Today's Catholic Mass Readings & Gospel Reflection - Saturday, September 30, 2023.

Today's Catholic Mass Readings & Gospel Reflection - Saturday,September 30, 2023. Feast day of Saint Jerome. a priest & doctor. FIRST READING : Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15 Zechariah, raised my eyes and looked: there was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered, "To measure Jerusalem, to see how great is its width and how great its length."Then the angel who spoke with me advanced, and another angel came out to meet him and said to him, "Run, tell this to that young man: People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country, because of the multitude of men and beasts in her midst. But i will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD, and i will be the glory in her midst." Sing and rejoice, o daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you. RESPONSORIAL PSALM : "The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock." GOSPEL : 9:43-45 While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to what i am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men." But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying. Reflection from our holy gospel. "THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THIS SAYING". Jesus predicts, for the second time, his being handed over to men, the first time being right after Peter's confession (Luke9:22). The apostles simply cannot understand why their Master should suffer such a shameful fate. Jesus has just been transfigured. Some of them have seen his glory. All of them have witnessed his power over evil spirits. Now what is he talking about? They cannot figure out. They will understand only when they witness what happens to him in Jerusalem . Shortly after this, Jesus ends his ministry in Galilee and proceeds to Jerusalem. When we are with Jesus, it does not mean that we understand everything he says. Let us not pretend to know much about Jesus, even if we are reading the Bible every day, listening to the homilies of our famous preachers and to the lectures of the distinguished theologians, or enrolled at some prestigious biblical or theological schools. We will fully understand him only when we ourselves have undergone the same fate: passion and death.