Daily Catholic Lectio
Sat, 5 Oct ‘24
XXVI Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday
Saint Maria Faustina, Memoria
Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17. Luke 10:17-24
Joy restored
Joy is a gift from God, often tested by trials, suffering, and hardships. Yet, through God’s grace, joy can be restored, often deeper and richer than before. Both Job’s story and the joyful return of the disciples remind us that joy comes not from worldly success or comfort, but from a deeper understanding of God’s presence and work in our lives. God restores Job’s property, wealth, and children. God’s restoration offers us hope, not a guarantee!
1. Restoration through humility and trust
In Job’s final response to God, we see a man who has endured immense suffering, yet his faith is renewed. Job humbly acknowledges God’s wisdom and power: “I know that You can do all things; no purpose of Yours can be opposed” (Job 42:2). He confesses that he had spoken of things beyond his understanding. Job’s joy is restored not because his suffering is explained but because he encounters God in a deeper way. His joy flows from a renewed trust and surrender to God’s will.
True joy is restored when we surrender our need for control and trust God, even when we don’t understand His ways. Job teaches us that joy is found not in having all the answers but in trusting that God’s wisdom is greater than ours. When we humble ourselves before God, we open ourselves to His grace, allowing Him to restore our joy.
2. Joy in mission and service
In the Gospel, the seventy-two disciples return to Jesus filled with joy, exclaiming that even the demons submit to them in His name. They are rejoicing in the success of their mission, but Jesus reminds them that their true joy should not be in their power over spirits, but that their names are written in heaven. This shows that while the mission and the works they accomplished brought joy, their deeper joy comes from being part of God’s eternal plan and sharing in His Kingdom.
Our mission and service in the world bring moments of joy, but true and lasting joy comes from knowing that we belong to God and have a place in His Kingdom. As disciples, we are called to share in God’s work, but we must remember that our deepest joy is not in the results we see but in our relationship with God and the eternal hope we have in Him.
3. The joy of revelation and communion with God
After the disciples return, Jesus Himself rejoices in the Holy Spirit and praises the Father for revealing the mysteries of the Kingdom to the ‘little ones’ and not to the wise and learned. Jesus’ joy is rooted in the Father’s gracious revelation and in the communion He shares with those who humbly receive God’s message. This passage shows that the deepest source of joy is being part of God’s family, experiencing His love, and understanding His plan for our lives through the gift of revelation.
Our joy is restored when we live in communion with God, recognizing that He desires to share His love and His Kingdom with us. This joy is not temporary, but eternal, rooted in our relationship with the living God.
On Saint Maria Faustina
Saint Maria Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, brought the world the message of God’s infinite love and compassion through her visions of Christ. Her deep trust in God’s mercy and her dedication to prayer and sacrifice inspire us to seek and share His forgiveness. Through her, we are reminded that no sin is greater than God’s mercy. Her life calls us to trust in Jesus, embrace His mercy, and extend it to others with love and humility.
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The ‘pilgrims of hope’ realise that true joy is found in knowing we are God’s children. (Jubilee 2025 AD, bite 217)
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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