Diocese of Daru-Kiunga

07/10/2026

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹
Lk 11:5-13

Ask and you will receive.

✠ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?”

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM (Barcelona, Spain)

Today the Gospel is a catechesis from Jesus on prayer. He solemnly assures us that the Father always listens: “ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Lk 11:9).

At times, we might think that experience shows otherwise—that prayer doesn’t always “work” that way. But the truth is, we must pray with the right dispositions!

The first is constancy—perseverance. We are called to pray without losing heart, even if it seems that our prayer meets resistance or that it is not answered immediately. This is the lesson of the man who goes at midnight to ask his friend for bread. By his persistence, he receives what he needs. God is that friend who listens from within to the one who remains constant. We must trust that He will eventually grant what we ask, because He is not only Friend, but Father.

The second attitude Jesus teaches is trust and childlike love. God’s fatherhood goes infinitely beyond human fatherhood, which is always limited and imperfect: “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven …?” (Lk 11:13).

The third: we must ask above all for the Holy Spirit, and not only for material things. Jesus urges us to ask for the Spirit, assuring us that we will receive Him: “... how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Lk 11:13). This prayer is always answered. To ask for the Spirit is really to ask for the gift of prayer itself, since the Holy Spirit is its source and origin.

Blessed Brother Giles of Assisi, companion of St. Francis, summed up this Gospel teaching when he said: “Pray faithfully and devotedly, because a grace God has not granted you once, He may grant to you some other time. On your part, humbly place your whole mind in God, and God will place his grace in you, as and when He pleases.”

05/10/2026

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹
Lk 10:38-42

Martha welcomed him into her house. Mary has chosen the better part.

✠ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲

Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 Fr. Josep RIBOT i Margarit (Tarragona, Spain)

Today, as every day, we can learn from the Gospel. Jesus, invited to Martha's home in Bethany, gives us a lesson in humanity: He, who loved people, lets people love Him, for both things are equally important. It would be a serious mistake, with harmful consequences to our sanctity, to refuse God's and others' affection.

Martha or Mary? But..., why oppose those who loved each other so much and loved God too? Jesus loved Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus, and He loves each one of us, too.

On the path of sainthood not any two souls are exactly alike. We all try to love God, but within our own style and personality, without imitating anyone. Our models are Christ and the Mother of God. Do you resent how others treat God? Try to learn from his personal piety.

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me” (Lk 10:40). To serve others, for the love of God, is an honor, not a burden. Do we serve with joy, as the Mother of God did in her visit to her cousin Elisabeth, or at Cana's wedding, or as Jesus did when washing the Apostle's feet at the Last Supper?

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing” (Lk 10:41-42). Let us lose neither our peace nor our good humor. And to accomplish it, let us take good care to see and appreciate God's presence. “Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it… Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find Him” (St. Josemaría Escrivá).

“Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Lk 10:42). God wants us happy. May our Mother in Heaven help us to feel the joy of giving.

02/10/2026

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹
Lk 10:13-16

Whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.

✠ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲

Jesus said to them:
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.’
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 Fr. Jordi SOTORRA i Garriga (Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain)

Today we see Jesus turn His gaze toward those cities of Galilee that had been the object of His concern and where He had preached and performed the works of the Father. Nowhere else had he preached and performed miracles as he had in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. The sowing had been abundant, but the harvest was not good. Not even Jesus could convince them...! What a mystery, that of human freedom! We can say "no" to God... The Gospel message is not imposed by force; it is simply offered, and I can close myself off to it; I can accept it or reject it. The Lord fully respects my freedom. What a responsibility for me!

Jesus' words: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!" (Luke 10:13) at the end of His apostolic mission express more suffering than condemnation. The proximity of the Kingdom of God was not a call to repentance and change for those cities. Jesus recognizes that in Sidon and Tyre they would have made better use of all the grace bestowed on the Galileans.

Jesus' disappointment is greater when it comes to Capernaum. “Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld” (Luke 10:15). Peter had his house here and Jesus had made this city the center of his preaching. Once again, we see more sadness than threat in these words. We could say the same about many cities and people of our time. They think they are prospering when in reality they are sinking.

"Whoever listens to you listens to me" (Luke 10:16). These words, with which the Gospel concludes, are a call to conversion and bring hope. If we listen to the voice of Jesus, we still have time. Conversion consists of love progressively overcoming selfishness in our lives, which is always an unfinished work. Saint Maximus tells us: "There is nothing so pleasing and beloved by God as the fact that men convert to Him with sincere repentance."

01/10/2026

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘂𝘅

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹
Lk 10:1-12

Your peace will rest on him.

✠ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.’
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for S***m on that day
than for that town.”

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 Fr. Ignasi NAVARRI i Benet (La Seu d'Urgell, Lleida, Spain)

Today, Jesus speaks to us about the apostolic mission. Although “Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead” (Lk 10:1), the proclamation of the Gospel is a task that “cannot be delegated to a few ‘specialists’" (St. John Paul II). We are all called to this mission, and we must all feel responsible for it—each of us from our own place and state in life. On the day of our Baptism, these words were spoken to us: “You are a priest, a prophet, and a king for eternal life.” Today, more than ever, our world needs the witness of Christ’s followers.

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few” (Lk 10:2). Notice the hopeful tone of this mission. The text does not say, “There is much to sow and few to sow it.” If anything, in our society today—with such widespread ignorance of Christ and His Church—we might be tempted to speak in those terms. Yet Jesus points us toward the harvest, a vision that generates hope and joy. Let us not allow ourselves to be dragged down by pessimism or despair.

From the outset, the mission that awaits us is both exciting and challenging. The proclamation of Truth and Life—our mission—must never seek to force faith, but rather to invite a free response. As the Holy Father reminds us: ideas are proposed, not imposed.

“Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals” (Lk 10:4). The missionary’s only strength must be Christ Himself. And in order for Christ to fill one’s whole life, the evangelizer must be emptied of everything that is not Christ. Evangelical poverty is both the great requirement and the most credible testimony a missionary can give. Only such detachment makes us truly free.

The missionary proclaims peace. He is a bearer of peace because he brings Christ, the “Prince of Peace.” That is why Jesus instructs: “Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you” (Lk 10:5–6). Our world, our families, and our very selves are in desperate need of peace. This is our mission—urgent and exhilarating.

30/09/2026

30/09/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁. 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹
Lk 9:57-62

I will follow you wherever you go.

✠ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲

As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead.
But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 Fr. Lluc TORCAL Monk of Santa Maria de Poblet (Santa Maria de Poblet, Tarragona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel invites us to reflect on a central point of our faith with great clarity and no less insistence: the radical following of Jesus. "I will follow you wherever you go" (Lk 9:57). With what simplicity of expression can one propose something capable of completely changing a person's life! "Follow me" (Lk 9:59). Words of the Lord that admit no excuses, delays, conditions, or betrayals...

Christian life is this radical following of Jesus. Radical, not only because its entire duration desires to be under the guidance of the Gospel (because it encompasses, therefore, the entire duration of our lives), but—above all—because all its aspects—from the most extraordinary to the most ordinary—desire to be and must be a manifestation of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that animates us. Indeed, from Baptism, ours is no longer the life of just any ordinary person: we carry the life of Christ within us! Through the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts, it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. This is the Christian life, because it is a life filled with Christ, because Christ flows from its deepest roots: this is the life we are called to live.

When the Lord came into the world, although "every human race had its place, He did not have it: He found no place among men (...), except in a manger, among livestock and animals, and among the simplest and most innocent people. This is why He says: 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’" (Saint Jerome). The Lord will find a place among us if, like John the Baptist, we allow Him to increase and ourselves to decrease, that is, if we allow Him who already lives in us to grow, being pliable and docile to His Spirit, the source of all humility and innocence.

28/09/2026

𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝕱𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝕾𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝕸𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥, 𝕲𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥 & 𝕽𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥
𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬

𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥
Jn 1:47–51

You will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

✠ 𝐀 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐞

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
“Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Nathanael answered him,
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this.”
And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 Cardinal Jorge MEJÍA Archivist and Librarian of Holy Roman Church (Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today, in the Feast of the Saints Archangels, Jesus manifests to his Apostles and to everyone else, the presence of his angels and their relationship with Him. They are in the Lord's celestial glory, where they eternally exalt the Son of man, who is the Son of God. They surround Him and are at His service.

This “ascending and descending” reminds us of the episode of the Patriarch Jacob, who on his trip to Mesopotamia, the dwelling land of his ancestors, slept over a stone and had the vision of the angels “descending and ascending” by a mysterious ladder which reached from earth to heaven, and of Yahweh renewing to him the glorious promises which He had made to Abraham and Isaac. We should notice the relationship between the Divine communication and the active presence of the angels.

Thus, Gabriel, Michael and Raphael appear in the Bible as present in earthly events and, as Saint Gregory the Great tells us, bringing to men messages which will decisively change our lives through their presence and their very actions. They are precisely named “archangels”, that is, princes of the angels, because they are sent on the greatest missions.

Gabriel is sent to announce to the Blessed Virgin Mary the virginal conception of the Son of God (cf. Lk 1:28-30). Michael fights against the rebel angels who are cast out from Heaven (cf. Rev 12). He announces, thus, the mystery of His Divine justice, which is also exerted against those rebelling angels, while assuring us of His victory —and ours too— over Evil. Raphael accompanies the young Tobias, protects and advises him, and, finally, heals his father (cf. Tob). This way, we are told of the presence of angels beside each one of us: the angel we name the Guardian Angel.

Let us learn from this celebration of the archangels “ascending and descending” upon the Son of man, that they serve God, but they serve Him for our sake. They glorify the Holy Trinity, and they do it while serving us. And, consequently, we realize how much devotion we owe them and how grateful we should also be to the Father who sends them for our own good.

28/09/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝕱𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝕾𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝕷𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝕽𝘂𝗶𝘇 𝗱𝗲 𝕸𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗮
𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹
Jn 15:18-21

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

✠ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
‘No slave is greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me”.

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a difficult but deeply consoling truth: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me before it hated you.” Jesus does not promise His disciples a life without opposition. Instead, He promises that when we remain faithful to Him, we will never walk alone.

This becomes especially meaningful as we celebrate the Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino canonized saint and a martyr of the Christian faith.

Lorenzo was an ordinary man—a husband, a father, a servant of the Church. Yet when his faith was tested, he discovered something greater than the desire to preserve his own life: the love of Christ was worth more than his fear of death.

When he was given the opportunity to renounce his faith, Lorenzo chose fidelity. His famous words express the depth of his conviction: “I am a Christian and wholeheartedly do I accept death for God; had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shall I offer.”

This is precisely what Jesus means when He says, “If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own.”

To follow Christ does not always mean being accepted by everyone. Sometimes, faithfulness means standing alone. Sometimes, doing what is right means being misunderstood. Sometimes, choosing Christ means refusing the easy path when the easy path leads us away from the Gospel. But San Lorenzo teaches us that martyrdom does not begin at the moment of death. It begins in the small daily choices to remain faithful. Every time we choose truth instead of lying, forgiveness instead of revenge, purity instead of temptation, generosity instead of selfishness, and Christ instead of convenience, we are already learning the courage of a martyr. The world may tell us: Compromise your faith. Keep quiet. Follow what everyone else is doing.

But Christ tells us: Remain in me. Do not be afraid.

San Lorenzo Ruiz reminds us that our Christian identity is not something we should hide when it becomes inconvenient. We are Christians not only inside the church, but also in our homes, workplaces, communities, and wherever God places us. His life asks us a profound question: When my faith is tested, what am I willing to sacrifice in order to remain faithful to Christ? May we ask for the intercession of San Lorenzo Ruiz, that we may have his courage without hatred, his fidelity without pride, and his strength without violence. And may we remember: the world may reject the disciple, but Christ never abandons the one who remains faithful to Him.

San Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us,
that like you, we may remain faithful to Christ until the end. Amen.

25/09/2026

“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing" it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.”
- Blessed Fulton J. Sheen

Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for us

23/09/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹
Lk 9:7–9

John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?

✠ 𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 Fr. Jorge R. BURGOS Rivera SBD (Cataño, Puerto Rico)

Today, the Gospel text tells us that Herod wanted to see Jesus (cf. Lk 9:9). That desire to see Jesus stemmed from curiosity. There was a lot of talk about Jesus because of the miracles he performed along his way. Many people spoke of Him. Jesus’s actions reminded the people of various prophets: Elijah, John the Baptist, etc. Yet, because it was mere curiosity, this desire did not go any deeper. Indeed, when Herod finally saw Him, Jesus made no great impression on him (cf. Lk 23:8-11). His desire vanished upon seeing Him face-to-face, because Jesus refused to answer his questions. This silence on Jesus’s part exposed Herod as corrupt and depraved.

Like Herod, we have surely felt, at some point, a desire to see Jesus. While we no longer have the Jesus of flesh and blood as in Herod’s time, we do have other ways in which Jesus is present. I would like to highlight two of them.

In the first place, Church tradition has made Thursdays a special day for seeing Jesus in the Eucharist. There are many places today where Jesus in the Eucharist is exposed for adoration. "Eucharistic adoration is an essential way of being with the Lord. In the sacred Host, he is present, the true treasure, always waiting for us. He is not there for himself, but for us" (Benedict XVI). —Draw near, so that you may be dazzled by His presence.

In the second place, we can refer to a popular song that says: "He is with us, yet we do not recognize Him." Jesus is present in so many of our brothers and sisters who have been marginalized, who suffer, and who have no one who "wants to see them." In his encyclical God Is Love, Pope Benedict XVI states: "Love of neighbor, grounded in the love of God, is first and foremost a responsibility for each individual member of the faithful, but it is also a responsibility for the entire ecclesial community." Thus, Jesus is waiting for you; He welcomes you with open arms in both situations. Draw near!