November 6, 2026 // Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Philippians 3:17–4:1

Reflect on the Word // 

“Is it a crisis or is it a potential crisis?” I asked. 

His eyes met mine and he gave me a glimmer of a smile. “I guess it is a potential crisis but it could very easily become a crisis if—” 

I gently cut him off with the raise of my hand and suggested we address it when it becomes a crisis. I assured him that we had done everything we could. The likelihood of it becoming a crisis was very small and we were currently powerless to affect the situation. A potential crisis would not take center stage in our morning.  

The tempo of modern life often moves us from disaster to disaster where we have little power, control, or influence. It can be easy to live with heightened anxiety, trying to stay alert to the next catastrophe. We waste time, focus, and energy on problems we can’t solve, becoming distracted with things that are none of our concern, rather than tending to those who are in need right before us. 

In today’s First Reading, Saint Paul gives us a better way. We are instructed to stand firm in the Lord and our citizenship in Heaven, and to not let our minds become occupied with earthly things (see Philippians 3:19-20). There will always be struggles to persevere through, problems to solve, and situations that are less than ideal. In those moments, we call upon the Lord and His guidance to help us figure it out. But until then, we keep our focus on being a sister of Christ, a friend of the Cross (see Philippians 3:18), and continue standing firm in the Lord. 

Relate to the Lord // Identify the things that are occupying your mind. Lift your eyes off the crisis and towards Heaven.