Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 28, 2022
First Reading: Job 9.1-12, 14-16
1And Job, responding, said2Truly, I know that it is so, and that man cannot be justified compared with God3If he chooses to contend with him, he is not able to respond to him once out of a thousand times4He is understanding in heart and mighty in strength; who has resisted him and yet had peace5He has moved mountains, and those whom he overthrew in his fury did not know it6He shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble7He commands the sun and it does not rise, and he closes the stars as if under a seal8He alone extends the heavens, and he walks upon the waves of the sea9He fashions Arcturus, and Orion, and Hyades, and the interior of the south10He accomplishes great and incomprehensible and miraculous things, which cannot be numbered11If he approaches me, I will not see him; if he departs, I will not understand12If he suddenly should question, who will answer him? Or who can say, "Why did you do so?14what am I then, that I should answer him and exchange words with him15And if I now have any justice, I will not respond, but will beseech my judge16And if he should listen to me when I call, I would not believe that he had heard my voice
Psalm 88
1A Canticle Psalm to the sons of Korah. Unto the end. For Mahalath, to answer the understanding of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation: I have cried out, day and night, in your presence2Let my prayer enter in your sight. Incline your ear to my petition3For my soul has been filled with evils, and my life has drawn near to Hell4I am considered to be among those who will descend into the pit. I have become like a man without assistance5idle among the dead. I am like the wounded sleeping in sepulchers, whom you no longer remember, and who have been repelled by your hand6They have lain me in the lower pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death7Your fury has been confirmed over me. And you have brought all your waves upon me8You have sent my acquaintances far from me. They have set me as an abomination to themselves. I was handed over, yet I did not depart9My eyes languished before destitution. All day long, I cried out to you, O Lord. I stretched out my hands to you10Will you perform wonders for the dead? Or will physicians raise to life, and so confess to you11Could anyone declare your mercy in the sepulcher, or your truth from within perdition12Will your wonders be known in the darkness, or your justice in the land of oblivion13And I have cried out to you, O Lord, and in early morning, my prayer will come before you14Lord, why do you reject my prayer? Why do you turn your face away from me15I am poor, and I have been amid hardships from my youth. And, though I have been exalted, I am humbled and disturbed16Your wrath has crossed into me, and your terrors have disturbed me17They have surrounded me like water, all day long. They have surrounded me, all at once18Friend and neighbor, and my acquaintances, you have sent far away from me, away from misery
Gospel: Luke 9.57-62
57And it happened that, as they were walking along the way, someone said to him, "I will follow you, wherever you will go.58Jesus said to him: "Foxes have dens, and the birds of the air have nests. But the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.59Then he said to another, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.60And Jesus said to him: "Let the dead bury their dead. But you go and announce the kingdom of God.61And another said: "I will follow you, Lord. But permit me first to explain this to those of my house.62Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow, and then looks back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Sermon
The first reading from the Book of Job presents us with a profound expression of humility and awe in the face of God’s power and wisdom. Job acknowledges the vastness of God’s understanding and strength, recognizing that humanity cannot fully comprehend or challenge God’s ways. He reflects on how God’s power shapes the world, from moving mountains to commanding the stars, and admits that human beings are limited in their ability to grasp the divine. Job’s words remind us of the mystery and majesty of God, inviting us to approach Him with reverence and humility.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges three individuals who express a desire to follow Him, revealing the radical commitment required for discipleship. To the first, He emphasizes that following Him means embracing instability and sacrifice, for even the Son of Man has no place to call His own. To the second, He insists that the call to proclaim the kingdom of God must take precedence over even family obligations. To the third, He warns against looking back once one has decided to follow Him. These exchanges underscore the demand of prioritizing God above all else and trusting in His providence, even when the path is uncertain.
Both readings call us to trust in God’s plan and to embrace the sacrifices that come with following Him. Like Job, we are invited to humbly acknowledge our limitations and to place our faith in God’s wisdom, even when we cannot fully understand His ways. Like the would-be disciples in the Gospel, we are challenged to let go of attachments and distractions, trusting that God will guide us. May we, in our own lives, cultivate this kind of faith and courage, surrendering our will to His and walking forward with confidence in His love.