Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 30, 2020
First Reading: Job 9.1-12, 14-16
1Then Job answered and said,2I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?3If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?5Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.6Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.7Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.9Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.10Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.12Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?14How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.16If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.
Psalm 88
1O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:2Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;3For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.4I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:5Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.6Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.7Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.8Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.9Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.10Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.11Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?12Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?13But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.14LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?15I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.16Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.17They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
Gospel: Luke 9.57-62
57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on the nature of faith, trust, and surrender. The first reading from Job presents us with a man who, in the midst of suffering and confusion, humbly acknowledges the vastness of God’s power and wisdom. Job recognizes that he cannot justify himself before God or fully understand His ways, and so he turns to humility and trust. This is not an act of resignation but of faith—a recognition that God’s ways are beyond human comprehension and that true wisdom lies in surrendering to His will.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges would-be followers to consider the cost of discipleship. He calls them to radical commitment, refusing to let even the most natural human ties—family obligations or personal plans—take precedence over following Him. This is not a call to irresponsibility but to prioritization. Jesus is asking us to let go of our need for control, security, and comfort, and instead to trust in His plan and timing. Like Job, we are invited to surrender our own understanding and desires, trusting that God’s way is always greater than our own.
These readings remind us that faith is not about having all the answers or ensuring a smooth path. It is about trusting in God’s providence, even when the road is uncertain. In our daily lives, this means letting go of our need to control every outcome and instead placing our confidence in God. It means being willing to step out in faith, even when we cannot see the full picture. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Where am I holding back from fully trusting God? What distractions or attachments am I allowing to take precedence over my relationship with Him? May we, like Job, humbly acknowledge God’s greatness, and may we, like the disciples, follow Jesus with courage and abandon, trusting that He will guide us home.