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Daily Reflection

Monday of the Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time Gal 1:6-12 Psalm 111:1b-2, 7-8, 9, 10c Luke 10:25-37 We all know the story of the Good Samaritan. It has moral, theological, and allegorical implications. Jesus plainly teaches that, unlike those who followed ancient purity laws rather than help a dying victim of violence, we should imitate the Samaritan, who readily aided someone in need. Yet, the interpretations of the Early Church Fathers and the Church’s liturgy reveal a deeper meaning: the parable also speaks of Jesus, the fall of humanity, and the price he paid for its salvation. Consider the details Jesus provides: the man travels down from Jerusalem to Jericho, a journey of about 17 miles that descends nearly 3,200 feet. The terrain is rough, and travelers are easy targets. Jericho is one of the lowest cities on earth - think of sin - while Jerusalem stands on a mountain - think of heaven. The man’s dangerous journey leaves him vulnerable to robbers and thieves, much as the road of sin steals our peace and dignity, exposes us to harm, and clouds our ability to distinguish right from wrong. The man is stripped and beaten; likewise, sin humiliates and knocks us down. Religious leaders travel the same road but protect themselves under the cover of adherence to the law. They, too, are compromised by sin and cannot help the half-dead man because of their own fallen nature. The Samaritan, by contrast, is an outsider moved by compassion, he can be understood as a figure of Jesus. He pours oil and wine into the man’s wounds, images of healing through sacramentals and of Jesus’ presence in the wine that becomes his precious blood, poured out for us. Through the Sacraments, Jesus applies healing balm to the wounds of sin, nourishes and sustains us. St. Augustine sees the inn as a symbol of the Church, where the wounded man finds rest and healing. Just as the Good Samaritan pays for the dying man’s care, Jesus ransomed us from sin through his passion and death on the cross, paying the ultimate price for our eternal souls. Jesus asks, “Which one was acting like a neighbor?” The scholar answers, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus replies, “Go and do likewise.” Read as a metaphor of Christ - his compassion for us in our sinfulness, his desire to heal us, his saving action on the cross, and his gift of the Church - the parable clarifies our calling. As the mystical body of Christ, we are to be sanctuaries of healing and comfort, we must show mercy to anyone in need, without prejudice. As we celebrate the feast day of St. Faustina, today, the Secretary of Mercy, we are reminded of the depth of mercy we have received and should extend to others. In her diary, we read that Jesus told her: “I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first – by deed, the second – by word, the third – by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me.” Today, lets’ reach out, comfort someone who needs to hear our voice, and consider praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

October 5

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There are many ways we can follow the Lord; we can proclaim the Good News and we can serve others. But one method usually gets overlooked; we can just listen to Jesus, like Mary did. In the time of Jesus, the disciple sat at the feet of a teacher to learn. In Matthew's gospel, for example, Jesus taught the Beatitudes as His followers and the crowd sat below Him (Matthew 5:1-12). However, all the followers were male. Mary caused controversy when she stepped out of her social role as a woman to sit as a disciple at the feet of Jesus. Martha expected her sister to play host as she was doing. Jesus answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her." Jesus isn’t saying service is bad or that Martha’s hospitality did not matter. The Greek word for “worried” is merimnao— means to be anxious, distracted, pulled in multiple directions. Martha wasn’t just serving; she was anxious about serving. She had let the work consume her to the point where she missed the whole reason for the work…Jesus Himself was in her house. “The better part” that Mary chose was not about being lazy. It was about priorities. Mary recognized when Jesus is teaching, you drop everything and listen. The dishes can wait. The meal can be simple. But this moment—His teaching, His presence—is everything. Before we can share the Good News and serve others as Jesus would, we must be filled up with Jesus. His words, His thoughts, His love, His plan. Without this important step, we might glorify ourselves or serve others with frustration and distraction. I saw a powerful movie last night, Adore Him – He Is Here, which is in theaters until October 8. Adore Him is a documentary film exploring what happens when Catholics rediscover the gift waiting for them in every tabernacle. Through stories of conversion, healing, and renewed faith, it makes the case for what the Church has always known: that time spent before the Blessed Sacrament changes everything. We all have busy lives. We tell others about our faith and we serve our family, friends and community. But when do we take the time to simply listen to the Lord? St. Elizabeth Seton is blessed to have a Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. Have you been there? It is located next to the front office at the southwest corner of the property. Make a commitment this week to spend one hour with Jesus in the Adoration Chapel. Sit at the feet of our Lord and Savior, as Mary did. Gaze into His beating heart, fully present in the Blessed Sacrament, as He lovingly gazes upon you. You do not need to do anything. Just come, sit and encounter our Risen Lord. His Presence changes everything.

October 6

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples, and us, the Our Father. While Luke provides a shortened version compared to the Gospel of Matthew (see Mt. 6:9-130), there is still much to gain from further reflection. The first petition asks that the Father’s name be “hallowed” or sanctified. While the name “Father” signifies our relationship to Him as believers and followers, this petition asks that the Father be considered holy and revered by all people throughout the world by the witness of His creative works of love and His action in in our lives. In the second petition we are praying for Kingdom of God to reign in our lives here and now. Our seeking, discerning and submission to His Will (the petition not mentioned in Luke’s version) allows His Kingdom to be present and His grace to flow to us abundantly. We are also asking for the His Kingdom to return through the second coming of Jesus at the end of time. It is then that the Kingdom of God will reign for all eternity. In the next petition we hear today, the focus shifts to petitions for our needs, beginning with our petition to be nourished both physically and spiritually. We express our dependence on the providence of the Father, who gives us the blessings necessary for our physical sustenance and the spiritual nourishment necessary to endure our earthly trials. The next petition is our acknowledgment that there are times we fall short of doing the Will of the Father. So, we turn to Him in humility and ask for forgiveness. Our loving Father is always ready to forgive us and bless us and allows us to show our love for Him by allowing us to freely choose to approach Him with a contrite heart. Our response to His Love is captured in the next petition as we ask for the courage to forgive others in the same way that we are forgiven. As Jesus taught us through His life and ministry, we are to forgive unconditionally with the purpose of blessing those who are also in need of forgiveness. The final petition in Luke’s version is “and do not subject us to the final test.” In this petition we are asking for the Father’s help in the fight against the temptation to sin and the power of the Evil One, Satan. Jesus has won the war and defeated the power of Satan, sin and death over us. However, Satan still engages us in daily battles trying to get us to turn away from God. We acknowledge in this petition that we need the Father’s help to maintain our relationship of love with Him. Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection Do you treat others as they deserve, or do you treat them as the Lord Jesus would with grace and mercy?

October 7

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Galatians 3: 1-5 Luke 1: 69-75 Luke 11: 5-13 The words from Jesus in today’s gospel are generally received in two ways, as a source of great hope and a sense of peace, or with frustration and sometimes down right anger. “For the one who asks, receives…” Those words are powerfully invigorating for the person in need of being told again that God never forgets us, and that in the end everything will be ok. For the person who has been praying and praying and praying for, well, whatever, those words can be complete confusion. It is really tough to struggle, go through things like health challenges, financial troubles, job loss, or relationship issues, and pray and pray and pray that things get better but things seem to either deteriorate or just do not get better. The question becomes though, what are you praying for? Are you praying for the right thing? We may pray for the wrong thing and receive what it is God really believes we need in order to become the person He really wants us to be. The next time you pray, be sure to hold on tightly to the words in the Our Father “…thy will be done…” When praying for yourself or anyone else, first ask for the wisdom to see what He wants you to see, and the trust to always but always know that He will take care of you! Don’t give up! Never fear! Never, ever be afraid! As St Padre Pio put it: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” Go smile at God today!

October 8

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus is accused of casting out demons in the name of Beezebul, or Satan as we call the Evil One. While untrue this reading helps us understand the power of Satan as well as the power of Christ to defeat him. Evil is not an impersonal force that just happens. It has a name and a face and it seeks to master every heart and soul on the face of the earth (cf. 1 Peter 5:8-9). Scripture identifies the Evil One by many names, 'Satan', 'Beelzebul - the 'prince of demons', the 'Devil', etc., who is the fallen angel who broke rank with God and established his own army and kingdom in opposition to God. Jesus came to overthrow the power of Satan and his kingdom. Jesus' numerous exorcisms brought freedom to many who were troubled and oppressed by the work of evil spirits. Jesus himself encountered personal opposition and battle with Satan when he was put to the test in the wilderness just before his public ministry (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1). He overcame the Evil One through his obedience to the will of his Father. Jesus is teaching us that we too can overcome the power of Satan by imitating Jesus in both His service to others and obedience to the Father’s will. In his second argument against those testing Him, Jesus asserts that no kingdom divided against itself can survive for long. We have witnessed enough wars in our own time to prove the destructive force at work here destroys nations of peoples and their land. Jesus and the Blessed Trinity are the only power, the power of Divine Love, that can bring peoples together in unity and overcome the power of evil. We must continue to seek unity with others, helping to build and inhabit the Kingdom of God in this world. The love, grace and peace that fills us in God’s Kingdom may be temporary in this life but is a foretaste of the eternal love and peace when we are with Jesus in the next life. Today’s Question for Prayer and Reflection Do you know the peace and security of a life submitted to God and his Word? Source for today’s reflection: https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2026&date=oct9

October 9

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Today is Saturday, October 10th. It is the Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time. “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” Those are the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel from Saint Luke. Those words are in response to a woman in the crowd who proclaimed, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” It may seem that Jesus is rebuking the woman and dishonoring Mary, his mother, in the process. That is not the case. Mary was blessed from the moment of her immaculate conception; blessed to be chosen to be the mother of the Son of Man. The angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she had found favor with God, would conceive and give birth to a son who was to be named Jesus and would be the mother of the Son of the Most High. Mary is one who is included with these words of Jesus - “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” Mary heard the word of God from the angel Gabriel and she observed it. Mary was obedient to the word of God through her consent. With the words, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”, Mary gives her fiat. Jesus is not dishonoring Mary. Rather He is honoring her as one who heard the word of God and observed it AND He is inviting all of us to enter into her blessedness. The Word was made flesh in the womb of Mary and, through her obedience, poured forth from that womb for the world to hear. We are invited to give our own fiat and listen to and observe the words of her beloved son, Jesus. If we respond to that invitation, in faith, we are able to enter into the state described by Saint Paul in his letter to the Galatians. We will have clothed ourselves in Christ. We will become “all one in Christ Jesus.” We will “belong to Christ”. Could there be a greater blessing then to share in the intimate union that Mary and Jesus experienced? Mary, Mother of God, pray for us so that we too can be counted among those who are blessed.

October 10

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