Redeeming Relationship

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church, challenges us to accept a relationship with God and others that is based on unconditional love and respect.

Pause and Pledge

Job explores the possibility of challenging God.

* [9:3] Job begins to explore the possibility of challenging God in a lawsuit, a theme that will recur (10:2), but he knows the odds are against him (vv. 12–20). (Job, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 88 prays for rescue from the alienation of approaching death.

* [Psalm 88] A lament in which the psalmist prays for rescue from the alienation of approaching death. Each of the three stanzas begins with a call to God (Ps 88:2, 10, 14) and complains of the death that separates one from God. The tone is persistently grim. (Psalms, PSALM 88 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks of His Would-be Followers.

* [9:57–62] In these sayings Jesus speaks of the severity and the unconditional nature of Christian discipleship. Even family ties and filial obligations, such as burying one’s parents, cannot distract one no matter how briefly from proclaiming the kingdom of God. The first two sayings are paralleled in Mt 8:19–22; see also notes there.

* [9:60] Let the dead bury their dead: i.e., let the spiritually dead (those who do not follow) bury their physically dead. See also note on Mt 8:22. (Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Tamora Whitney comments that, in the Gospel, Jesus says that anyone who looks back does not deserve the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus asks people to follow him, but they claim earthly duties – burying the dead, saying goodbye to family – instead of looking forward with Jesus for what is to come. Job loses everything, but does not look back in anger or resentment. He instead looks forward to the next world where there will be no suffering.

As REM says, “Everybody hurts, sometimes.” And everybody does hurt sometimes, and everybody suffers at some point. It’s natural to want someone to blame. And it’s easy to want to give up. REM says, “Well hang on, don’t let yourself go.” Job, who really has a very bad time, wishes he was never even born to live through such suffering, but he doesn’t blame, and he doesn’t give up, and he knows if it doesn’t get better here on earth, it will get better after. Job’s life does actually get better here on earth (although I don’t think he is made whole – his children die and even though he ends up with more children, they are not the ones who died. You can’t get that back) and he lives a long life seeing those children and their children grow up. But he knows throughout that this world is not his, these things are not his, and his real home is where he will see God. (Whitney, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Put to death what is earthly in you,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"The statement 'Let the dead bury their dead' implies spiritually: Waste no more time on dead things. You are to 'put to death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and covetousness, which is idolatry' (Colossians 3:5). These things therefore are dead. Cast them away from you. Cut them off as you would cut off gangrenous flesh to prevent the contamination of the whole body, so that you may not hear it said, 'Leave the dead [spiritually dead] to bury their dead' (Matthew 8:22). But to some it seems abnormal and contradictory that the Savior does not allow the disciple to bury his father. It seems inhumane. But Jesus does not in fact forbid people from burying the dead, but rather he puts before this the preaching of the kingdom of heaven, which makes people alive (Luke 9:60). As for burying the body, there were many people who could have done this." (excerpt from Fragment 161) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winker comments on the texts for today. The reading from the Book of Job presents a series of interventions back and forth that reveal feelings and belief. Job declares he has no chance in argument over suffering with the power of the Creator. Having no defense is a sign of despair. Later suffering in the Book is beyond him to understand. It is God’s Way and not for men to be able to comprehend. In the Gospel, Jesus compares the behaviour of Fox and Birds to His journey which is not an arrival but a journey. One asks to bury his father, probably not on the day after death, when they would be laid on a table to decompose for about a year. A son would then gather the bones to put in the tomb. Jesus is saying to respond with urgency when God calls. Friar Jude notes that farewells in Palestine often consisted of a week of leaving but when following Jesus, one needs to leave immediately.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:57-62 asks “So why is Jesus saying that it’s wrong to look back?” Because if you are looking back to what you’ve left behind, you can’t be present to what is in front of you. Jesus is calling us to a life of discipleship. He wants our commitment to him to take priority over everything else. And for that to happen, we need to focus our attention on the same path that he traveled—the path of radical obedience to his Father and the path of loving service to the people around us.

It’s true that Jesus’ call is demanding. It can be hard not to “look back” on what we have given up to follow him. But remember that all he is asking is that you take one step at a time. So what’s the next act of obedience? What’s the next act of generosity or mercy? How can you be faithful to the Lord in this moment? Keep your focus on what lies ahead, and the past will loosen its grip on you. Even better, Jesus will be walking beside you, and his embrace will grow stronger with every step!

“Lord, help me to keep you first in my life at every moment of every day!” (Meditation on Luke 9:57-62, 2026)

James Finley unpacks how Thérèse of Lisieux understood our calling to be like “little children”. Thérèse’s emphasis on childhood and the child Jesus in her teaching doesn’t at all suggest that we’re not to mature into adults but rather see that there are certain childlike qualities that are the essence of spiritual maturity. How can we, as adults, cultivate these childlike qualities as a way to deepen our experience and response to God’s presence in our life?

Thérèse writes in her autobiography, “Jesus deigned to show me the road that leads to this Divine Furnace, and this road is the surrender of a little child who sleeps without fear in its father’s arms.” [1] She calls it a divine furnace—and other mystics speak this way as well—so that we imagine a red-hot stove. You put a drop of water on the stove and it vanishes. This is such a deep love and complete trust that all fear vanishes. We’re infinitely loved by God and held by God in an infinite love that completely and utterly transcends any source of fear, any source of sadness. The child is like an infant in complete trust and safety, sound asleep in the arms of God. We’re resting in the midst of a fear, in the midst of the sadness, but we’re grounded in this love that transcends the fear and transcends the sadness. (Finley, n.d.)

We seek the wisdom of the Spirit to respond to the events and demands of the environment in which we live with appropriate timeliness and compassionate consideration of the needs and plans of others.

References

Finley, J. (n.d.). A Childlike Nature. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-childlike-nature/ 

Job, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/9? 

Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?57 

Meditation on Luke 9:57-62. (2026, September 30). The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/30/1680607/ 

Psalms, PSALM 88 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/88?10 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Fit for the Kingdom of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Whitney, T. (2026, September 30). Daily Reflection September 30, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-30-2026 

Spiritual Connections

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels, invite us to reflect on the direction we have welcomed on our journey from our spiritual connection to reality beyond the perception of our human senses.

Spiritual Inspiration

In the Book of Daniel the coming Kingdom of God is represented by a human figure.

* [7:9–10] A vision of the heavenly throne of God (the Ancient of Days), who sits in judgment over the nations. Some of the details of the vision, depicting the divine majesty and omnipotence, are to be found in Ezekiel 1. Others are paralleled in 1 Enoch, a contemporary Jewish apocalypse.

* [7:13–14] One like a son of man: In contrast to the worldly kingdoms opposed to God, which are represented as grotesque beasts, the coming Kingdom of God is represented by a human figure. Scholars disagree as to whether this figure should be taken as a collective symbol for the people of God (cf. 7:27) or identified as a particular individual, e.g., the archangel Michael (cf. 12:1) or the messiah. The phrase “Son of Man” becomes a title for Jesus in the gospels, especially in passages dealing with the Second Coming (Mk 13 and parallels). (Daniel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Reading from the Book of Revelation, Michael wins a victory over the dragon.

* [12:7–12] Michael, mentioned only here in Revelation, wins a victory over the dragon. A hymn of praise follows.

* [12:7] Michael: the archangel, guardian and champion of Israel; cf. Dn 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9. In Hebrew, the name Michael means “Who can compare with God?”; cf. Rev 13:4.

* [12:9] The ancient serpent: who seduced Eve (Gn 3:1–6), mother of the human race; cf. Rev 20:2; Eph 6:11–12. Was thrown down: allusion to the expulsion of Satan from heaven; cf. Lk 10:18.

* [12:10] The accuser: the meaning of the Hebrew word “Satan,” found in Rev 12:9; Jb 1–2; Zec 3:1; 1 Chr 21:1; he continues to accuse Christ’s disciples. (Revelation, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 138 is a thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist.

* [Psalm 138] A thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. Divine rescue was not the result of the psalmist’s virtues but of God’s loving fidelity (Ps 138:1–3). The act is not a private transaction but a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people (Ps 138:4–6). The psalmist, having experienced salvation, trusts that God will always be there in moments of danger (Ps 138:7–8).

* [138:1] In the presence of the angels: heavenly beings who were completely subordinate to Israel’s God. The earthly Temple represents the heavenly palace of God. (Psalms, PSALM 138 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus declares Nathanael is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him.

* [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).

* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).

* [1:49] Son of God: this title is used in the Old Testament, among other ways, as a title of adoption for the Davidic king (2 Sm 7:14; Ps 2:7; 89:27), and thus here, with King of Israel, in a messianic sense. For the evangelist, Son of God also points to Jesus’ divinity (cf. Jn 20:28).

* [1:50] Possibly a statement: “You [singular] believe because I saw you under the fig tree.”

* [1:51] The double “Amen” is characteristic of John. You is plural in Greek. The allusion is to Jacob’s ladder (Gn 28:12). (John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Mike Cherney comments that in Catholic tradition, the angels who remained faithful to God chose Him freely. Their example reminds me that faith is not merely accepting a list of beliefs. It is a continual choice to trust God.

Ultimately, this feast reminds me that creation is larger and more mysterious than I often allow myself to remember. I am a scientist who is brought to a new humility: I do not have to understand everything to believe that God is at work. In a world that often tells me to trust only what I can see, I am called to look beyond the visible. That is the focus of my prayer today.

Dear Lord, Help me to grow in Your trust. 

Open my heart to Your presence. 

May this feast day remind me to look beyond the visible. 

May it guide me on the path that brings me closer to You. 

May it help transform me into an agent of Your kingdom.

Amen. (Cherney, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of Angels,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"Do you see how he [Jesus] leads him [Nathanael] up little by little from the earth and causes him no longer to imagine him as merely a man? For one to whom angels minister and on whom angels ascend and descend, how could he be a man? This is why he said, 'You shall see greater things than these.' And to prove this, he introduces the ministry of angels. What he means is something like this: Does this, O Nathanael, seem to you a great matter, and have you for this confessed me to be King of Israel? What then will you say when you see 'angels ascending and descending on me'? He persuades him by these words to receive him as Lord also of the angels. For on him as on the king's own son, the royal ministers ascended and descended, once at the season of the crucifixion, again at the time of the resurrection and the ascension, and before this also, when they 'came and ministered to him' (Matthew 4:11). They also ascended and descended when they proclaimed the good news of his birth and cried, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace' (Luke 2:14), when they came to Mary and also when they came to Joseph... Our Lord made the present a proof of the future. After the powers he had already shown, Nathanael would readily believe that much more would follow." (excerpt from the Homilies On the Gospel of John 21.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winker comments on the texts for today. In Daniel 7, the “Ancient of Days” is an image of God in all his glory. Daniel calls for a “Son of Man”, probably referring to the People of Israel. They will win in the end if they hold on to God. Satan is defeated by the Archangel Michael and his angels. Michael battles in heaven and defeats the “evil one”. The “accuser of our brothers” at the last judgment refers to when the “strict justice” of Satan meets the Compassion of God. Jabob, one of the sons of Isaac, is “the deceiver" until he wrestled with God and became Israel. Jesus saw Nathanel under a fig tree where he was wrestling with God and striving to know who God is. Jesus declares “you will see greater things “ than Jacob at Bethel where he dreamed the ladder to heaven. Friar Jude comments that Nathaniel came to meet God and know Him.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:47-51 comments that for a well-known angelic messenger, Gabriel’s name means “God is my strength.” He appeared to Zechariah and Mary to foretell the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. He testified to God’s coming in the flesh when he said, “The Lord is with you” and to the strength that God offers to his people when he said, “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:28, 13). Gabriel reminds us that God is present and at work. He can help us lift our eyes to our God who is with us and who will build up strength within us (Psalm 138:3).

Raphael’s name means “God is a healer.” Raphael brought hope to blind Tobit when he proclaimed, “Take courage! God’s healing is near!” (Tobit 5:10). He guided Tobit’s son, Tobias, on his journey; delivered Tobias’ wife, Sarah, from a demon; and restored Tobit’s sight (6:4-9; 8:2-9; 11:7-15). Raphael shows us that God hears our prayers for healing and wholeness.

So remember the archangels and their messages! Trust that through them, God fights for you, he strengthens you, and he offers you healing. The angels will bring you grace from heaven today, where they are “ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51).

“Thank you, Lord, for caring for me through your angels!” (Meditation on John 1:47-51, 2026)

Father Richard Rohr introduces author Gina Loehr who describes how God’s love empowered Thérèse of Lisieux to embrace the fullness of her own humanity and that of others.

For Thérèse, love of God and love of the other is of one piece. Thérèse came to an important realization when reflecting on First Corinthians 13, which explains that all the greatest gifts are nothing without love.

 

From her youth Thérèse loved Jesus with her whole heart, and she never regretted it. In addition to bringing her personal consolation, this love helped her grow in her relationships with others. She understood that when we give ourselves to God, our hearts don’t lose their natural tenderness, rather that tenderness increases as our hearts become purer and more divine. Thérèse wrote, “In loving Him the heart expands and can give to those who are dear to it incomparably more tenderness than if it had concentrated upon one egotistical and unfruitful love.” [3]

Loving God enriches not only our experience of human love but also our experience of life. Thérèse was able to see the gifts of her Beloved surrounding her. She was passionately engaged in life. She loved to explore nature and absorb the beauties of creation…. The love overflowing from her heart spilled out in her many poems and plays. Her love for God energized her daily life. She lived as a woman in love: joyful, enthusiastic, smiling. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to guide our understanding of spiritual reality beyond what we can perceive with our five human senses that is realized in our mystical connection to the Divine.

References

Cherney, M. (2026, September 29). Daily Reflection September 29, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-29-2026 

Daniel, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/7?9 

John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?47 

Meditation on John 1:47-51. (2026, September 29). The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/29/1680103/ 

Psalms, PSALM 138 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138?1 

Revelation, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/12? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Empowered by Love. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/empowered-by-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Will See the Angels of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/