Daily Catholic Mass Readings for September 27, 2022
First Reading: Job 3.1-3, 11-17, 20-23
1After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.2He said:3"May the day of my birth perish, and the night it was said, 'A boy is born!'11"Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?12Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I might be nursed?13For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest14with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves places now lying in ruins,15with rulers who had gold, who filled their houses with silver.16Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?17There the wicked cease from turmoil, and there the weary are at rest.20"Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul,21to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure,22who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave?23Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?
Psalm 88
1O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.2May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.3For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.4I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength.5I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.6You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.7Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah8You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;9my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.10Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do those who are dead rise up and praise you? Selah11Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction?12Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?13But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.14Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?15From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.16Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.17All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.18You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.
Gospel: Luke 9.51-56
51As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.52And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;53but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.54When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"55But Jesus turned and rebuked them,56and they went to another village.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound expressions of human experience: suffering and rejection. The Book of Job presents us with a man who, in the midst of immense suffering, cries out in despair, questioning the very purpose of his existence. Job's lament is raw and deeply human, reflecting the pain and confusion that can come when we face trials that seem inexplicable. His words remind us that suffering is not alien to the human condition and that even the most faithful can struggle with doubt and anguish.
In contrast, the Gospel of Luke offers us a different response to adversity. Jesus, journeying toward Jerusalem with a clear purpose, encounters rejection from the Samaritans. His disciples, filled with indignation, wish to retaliate with violence, but Jesus rebukes them, affirming that his mission is one of salvation, not destruction. This moment reveals the heart of Jesus' ministry: compassion, mercy, and the refusal to let anger or hatred dictate his actions. While Job's cry expresses the depth of human sorrow, Jesus' response embodies the transformative power of love and forgiveness.
These readings invite us to reflect on how we respond to suffering and rejection in our own lives. Like Job, we may feel the weight of pain and question God's presence in our darkness. Yet, in Jesus, we see a different way—a way that does not seek revenge or self-pity but instead chooses to love and to save. As we navigate our own trials, let us turn to Jesus, asking for the grace to embrace his spirit of compassion and forgiveness. May we learn to see even in the midst of suffering, the possibility of redemption and the call to live as instruments of God's mercy in the world.