Confident Persistent Humble

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to adopt an attitude in our relationship to God that maintains our faith in seeking and receiving the most loving response to our needs.

Persist for Our Needs

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah presents the people’s return from captivity as a second exodus

* [31:2–3] Jeremiah describes the exiles of the Northern Kingdom on their way home from the nations where the Assyrians had resettled them (722/721 B.C.). The favor they discover in the wilderness is the appearance of the Lord (v. 3) coming to guide them to Jerusalem. Implicit in these verses is the presentation of the people’s return from captivity as a second exodus, a unifying theme in Second Isaiah (chaps. 40–55). (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response is also from Jeremiah 31.

h. [31:11] Is 44:23; 48:20.

i. [31:12] Is 58:11. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus heals in response to The Canaanite Woman’s Faith.

* [15:21–28] See note on Mt 8:5–13.

* [15:24] See note on Mt 10:5–6.

* [15:26] The children: the people of Israel. Dogs: see note on Mt 7:6.

* [15:28] As in the case of the cure of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:10), Matthew ascribes Jesus’ granting the request to the woman’s great faith, a point not made equally explicit in the Marcan parallel (Mk 7:24–30). (Matthew, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Mother of the Gentiles,” by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century).

"After our Lord departed from the Jews, he came into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. He left the Jews behind and came to the Gentiles. Those whom he had left behind remained in ruin; those to whom he came obtained salvation in their alienation. And a woman came out of that territory and cried, saying to him, 'Have pity on me, O Lord, Son of David!' O great mystery! The Lord came out from the Jews, and the woman came out from her Gentile territory. He left the Jews behind, and the woman left behind idolatry and an impious lifestyle. What they had lost, she found. The one whom they had denied in the law, she professed through her faith. This woman is the mother of the Gentiles, and she knew Christ through faith. Thus on behalf of her daughter (the Gentile people) she entreated the Lord. The daughter had been led astray by idolatry and sin and was severely possessed by a demon." (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 58) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler shares that the Prophet Jeremiah presents passages that are mostly a condemnation of the ways of the people of Judah. Today the theme is the opposite: God will restore the people even on the mountains of the North. This is during the Babylonial Exile and the northern region has been separated for centuries. The response of God is not vindictiveness not forgetting evil but inviting them to live in His love. A Canaanite woman petitions Jesus to heal her daughter. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has primarily come for the lost sheep of Israel even as Jesus hints of reaching out to the Gentiles. She is clever in her response to Him after comparing her to the dogs and her cleverness moved Jesus to recognize her faith. Friar Jude recommends insistence when we pray to push and be clever to receive what we truly need.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 15:21-28 challenges us to assume that Jesus was testing this woman. How did she respond? And what can we learn from her?

Seeing this woman’s humility, persistence, and confidence, Jesus replied, “Great is your faith!” and healed her daughter on the spot (Matthew 15:28).

If you ever feel God is testing you, take this Canaanite woman as your model. Persist in your prayers. Hold onto your confidence in Jesus’ love. And remain humble and open to whatever answer you receive. Jesus knows exactly what you need.

“Lord, help me to place all my trust in you!” (Meditation on Matthew 15:21-28, n.d.)

The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major is commemorated today.

Basilica of Saint Mary Major

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces one question which really matters: why do bad things happen to good people?

Rabbi Harold Kushner, through his classic exploration of the book of Job, (1935–2023) questions the common belief that God is all-powerful. Kushner describes the divine intimacy we can experience when we are released from the belief that God is responsible for our suffering:

We will be able to turn to God for things He can do to help us, instead of holding on to unrealistic expectations of Him which will never come about….

We can maintain our own self-respect and sense of goodness without having to feel that God has judged us and condemned us. We can be angry at what has happened to us, without feeling that we are angry at God. More than that, we can recognize our anger at life’s unfairness, our instinctive compassion at seeing people suffer, as coming from God who teaches us to be angry at injustice and to feel compassion for the afflicted. Instead of feeling that we are opposed to God, we can feel that our indignation is God’s anger at unfairness working through us, that when we cry out, we are still on God’s side, and He is still on ours.

Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Schocken Books, 1981), (Rohr, 2025)

We celebrate the love and compassion of Christ and the truth that God offers care to all humanity as we persist in our petitions and desires to be spiritually open to the understanding that God is inviting us to Fullness of Life.

References

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/31?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/15?21 

Meditation on Matthew 15:21-28. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved Aug 5, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/05/1639922/ 

Rohr, R. (2025, September 11). Is God All Powerful? Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/is-god-all-powerful/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Great Is Your Faith! Be It Done for You as You Desire. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Satisfaction and Rejoicing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to respond to the prompting of the Spirit that confirms the Presence of God in our daily lives.

The Path of Presence

In the reading from the Book of Job, he Is Humbled and Satisfied.

* [42:2–4] In his final speech, Job quotes God’s own words (see 38:2–3; 40:7).

* [42:5] In 19:25–27 Job had affirmed a hope to “see” (three times) his vindicator. Now he has seen the Lord about whom he had heard so much.

* [42:6] A difficult verse. Some doubt, in view of God’s commendation in v. 7, that Job does in fact express repentance, and alternative translations are often given. Along with v. 5, it describes a change in Job, which the encounter with the Lord has brought about. Dust and ashes: an ambiguous phrase. It can refer to the human condition (cf. Gn 18:27; Jb 30:19) or to Job’s ash heap (2:8).

 [42:14] Job’s daughters had names symbolic of their charms: Jemimah, dove; Keziah, precious perfume (cf. Ps 45:9); Keren-happuch, cosmetic jar—more precisely, a container for a black powder used like modern mascara.

* [42:15] Ordinarily daughters did not inherit property unless there were no sons; cf. Nm 27:1–11. (Job, CHAPTER 42 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 119 praises the Glories of God’s Law.

* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Rejoices after the Return of the Seventy. 

* [10:18] I have observed Satan fall like lightning: the effect of the mission of the seventy-two is characterized by the Lucan Jesus as a symbolic fall of Satan. As the kingdom of God is gradually being established, evil in all its forms is being defeated; the dominion of Satan over humanity is at an end.

* [10:21] Revealed them to the childlike: a restatement of the theme announced in Lk 8:10: the mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to the disciples. See also note on Mt 11:25–27. (Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Edward Morse comments that today’s gospel provides words of judgment and justice yet to come, words of correction aimed at those who have hardened their hearts despite witnesses from wondrous events.

Attitudes that are rightly ordered provide guidance on our journey, helping us to rise above challenges by disposing us to receive information we need from the world around us and guidance from the unseen work of the Spirit.  We sometimes fail to embrace humility, wonder, and gratitude, which are so important to keep our hearts and minds open to the light.  But God’s invitation remains open to us.  Today, let us pause to listen, reflect, and go forth in wonder.  “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.  Alleluia, alleluia.” (Morse, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “The power of the Kingdom of God,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"He also gave the holy apostles power and might even to raise the dead, cleanse lepers, heal the sick, and by the laying on of hands to call down from heaven the Holy Spirit on anyone they wanted. He gave them power to bind and to loose people's sins. His words are 'I say to you, whatever you will bind on earth, will be bound in heaven (Matthew 18:18). Whatever you will loose on earth, will be loosed in heaven.' These are the things we see ourselves possessing. Blessed are our eyes and the eyes of those of all who love him. We have heard his wonderful teaching. He has given us the knowledge of God the Father, and he has shown him to us in his own nature. The things that were by Moses were only types and symbols. Christ has revealed the truth to us. He has taught us that not by blood and smoke, but rather by spiritual sacrifices, we must honor him who is spiritual, immaterial and above all understanding."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 67) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17 comments that, in a sense, Job is every one of us. We think we know, but life teaches us that we don’t. We think we can predict God’s actions, but time shows that we can’t. And it’s not because we aren’t holy enough. Even the great St. Paul, who saw the Lord in visions and heard his voice directly, confessed that we could only “see indistinctly, as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

It’s okay not to have all the answers—or any answer, for that matter. What matters is not how much you know but how much you trust your heavenly Father. He is the all-knowing God who holds you in the palm of his hand. He is the all-loving God who sent his Son to redeem you. Of course he will care for you! Even when you can’t see him or feel him or grasp his ways, he is right by your side, holding you in his love.

“Lord, help me to trust in you!” (Meditation on Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the transformation of Job to surrender as he realizes that God is beyond his understanding. The very material ending of the Book of Job suggests some different explanations. Friar Jude notes that Jesus praises God for the willingness of the disciples to take a risk to realize their gifts from God.

The reflection of Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, was not available at publication time.

We experience the Presence of God in our encounters with Love, Truth, Goodness and Nature and we rejoice as we live our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Job, CHAPTER 42 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/42?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?17 

Meditation on Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/05/1097326/ 

Morse, E. (2024, October 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/100524.html 

Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119? 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct5 

Reality and Repentance

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, challenge us to openness to the prompting of the Spirit that invites us to a deeper relationship with Christ and the people and places we encounter on our journey.

Reflection on our Way

In the reading from the Book of Job, The Lord Answers Job

* [38:1] Now the Lord enters the debate and addresses two discourses (chaps. 38–39 and 40–41) to Job, speaking of divine wisdom and power. Such things are altogether beyond the capacity of Job. Out of the storm: frequently the background of the appearances of the Lord in the Old Testament; cf. Ps 18; 50; Na 1:3; Hb 3:2–15.

* [38:3] Gird up your loins: prepare for combat—figuratively, be ready to defend yourself in debate.

* [38:7] Sons of God: see note on 1:6.

* [38:21] Ironic, but not a harsh rebuke. (Job, CHAPTER 38 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [40:4–5] Job’s first reaction is humble, but also seemingly cautious. (Job, CHAPTER 40 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 139 praises the Inescapable God

* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder. There is only one place hostile to God’s rule—wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from their company (Ps 139:19–24). (Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus expresses woes to Unrepentant Cities.

* [10:13–16] The call to repentance that is a part of the proclamation of the kingdom brings with it a severe judgment for those who hear it and reject it.

* [10:15] The netherworld: the underworld, the place of the dead (Acts 2:27, 31) here contrasted with heaven; see also note on Mt 11:23. (Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that Jesus sends them and us to speak about is not personal reconstruction so we can feel better about ourselves as we advance. Fr Gillick worries that writers and preachers and those who hear and read the Gospels are tempted to promote “personal behavior” adjustments and so read and listen to the Good News as instructive and indicting about our personal and daily activities. Well that can sound pretty good, Jesus came as a Behaviorist, change your actions and you’ll look a lot like Jesus. That can sound pretty good too.

As a young Jesuit I worked a long time on just such a plan and it depressed me, because it was all about my getting better in my own eyes, my own sense which I then projected onto Jesus. Now I had Jesus over there pointing out my faults and misbehaviors and I assumed He was as disappointed in me as I was about the same “poor me”. I called that, Ignatian Dis-spiritualization. It was and I did never improve by trying to improve. What changed? Jesus’ finger changed from pointing to inviting, “And that has made all the difference.”

I am almost at the end, hang on!  Jesus is sending these men whom we assume have not perfectly self-improved, to live and speak the words of comfort of the loving-creative God Who has sent this comfort into the world in the human flesh of Jesus, Who invites rather than indicts. In short, we change our behaviors from within! The Word is a seed that grows in time and inside and does not constantly self-examines to see if the growth is enough.

The great works of Francis and so many others flow outwards from our spirits, and those outwirdlies are more personal inviting than condemning words of logic and force. (Gillick, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ speaks through the disciples,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Christ gives those who love instruction the assurance that whatever is said concerning him by the holy apostles or evangelists is to be received necessarily without any doubt and to be crowned with the words of truth. He who hears them, hears Christ. For the blessed Paul also said, 'You desire proof that Christ is speaking in me' (2 Corinthians 13:3). Christ himself somewhere also said to the holy disciples, 'For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you' (Matthew 10:20). Christ speaks in them by the consubstantial Spirit. If it is true, and plainly it is, that they speak by Christ, how can they err? He affirms that he who does not hear them, does not hear Christ, and that he who rejects them rejects Christ, and with him the Father."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 63) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 10:13-16 comments that Jesus wanted the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum to experience God’s goodness and mercy. He invited them to repent so that they could be relieved of their guilt and rediscover the beauty that lay within them. Every one of the miracles he performed in their midst was meant as a sign of the new life he was offering them. If only they would repent and receive that new life!

Your heavenly Father is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness (Psalm 103:8). Jesus has come to save, not to condemn (John 3:17). Take these truths with you the next time you celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And watch to see how your inner beauty shines forth!

“Thank you, Lord, for your love! Teach me the joy and freedom of repentance.” (Meditation on Luke 10:13-16, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the passage in the Book of Job where God comes to question Job after he has been challenged by his friends and invites surrender to the One who has arranged the universe. The villages near Capernaum allowed familiarity with Jesus to create an attitude of “What have you done for me lately?” Friar Jude reminds us that Luke aimed his teaching at Gentiles to extend the Promise beyond the limits of Israel.

Dan Horan reflects on how the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi resonates with his decision, after a substantial period of prayerful discernment, that he is no longer called to remain a friar minor. He shares this news publicly, with the support of his religious superiors, on an important and symbolically significant day for the Franciscan family.

Throughout this journey I have been renewed in my Catholic faith and love of the church. My departure from religious life and retirement from sacramental ministry is in no way a sign of a lack of faith or belief. Instead, it is an affirmation of the dynamic and often surprising direction of the Holy Spirit, whom the psalmist describes as the one sent to "renew the face of the earth" (Psalms 104:30). I feel renewed in my baptismal calling as part of the Body of Christ, willing to serve the church and world in new ways. My state of life, as the church often refers to it, may have changed, but my faith in God has not. (Horan, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, names the passing on of love as the great gift of Francis of Assisi. Contemplative minds and hearts such as those of Francis and Clare are alone prepared to hand on the Great Mystery from age to age and from person to person. The utilitarian and calculating mind distorts the message at its core. The contemplative, nondual mind inherently creates a great “communion of saints,” which is so obviously scattered, hidden, and amorphous that no one can say, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” but instead it is always “among you” (Luke 17:21)—invisible and uninteresting to most, but obvious and ecstatic to those who seek (see Matthew 22:14).

From the Trinity to Jesus, the energetic movement of receiving and giving Love begins. Then, from Jesus to many—Francis and Clare, Bonaventure and Scotus, Thérèse of Lisieux, Teilhard de Chardin, Mother Teresa, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Pope Francis, and now we ourselves—we are all part of this one great parade, “partners in God’s triumphal procession,” as Paul calls it, “spreading the knowledge of God like a sweet smell everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14), much more a transmission of authentic life and love than of mere ideas or doctrines.  

It is remarkable to know that findings about mirror neurons almost prove that this energetic movement is the case, even physiologically and interpersonally. [1] It is not just pious poetry. If we have never received a gaze of love, we do not even have the neural ability to hand it on. We cannot really imagine love, much less pass it on, until we have accepted that someone—God, another person, or even an animal—could fully accept us as we are. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the power of Love to reveal truth, beauty, and goodness and to shape our actions as disciples of Christ.

References

Gillick, L. (2024, October 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/100424.html 

Horan, D. (n.d.). Always a Franciscan in spirit, but no longer a friar. National Catholic Reporter | The Independent News Source. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/always-franciscan-spirit-no-longer-friar 

Job, CHAPTER 38 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/38 

Job, CHAPTER 40 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/40 

Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?13 

Meditation on Luke 10:13-16. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/04/1096816/ 

Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Contemplation and Love. Richard Rohr. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplation-and-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). He Who Hears You Hears Me. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct4