26th Week in Ordinary Time
02nd October 2023 (Monday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Zechariah 8:1-8
And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the Lord of hosts? Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.”
Psalm 102:16-18, 19-21, 29 and 22-23 (R. 17)
R/. The Lord shall build up Sion, he will appear in all his glory
Alleluia
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 them 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 you all 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
Highlight: God who guards!
Guidlines: God always watches over us, and guards us against all the evil attacks. The guardian angels are concrete testimonies of God's abiding care for us. He will never abandon us unguarded{alertSuccess}
1. 02 October we celebrate the memory of the guardian angels. It is believed that God has assigned a guardian angel to the care of each of us. This shows the personal attention and care that God nurtures for everyone. We are not just numbers for God. We are not one among many, but each one counts for God and in His providential care.
2. Jesus says, "In heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father in heaven". This clearly indicates that the guardian angels are in intimate communion and service of God. Thus they can effectively work on behalf of us.
3. The guardian angels' primary duty is to guard us. This implies that they are ever watchful over us to protect us from the snares and assaults of the evil one. They take care that we are not lost. They assist us and supply the necessary strength to us to combat the evil.
4. This is what we hear in Exodus 23. 20-23: Behold, I send an angel before you, to guard you on the way". "The angel will go before you and bring you into the enemies so that God will blot them out". Besides, "he will also bring you to the place which I have prepared".
5. Thus, the guardian angel also accompanies us on our way of the Lord. He guards that we are not easily distracted and deviated from the right path. He will also lead us to our eternal destination. He directs and orients us to reach that destination, to "enter the kingdom of heaven", by helping us to "become like little children".
6. Therefore, on our part, we are exhorted to "give heed to him and hearken to his voice, not to rebel against him". In fact, our obedience and adherence is not so much to this or that particular guardian angel, but to God who guards us through them. It is God Himself who is acting through them.
7. Today, we also remember with reverence, admiration, and gratitude the great Mahatma Gandhi on his birthday. He deserves our homage because he too was like a guardian angel for the mother India, who was languishing like a little child under the British bondage. His selfless sacrifices and unswerving dedication brought freedom to the enslaved India. Let us not only admire him but also imitate him and in turn become ourselves the guardians and custodians of our dear mother India.
Practice: The fact that we are guarded personally by a guardian angel should make us deeply grateful to God for His meticulous concern for us amidst our human fragilities and precarity. We should also become more responsible by being more receptive and cooperative, to be guarded and guided{alertSuccess}