Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 25, 2026
Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’”
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.
He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
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.
Chapter nine of Luke’s Gospel is packed with activity: the mission of the Twelve, the feeding of the five thousand, the conditions of discipleship, the transfiguration of Jesus, and the healing of the boy with the demon. There is so much happening in Jesus’ life, and yet, in today’s reading, Luke draws our attention to something very simple and very important: Jesus taking time to pray in solitude.
The Bible records many occasions when Jesus withdrew from the activity and demands around him to spend time alone in prayer. In Mark 1:35, “Jesus went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” In Luke 5:16, Jesus “would withdraw to deserted places to pray.” Again, in Luke 6:12, we are told that Jesus “departed to the mountain to pray.” If Jesus, in the midst of his busy and demanding ministry, made solitude and prayer a priority, how much more important is it for us?
Our lives are full of activity and demands. It is easy to become so busy taking care of everything around us that we neglect the most important thing—taking time to be alone with our Lord. Solitude allows us to step away from the noise of the world and open our hearts so that we can hear Jesus speak to us. It allows us to slow down, to reflect, to give thanks, to seek guidance, and to remember that our lives are ultimately about something much greater than the busyness of this world.
Quiet time with the Lord reminds us of our true purpose and our most important mission: to know, love, and serve God and, ultimately, to reach eternity with God in heaven. In the midst of all the activity of our lives, may we follow the example of Jesus and make time each day to withdraw from the noise, enter into solitude, and simply spend time with our Lord in prayer.
Prayer
Jesus Christ is Lord. This is our profession, but we can struggle to live it out. By God’s grace, we can continue to give over every part of our lives, every part of ourselves, into Christ’s hands. As the Constitutions of Holy Cross state, “There is no failure the Lord’s love cannot reverse, no humiliation he cannot exchange for blessing, no anger he cannot dissolve, no routine he cannot transfigure. All is swallowed up in victory.” Jesus, do not relent until every part of us proclaims your name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
While St. Vincent Strambi was a bishop who single-handedly saved a city from Napoleon’s army, he is honored even more for so faithfully loving the Christian flock he was charged to shepherd.
The son of a pharmacist, Vincent Strambi was born in Italy in 1745. As a boy, Vincent liked to play practical jokes. The plucky good nature that inspired him to constantly prank his friends also inspired him to give away his own overcoat or shoes to any homeless child he encountered.
His parents saw his faithfulness, even at his young age, and decided that he would become a diocesan priest. Vincent made a retreat before his ordination, which was led by St. Paul of the Cross, who founded the Passionist order of priests, and he decided to enter that religious community instead. His parents strongly objected, which led to a prolonged confrontation between them and Vincent.
As soon as he was ordained a Passionist priest, Vincent was asked to become a leader by teaching theology and preaching to seminarians and filling administrative roles in the Passionist community. He led the Passionist community for 20 years before being elected bishop of Macareta-Tolentino, Italy.
The virtues which ruled Vincent's life as a bishop were zeal and discipline, and these virtues enriched the lives of the priests and laity of his diocese. As bishop, Vincent was especially attentive to the people in his care during both a typhoid epidemic and when a famine struck the city. In 1808, he was commanded to take an oath of obedience to Napoleon, but St. Vincent refused, and was accordingly expelled from his diocese. He continued to guide his people through correspondence.
Five years later, Napoleon was deposed and exiled, and Vincent returned to his diocese. Soon after, however, Napoleon escaped his imprisonment and, with 30,000 soldiers, occupied Macerata as his headquarters. His troops were defeated in the Battle of Tolentino and returned to sack and loot this city in their path of retreat. But Vincent went into the streets to plead with them—his courage saved the city.
After retiring as bishop, he moved to the Vatican to serve as an advisor to the Pope. He remained faithful to prayer and penance, and he died at the age of seventy-nine in 1824. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Vincent Strambi, you single-handedly saved a city from Napoleon’s army—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Vincent Strambi is in the public domain. Last accessed April 3, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
