Where I Am Withered

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Ezekiel 33:7-9

Thus says the LORD:
You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel;
when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.
If I tell the wicked, "O wicked one, you shall surely die, "
and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way,
the wicked shall die for his guilt,
but I will hold you responsible for his death.
But if you warn the wicked,
trying to turn him from his way,
and he refuses to turn from his way,
he shall die for his guilt,
but you shall save yourself.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
"Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works."
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Reading 2 Romans 13:8-10

Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, "
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Alleluia 2 Corinthians 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
"If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that 'every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.'
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them."

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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.

September 7, 2026 // Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 6:6-11

The trip to Alaska was hard. A formidable headwind added ninety minutes to an already lengthy flight. By the time I gathered my bags, rented a car, shopped for some food staples, found my lodgings in the darkness of night, and then lugged my many bags inside, I was exhausted. It was a weary beginning to a week’s worth of speaking and leading retreats.

But the next morning, I had the chance to visit the adoration chapel where my reversion really began. It had been thirty-three years since I last visited this sacred, humble spot where Jesus taught me about His Eucharistic Heart. I stumbled into the chapel and collapsed before the Lord for a remarkable holy hour.

So much life had gone by since my last visit. I sat there chatting with Jesus like a long-lost friend reviewing the highs and lows, the sorrows and joys of three decades together. It had been thirty-three years of growth and grace, challenge and color, sickness and health, heartbreak and glory. And more restoration than I could have ever imagined possible. I was flooded with gratitude over the Lord’s fidelity and generosity, His mercy and tenderness over so much life.

The next day as I prepared for my first gig, it was as though I was the one with the withered hand, being called before the crowd in today’s Gospel. As if Jesus came into the room and asked me: “Stretch out your hand, your life, your heart before me.” And as I did, I was restored. Restored to overflowing. The entire trip to Alaska was nothing short of grace upon grace. On my return, I couldn’t stop grinning for a week.

We need never fear to approach the Lord in all our inadequacy. Where we are withered, Jesus is whole. Where we are empty, broken, and small, Jesus is mighty, infinite, and fullness forevermore. Where we crumple under the weight of our burdens and responsibilities, Jesus can lift us soaring to the heights of His glory and a lifetime of greater restoration and satisfaction.

Relate to the Lord // Spend a holy hour in thanksgiving for the “years of growth and grace, challenge and color, sickness and health, heartbreak and glory.”

Pray + Plan

About Liz Kelly Stanchina

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Liz Kelly is a jazz singer who met Jesus in late-night adoration. She is the author of more than a dozen award-winning books, including Anchored by Hope, Meditations to Calm the Anxious Soul, Jesus Approaches, Love Like a Saint, and A Place Called Golgotha. Her take home retreat for Jesus Approaches has been called "a spa for the soul." She holds advanced degrees in creative writing and Catholic studies. She is trained as a spiritual director, leading retreats and speaking around the world with a particular focus on helping women to flourish in their faith. Visit her website at LizK.org. Her popular column, Your Heart, His Home is available on Substack.