The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be people who demonstrate the words we proclaim through the actions in which we are involved.
The Reading from the Prophet Joel presents The Lord’s Case Against the Nations.
* [4:2] Valley of Jehoshaphat: one of the symbolic names of the place of punishment for Judah’s enemies; the other is “Valley of Decision” (v. 14). The name Jehoshaphat means “the Lord judges.” If the popular identification of this place as the Kidron Valley is accurate, Joel may imagine the Lord seated above the valley on Mount Zion directing his troops in the destruction of nations in the valley below.
* [4:4–8] This prose material may be a later addition to the book. It illustrates a common biblical theme (cf. Ps 7:16; 9:16; 35:8; 37:14–15; 57:7), having one’s evil deed (selling Judahites into slavery) turned into one’s own punishment (being sold into slavery by the Judahites).
* [4:8] Sabeans: traders from the southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula, present-day Yemen (cf. 1 Kgs 10:1–2; Ps 72:10; Jer 6:20).
* [4:10] The Lord directs the troops to forge military weapons out of the agricultural tools necessary for life during peacetime. In Is 2:4 and Mi 4:3, both in contexts presuming the defeat of Israel’s enemies, this imagery is reversed.
* [4:13] Their crimes are numerous: the nations are ripe for punishment. Joel uses the vocabulary of the autumn grape harvest to describe the assault of the Lord’s army against these nations. In Is 63:1–6, grape harvest imagery also controls the description of the Lord’s return from Edom with blood-spattered clothing after having trod his enemies into the ground as if they were grapes (cf. Jer 25:30).
* [4:17] Then you will know: this verse further develops the motif of knowledge introduced in 2:27. The Judahites will learn that the Lord is present in their economic prosperity and political autonomy, even though they did not associate God’s presence with their crop failure.
* [4:18] Images of agricultural abundance illustrate the harmony and order Joel expects the Lord to establish in Judah; like 2:18–27, this section reverses the deprivation and drought of chap. 1. A spring…house of the LORD: streams of water flowing from the Temple of an ideal Jerusalem also appear in Ez 47:1. The Valley of Shittim: or “the ravine of the acacia trees”; while there is a Shittim east of the Jordan, the reference here is probably to that rocky part of the Kidron Valley southeast of Jerusalem, an arid region where acacia trees flourished. (Joel, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)
Psalm 97 rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers.
* [Psalm 97] The hymn begins with God appearing in a storm, a traditional picture of some ancient Near Eastern gods (Ps 97:1–6); cf. Ps 18:8–16; Mi 1:3–4; Heb 3:3–15. Israel rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers and their gods (Ps 97:7–9) and the rewarding of the faithful righteous (Ps 97:10–12). (Psalms, PSALM 97, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exhorts us to True Blessedness
* [11:27–28] The beatitude in Lk 11:28 should not be interpreted as a rebuke of the mother of Jesus; see note on Lk 8:21. Rather, it emphasizes (like Lk 2:35) that attentiveness to God’s word is more important than biological relationship to Jesus. (Luke, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Margo Minnich comments that we hear Jesus say, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” These words focus the listener on the deep reality of discipleship. Intimacy with God is not about proximity to Him, but about participation in His work. This is a personal call to be not just a listener but a doer of the Word.
We can connect these seemingly disparate readings by considering how our lives dedicated to the Word of God allow us to dwell in His refuge. God’s protection comes in our relationship sustained by faith and fidelity to God’s teachings. Saint Ignatius reminds us that love is shown more in our actions than in words.
To “observe” God’s word is to let it challenge us to act in ways that preference God’s glory over our own comfort, and to align our daily actions with His teaching. Today’s readings present God as both our refuge and our mission.
We can begin our prayer today in gratitude, recalling a time when God has been a refuge to us personally. We can then listen for Jesus’ invitation to live his word by asking ourselves, “Where is God calling me to act today? How can I serve as His refuge for others today?” (Minnich, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Blessings for hearing and keeping the Word,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you,' he replied, 'Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.' Finally, for his brothers, his relatives according to the flesh who did not believe in him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good unless she had borne Christ more happily in her heart than in her flesh." (excerpt from HOLY VIRGINITY 3.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:27-28 invites us to join the company of saints and angels in heaven every time you say no to temptation and yes to Jesus. Francis of Assisi, Thérèse of Lisieux, Augustine, Mother Teresa, and all the rest rejoice. So does Mary, our mother!
But what’s even more amazing is that your yes to God, offered with faith and acceptance, is no less valuable in God’s eyes than the yes offered by every saint. It’s no less valuable than Mary’s own yes to the angel. That’s how much he loves you.
“Lord, help me to stay focused on listening to your word and keeping it with all my heart!” (Meditation on Luke 11:27-28, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the reading from Joel about the Day of the Lord that declares people will receive what they deserve. God will take care of Zion while the enemies are punished. The remnant of the exile will live in God’s peace. Blessed womb and breast and blessed are those who hear the Word and obey it. In Luke, Mary, the perfect disciple, is one who did hear the Word and obeyed it through her trust in God’s promise. Friar Jude notes that when we live as Catholics we commit ourselves to trust in God in the events of our lives.
Fr. Mike Schmitz points out how advice from books like Proverbs and Sirach may not apply perfectly to every situation, but are meant to help guide us towards wisdom. He also highlights a piece from Sirach that encourages us to avoid "deserted places"—calling us not only to stay away from sin, but to stay away from what leads us to sin. The readings are 1 Maccabees 3, Sirach 7-9, and Proverbs 22:5-8.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, who critiques the “grind culture” engendered by capitalism and reminds us of our divine right to rest in body and mind.
Our bodies and Spirits do not belong to capitalism, no matter how it is theorized and presented. Our divinity secures this, and it is our right to claim this boldly. I’m not grinding ever. I trust the Creator and my Ancestors to always make space for my gifts and talents without needing to work myself into exhaustion…. [1]
Rest is as natural as breathing and waking up. Rest is part of our nature. Resting is about getting people back to their truest selves. To what they were before capitalism robbed you of your ability to just be. Rest is anything that slows you down enough to allow your body and mind to connect in the deepest way. We must be focused on knowing that our bodies and our worth are not connected to how many things we can check off a list. You can begin to create a “Not-To-Do-List” as you gain the energy to maintain healthy boundaries. Our opportunity to rest and reimagine rest is endless. There is always time to rest when we reimagine. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)
We seek the Spirit to inspire our action to transform the Good News we hear into love, compassion and care for people and the environment.
References
Joel, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joel/4?12
Luke, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?27
Meditation on Luke 11:27-28. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/11/1405165/
Minnich, M. (2025, October 11). Daily Reflection October 11, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-11-2025
Psalms, PSALM 97. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/97?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/from-accumulation-to-abundance-weekly-summary/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Hear the Word of God and Keep It. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
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