Praying with Confidence and Boldness

Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17

Job answered the LORD and said:

I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of mouth,
but now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I disown what I have said,
and repent in dust and ashes.

Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job
more than his earlier ones.
For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels,
a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
And he had seven sons and three daughters,
of whom he called the first Jemimah,
the second Keziah, and the third Kerenhappuch.
In all the land no other women were as beautiful
as the daughters of Job;
and their father gave them an inheritance
along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years;
and he saw his children, his grandchildren,
and even his great-grandchildren.
Then Job died, old and full of years.
 

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130

R. (135) Lord, let your face shine on me.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may know your decrees.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.

 

 

Alleluia See Matthew 11:25

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power
‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

”At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

- - -

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.

Praying with Confidence and Boldness

October 3, 2026 // Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17

Reflect on the Word // 

I finished telling the priest all the things I thought were going wrong and how much I didn’t understand what God was doing. He replied with a truth so simple and yet so profound that it altered how I viewed prayer: God can handle my emotions. I can approach Him at the altar with confidence and ask Him from the depths of my confusion and frustration, What is going on, Lord? 

As I considered these words, I recalled the story of Job. Job lost his wealth and livelihood, grieved the sudden death of his ten children, suffered from physical ailments, and lost the emotional support from his wife and friends. Yet, in today’s First Reading we hear Job say, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand” (Job 42:2-3).  

With deep faith, Job approached God with confidence and boldness. He entered into a dialogue with God, unafraid to ask questions, authentically sharing what he felt. He didn’t pretend to be okay but rather allowed God into the reality of his heart. Ultimately, God restored him and brought healing. In His faithfulness, God “blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones” (Job 42:10).

Job thought his life was over. He experienced profound tragedies, ones that perhaps we can see elements of in our own lives, but there is no suffering, ailment, or calamity on this earth that cannot be lifted at the command of Jesus. We believe in a God with the power to part the sea, make the mountains move, and even make the permanence of death crumble before Him. 

Wherever you are in your life right now, carrying the weight of your own crosses, I implore you to take heart. “Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).  May we, like Job, never fear to approach God with confidence and boldness, assured of His presence and His faithfulness, and invite Him into the realities of our own hearts.

Relate to the Lord // Take time today to think and journal about the “tragedies” in your own life. Ask the Lord to give you enduring faith like Job.

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