Daily Catholic Mass Readings for October 1, 2024
First Reading: Job 3.1-3, 11-17, 20-23
1After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.2And Job said:3"Let the day perish on which I was born, and the night that said, 'A man is conceived.'11"Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?12Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse?13For then I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept; then I would have been at rest,14with kings and counselors of the earth who rebuilt ruins for themselves,15or with princes who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.16Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light?17There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest.20"Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul,21who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,22who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave?23Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
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 9.51-56
51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.52And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him.53But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.54And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"55But he turned and rebuked them.56And they went on to another village.
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful images of suffering and response. In the first reading from Job, we hear the anguished cry of a man who has lost everything—his family, his health, and his livelihood. Job curses the day he was born, expressing the deep bitterness and despair that can come when we face immense pain and feel abandoned by God. Yet, even in his suffering, Job does not turn away from God; instead, he cries out to Him, seeking some understanding of his plight. This is a profound act of faith, for it shows that even in the darkest moments, we can still address God, even if our words are filled with anger or confusion.
In the Gospel, we see Jesus facing rejection as He journeys toward Jerusalem. The Samaritans refuse to welcome Him because He is heading toward the holy city, a place they likely viewed with resentment. When His disciples, James and John, suggest calling down fire from heaven to punish the Samaritans, Jesus rebukes them, reminding them that He has come not to destroy but to save. This exchange highlights the central mission of Jesus: to bring salvation through love and mercy, not through vengeance or retaliation. It also challenges us to reflect on how we respond to rejection or harm. Do we seek revenge, or do we choose to love and forgive?
These readings invite us to consider how we handle suffering and rejection in our own lives. Like Job, we may feel overwhelmed by pain or injustice, and it’s natural to question God’s plan. But Job’s example teaches us that even in the midst of suffering, we can turn to God in honesty and trust. Similarly, Jesus shows us that our response to harm should be shaped by mercy and compassion, not anger or retaliation. As we navigate our own struggles and encounters with rejection, let us remember that God is always with us, even in the darkness, and that we are called to imitate Christ by choosing love over vengeance. May we trust in God’s plan, even when it’s hard to understand, and may we strive to reflect His mercy in all we do.