The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the apprehension we experience in our society today about the waning importance of justice in decisions made by authorities to act against those who are not for them.
The Reading from the Prophet Joel urges Jerusalem to proclaim a fast as the Day approaches.
* [1:13] Judah’s situation is so grave and the day of the Lord so imminent that priests must lament day and night if they hope to reverse the divine punishment.
* [1:15] As in Am 5:18–20, the day of the Lord in Joel’s first speech brings punishment, not victory, for Judah. In his second speech, this event means victory for those faithful to the Lord and death for the nations who are the Lord’s enemies. Almighty: Hebrew shaddai. There is wordplay between shod (“destruction”) and shaddai. (Joel, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
* [2:1–11] Joel warns the people about the destruction he sees galloping toward Jerusalem. He combines the imagery of the locust invasion (chap. 1) with language from the holy war tradition in order to describe the Lord leading a heavenly army against the enemy, in this case, Jerusalem.
* [2:2] Like dawn: from the east comes dark destruction rather than a new day’s light. (Joel, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)
Psalm 9 states loosely connected themes including rescue from enemies.
* [Psalms 9–10] Ps 9 and Ps 10 in the Hebrew text have been transmitted as separate poems but they actually form a single acrostic poem and are so transmitted in the Greek and Latin tradition. Each verse of the two Psalms begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet (though several letters have no corresponding stanza). The Psalm states loosely connected themes: the rescue of the helpless poor from their enemies, God’s worldwide judgment and rule over the nations, the psalmist’s own concern for rescue (Ps 9:14–15). (Psalms, PSALM 9, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke describes Jesus and Beelzebul and the Return of the Unclean Spirit.
* [11:19] Your own people: the Greek reads “your sons.” Other Jewish exorcists (see Acts 19:13–20), who recognize that the power of God is active in the exorcism, would themselves convict the accusers of Jesus. See also note on Mt 12:27.
* [11:22] One stronger: i.e., Jesus. Cf. Lk 3:16 where John the Baptist identifies Jesus as “mightier than I.” (Luke, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Laura Roost reminds us of the visual from the 1973 Jesus Christ Superstar film, where Judas scatters the nearby sheep while running away from the last supper to betray Jesus. Before he runs off, though, he says something… “Every time I look at you, I don’t understand how you let the things you did get so out of hand. You’d have managed better if you’d had a plan”
While reflecting on this reading, I realize it is both as easy and as challenging as recognizing gathering and scattering, and discerning whether we are responding to God in love, or to our own plans or perspectives. We rarely see ourselves as the scatterer but rather the person building something. Reflecting on today’s question has left me to ask myself: when am I really discerning God’s gathering call? When am I really listening, watching, and discerning? Most importantly, when am I allowing myself to be gathered by God and to gather with God, instead of trying to gather God? (Roost, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus has conquered Satan,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).
"[Jesus] has conquered the ruler of this world. Having, so to speak, hamstrung him and stripped him of the power he possessed, he has given him over for a prey to his followers. He says, 'The strong man, being armed, guards his house; all his goods are in peace. But when one who is stronger than he shall come on him and overcome him, he takes away all his armor wherein he trusted and divides his spoil.' This is a plain demonstration and type of the matter depicted after the manner of human affairs... Before the coming of the Savior, he was in great power, driving and shutting up in his own stall flocks that were not his own but belonging to God over all. He was like some voracious and most insolent robber. Since the Word of God who is above all, the Giver of all might and Lord of powers attacked him, having become man, all his goods have been plundered and his spoil divided. Those of old who had been ensnared by him into ungodliness and error have been called by the holy apostles to the acknowledgment of the truth and been brought near to God the Father by faith in his Son."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 81) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 comments that the damage caused by sin is still plain to see, both in the world and within our own hearts. But it doesn’t have to remain. In his mercy, Jesus continues to offer forgiveness and healing to everyone who turns to him. He continues to offer the fruit of his Spirit: love and joy and peace, flowing more abundantly than the grain, the wine, and the oil that Joel promised.
Even now, today and every day, Jesus is reaching out his hand to save us. Even now, today and every day, he calls us to turn back to him. Let’s grasp his hand and welcome his mercy.
“Jesus, thank you for rescuing me from the power of sin!” (Meditation on Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the reading from Joel calls for penitential actions as disaster is approaching. Joel declares any sinner who opposed God would be punished. The apocalyptic ending of the world from these texts is frequently cited today. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of using Beelzebul to drive out demons. Driving out demons by demonic force does not make sense. Anyone not with us is against us is the opposite of what is in other texts. Friar Jude suggests that this is because the truth is in the middle and we are advised to clean up our act or there will be danger in the future. Confession is the opportunity to sincerely promise to avoid bad acts in the future.
Fr. Mike Schmitz clarifies the meaning behind Mattathias' zealous attack against the Greeks and his fellow Jews who were not obeying God's laws. From our reading of Sirach, Fr. Mike reminds us to remember the needs of the poor, and to be careful when forming friendships. Today's readings are 1 Maccabees 2, Sirach 4-6, and Proverbs 22:1-4.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Randy and Edith Woodley who co-founded the Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm and Seeds. They explore Indigenous values in relation to materialism and life balance.
“More was everything”: what an apt description of the culture that surrounds us. And “sufficient was enough” gives us a window into Indigenous perspectives on consumption. The Cherokee concept of redistribution of wealth was at direct odds with the individualism of settlers. Until the nineteenth century, the Cherokees were able to retain their communal values. Remember: this was even after removal from their homelands. For a people to hold on to cultural values during times of extreme oppression, including forced relocation, is remarkable.
After touring Indian Territory in 1887, Senator Henry Dawes described the Cherokees in this way:
The head chief told us that there was not a family in the whole nation that had not a home of its own. There is not a pauper in that nation, and the nation does not owe a dollar. It built its own capitol … and built its schools and hospitals. Yet the defect of the system was apparent. They have got as far as they can go, because they hold their land in common…. There is no selfishness, which is at the bottom of civilization. Till these people will consent to give up their lands, and divide them among their citizens so that each can own the land he cultivates, they will not make much progress. [2]
“Progress,” according to Senator Dawes, meant individualism, materialism, and even selfishness. None of these ideals are Cherokee values, nor do they represent the values of other Native Americans…. (Rohr, n.d.)
We implore the Spirit as we wrestle with the contradiction of driving out evil by an evil source, a plan that many have accepted in our society, even as we seem to have allowed the Judgement and Justice of God to be overruled.
References
Joel, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joel/1?13
Joel, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joel/2
Luke, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?15
Meditation on Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/10/1404584/
Psalms, PSALM 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/9?2
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Work Hard, Rest Well. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/work-hard-rest-well/
Roost, L. (2025, October 10). Daily Reflection October 10, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-10-2025
Schwager, D. (n.d.). If It Is by the Finger of God. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved October 10, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
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