The Catholic Calendar for Saturday, September 30, 2006
Saturday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Ecclesiastes 11:9—12:8
Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17
Luke 9:43b-45

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"But they did not understand this saying . . . ."

This is a very sad passage. Perhaps one of the saddest in the gospels before the Passion. What is so sad?

Jesus told them something very important, something they needed to understand and prepare for, something that would change their lives fundamentally, transforming them completely. But they didn't understand what was said. Not to understand is fine, but they were also too afraid to ask what it meant. They didn't understand, but they were frightened of its implications.

But what if they had had the courage to ask? What doors might have been opened? How might the course of the faith have been changed if these Apostles had been prepared and had gone forth boldly from the moment of the happening, understanding that the Death of Jesus was for the whole world and would transform the world? Yes, they came to understand this through time, but much time was lost.

Do you sometimes read something in the Word that sounds hard, or daunting, or frightening? Do you gloss over it, subduing it with prayer and other reading, rushing to another passage? Instead, rather than being afraid, why not turn to the Master and ask Him to explain? You might be surprised at what you hear. I've read the Bible steadily for more years than I care to say, and I've yet to encounter a hard word that did not encase a message of profound love and deep sympathy for our weakness.

Every word of the Bible is a word of deep and abiding love and faithfulness on the part of God. And where this exists, fear cannot abide. Hear something in your reading that disturbs you? Then it's probably the message you most need to hear. Stop and listen and ask for an explanation. In time it will come and you will rejoice in what God has for you!

- JuandelaCruz
(sriddle415 at yahoo dot com)