Mass Readings and Reflection for Thursday, September 17th, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 15:1–11)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 118)

Response: Give praise to the Lord, for he is good.

Gospel Acclamation:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: (Luke 7:36–50)

Reflection

Today's Gospel invites us to focus on the sinful woman and on her profound act of love toward Jesus.

When we sin and go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are expected to show sorrow for our sins. It is not enough simply to say, “I have gone to confession,” or merely to recite the sinful acts we have committed. We are expected to demonstrate genuine remorse.

How sorry are we for what we have done?

Sorrow for sin is demonstrated in two ways.

First, we acknowledge what we have done. We accept responsibility. This is what we say at the beginning of Holy Mass: “Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.”

We acknowledge that we are guilty. We do not blame another person.

When we go to confession, we should not say, “My neighbor caused me to do it,” or “My child made me do it,” or “My husband or wife made me do it.” Even if someone influenced or pressured us, we ultimately made the decision to act. We must take responsibility for our actions.

Like Adam, we can always point to somebody else: “I would not have eaten the apple if the woman had not given it to me.” But Adam still chose to eat. We too must accept responsibility for our choices.

Secondly, we must do something to demonstrate that we are truly sorry. When we say we are sorry, our actions should give evidence that we mean what we say.

For example, if a husband hurts his wife, or a wife hurts her husband, it is good to acknowledge the wrong and say, “I am sorry.” But genuine sorrow should also lead us to make amends.

This is what we mean by reparation.

Reparation is an act done to make amends for a wrong that has been committed. It is an effort to repair the damage caused by our actions.

We cannot simply say, “I am sorry,” and walk away as though nothing happened.

If I tell a lie and damage someone's reputation, saying “I am sorry” is important, but I should also do what I can to repair the person's good name.

If I damage someone's car and say, “I am sorry,” I must also take responsibility for repairing the damage.

That is reparation.

The sinful woman in today's Gospel acknowledged her sin through her tears. She wept at the feet of Jesus. She demonstrated sorrow. And then she anointed his feet with costly ointment.

Her love became an expression of reparation.

Sin is a breaking away from God's love. Through her repentance and love, she sought to return to that love and demonstrate that her heart had changed.

This is why Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 4:8 that “love covers a multitude of sins.” When we sin and genuinely repent, our sorrow should produce a changed life and acts of charity.

We can make reparation by returning what we have taken, repairing what we have damaged, restoring what we have spoiled, and doing good where we have caused harm.

If we have stolen money, we should return it.

If we have damaged someone's reputation, we should make an effort to restore that person's good name.

If we have cheated someone, we should make amends.

We see this clearly in Zacchaeus in Luke 19. His encounter with Jesus produced concrete change. He promised to repay those whom he had cheated.

Reparation is not merely an emotion. It is repentance expressed through action.

We should weep for our sins and recognize the seriousness of what we have done. Peter wept after his betrayal. The sinful woman wept at the feet of Jesus. Their tears expressed regret and remorse.

Let us never take pleasure in sin. Let us never brag about our sins or glory in evil. We are not heroes because we have done something wrong.

Even more dangerous is losing our sense of sin altogether-reaching the point where we can do something wrong and no longer recognize that anything is wrong.

So we must ask ourselves: How truly sorry are we for our sins? And if we are truly sorry, what reparation are we making?

Reparation also means a changed life.

We cannot continually return to the same sins while saying that we are sorry. True repentance calls us to turn away from sin and move toward God.

The sinful woman came to Jesus one way, but she left with the assurance of forgiveness: “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Let us therefore bring our sins honestly before Christ. Let us accept responsibility. Let us sincerely repent. Let us make whatever reparation we can. And above all, let our repentance produce a changed life.

When we say, “I am sorry,” let us truly mean it.

And when we ask God for forgiveness, let us allow his grace to transform the way we live.

Amen.

Mass Readings and Reflection for Wednesday, September 16th, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 33)

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own. 

Alleluia: (John 6:63c, 68c)

“Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life.”

Gospel: (Luke 7:31–35)

Reflection

Paul’s teaching today is not sentimental; it is architectural. He is describing the structure of Christian maturity. Gifts, talents, achievements, ministries, and even heroic sacrifices are scaffolding. Love is the building itself. Without love, the scaffolding stands around an empty space.

This is a direct challenge to every believer: Are we building a life of love, or a life of accomplishments decorated with religious language?

Paul says, “When I became a man, I put aside childish things.” Jesus says, “This generation is like children in the marketplace.”

Both readings diagnose the same spiritual disease: a childish heart refuses to respond to God unless He acts exactly as expected. A mature heart recognizes God’s voice whether it comes through John’s austerity or Jesus’ feasting.

John represents the call to repentance, discipline, sobriety, and seriousness. Jesus represents the call to joy, communion, celebration, and mercy.

A spiritually immature person rejects both. When God calls them to repentance, they say it is too harsh. When God calls them to joy, they say it is too lenient.

The mature Christian recognizes both as authentic movements of the Holy Spirit.

The readings converge on one truth: love is the only lens that lets us see God clearly. Without love, we misinterpret everything, God’s actions, people’s intentions, and even our own spiritual experiences.

With love, we see “face to face,” even in the partial, confusing, and painful moments of life.

Today’s memorial honors two martyrs who embodied the “more excellent way”: Saints Cornelius and Cyprian.

Cornelius, a pope, held the Church together during persecution. Cyprian, a bishop, defended unity and charity even amid controversy.

Their witness shows that Christian leadership is not about power or brilliance. It is about love that endures all things.

God bless you, 

Amen 🙏 

Mass Readings and Reflection for September 15th, 2026: The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows

First Reading: (Hebrews 5:7–9)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 31)

Save me, O Lord, in Your kindness.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary; without dying, you won the martyr's crown beneath the Cross of the Lord.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Gospel: (Luke 2:33–35)

Reflection

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, deeply enters into that tragedy and evil herself, for she had her heart pierced, as Simeon said in that prophecy when they brought the little baby Jesus into the temple, as a Jewish custom required, for Him to be dedicated to the Lord.

Little did Mary know, or anyone know, what that dedication meant.

Because it, of course, was a dedication ultimately to the Cross.

But Simeon saw ahead and he prophesied:

“Your heart will be pierced.”

And that's one of the images.

Often when you see an actual icon or a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, she has a sword in her.

And in some of the paintings she has seven swords in her heart, expressive of one of the traditions, the beautiful prayer traditions that are related to this day: the Seven Sorrows of Our Blessed Mother.

The most beautiful sculpture in the whole world is Michelangelo's Pietà.

That most beautiful and yet most painfully thing to look at.

Mary holding the body of her dead Son.

Is there any grief more grievous than that?

Is there any pain deeper than that?

No.

No, it is the greatest pain.

But in the Christian faith, there is hope, and words of comfort that break into that pain.

It is, of course, taken from the image of Jesus walking and meeting the disciples who were walking away from Jerusalem right after the crucifixion, absolutely filled with sorrow and horror at what they'd seen, the torture and death of their Lord and Master.

For them, it seemed like the whole thing was now a tragic nightmare.

They were in great despair and disillusionment.

And then Jesus comes and walks with them. Walking through sorrow with the Lord.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.”

There's a word of comfort.

Jesus comes to us in the midst of this pain.

He's a man of sorrows, the Bible says, a man acquainted with grief.

That first reading from Hebrews emphasizes that we do not have a priest who's unsympathetic, but a priest who has suffered in every way that we are, and He comes into that pain.

But particularly also, we have our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Sorrows.

She comes to us as well.

You know, Jesus gave us each one of us the gift of His mother.

The last gift He gave from the Cross:

“Behold your mother,”

as He spoke to John, who is a symbol of every one of us.

And it's been a wonderful grace to come to know our Blessed Mother and to know her as she is, especially today: a mother who comes deep into our suffering.

And, of course, finally, Our Lady is not only the Mother of Sorrows; she's the Mother of the Resurrection.

And that is the good news and the comfort of this day to all who has sorrow.

Mary, Blessed Mother of Sorrows, pray for us.

Amen.

Mass Readings and Reflection for September 14th, 2026

 

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

First Reading: (Philippians 2:6–11)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 78)

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, Alleluia.

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your Cross You have redeemed the world.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Gospel: (John 3:13–17)

Reflection: 

On this Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, we jump right away into the mystery. In our Gospel reading, we have Nicodemus the Pharisee.

Nicodemus was indeed a Pharisee, but he was not really allowed to come out in public and say, “I believe in Jesus, that Jesus is a prophet and that He is the Son of God.” So, he comes at night, and Jesus really explains to him that He has come not to condemn the world, that He is the Son of God.

It is a mystery, of course.

Nicodemus is also there with the crucifixion later on. But in the first reading from Philippians, we have St. Paul explaining to the Philippians the mystery of the Cross.

The mystery is that Jesus had to suffer. He had to suffer and empty Himself. He did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited.

And that is a great mystery.

Jesus did not go around saying, “Here! I am God, and I am special, and you've got to do this.”

No.

He emptied Himself right to the point of giving His own life to us.

That is the mystery: that He died for us, for our sins, and that He gave us new life and showed us the way to God through the Resurrection, of course.

But there is a whole history there.

In the early Church, the Cross was something very horrifying, and it still is horrifying. It was so horrifying that in the early Church, you did not see the Cross very much. You saw Jesus as the Good Shepherd mainly, and so on.

But the Cross slowly came in there.

The Exaltation of the Cross historically goes back to the feast that commemorates the consecration of two basilicas in Jerusalem: one over the site believed to be the crucifixion site and the other one over the tomb, the burial site of Jesus.

And so this happened in 335, about 200 or 300 years after Christ.

Starting in 313 with the Edict of Milan, the Christian faith became slowly the faith of the Empire, and Emperor Constantine the Great legalized it in the whole Empire some years later.

Tradition has it that his mother, Saint Helena, found the actual Cross of Christ. It's tradition; we don't know if this is true, but that's the tradition.

And St. Macarius, the Bishop of Jerusalem at that time, oversaw, under her direction, the building of the two basilicas.

And it is very important: the triumph of the Cross.

Jesus, who died for us.

It is a mystery, but it is so important for us to pray with.

But without the crucifixion and the Resurrection, our faith is really just a nice teaching about living a good life.

But with the crucifixion and Resurrection, it is much more.

We know Jesus showed a way forward and showed us the way to God.

There is life after death.

And it is so important for us to know and not to be ashamed to be Christians, and to accept our crosses.

Each one of us has a cross.

And it is so important to accept our crosses.

Each one of us will suffer.

And so many people, of course, suffer here on Earth.

It is, of course, something that some people will say is not true, but we have, especially in the body of saints, so many examples of mystical experiences of how God, Jesus, is real.

How Jesus has suffered and died for us.

To show us the way.

To show us that this is real.

To show us that there is life after death.

And it invites us to suffer with Jesus.

To suffer with Jesus on the Cross, and especially when life is not good.

Amen.

Mass Reading and Reflection for Sunday, September 13th, 2026

First Reading: (Sirach 27:30-28:7)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12)

Response: "The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion." 

Second Reading: (Romans 14:7-9)

Alleluia: (John 13:34)

"I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you."

Gospel: (Matthew 18:21-35)

Reflection:

Today's Gospel at Mass confronts us with one of the most difficult teachings of the Christian life: forgiveness. Not prayer. Not fasting. Not almsgiving. Forgiveness.

Peter approaches Jesus with what he probably believes is a generous proposal: "Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As many as seven times?" In Jewish tradition, forgiving someone three times was considered sufficient. Peter doubles it and adds one more. He expects praise.

Instead, Jesus shocks him: "I do not say seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Jesus is not giving Peter a number to keep count. He is abolishing the calculator altogether. His point is simple: a disciple's forgiveness must never have limits because God's forgiveness toward us has no limits.

The Gospel confronts us with a difficult question. How can we forgive when we are still hurting? Many of us struggle with this teaching because some hurts cut deeply. Some wounds seem impossible to forgive. Some betrayals happened years ago, yet the pain remains fresh. Some of us were deceived by people we trusted. Some were abandoned by those they loved. Some were unfairly treated, falsely accused, rejected, cheated, humiliated, or wounded by family members, friends, coworkers, or even fellow Christians.

Jesus answers this question through the parable of the unforgiving servant. The servant owed a debt so enormous that he could never repay it. It was an amount beyond imagination. Yet when he fell on his knees and begged for mercy, his master did something extraordinary. He canceled the debt completely. No payment plan. No interest. No conditions. Pure mercy.

This is a picture of us before God.

Every day we receive mercy we do not deserve. Every confession, every answered prayer, every new morning is evidence of God's patience and love. We owe a spiritual debt we could never repay. How many times have we disappointed God? How many times have we ignored Him? How many sins have we repeated after promising never to commit them again? Yet God welcomes us back again and again. He continues to pour out mercy.

The tragedy of the servant is not simply that he refused forgiveness. The tragedy is that he forgot how much he himself had been forgiven. Having received mercy, he immediately refused to extend that same mercy to another. We often do the same. We gladly accept God's forgiveness while holding onto resentments, grudges, old wounds, and the desire to make others pay for what they have done.

The more we recognize how much God has forgiven us, the easier it becomes to forgive others.

Forgiveness, however, does not mean pretending evil never happened. It does not mean saying, "It was nothing," or, "It doesn't matter." True forgiveness is not denial. It begins by acknowledging reality. You cannot heal a wound you refuse to admit exists.

If someone broke your trust, acknowledge it. If someone betrayed you, acknowledge it. If someone wounded your heart, acknowledge it. Even Jesus acknowledged His wounds. After His Resurrection, the scars remained visible. Christian forgiveness does not erase the truth. It faces the truth honestly.

The first step toward forgiveness is often simply saying, "Yes, I was hurt."

Many people say, "Father, I can't forgive." What they often mean is, "I'm still wounded." That is understandable. Healing is usually a process. A person with a broken leg does not run immediately. Likewise, a wounded heart often requires time, prayer, grace, and support. You may need to speak about your pain. You may need spiritual direction. You may need counseling. You may need to cry. You may need to place the wound before Jesus again and again.

This is not weakness. This is healing.

Forgiveness is one of the most important stages in that healing journey. Not because the offender deserves it, but because you deserve freedom. Bitterness is a prison. Resentment chains us to the person who hurt us. Anger consumes enormous emotional and spiritual energy. When we forgive, we are not saying that evil is good. We are saying that evil will no longer control our lives.

Another misunderstanding is that forgiveness means reconciliation. Some people think, "If I forgive them, I must trust them again." Not necessarily. Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing. Forgiveness requires one person. Reconciliation requires two.

You may forgive someone who never apologizes. You may forgive someone who remains unchanged. You may forgive someone from whom you need healthy boundaries. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, but He did not entrust Himself to everyone. Forgiveness does not mean becoming naïve. It does not mean allowing continued abuse. It does not mean pretending everything is normal. It means releasing vengeance into God's hands. It means letting God be the judge. It means refusing to allow hatred to dominate your heart.

Ultimately, every Christian teaching leads us back to the Cross. As nails pierced His hands and feet, Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Not after the suffering. During the suffering. Not after the pain ended. While the pain was still happening.

At that moment Jesus showed us what divine love looks like. Forgiveness is not natural. It is supernatural. Left to ourselves, we seek revenge. With grace, we seek mercy. The Cross teaches us that forgiveness is not weakness. It is strength. It is the strength to answer hatred with love, violence with peace, and bitterness with mercy.

Today, Jesus asks each of us some very personal questions. Who do I still need to forgive? What resentment am I carrying? Have I accepted God's mercy while withholding mercy from someone else?

Perhaps there is someone whose name immediately comes to mind. Maybe the wound is recent. Maybe it happened years ago. Jesus does not ask you to pretend the hurt never happened. He does not ask you to forget the wound. He simply asks, "Will you take the first step toward freedom?"

Maybe that first step is simply praying, "Lord, I want to forgive, but I need Your help."

That prayer is enough to begin.

Sirach and the Gospel proclaim the same truth: the measure of mercy we show becomes the measure of mercy we are prepared to receive. God invites us to imitate His own heart, which is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

Forgiveness is difficult because love is costly. But every time we forgive, we become a little more like Christ. Every time we forgive, the chains of bitterness weaken. Every time we forgive, healing advances. Every time we forgive, we open ourselves more fully to the mercy of God.

May we never forget the enormous debt God has forgiven in our own lives. May we receive His mercy with gratitude. And may we extend that same mercy to others.

For as we pray every day: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Amen.

Mass Readings and Reflection for Saturday, September 12th, 2026

 

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 10:14–22)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 116:12–13, 17–18)

Response: “To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.” 

Alleluia: (John 14:23)

“Whoever keeps my word, the Father will love him, and we will come to him.”

Gospel: (Luke 6:43–49)

Reflection:

Today’s readings form a unified spiritual system centered on integrity, loyalty, and authentic discipleship.

Paul’s warning is blunt and uncompromising: you cannot belong to God and simultaneously belong to anything that opposes Him.

This is not about ancient pagan rituals alone. It is about any modern form of divided loyalty: moral compromise, spiritual inconsistency, selective obedience, living two identities, serving two masters, or trying to please God while clinging to idols of comfort, ego, or culture.

Paul’s message is a call to spiritual clarity: choose your covenant, choose your table, choose your loyalty.

The psalmist responds to God’s deliverance with thanksgiving, praise, fulfillment of vows, and public witness. This is the heart’s proper response to God’s faithfulness.

The psalm teaches us that gratitude is not merely a feeling; it is a commitment. Praise is not merely emotion; it is fidelity. When God has been faithful to us, our response should be a life that remains faithful to Him.

The Alleluia gives us the bridge between Paul’s warning and Jesus’ teaching: “Whoever keeps my word…”

Not merely hears. Not merely admires. Not merely agrees. Keeps.

Obedience is the architecture of intimacy with God. Keeping the word is the path to communion with Him.

In the Gospel, Jesus exposes the illusion of spiritual appearance. A tree is known by its fruit. A heart is known by its words. A disciple is known by their actions. A life is known by its foundation.

The wise builder hears the word, acts on it, and builds on rock. When the storms come, the house stands.

The foolish builder hears the word but does not act on it. He builds on sand, and when the storm comes, the house collapses.

Jesus is not simply describing two types of people. He is describing two possible outcomes of every human life.

The readings form a coherent spiritual system.

Paul teaches integrity of allegiance: you cannot serve two masters.

The psalm teaches fidelity through gratitude: true worship is commitment.

The Alleluia teaches that obedience invites God’s presence: keeping the word is the path to intimacy.

The Gospel teaches authenticity through action: your foundation determines your future.

Together they teach us that faith is not what you merely profess; it is what you practice. Loyalty is not what you merely declare; it is what you choose. Integrity is not what you merely feel; it is what you build.

These readings speak directly to anyone who has faced pressure to compromise, struggled with divided loyalties, tried to live faithfully in a complex world, felt the tension between appearance and authenticity, or endured storms that tested their foundation.

The message is clear: build your life on rock. Choose the table you belong to. Let your fruit reveal your heart. Let your actions reveal your foundation.

God is not asking for perfection. He is asking for integrity, consistency, and covenant loyalty.

Amen 

Tomorrow

 

Mass Readings and Reflection Friday, September 11th, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 9:16–19, 22b–27)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 84)

Response: “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!”

Alleluia: (John 17:17)

“Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrate us in the truth.”

Gospel: (Luke 6:39–42)

Reflection:

Today’s readings form a single spiritual system: truth requires discipline, humility, and interior honesty.

In the first reading, Paul refuses to boast about preaching the Gospel. He sees it as an obligation, not an achievement; service, not self-promotion; stewardship, and not personal glory.

His athletic metaphor is at the heart of the reading: spiritual life requires training. Without discipline, even good intentions can often collapse.

Paul disciplines his body and mind so that he does not become disqualified after preaching to others. This is a warning against spiritual complacency.

The psalmist expresses a deep longing for God’s presence: “My soul yearns and pines,” “My heart and flesh cry out,” and “Even the sparrow finds a home.”

This longing is not merely emotional sentiment; it is orientation. The disciplined soul desires God the way an athlete desires victory. It is the interior fuel behind Paul’s discipline. 

“Your word is truth; consecrate us in the truth.”

Truth is not merely information. Truth is sanctification. It sets a person apart, purifies motives, and aligns the heart with God. This prepares us for the Gospel’s demand for interior honesty.

Jesus’ teaching is blunt: you cannot guide others if you are blind. You cannot correct others if you refuse to correct yourself. You cannot speak truth if you avoid truth in your own heart.

This is not moralism; it is spiritual physics. Interior blindness produces exterior harm. Interior clarity produces exterior charity.

The beam symbolizes pride, self-deception, unexamined motives, hypocrisy, and spiritual laziness.

Removing the beam is the discipline Paul speaks of.

The readings form a coherent system.

Paul teaches discipline: you cannot preach truth without living truth.

The psalm teaches desire: you cannot live truth without longing for God.

The Alleluia part teaches consecration: you cannot be consecrated without truth.

The Gospel teaches humility: you cannot help others without first confronting yourself.

Together they teach us that truth is not a weapon against others; it is a mirror for the self. Only disciplined, humble hearts can guide others without causing harm.

These readings speak directly to anyone who has had to be strong for others, who has seen hypocrisy in the world, who has felt the weight of responsibility, who has struggled with self-discipline, who has been judged unfairly, or who has tried to help others while carrying their own burdens.

The message is simple: we cannot carry others unless our foundation is solid. We cannot guide others unless our vision is clear. We cannot speak truth unless we first let truth speak to us.

This is not condemnation; it is an invitation.

God is not asking for perfection. He is asking for honesty, discipline, and humble self-examination.

Amen 🙏 

$5000.00 Per Adult Household Sounds Good In An Economy Where Gas Prices Exceeds $100/barrel

When a businessman becomes a politician, governance risks turning transactional. On September 9th, just yesterday, President Donald J. Trump promised a $5,000 payment to American households, conditional on his party winning the midterm elections. We all know he hates losing. One can only imagine what goes on in his head when he sees that he is not having a clean and easy victory in the Middle East with Iran.

Anyway, that detail about the midterms matters because it will reveal a lot about what voters think of his government in his second term in office. The promise transforms public policy into a contingent offer tied directly to electoral success. Will the other side of the political aisle benefit from that promise? What about people who are not loyal to him, people who vote against him, liberals and progressives? Instead of a universal commitment grounded in long‑term stewardship, it becomes a conditional transaction dependent on partisan victory. That is clearly what can be seen as wrong with all of this. Like most politicians do, this promise is just one made to gain support and then forgotten once victory comes knocking at the door.

Such promises raise serious questions about the principles of good governance, the role of public trust, and whether political leadership should rely on electoral incentives rather than institutional responsibility.

In that speech, people cheered and some salivated for the $5,000. Some already imagine how that money would be spent in an economy where gas prices have exceeded record highs, with Brent now trading above $106 and the WTI $101 per barrel. That should be concerning to the government whether the midterm outcome is in or out of their favor.

But that is all you need to know.

Mass Readings and Reflection for Thursday September 10th 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 8:1–13)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 139)

Guide me, O Lord, along the everlasting way.

Gospel Acclamation:

If we love one another, God remains in us, and God's love is brought to perfection in us.

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: (Luke 6:27–38)

Reflection

In the first reading today, St. Paul is addressing a problem internal to the Christian community at Corinth that has implications for us 2,000 years later.

The principal issue is whether or not Christians should buy and eat meat of animals that were sacrificed to pagan gods. Often, the inner entrails of the animal is what interested the pagan priests in their worship, and the carcass was discarded and sold at a cheaper price. So Paul asks the question: Because these gods are not really gods at all, can a Christian believer buy this cheaper meat for food?

But then, if my neighbor can't see this distinction and thinks this meat is blasphemous, I run the risk of giving scandal to my neighbor for whom Christ died.

So St. Paul reminds the Corinthians, and indeed us today, that we must think of the consequences of our actions, that they may not scandalize or offend other members of the community, and not just think of or please ourselves.

Then the Gospel is a collection of radical statements that turn old moral norms on their heads and call for a whole new way of thinking and relating. They culminate with the command to love your enemy and to pray for those who persecute you. A tall order indeed.

But you know, it wasn't just an aspiration in Jesus's life. He didn't just preach it; he did it.

I heard this story and it's beautiful in this context of today’s reflection. There was a man in the neighborhood who was always bragging about his care for children. And one day, he got a new cement driveway. It was poured, and before he got home, some of the local kids left their footprints and even wrote their names in the cement.

The man went into a charade. He was yelling at the top of his voice. And one of the neighbors said to him, “I thought you said you love children.”

And the man said, “Well, I love them in the abstract, but I'm not sure about in the concrete.”

Abstract, concrete. A cheap line, I know. Forgive me.

But Jesus lived. He lived what he preached. He lived it concretely.

Did we ever notice that the Ten Commandments are stated negatively? They tell us what not to do as opposed to what we could or should do.

You shall not kill.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness.
You shall not.

But Jesus's ethic is positive. It goes: Turn the other cheek. Give to the one in need. Walk the other mile. Forgive those who harm you. Love your enemies. Positive things.

There are important truths in today's Gospel.

Think of the energy we waste in holding on to past grudges, trying to settle old scores. We may wait a long time to settle the score, but waiting will have diminished us and the quality of our lives.

Revenge doesn't add to our stature. Plotting revenge poisons our heart. It consumes and overtakes us. It closes us down. It makes us mean and hard.

The lack of generosity, the meanness of spirit that is so visible in our world today is what Jesus is trying to eliminate from our lives.

The reluctance to forgive and the rush to judgment were not just confined to his time. They are alive and well in our culture too.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Jesus advises us to love our enemies. Love frees. It opens us up. It makes us generous and warm.

We know from experience that planning occasions for one can show love, bring us great joy. It completes us, brings out the best in us and in those around us.

Pray for those who persecute you.

Jesus says, I often say that when we pray for somebody, we are less likely to kill them. Am I right?

Let's go back to the concrete.

Most of us have people against whom, rightly or wrongly, we bear a grudge or hold a hurt. Sometimes we pick at the sore in case it might heal.

So today let's us bring to mind somebody who annoys or upsets, somebody we dislike, or perhaps, dare I say, even hate. Pray for him or her.

And ask for God's healing, God's bound to soothe the relationship. Let love prevail.

And the Lord Jesus assures us we will feel better for it.

With confidence, we make our prayers to God the Father.

Amen