Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 10, 2026
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
Many of us may not remember our first confession; I had the privilege of having a mentor who did. He told me that as an older man, his first confession took hours. At first it was awkward, then heartfelt, then contrite and sorrowful. What pain had he inflicted, how many evil thoughts and actions did he lay before the Lord that evening? Not hours, but days would not suffice to confess a lifetime of sin. He said that he found himself weeping bitterly by the end. He expected the priest to be angry with him. Instead, he looked up to find him smiling from ear to ear. … “The Lord has freed you from your sins, go in peace.”
What does it mean to forgive?
In today’s gospel, I hear a hard word from our Lord: that I ought to be glad even in the process of being wronged. Not only that, but I am told to give more than what was stolen, to loan without asking for return, to forgive even before an apology. How can I live up to such a standard?
I think this is why the Lord has given us confession. In that space, we are taught how to forgive by way of example. Just like my mentor’s priest, the Lord is overjoyed and even smiles when we ask for forgiveness. When we leave, we should hear a quiet exhortation: ‘go and do likewise.’
We are not promised that this will be easy. We are not even promised that others will be grateful or apologetic when we forgive. But now I am reminded of the faith of Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, who said, “When I consider the cross of Christ, how can anything I do be called a sacrifice?”
Prayer
Loving God, help us to understand that those we call enemy are also members of your body and blood. Help us to see clearly that they are the ones we need to allow into our hearts that we might be converted to seeing as you see and loving as you love. We ask your blessing on those who oppose and offend us, that their hearts might also reflect your radiant love. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Nicholas of Tolentino was a priest in 13th century Italy who is known for his miracles among the poor and neglected.
His parents were childless until they visited a shrine of St. Nicholas and asked for a son who would serve God. The couple received a boy and named him after the saint who had helped them conceive.
As a child, Nicholas imitated hermits and would hide in the caves near his home and pray. As he matured, he heard God calling him to dedicate his life to prayer and reflection, and when he heard an Augustinian priest preaching one day, he resolved to join that order of priests.
While in formation, he complemented his theological studies by distributing food to the poor at the monastery gate. His first miracle happened when he placed his hand on the head of a sick boy and said, “The good God will heal you.” The boy was instantly cured. A few years later he was ordained a priest, and became famous for using the same words to heal a woman who was blind.
He settled in a monastery in Tolentino, and spent the rest of his life there preaching in the streets. Though the city was torn by civil discord, he raised people’s attention to heaven. Many were moved to conversion upon hearing him.
One man, however, was not moved. He was used to a wayward, evil life, and whenever he came upon Nicholas preaching in the streets, he would try to shout him down and disrupt the crowd’s concentration. Nicholas refused to be intimidated—he was resolute and patient, and this steadfastness began to have an effect on the man’s heart.
One day, the man brought friends to fight with swords in the street near Nicholas as he preached, so as to cause people to scatter. Nicholas persisted, though, and the man put down his sword and began to listen. Afterwards, he apologized to Nicholas and began to reform his life.
Soon after this, Nicholas became a sought-after confessor and would sometimes spend the whole day hearing confessions. He also went into the slums of Tolentino to care for the poor and sick—many stories of conversions and healings were attributed to his work. “Say nothing of this,” Nicholas would say after an extraordinary event due to his intercession. “Give thanks to God, not to me. I am only an earthen vessel, a poor sinner.”
Nicholas spent the last year of his life suffering from an illness that killed him. He got up from his bed only once, to hear the confession of one who was burdened with a great sin, but refused to speak to anyone but Nicholas. He died on this date in 1305 and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Nicholas is patron saint of babies, those who work on the water, and those who are dying.
St. Nicholas of Tolentino, you were the monk who inspired conversions with miracles and preaching, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Nicholas of Tolentino is in the public domain. Last accessed April 3, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
