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.
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.