Gospel for September 28 2025 – Luke 16:19-31
Gospel Reflections for September 28 2025
Go, you are sent!
These are final words at Mass, when Our Lord sends you out to the world.
The early church spoke Latin so they would say Ite, Missa est, meaning Go! You are sent! They soon named the entire event after the Latin word Missa meaning “sent” which later became our English word Mass.
Our Lord wanted Mass to both strengthen your soul …and send you out to change the world. You have a powerful mission from God!
Today’s Gospel portrays a rich man who never even notices a poor man outside his door. His rich life made no difference to those around him. That must never be said of you. Mass is meant to send you into the world to make it better!
Just after World War II, Pope Pius XII was deeply troubled. Twice in his lifetime he saw all of Catholic Europe at war, in World War I and in World War II. Something was wrong! He sensed that Mass was having no practical effect!
He believed that if you were the same person at the end of Mass as you were at the beginning of Mass…well, you had not been to Mass!
Pope Pius XII and later Pope John XXIII knew that meeting Our Lord changes everything for the better …and Mass was where that meeting would take place. They wanted to remove anything that got in the way of your meeting Our Lord …and so Mass is now said in local languages.
That is why the purpose of every Mass is for you to personally and privately meet the Lord. Your focus is always on Our Lord …and to know where is to be found.
BEFORE MASS, our focus is on the tabernacle, where Our Lord is reserved in the Eucharist.
DURING MASS, our focus is on Jesus at the altar, in the scriptures, and especially at the consecration, when the priest changes the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Our Lord.
AFTER COMMUNION, where is Our Lord to be found? …He is now within you! You should immediately focus on His presence within yourself …and not on standing or looking elsewhere.
Immediately after receiving communion …you sit or kneel in personal and private contemplation to speak and listen to Our Lord who is now within you.
Ask Him how you can be different in all of your day’s events. With His wisdom now within you …Go! …you are sent into the world to make it a better place!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Thanks for explaining the History of the Mass. I find it interesting that it was taught to me in Catholic School to be an Obligation. I find it more a time to seek a closer relation to God and through him my Neighbor. The Words of Consecration , scripture and Homily place me in a time of complete relaxation and feeling of belonging. Different Races, Incomes, political leanings gathered in unison to Worship our Lord and Creator.
I treasure the time spent there and the people I meet there.
I especially appreciate the Priests, Deacons, Lectors, Ushers Nuns that keep it going.
Beautiful response!
Thank you, Fr. Dave, for reiterating where our attention should be at each moment in the Mass. Our blessed Lord should always be the focus. As a new grandmother, I can appreciate the fact of a living being actually inside of the mother, but then sent out into the world to change the lives of those around him or her. How similar to Jesus within us after Communion and how we should allow Him to have an effect on all we meet.
Beautiful analogy!
Dear Father Dave, Dick and Iso love our precious Mass! We love the Gospel, the Homily but most of all we loveeeeeeeeeeeee receiving our precious Jesus of Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! We feelHhis precious loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee giving to us with His loving Body and Blood and then we loveeeeeeeee His loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and want to share it with everyone!! We are so beautifully Blessed!!
We all must live our Jesus’ love and overwhelm our world with His love, one person at a time as you beautifully do!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
thank you!
Thank you Fr Dave for stressing the importance of relating to the
Presence of Jesus, before. during and after the Mass.
Yes, indeed. He is our focus.
Wow Father! Very inspirational, a great wake up call and a reminder of what Mass is all about.
Thanks!🙏
You are welcome!
Yes, this is the time when we can easily be distracted from the presence of our Lord.
Yes, a time to focus on Our Lord.
Dear Father Dave,
Yes, we are definitely changed during and subsequently after Mass.
How can we not be affected by the beauty of grace in prayer and Holy Communion….
Thank you for your enlightening reflection! God bless.
Kathleen
You are welcome!