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Daily Reflection

Job 1: 6-22 Psalm 17: 1-7 Luke 9: 46-50 With the conversation amongst the disciples, in today’s gospel, as to which of them would be the greatest, it is rather obvious that they did not get what Jesus was saying. Maybe they were discussing who would be the new leader after Jesus dies, or maybe they were discussing which of them was His best friend…we do not know. What we do know, is that Jesus takes this opportunity to bring the disciples back to the place where they will be able to understand His teachings. Jesus brings them back to humility. Jesus takes a child and places the child next to Jesus, that is a sign of great respect for the child – being placed next to a leader or owner of the house where people are dining was a place held for someone particularly important to the leader or owner. Interesting that Jesus used a child. Children rely on their parents to take care of them, there is a particular sense of comfort that comes from the love of a mom or dad. It is that natural sense of humility that allows the child to say “Take care of me.” Humility is the key to reaching out to God and asking Him to take care of us. Humility is what allows us see God for who He truly is…God…and we are not. Humility allows us to be open to the will of God, seek His direction, and trust that He will take care of us. No matter what, He will take care of us. This week, what is it you need to turn over to God that you have not done? What is it? What is that decision or part of your life you need to turn over to His will? Spend time with Jesus this week and ask Him to send the Holy Spirit. And in the words of Saint Pope John Paul II: “I plead with you – never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” Now go smile at God today!

September 28

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Coming at the end of the first chapter of John’s gospel, today’s reading presents Jesus’ encounter with Nathaniel and here he gives us a powerful insight into his divine identity. Jesus starts by surprising Nathaniel by knowing much more about him than Nathaniel thought. Jesus says “here is truly an Israelite in whom there is not deceit”. Nathaniel asks Jesus how he knows him. His response “I saw you under the fig tree before Phillip called you” means that Jesus knew Nathaniel before actually meeting him in person. Nathaniel realizes how extraordinary this is and responds “Rabbi, you are the son of God! You are the King of Israel”. Jesus does not reject his confession, but adds an interesting prediction: “You will see greater things than this”. Nathaniel becomes a follower of Jesus of some sort – he is mentioned again in John 21:2, as among those who encountered the resurrected Christ on the shore while fishing. Some biblical scholars think Nathaniel was actually the same person as the apostle Bartholomew. Regardless, he did indeed see greater thangs than he saw that day where he met Jesus. Jesus then says “Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man”. This recalls Genesis 28, where Jacob had a vision of the ladder between heaven and earth. Jacob’s vision is fulfilled in Jesus, who is the meeting place between man and God. Through Jesus, heaven itself is opened. This is imagery for the incarnation. Jesus is not merely a teacher or prophet; he is God incarnate. He unites humanity and divinity in Himself. He is the one through which humanity encounters the Father. This passage of course, is also an invitation to all Christians. Like Nathaniel, we may begin with questions and doubts. But Christ is always calling us to deeper faith. Christian conversion is a lifelong process. For every Christian there are always “greater things” yet to see. Faith begins with encountering Jesus. It reaches it fulfillment as we increasingly discover who he truly is and through his sacrifice find communion with God. Question for reflection: What greater things is Jesus calling me to in my life?

September 29

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us what is necessary to become one of His disciples. When a would-be disciple approached Jesus and said he was ready to follow, Jesus told him it would require sacrifice - the sacrifice of certain personal comforts. Jesus appealed to this man's heart and told him to detach himself from whatever might hold him back. Spiritual detachment from physical, mental or emotional dependencies, comforts, and habits is a necessary step for following the Lord. It frees us to give ourselves without reserve to the Lord and His service. Our focus on serving the Lord must come first and uninhibited from personal desires. Another would-be disciple said he would follow as soon as he had buried his father. What he meant by this expression was that he felt the need to return home to take care of his father through old age until he died. The third had no obligation to return home but simply wanted to go back and say good-bye. Jesus surprised these would-be disciples with the stark truth that nothing should hinder us from following the Lord. Was Jesus being harsh and rude to his would-be followers? Not really. We are free to decide whether we will take the path which Jesus offers. But if we choose to go, then the Lord wants us to count the cost and choose for it freely. What does the story of a plowman have to do with the journey? A plowman who looked back while plowing his field caused the line or furrow he cut into the soil to become crooked. One crooked line easily leads to another until the whole field is a mess. The plowman had to look straight ahead to keep the plow from going off course. Likewise, if we look back on what we have freely left behind to follow the Lord - whether that be some distraction, attachment, or sinful habit which leads us away from doing God's will - our path will likely diverge and we'll miss what God has for us. Some would-be disciples are attracted to Jesus and all the grace He offers. But they want to be disciples without the necessary sacrifice. They want to follow Jesus, but on their own terms. True disciples surrender their will to the divine will of Jesus. They are willing to make whatever sacrifices necessary to answer the call of the Lord. Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection Are you ready to take the path which the Lord Jesus offers you?

September 30

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October 1

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Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels. Why does Jesus warn his disciples to "not despise the little ones?" God dwells with the lowly and regards them with compassion. His angels watch over them as guardians. Scripture is full of examples of how the angels serve as messengers and protectors. When Peter was chained in prison and kept under guard, an angel woke him in middle of the night, released his chains, and brought him safely out of prison, past several guards and through locked gates. When Peter realized he wasn't dreaming, he exclaimed: "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me" (Acts 12:11). When Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions, an angel protected him from harm (Daniel 6:22). Angels ministered to Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness and during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). The angels will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment (Matthew 25:31). The angels show us that this universe which God created is not just materialistic. The fallen angels (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:9), described in Scripture as evil spirits or devils (Mark 5:13; Matthew 25:41), seek our destruction (see 1 Peter 5:8). If they cannot persuade us to disown our faith and loyalty to Christ, they will attempt to divert us from doing the will of God by distracting us with good things that weigh us down or make us indifferent towards the things of God. God gives us the help of his angelic hosts and he gives us spiritual weapons, the shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness (see Ephesians 6:1-11), to resist the devil and his lies. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we, too, join with the angelic choirs of heaven in singing the praises of God. Jesus used a child in His response to the question from the disciples about who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is. The child serves as a reminder of our dependence on God and the protection He provides through our guardian angels. Humbling ourselves and surrendering our lives as dependent children is what allows the power of our guardian angels to guide and protect us. Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection Are you willing to be dependent on the Lord and accept the protection of His Guardian Angels? Source for today’s reflection: https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2026&date=oct2a

October 2

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October 3

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