Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 3, 2018
First Reading: Job 9.1-12, 14-16
1Then Job answered and said:2"Truly I know that it is so: But how can a man be in the right before God?3If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times.4He is wise in heart and mighty in strength--who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?--5he who removes mountains, and they know it not, when he overturns them in his anger,6who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble;7who commands the sun, and it does not rise; who seals up the stars;8who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea;9who made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the chambers of the south;10who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number.11Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him.12Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?'14How then can I answer him, choosing my words with him?15Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.16If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
Psalm 88
1O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you.2Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!3For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.4I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength,5like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.6You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep.7Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah8You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape;9my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.10Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah11Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?12Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?13But I, O LORD, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.14O LORD, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me?15Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.16Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me.17They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together.18You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.
Gospel: Luke 9.57-62
57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."58And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."59To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."60And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."61Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home."62Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between humility, trust, and discipleship. In the first reading from Job, we encounter a man overwhelmed by the majesty and power of God. Job acknowledges that humanity cannot justify itself before God, for God’s ways are incomprehensible and His strength unmatched. He humbly recognizes that even if he were to try to argue his case, he would not fully understand God’s ways. This passage reminds us of the limits of human understanding and the importance of surrendering to God’s will with humility and trust.
In the Gospel, Jesus calls His disciples to radical commitment. He challenges them to prioritize the kingdom of God above all else, even over family obligations and personal comfort. The would-be followers in the Gospel are hesitant, tied down by worldly concerns, but Jesus insists that true discipleship requires letting go of such attachments. His words are stark: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” This teaching underscores the need for unwavering focus and trust in following Christ, even when the path is difficult or uncertain.
Together, these readings call us to embrace humility and trust in our relationship with God. Like Job, we must acknowledge our limitations and surrender to God’s plan, even when it doesn’t make sense to us. Like the disciples, we are called to radical commitment, putting God’s will above our own desires and distractions. In our daily lives, this means letting go of the need to control everything and instead trusting in God’s providence. It means being willing to step out in faith, even when the road ahead is unclear. May we learn to trust in God’s goodness and follow Him with hearts fully surrendered.