Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection September 30, 2024

30th September 2024 (Monday)

Psalter: Week 2

Readings of the Day

First Reading: Job 1:6-22

There was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were ploughing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Psalm 17:1, 2-3, 6-7 (R. 6b)

R/. Lord, turn your ear to me; hear my words.

Gospel Acclamation

V/. Alleluia

R/. Alleluia

V/. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

R/. Alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 9:46-50

At that time: An argument arose among disciples as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among all of you is the one who is great.” John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Monday – Twenty-Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

Guidelines: The only way to be great is to be small and totally surrendered to God like a little child and to be magnanimous and accepting toward all

1. The desire and the pursuit for greatness is nothing new. It has been perennial. Everyone seeks to be great. There is nothing wrong with the desire itself. But what goes wrong is the way people understand greatness and the ways and means they employ to obtain it.

2. Basically when the very concept and idea itself goes wrong, then the process of the means also will go wrong. This is one big problem of today’s world. Many think wrongly of greatness.

3. They reduce it to mere quantity and number and not quality. They equate it to mere having and doing. What does this mean? That is, to be great is to have lots of money, capabilities, possessions, comfort, power, position, and influence. It is to do lots of things, activities, and accomplishments.

4. This is a wrong conception of greatness. This is worldly and entirely contrary to the conception of true greatness. This is not compatible with the teaching of Jesus. Jesus teaches us today what is true greatness. He corrects the worldly thinking and craving for greatness of his disciples who were engaged in a serious argument about who was the greatest.

5. For this corrective, he sets a child as the reference point. First, he takes a child and puts him “by his side”. This indicates that to be great is to be “by the side” of Jesus and “on his side”. That is to be great is to be in company and closeness with Jesus. It also means to support and continue the mission of Jesus.

6. Then, to be great is to be able to “receive a child in Jesus’ name”. It implies that we should not go by external impressions or labels or calculations. For, a child usually does not commend much respect and honour.

7. A child is not taken so seriously. But a truly great person respects even the small and insignificant and accepts such persons gladly because he does it in the Lord’s name and not from a human perspective.

8. Further, to be truly great is “to be least among all”. Humility is the greatest mark of true greatness. Greatness does not show off and does not dominate or override others. Greatness is not puffed up with haughty eyes and an arrogant heart. The more one is high, the more he lies low.

9. Still further, true greatness also implies not being jealous or negatively competitive, or suppressive of the growth of others. The disciples stop someone from casting demons in Jesus’ name because he did not belong to their group. But Jesus tells them not to stop him because after all he is not against Jesus and he is only doing good in his name.

10. The message of greatness becomes very strong and clear in the first reading in the example of Job. True greatness is faith and faithfulness. Job did not lose his faith or did not turn away from his faithfulness even when he was tested. He lost all his property and children as well. He was reduced to utter misery. Yet he persisted to be blameless and upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Practice: Greatness does not come from possessions and positions. We become great by being childlike and humble, by becoming accommodative and benevolent toward others