But First

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

Reading 1 Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched:

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

or Revelation 12:7-12ab

War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them."

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 4-5

R. (1) In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD
"Great is the glory of the LORD
R. In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.

Alleluia Psalm 103:21

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 1:47-51

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

 

- - -

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.

But First

September 30, 2026 // Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 9:57-62

Reflect on the Word // 

I didn't realize how often I was saying “yes, but” to God until I started paying attention to my prayers.

Yes, Lord, I trust You . . . but first let me figure out what's going to happen.

Yes, Lord, I'll follow You . . . but first let me feel more certain.

Yes, Lord, I'll take that step . . . but first let me make sure it won't cost too much.

None of those conditions seemed unreasonable. In fact, they felt responsible—wise, even. But over time, I began to notice that my desire for clarity was often disguising a deeper hesitation: I wanted to follow God, but only if I could keep one hand on the plow and one hand on the future.

In today's Gospel, Jesus encounters three people who express a desire to follow Him. Yet each conversation contains a condition, a delay, or a reason to wait. The requests themselves aren't bad. They are human. Reasonable. Understandable.

And yet Jesus' responses feel surprisingly direct.

Why? Because He knows something we often forget: discipleship cannot be lived with one foot moving forward and one foot planted in what we're unwilling to leave behind.

The final image stays with me: "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). A farmer looking backward cannot move forward in a straight line. In the same way, following Jesus requires a certain freedom of heart—a willingness to trust Him with what lies ahead rather than constantly measuring what we're leaving behind.

That doesn't mean the road is easy. It means Christ Himself is worth following.

We all have our own versions of "but first" (Luke 9:61). May we have the courage to place them before the Lord and trust Him with what we cannot yet see. For the Kingdom is built not by looking backward, but by fixing our eyes on the One Who calls us forward.

Relate to the Lord // Is there something in the past that is keeping you from moving forward? Talk about it with a friend and pray together.

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