our gospel today brings us. Do we allow Jesus to be the Lord of our sabbath, the Lord of our lives?
We would indeed be blessed if we did.
Friday, Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
4 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 5:33-39
Readings from September 4, 2026
If the old is good, why bother with the new?
Jesus tells us today of the meeting of the new with the old. Of course as Jesus tells it he is the new, and those listening are deciding whether or not to embrace it. New wine must put in new wines skins. Embracing the new requires significant change. It requires renewal.
As good as the old is, the new is better.
Each day I stand at a crossroads of sorts. Each day I take one step. Whether that step is a step forward, or backward, or sideways is the question. Here I must take care not to sew the old onto the new. When the calling from God is for the new, I must discern that carefully and begin in that new direction. This requires a lot of prayer, a lot of thought, and a lot of discernment.
An authentic call to the new eclipses the old, the old becomes a distant memory,
In those times where I have been called to something new, when I finally embrace it and leave the old behind I have been blessed. This has been my constant experience, and yet each time the change has required a process of letting go lived out over time. In many ways I still take a while to embrace God’s calling.
So begin immediately, set aside the good of the old for the unparalleled new to which our Lord is calling you!
St. Gregory the Great
3 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 5:1-11
Readings from September 3, 2026
“Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”
Perhaps Peter knows what is coming next, perhaps not. In the presence of our Lord he is aware of his own shortcomings. He sees his state as incompatible with Jesus who stands before him.
I, too, am a sinful man.
Yet, God has such love that he offers us something that we do not truly deserve. Mercy. He does not depart from us when he has every right to do so. He shows us this kindness and asks us to respond in love, to reflect his love and mercy to those around us.
I, too, need to “put out into the deep”.
In our gospel today, Jesus makes an outlandish request. Fishing on the sea of Galilee to this day takes place at night. Daytime fishing simply does not yield a sufficient catch. After a long night of unsuccessful fishing and the tiring work of cleaning the nets, Peter and his partners take the Lord’s ridiculous advice and lower their nets one last time. They are greatly rewarded for their efforts.
I, too, need to avoid sin in every way. I, too, need to follow our Lord even when I might prefer another course.
Wednesday, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
2 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 4:38-44
Readings from September 2, 2026
“For this purpose have I been sent…”
Today Jesus avoids the pressure of the crowds and the admonition of his disciples. After withdrawing for a while in prayer, he continues on with the will of God. He has a purpose. He discerns and declines all that is not of that purpose.
Jesus had a mission statement!
Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, withdraws and prays to the Father. What Jesus might have said, what Jesus might have learned from the Father is matter of scholarly debate. What is clear is the example Jesus sets for us. He withdraws. (He does this regularly.) So, too, are we called to set the things of the world aside and pray to God.
What is more, we are called to listen to God’s reply.
We are called to also to discern the will of God that is contained in our prayerful inspiration. Is this inspiration aligned with the teaching of the Catholic Church that Jesus founded? If not, the inspiration is false. Does this inspiration bring me peace? Is this inspiration consistent with my state of life and my understanding of God’s love in my life.
We discern our specific mission with the help of God.
Once we discern properly, we work to give our assent. We are limited creatures, and so every “yes” that we give to something is also a “no” to others. This fact can be a source of irritation or discomfort. The question, “Why wasn’t I called to something more prestigious or lucrative?” sometimes troubles me, especially the lucrative part. But, and this is critical, the Lord has always provided the skill, the strength, and the joy in doing his will. May his Kingdom come on earth as in heaven!
“We are on a mission from God.”
We need to pray to God and find it.
Tuesday, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 September 2026
A brief reflection on Luke 4:31-37
Readings from September 1, 2026
Today Jesus speaks with authority.
I shy away from the concept of authority. Like obedience, I find my first instinct is to resist authority. Perhaps I think I can do better than listening to someone else. Sometimes I can. Sometimes I cannot.
Today Jesus speaks with authority, and those who hear him are amazed.
He speaks as one who truly knows, not as one who puts forth a well-supported opinion. This begs the question, “Can I be amazed at the authority of Jesus?” How can I even hear him.
Jesus, speaking with authority, gave this gift to his Church.
What does the Catholic Church teach to be declared by God? Can I place myself under that authority? The simple answer is yes, with a bit of effort. I am still working to better understand the mind of God. I am still working to understand the mind of his Church, but I know that with all the voices crying out from the Church there are two who are established by God for the benefit of my soul.
Jesus’s authority speaks clearly in the words of my bishop, and of the Holy Father.
When it is hard, then I must do the work to better understand and better accept. After all, I am not the one in charge, thanks be to God. And so, I place myself under their authority.
Accepting the authority of the Church when I would rather not then becomes an act of love and an act of justice. It becomes a blessing.