He Lifts Our Burdens

Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Galatians 5:18-25

Brothers and sisters:
If you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry,
sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy,
outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness,
dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,
drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.
I warn you, as I warned you before,
that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, generosity,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their flesh
with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6

R. (see Jn 8:12) Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.

Alleluia John 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 11:42-46

The Lord said:
“Woe to you Pharisees!
You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,
but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.
These you should have done, without overlooking the others.
Woe to you Pharisees!
You love the seat of honor in synagogues
and greetings in marketplaces.
Woe to you!
You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”

Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,
“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”
And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!
You impose on people burdens hard to carry,
but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Callistus I, Pope and Martyr

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

October 14, 2026 // Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time // Optional Memorial of Saint Callistus I, Pope and Martyr

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 11:42-46

Reflect on the Word //

I was pulling staples out of the subflooring while my teenage sons loosened nailstrips from the old carpeting. Weeks into our home-improvement project, this was the first time they were involved in the early stages of renovations. Even though they’d heard my husband describe the steps to prepare for the new floor, my sons hadn’t seen how it worked. They know how to follow directions and use the simple tools but, without seeing a demonstration, they might have made avoidable mistakes and become frustrated, perhaps even giving up.

Today’s Gospel came to mind as I worked with my sons. I could have stood above my boys while they worked, giving them directions without an example. I could have left them alone after telling them what to do. I could have left them with the burden of figuring out how to do what was expected.

As I continued to pull up staples and give tips to my boys, I thought of the scholars and Pharisees who did not lift a finger to help the people (see Luke 11:46). Connections fell into place in my mind: As I worked side by side with my sons, I eased their burden of learning and working alone. The scholars and Pharisees could have engaged more with the people rather than merely imposing burdens with the law. They could have learned from Jesus, discovering the Heart of God rather than neglecting Him (see Luke 11:42). And I thought about Jesus, Who shouldered the burden of our sins during His Passion.

Jesus’ Incarnation is the ultimate example to us. He became Man to share in the joys and sorrows of this life, to show us how to love and serve. He did more than “lift one finger” (Luke 11:46). Through His Passion, Jesus spent every last drop of His life.

Relate to the Lord // Name one joy and one sorrow on your heart today. Ask Jesus to shoulder the burdens and to show you how He rejoices with you in your joys.

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About Gina Fensterer

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Gina Fensterer is a wife and mother of six children. She is passionate about finding God in the ordinary moments of her vocation. She loves Adoration, praying with Scripture, long morning walks, and fitness. She was a contributing author to And Hay Became Holy and our children's devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Read more by her here.