Suffering and Justice

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate extremes in human experience, poverty and plenty, and the least and the greatest.

Love the Least with Justice

The Reading from the Book of Job presents an interview between the Lord and “the Satan”, the First Trial, and Job’s Reaction.

* [1:6] Sons of God: members of the divine council; see Gn 6:1–4; Dt 32:8; Ps 82:1. The satan: lit., “adversary” (as in 1 Kgs 11:14). Here a member of the heavenly court, “the accuser” (Zec 3:1). In later biblical traditions this character will be developed as the devil (Gk. diabolos, “adversary”).

* [1:15] Sabeans: from southern Arabia.

* [1:17] Chaldeans: from southern Mesopotamia; in the mid-first millennium B.C., synonymous with “Babylonians.”

* [1:21] Go back there: to the earth; cf. Gn 2:7; see note on Sir 40:1.

a. [1:1] Jb 2:3.

b. [1:6–8] Jb 2:1–3.

c. [1:6] Gn 6:2, 4; Zec 3:1; Lk 22:31; Rev 12:9.

d. [1:7] 1 Pt 5:8.

e. [1:11] Jb 2:5.

f. [1:21] Eccl 5:14; 1 Tm 6:7.

g. [1:22] Jb 2:10; Jas 5:11. (Job, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 17 is a lament of an individual unjustly attacked.

* [Psalm 17] A lament of an individual unjustly attacked. Confident of being found innocent, the psalmist cries out for God’s just judgment (Ps 17:1–5) and requests divine help against enemies (Ps 17:6–9a). Those ravenous lions (Ps 17:9b–12) should be punished (Ps 17:13–14). The Psalm ends with a serene statement of praise (Ps 17:15). The Hebrew text of Ps 17:3–4, 14 is uncertain. (Psalms, PSALM 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims the Greatest in the Kingdom and recognizes another exorcist.

* [9:46–50] These two incidents focus on attitudes that are opposed to Christian discipleship: rivalry and intolerance of outsiders. (Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Sara Schulte-Bukowinski comments that faithful people have always struggled with questions of suffering, and that people of faith and goodwill come to different, sometimes contradictory, conclusions as we search to make sense of our experience.

Job, along with some other books and passages (notably the “suffering servant” theme in Isaiah), shows us a different take, one rooted in experiential wisdom: sometimes bad things happen to good people, and we don’t understand why. This is scary because it means no matter how righteous, holy, or good I am, I can’t insulate myself against suffering and loss. But the text reveals something else to temper this truth: God is with us (with me!) in all things.

The book of Job doesn’t explain or justify suffering, but the story does reveal something—we are not alone in it. The book ends with Job conversing with God. CONVERSING WITH GOD. In this astonishing encounter, Job accepts that there are things he cannot understand, and that God is with him even in the murkiness. This is resonant with my own prayer amid loss. I don’t hold God responsible for my losses, but I do surrender to a reality beyond my comprehension. No explanation or justification makes sense, but relationship does.

For me, this story of Job is tied closely to the paschal mystery. Like the voice of God in Job, Jesus does not explain or justify suffering (though he does challenge the idea that it is connected directly to sin). In a drastic upping of the stakes, God incarnate climbs right into it with us. He doesn’t redeem suffering and death, but he redeems us in the midst of it. I don’t have to understand; I just have to know, in the face of mystery, that I’m not alone. (Schulte-Bukowinski, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes Jesus, the Physician of souls, amputates vainglory, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"The passion and lust of pride attacked some of the holy apostles. The mere argument about who of them was the greatest is the mark of an ambitious person, eager to stand at the head of the rest. Christ, who did not sleep, knows how to deliver. He saw this thought in the disciple's mind, springing up, in the words of Scripture (Hebrews 12:15), like some bitter plant. He saw the weeds, the work of the wicked sower. Before it grew up tall, struck its root down deep, grew strong, and took possession of the heart, he tears up the evil by the very root...

"In what way does the Physician of souls amputate pride’s passion? How does he deliver the beloved disciple from being the prey of the enemy and from a thing hateful to God and man? "He took a child," it says, "and set it by him." He made the event a means of benefiting both the holy apostles themselves and us their successors. This illness, as a rule, preys upon all those who are in any respect superior to other people".(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 54.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winker comments on the texts for today. In the Book of Job a good man suffers and we ask: “Why does God allow it?” Job is challenged by Satan as if Satan was an attorney who as a servant of God is assessing Job’s motives. This idea of legal challenge is continued in the Book of Revelation where Satan is the accuser of our brothers. God responds “I know, but I forgive”, even in the face of strict justice. Job accepts his fate. Friar Jude comments that in 2 of 38 chapters in the Book of Job he is patient and long suffering and in the remaining chapters he is challenging God. This plea is to help understand suffering that we feel is unfair. This is almost always a universal experience. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reminds us that to receive a child is to receive Him. Children can’t pay us back. We serve for the joy of serving. We give to those most in need like Mother Theresa in Calcutta but the apostles see the power being with Jesus, but anyone doing good is to be celebrated. When we declare the motive for generosity as “Only to be seen”, Friar Jude asks “Who are we to criticize?” Celebrate the good they are doing and learn from them. We celebrate the good and kind things our children and grandchildren do and hope to make this behaviour part of their life.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:46-50 comments that the apostles in the Gospel are searching for a kind of worldly greatness similar to what Job had before his trials. They weren’t searching for a comfortable life with lots of land and abundant resources, but they wanted the kind of prestige that Job enjoyed. And knowing how human prestige works, they knew that they had to compete against each other for it. There could be only one winner—and eleven losers.

To be fair, the apostles followed Jesus for more than just attention. They loved him and were sincerely trying to live out his teachings. But they still didn’t grasp one of his most important teachings. So Jesus had a child stand beside him while he said, “The one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest” (Luke 9:48). Greatness in the kingdom of God is not about the number of our possessions or our reputation. It’s about having the humility, detachment, and simplicity of a child. It’s about becoming like Jesus, whose greatest joy was to do his Father’s will.

Remember, God doesn’t judge you the same way the world does. His model for greatness is his Son, who didn’t grasp for greatness but who humbly gave up his life. May we all strive to become the “least”!

“Jesus, show me the way to a truly ‘great’ life!” (Meditation on Luke 9:46-50, 2026)

Father Richard Rohr introduces James Finley who describes how Thérèse of Lisieux embraced ordinariness, the beauty of the little flower, as a path to God.

Thérèse sees herself in some way as a little flower growing in God’s garden, which is why she’s sometimes called the Little Flower. She says that there is glory in the rose and the orchid and all of that, but imagine a field filled with wildflowers in the springtime—thousands and thousands of flowers, and that God knows the littleness of each one and is personally loving each one into existence. Furthermore, God knows what that little flower is and the intricacy of its design, like the subtle scent of the violet. God eternally knows the violet to be hidden with Christ in God forever, so God is eternally contemplating the little flower in God. God is completely presencing Godself in the little flower…

I think Thérèse lived in this kind of luminosity, this gentle glow. She was not an ecstatic mystic having visions, but it’s like the divinity of the simplicity of herself that she so graciously shares with us invites us into the graciousness of our own simplicity. Thérèse is stunning by the radicality of her simplicity, which brings us to the radicality and the divinity of our simplicity and how we are to live by it and to walk in it day by day. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We may think that our plea is to help understand suffering that we feel is unfair is being ignored even as we implore the Spirit for consolation in our struggle.

References

Job, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/1? 

Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?46 

Meditation on Luke 9:46-50. (2026, September 28). The Word Among Us. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/27/1678507/ 

Psalms, PSALM 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/17?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Beauty of a Little Flower. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-beauty-of-a-little-flower/ 

Schulte-Bukowinski, S. (2026, September 28). Daily Reflection September 28, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-28-2026 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Perceived the Thought of Their Hearts. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/? 

Help over Hypocrisy

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, invite us to contemplate the hypocrisy we may witness and counter it with a commitment to act with love and compassion in our journey.

Housing and Hypocrisy

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is a powerful indictment of religious hypocrisy.

* [1:10–17] A powerful indictment of the religious hypocrisy of rulers and others who neglect just judgment and oppress the weaker members, yet believe they can please God with sacrifices and other external forms of worship. The long list of observances suggests the Lord’s tedium with such attempts. Sodom…Gomorrah: the names are picked up from v. 9, but now to emphasize their wickedness rather than the good fortune of escaping total destruction.

* [1:15–16] Hands…blood: oppression of the poor is likened to violence that bloodies the hands, which explains why the hands spread out in prayer (v. 15) are not regarded by the Lord. This climax of the accusations is followed by positive admonitions for reversing the evil situation. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 50 proclaims the sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience.

* [Psalm 50] A covenant lawsuit stating that the sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience (cf. Mi 6:1–8). It begins with a theophany and the summoning of the court (Ps 50:1–6). Then in direct address God explains what is required of the faithful (Ps 50:7–15), rebukes the hypocritical worshiper (Ps 50:16–21), and concludes with a threat and a promise (Ps 50:22–23; cf. Is 1:19–20). (Psalm 50, PSALMS | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims Jesus as A Cause of Division and presents Conditions of Discipleship and Rewards.

* [10:38] The first mention of the cross in Matthew, explicitly that of the disciple, but implicitly that of Jesus (and follow after me). Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment used by the Romans for offenders who were not Roman citizens.

* [10:39] One who denies Jesus in order to save one’s earthly life will be condemned to everlasting destruction; loss of earthly life for Jesus’ sake will be rewarded by everlasting life in the kingdom.

* [10:40–42] All who receive the disciples of Jesus receive him, and God who sent him, and will be rewarded accordingly.

* [10:41] A prophet: one who speaks in the name of God; here, the Christian prophets who proclaim the gospel. Righteous man: since righteousness is demanded of all the disciples, it is difficult to take the righteous man of this verse and one of these little ones (Mt 10:42) as indicating different groups within the followers of Jesus. Probably all three designations are used here of Christian missionaries as such. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that justice, in Isaiah, is associated with learning to do good, setting right a wrong, and defending those without power. Yet, there are those who find passages in the Old Testament they cite to associate justice with violence and vengeance. Which approach glorifies God?

Beginning with Isaiah, God clearly calls us to do more than just recite statutes and profess the covenant. In the Psalm, God calls us to live our faith as praise to God. And living a life in the way of the Lord means living a life of receiving increasingly clear insights. It can also often mean living a life of persecution and conflict. But Jesus tells us that sacrificing our life for his sake will enable us to find it. To me, this means that following Jesus is the way to live a life in which justice is not only our aim, but also as a form of praise that glorifies God. Jesus shows us how to love each other, to defend the powerless, and to right wrongs without violence or revenge. My prayer today is that we will all make justice our aim as praise to God. I also pray we will open our hearts and minds to insights into how to bring about justice in God’s world. (Dilly, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “How peace requires a sword,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"What sort of peace is it that Jesus asks them to pronounce upon entering each house? And what kind of peace is it of which the angels sing, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace'? And if Jesus came not to bring peace, why did all the prophets publish peace as good news? Because this more than anything is peace: when the disease is removed. This is peace: when the cancer is cut away. Only with such radical surgery is it possible for heaven to be reunited to earth. Only in this way does the physician preserve the healthy tissue of the body. The incurable part must be amputated. Only in this way does the military commander preserve the peace: by cutting off those in rebellion. Thus it was also in the case of the tower of Babel, that their evil peace was ended by their good discord. Peace therefore was accomplished. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 35.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the passage from Isaiah, the prophet speaks and condemns them not for sacrifices but that in spite of sacrifice to God, they are exploiting the people around them. Our faith has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: love of God and love of our neighbour. We all called to defend the widow and protect the orphan as representatives of the most powerless in our society. Worship has to be balanced with care of those in need. Jesus speaks about persecution, even from our families. The division that Jesus brings is not a rational for violence but when we live in peace and kindness we will be ostracized. Even if we cannot personally evangelize, we can assist those who do. Friar Jude comments that we can proclaim the Kingdom in our support.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1 comments that relational difficulties, even the loss of relationships altogether, are among the troubles that most of us will likely encounter—or have already encountered—when we choose to pursue a life of discipleship.

So ask Jesus for the grace to share his love with the people in your life. He’ll help you to be patient and understanding. He’ll help you to be humble and kind in the midst of flawed relationships. And he’ll help you to have faith that he is powerful enough to work even when the conditions seem imperfect. Some of these relationships will still have cracks, but seeds of love may still fall into those cracks and take root. Take courage! His love has conquered the world!

“Lord, in a divided world, help me share your love and trust your power.” (Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, teaches that more than a description of something God does now and then, mercy is who God is.

According to Jesus, “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13; 12:7). The word mercy is hesed in Hebrew: “the steadfast, enduring love which is unbreakable.” Sometimes the word is translated as “lovingkindness” or “covenant love.” God has made a covenant with creation and will never break the divine side of the covenant. It’s only broken from our side. God’s love is steadfast. It is written in the divine image within us. We are the ones who instead clutch at our sins and punish ourselves instead of surrendering to the divine mercy. The refusal to be forgiven is a form of pride. It is saying, “I’m better than mercy. I’m only going to accept it when I’m worthy and can preserve my so-called self-esteem.” Only the humble person can live in and after mercy. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

Clarence Jordan (1912–1969), an activist for racial and economic justice, considers the economic outcome of being immersed in God’s mercy:

By “the merciful” he means those who have an attitude of such compassion toward all [people] that they want to share gladly all that they have with one another and with the world…. To them, [people] are no longer beggars to whom one gives a part, but brothers [and sisters] with whom one shares all. This concept of charity, or mercy, led some of the early Christians to a state of voluntary poverty in which “All the believers were together and held all things in common” (Acts 2:44). [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Wisdom and Consolation of the Spirit as we struggle with opposition to Jesus' Way that we may see as a selection of rules and restrictions that resonate with human objectives rather than the universal love of God.

References

Dilly, B. (2026, July 13). Daily Reflection July 13, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-13-2026 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/1? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10 

Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/13/1617025/ 

Psalm 50, PSALMS | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). God’s Mercy Endures Forever. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50?8 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Have Not Come to Bring Peace, but a Sword. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Justice and Mercy

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Divine Mercy Sunday, challenge us to seek justice in our environment through the “Divine Mercy” that is Love in opposition to cruelty. 

The Face of Mercy and Justice

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles presents Luke’s vision of Communal Life.

* [2:42–47] The first of three summary passages (along with Acts 4:32–37; 5:12–16) that outline, somewhat idyllically, the chief characteristics of the Jerusalem community: adherence to the teachings of the Twelve and the centering of its religious life in the eucharistic liturgy (Acts 2:42); a system of distribution of goods that led wealthier Christians to sell their possessions when the needs of the community’s poor required it (Acts 2:44 and the note on Acts 4:32–37); and continued attendance at the temple, since in this initial stage there was little or no thought of any dividing line between Christianity and Judaism (Acts 2:46). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 118 praises the cornerstone of Faith.

* [Psalm 118] A thanksgiving liturgy accompanying a procession of the king and the people into the Temple precincts. After an invocation in the form of a litany (Ps 118:1–4), the psalmist (very likely speaking in the name of the community) describes how the people confidently implored God’s help (Ps 118:5–9) when hostile peoples threatened its life (Ps 118:10–14); vividly God’s rescue is recounted (Ps 118:15–18). Then follows a possible dialogue at the Temple gates between the priests and the psalmist as the latter enters to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice (Ps 118:19–25). Finally, the priests impart their blessing (Ps 118:26–27), and the psalmist sings in gratitude (Ps 118:28–29).

* [118:22] The stone the builders rejected: a proverb: what is insignificant to human beings has become great through divine election. The “stone” may originally have meant the foundation stone or capstone of the Temple. The New Testament interpreted the verse as referring to the death and resurrection of Christ (Mt 21:42; Acts 4:11; cf. Is 28:16 and Rom 9:33; 1 Pt 2:7). (Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the First Letter of Peter proclaims a Blessing.

* [1:3–5] A prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God who bestows the gift of new life and hope in baptism (new birth, 1 Pt 1:3) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The new birth is a sign of an imperishable inheritance (1 Pt 1:4), of salvation that is still in the future (to be revealed in the final time, 1 Pt 1:5).

* [1:6–9] As the glory of Christ’s resurrection was preceded by his sufferings and death, the new life of faith that it bestows is to be subjected to many trials (1 Pt 1:6) while achieving its goal: the glory of the fullness of salvation (1 Pt 1:9) at the coming of Christ (1 Pt 1:7). (1 Peter, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents Jesus' appearance to the Disciples and later including Thomas prior to the Conclusion of this Gospel.

* [20:19–29] The appearances to the disciples, without or with Thomas (cf. Jn 11:16; 14:5), have rough parallels in the other gospels only for Jn 20:19–23; cf. Lk 24:36–39; Mk 16:14–18.

* [20:19] The disciples: by implication from Jn 20:24 this means ten of the Twelve, presumably in Jerusalem. Peace be with you: although this could be an ordinary greeting, John intends here to echo Jn 14:27. The theme of rejoicing in Jn 20:20 echoes Jn 16:22.

* [20:20] Hands and…side: Lk 24:39–40 mentions “hands and feet,” based on Ps 22:17.

* [20:21] By means of this sending, the Eleven were made apostles, that is, “those sent” (cf. Jn 17:18), though John does not use the noun in reference to them (see note on Jn 13:16). A solemn mission or “sending” is also the subject of the post-resurrection appearances to the Eleven in Mt 28:19; Lk 24:47; Mk 16:15.

* [20:22] This action recalls Gn 2:7, where God breathed on the first man and gave him life; just as Adam’s life came from God, so now the disciples’ new spiritual life comes from Jesus. Cf. also the revivification of the dry bones in Ez 37. This is the author’s version of Pentecost. Cf. also the note on Jn 19:30.

* [20:23] The Council of Trent defined that this power to forgive sins is exercised in the sacrament of penance. See Mt 16:19; Mt 18:18.

* [20:28] My Lord and my God: this forms a literary inclusion with the first verse of the gospel: “and the Word was God.”

* [20:29] This verse is a beatitude on future generations; faith, not sight, matters.

* [20:30–31] These verses are clearly a conclusion to the gospel and express its purpose. While many manuscripts read come to believe, possibly implying a missionary purpose for John’s gospel, a small number of quite early ones read “continue to believe,” suggesting that the audience consists of Christians whose faith is to be deepened by the book; cf. Jn 19:35. (John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB, n.d.)

Susan Naatz comments that many spiritual leaders have written about doubt.

One of my favorites is: The fact is that all the great spiritual models of the ages before us found themselves, at one point or another, plunged into doubt, into darkness, into the certainty of uncertainty: Augustine, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Meister Eckhart, John the Baptist, Thomas, Peter, one after another of them all wondered, and wavered, and believed beyond belief. 1

Like Thomas and the saints, we often doubt ourselves when someone suggests that we can achieve something we never thought possible. When we are presented with a new opportunity or invitation we hesitate. We doubt. Something inside asks, Can I do this? Am I enough?

Just as my brother-in-law guided me, Jesus took Thomas’s hand and guided it into his wounds. Jesus said to him: Put your finger here and see my hands and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe. Doubt vanished and I will always believe that Thomas wept.

____________________________________________________

1 Uncommon Gratitude by Joan Chittister and Rowan Williams (Liturgical Press) (Naatz, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Touching the Flesh, He Invokes the Word,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"

But when Jesus showed Thomas the very places where he had his doubts, Thomas exclaimed, "My Lord and my God." He touched his flesh, he proclaimed his divinity. What did he touch? The body of Christ. Was the body of Christ the divinity of Christ? The divinity of Christ was the Word; the humanity of Christ was soul and flesh. Thomas could not touch the soul, but he could perceive it, because the body that had been dead was moving about alive. But that Word is subject neither to change nor to contact, it neither regresses nor progresses, neither fails nor flourishes, because in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That is what Thomas proclaimed. He touched the flesh, he invoked the Word, because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (excerpt from Sermon 145A) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Peter 1:3-9 comments that Jesus has left us with the gifts of faith, hope, and love, and these last forever (1 Corinthians 13:13). They sustain us and lift us up in good times and in bad, in plenty and in need. They bind us to the God who loves us without end.

A salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time (1 Peter 1:5). We often look at divine mercy as a gift for today, but God takes a longer view as well. He promises that in “the final time,” at the very end, he has a great salvation waiting for us. As we enter into eternity, “we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). All pain, suffering, temptation, sadness, and sin will be wiped away, and we will enter the new creation to live forever in the presence of the Lord.

A living hope. An imperishable inheritance. A final salvation. Our God is merciful beyond compare. May we never cease to praise him!

“Jesus, my Savior, I am in awe of your overflowing mercy!” (Meditation on 1 Peter 1:3-9, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments the reading from Act Luke gives an ideal account of sharing, praying, and not having difficulties. Luke is often a bit of a “pollyanna”. Sometimes when we compare reality to Acts we come out not looking very good as the widows and orphans of Greek speakers were not treated equally and we are urged to work to overcome this type of discrimination. Peter speaks of treasure and suffering in following Jesus .The Gospel message to a new generation is met with faith and belief. Jesus wishes peace and breathes upon them in a message of recreation in the gift of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus offers Thomas His side and wounds and Thomas proclaims “My Lord and my God”, it is one of the most powerful testimonies in the Gospel. Friar Jude comments that in 1 Peter we hear talk of passing down the truth to those who believe but have not seen.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, uses the images of a lever and a place to stand to explain why social transformation needs both action and contemplation. 

The fixed point is our place to stand. It is a contemplative stance: steady, centered, poised, and rooted. To be contemplative, we have to have a slight distance from the world to allow time for withdrawal from business as usual, for contemplation, for going into what Jesus calls our “private room” (Matthew 6:6). However, we have to remain quite close to the world at the same time, loving it, feeling its pain and its joy as our pain and our joy. Otherwise, our distance can become a form of escapism.

Unfortunately, many of us don’t have a fixed place to stand, a fulcrum of critical distance, and thus we cannot find our levers, or true “delivery systems,” as Bill Plotkin calls them [1], by which to move our world. We do not have the steadiness of spiritual practice to keep our sight keen and alive. Those who have plenty of opportunities for spiritual practice—for example, those in monasteries—often don’t have an access point beyond religion itself from which to speak or to serve much of our world. We need a delivery system in the world to provide the capacity for building bridges and connecting the dots of life.

Some degree of inner experience is necessary for true spiritual authority, but we need some form of outer validation, too. We need to be taken seriously as competent and committed individuals and not just “inner” people. Could this perhaps be what Jesus means by being both “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16)? God offers us quiet, contemplative eyes; God also calls us to prophetic and critical involvement in the pain and sufferings of our world—both at the same time. This is so obvious in the life and ministry of Jesus that I wonder why it has not been taught as an essential part of Christianity. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invite the Spirit to guide our contemplation of our mission to bring mercy and awareness of the love of God for all in doubt as we act as disciples of Christ.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 12, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/2?42 

John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 12, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20?19 

Meditation on 1 Peter 1:3-9. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 12, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/12/1541804/ 

Naatz, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 12, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-12-2026 

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