September 30, 2026 Memorial of Saint Jerome Gospel: Lk 9:57-62
Today is Wednesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church. According to recently published Missals, Saint Jerome (c. 342–420) was born in Strido (now in Croatia, then part of the Roman province of Dalmatia) and studied in Rome, where he was baptized. He retired for a while to Syria to live as a hermit and learnt Hebrew at the hands of a rabbi. Between 382 and 385 he was in Rome as secretary to Pope Damasus, who commissioned him to revise the Latin version of the Bible. He went to Bethlehem to concentrate on this work, together with the writing of Scriptural commentaries and theological works.
Today’s passage from the Holy Gospel according to Luke tells us about the responses of people to Jesus’ call during His time. I would like to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
First, Luke tells us: As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” (cf. Lk 9:57-58)
At times, we too are like this man. We may have great enthusiasm for Jesus and have said the same words: “I will follow you wherever you go,” without fully knowing what our faith truly means, or even being prepared for it. When Jesus says to us, “Foxes have dens and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head,” we may feel lost. For choosing to believe in Jesus means we must take risks for this faith, even staking our very lives and everything we have. Jesus asks us to leave our comfort zones, to cross over to the other side, to enter unfamiliar environments, and to rely on Him, following His guidance to fulfill the mission He has entrusted to us. When we carry out this mission, we may, like Him, live a homeless life, or even, like the early martyrs of the Holy Roman Church we celebrate today, have no place in this world. Therefore, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly prepared?
We can also see our own reflection in another response to Jesus’ call. St. Luke tells us that another man said to Jesus, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But Jesus answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead, but you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (cf. Lk 9:59-60) This represents the response of those who live according to the logic of this world—they always want to arrange everything first before accepting the Kingdom of God that Jesus speaks of.
Today Jesus says: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (cf. Lk 9:62) This means that half-hearted people cannot enter the Kingdom of God that Jesus speaks of. To truly enter the Kingdom of God means we must completely abandon the logic of this world, and with simplicity and humility, through prayer, service, and total dedication, live out the spirit of the people of God’s Kingdom, so that the Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus may be made present in this world.
O God, who gave the Priest Saint Jerome a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture, grant that your people may be ever more fruitfully nourished by your Word and find in it the fount of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
September 29, 2026 Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels Gospel: John 1:47–51
Today is Tuesday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the feast of three archangels: Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
As we read in recently published Missals:
The Feast celebrates the three archangels named in Sacred Scripture, reminding us of the angelic world and of their constant ministrations to the world. St Michael (meaning “Who is like God”) is venerated as captain of the heavenly army, victor over Satan, protector of the Church and helper of the sick and dying. Today’s feast originated as that of the dedication of a Roman basilica in his honor.
St Gabriel (meaning “Strength of God”) announced both the birth of St John the Baptist (to Zechariah) and of Jesus Christ (to the Blessed Virgin Mary). His greeting at the Annunciation, “Hail, full of grace,” has become one of the most familiar prayers.
St Raphael (meaning “God heals”) took care of Tobias on his journey, as described in the book of Tobit, and is often associated with the angel of the sheep pool (Jn 5:1–4). He is a patron of the blind, travelers and physicians and nurses.
Today, the passage from the Gospel of John tells us about Nathanael, who came to Jesus because of Philip’s introduction, and the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. Let us try to understand it.
In our daily lives, we often act like Nathanael, making judgments based on our own understanding of how the world works (Cf. John 1:45–46). When we hear others speak of people from poor or underprivileged backgrounds, we tend to think they are inferior to us in every way, and we resist reaching out to them or refuse to associate with them. At those moments, what guides us is not the Spirit but the impulse of the flesh. What we desire is everything that belongs to this world, rather than all the good things God bestows upon us according to His holy will.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! In our daily lives, God, who is rich in mercy, sends us His faithful servants—men and women who selflessly dedicate their lives to caring for us. For example, since the moment we left our mother’s womb, our parents, sent by God, have continually nurtured us, allowing us to feel God’s warmth in every aspect of our daily lives. When we go to school, God, in His marvelous providence, gives us teachers who impart knowledge and skills to us. And when we enter the workplace, God, in His infinite mercy, places colleagues around us to help us integrate better into our lives. When we experience all this, we are like Nathanael (Cf. John 1:45–46), who came to know and see all that God was doing for him through the words of another.
In fact, before Nathanael received Philip’s invitation, he was sitting under a fig tree (Cf. John 1:47–48). The fig tree appears in the book of Genesis, after our first parents disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the tree—they sewed fig leaves together to make loincloths to cover their shame (Cf. Genesis 3:1–7). So when Nathanael heard Jesus reveal what had happened in his past, he immediately declared Jesus to be the Son of God and the King of Israel (Cf. John 1:49). In this way, with Philip’s help, he discerned his vocation and professed it before Jesus. Likewise, in our own lives, we too must be like Nathanael and let go of our old ways of thinking. We should not base our understanding of the faith on human beings alone. Rather, by contemplating the people we meet each day—all of them made in God’s image—and reflecting on what they do for us, we can better discern our own vocation and, like Nathanael, embrace it generously.
To embrace our vocation generously, we cannot rely on ourselves alone—we also need the protection and help of the three archangels. Therefore, on this feast of the Archangels, let us pray together:
O God, who dispose in marvelous order ministries both angelic and human, graciously grant that our life on earth may be defended by those who watch over us as they minister perpetually to you in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
September 28, 2026 Monday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time or Optional Memorial of Saint Lawrence Ruiz or Optional Memorial of Saint Wenceslaus Gospel: Luke 9:46–50
Today is Monday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time. The Church today celebrates the Optional Memorial of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his Companions, and also the Optional Memorial of the martyrdom of Saint Wenceslaus.
As we read in recently published Missals:
Saint Wenceslaus was born in Stoichkov Castle near Prague and became Duke of Bohemia in 921. The popular carol “Good King Wenceslas” speaks of his strong faith in God and his care for the poor. However, as a Christian monarch, he faced many trials during his reign and was finally murdered at the instigation of his brother, Boleslav, on September 28, 929. According to legend, his last words were, “Brother, may God forgive you.”
Saint Lawrence Ruiz and his companions were sixteen Dominican martyrs who suffered at Nishizawa Hill near Nagasaki, Japan, in September 1637, during the persecution of the Tokugawa shogunate. Many of them were bound and hanged upside down, causing a slow death. They included Saint Lawrence (Lorenzo) Ruiz (c. 1600–1637), a lay member of the Dominican Confraternity of the Holy Rosary and a father of three, who is the first Filipino saint.
Today, the passage from the Gospel of Luke tells of a dispute that arose among the disciples who were following Jesus. I would like to offer some reflections on this.
The world we live in today is filled with evil thoughts arising from the pursuit of material desires, so that our souls and bodies, given to us by God, are bound by sin and death because of human weakness. Because we refuse to live according to the Holy Spirit and set our hearts on the things of the Spirit but instead follow the desires of the flesh and crave the things of this world, choosing to be enemies of God and refusing to submit to His law, our souls and bodies will perish because of the desires of the flesh when that day comes. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! If we argue with one another like those disciples who argue about who was the greatest (Cf. Luke 9:46), we destroy the harmony of our relationships by our actions, causing those with whom we argue to perish together with us. Saint Paul teaches: “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil.” (Cf. Ephesians 4:26–27) Saint Peter the Apostle also teaches: “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, realizing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.” (Cf. 1 Peter 5:8–9) Arguing with one another is a sign of lacking both faith and charity.
Today, let us imitate the sixteen Dominican martyrs who suffered at Nishizawa Hill near Nagasaki in September 1637, and follow the example of the martyr Saint Wenceslaus. Let us no longer pursue the gains and losses of this world but seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of that eternal realm, as Jesus taught. Let us practice His teachings in our daily lives: welcoming our brothers and sisters who hold different opinions on certain matters, praying for them, and taking the initiative to be reconciled with them. Through penance and prayer, let us seek God’s forgiveness for all the evil we have done, and thus restore our relationship with God and with the world that He created according to His holy will.
O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,God, for ever and ever
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