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Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Reading 1 : Job 9:1-12, 14-16

Job answered his friends and said:

I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God?
Should one wish to contend with him,
he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
God is wise in heart and mighty in strength;
who has withstood him and remained unscathed?

He removes the mountains before they know it;
he overturns them in his anger.
He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble.
He commands the sun, and it rises not;
he seals up the stars.

He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads upon the crests of the sea.
He made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south;
He does great things past finding out,
marvelous things beyond reckoning.

Should he come near me, I see him not;
should he pass by, I am not aware of him;
Should he seize me forcibly, who can say him nay?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

How much less shall I give him any answer,
or choose out arguments against him!
Even though I were right, I could not answer him,
but should rather beg for what was due me.
If I appealed to him and he answered my call,
I could not believe that he would hearken to my words.

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 88:10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15

R. (3) Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?
R. Let my prayer come before you, Lord.

Alleluia : Philippians 3:8-9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I consider all things so much rubbish
that I may gain Christ and be found in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 9:57-62

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.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings reveal a profound truth:
God welcomes our deepest pain — and calls us to respond to rejection with mercy, not anger.
• Job teaches us that honest lament is part of faith.
• The psalm shows that God hears even the darkest prayers.
• Jesus reveals that His mission is rooted in compassion, not retaliation.
The message is clear: God meets us in our suffering and invites us to mirror His mercy in our relationships.

 Reflection for the Day

Job’s lament is one of the most intense in Scripture.
He does not hide his pain. He does not pretend to be strong. He does not offer polite prayers.
Instead, he cries out:
“Why is light given to those in misery?”
This is not rebellion — it is honesty. Job teaches us that faith is not the absence of pain; faith is bringing our pain to God.
Psalm 88 echoes this darkness:
• “My soul is full of troubles.”
• “I am like one without strength.”
• “You have put me in the depths of the pit.”
This psalm is unique because it ends without resolution — reminding us that Scripture makes room for prayers that do not yet have answers.
Then the Gospel shifts the tone.
Jesus is rejected by a Samaritan village. James and John react with anger:
“Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven?”
But Jesus rebukes them.
His mission is not vengeance. His mission is mercy.
Even in rejection, Jesus chooses compassion.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Bring your honest pain to God.
   He welcomes your lament, your questions, your tears.
2. Trust that God hears even when answers feel delayed.
   Darkness does not mean abandonment.
3. Respond to rejection with mercy, not retaliation.
   Let Christ’s heart shape your reactions.
   Let today be a day of honesty, healing, and Christ‑like compassion.

 Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, I bring You my pain, my questions, and the burdens I carry.
Meet me in my darkness as You met Job and the psalmist.
Give me a heart like Yours — slow to anger, quick to show mercy, ready to forgive.
Strengthen me when I feel rejected, and teach me to respond with compassion and peace.
Walk with me today, and fill my heart with Your light.
Amen.