The daily reflection series continues on Tuesday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time. The Mass readings for September 22, 2026, bring together the wisdom of Proverbs, the prayer of Psalm 119, and Jesus’ teaching that true belonging in the family of God is shown by hearing the Word and acting upon it.
The Daily Mass Readings for September 22, 2026
The complete readings are available through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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First Reading: Proverbs 21:1–6, 10–13
“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” -
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44
“Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” -
Gospel Acclamation: Luke 11:28
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” -
Gospel: Luke 8:19–21
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Hearing the Word Requires an Upright Heart
The First Reading from Proverbs presents a series of observations about leadership, integrity, diligence, justice, and concern for the poor. At the center of the passage is the recognition that God examines the human heart:
“All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the LORD who proves hearts.”
Human beings can justify their decisions and consider their actions reasonable. The wisdom of Scripture, however, directs attention beyond appearances and self-assessment. The Lord sees whether a person’s intentions are truthful, whether decisions are just, and whether religious practice is connected to charity.
Proverbs states that doing what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. This teaching does not diminish the importance of worship or sacrifice. Instead, it establishes the necessary relationship between liturgical worship and daily conduct. The worship offered at the altar must be reflected in the treatment of neighbors, the use of material resources, and the defense of those experiencing poverty.
The passage also warns against dishonest gain, pride, rash decision-making, and indifference to the cry of the poor. Such warnings remain relevant to personal life, public leadership, parish administration, and the stewardship of charitable resources. A heart formed by the Word of God cannot remain indifferent to injustice.
The Responsorial Psalm provides the appropriate response: “Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” The psalmist does not rely only on personal judgment. The psalm asks for discernment, understanding, and perseverance so that God’s law may be observed with the whole heart.
“My Mother and My Brothers”
In the Gospel of Luke, the mother of Jesus and his brothers come to see him, but the crowd prevents them from reaching him. When Jesus is informed of their presence, he says:
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
This statement does not reject the importance of Mary or the bonds of family. Rather, Jesus reveals that the family of God is formed through faithful discipleship. Those who hear the Word and live according to it enter into a relationship with Christ that is deeper than social proximity or natural association.
The Gospel identifies two inseparable movements:
- Hearing the Word of God
- Acting upon the Word of God
Listening without obedience remains incomplete. Christian discipleship includes the proclamation of Scripture, attentive participation in the liturgy, personal prayer, and the practical application of the Gospel in daily life. The Word becomes fruitful when it shapes decisions, relationships, priorities, and service.
Mary stands as a model of this discipleship. At the Annunciation, she received the message of the angel and responded with faith. Her life demonstrates that hearing the Word involves openness to God’s will and readiness to cooperate with it. In this sense, Jesus’ teaching also points toward the pattern of discipleship already embodied by his mother.
The Eucharist and the Word Made Present
The Catholic celebration of the Eucharist unites the proclamation of the Word with the sacramental presence of Christ. At Mass, the faithful listen to the Scriptures and are nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ. The liturgy therefore calls for more than passive attention. It forms the faithful for a life in which the Word is carried from the church into the world.
The Eucharist sends the Christian community toward concrete acts of charity, justice, reconciliation, and missionary service. The words of Proverbs concerning the poor and the Gospel command to act on God’s Word meet in the Eucharistic life of the Church. Those who receive Christ are called to recognize Christ in others, especially in communities lacking material resources, pastoral support, or access to stable religious formation.
The Eucharist also forms the Church as a universal family. Catholics in different nations and cultures are united around the same altar and entrusted with responsibility for one another. This communion includes support for local churches in mission territories, where indigenous priests, religious sisters, brothers, and catechists serve communities in their own languages and cultural settings.
Hearing and Acting Through the Formation of Local Clergy
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle provides a concrete missionary expression of today’s Gospel. The Society was founded in 1889 through the collaboration of Bishop Jules-Alphonse Cousin, MEP, Vicar Apostolic of Southern Japan and later Bishop of Nagasaki, and Stéphanie and Jeanne Bigard in France.
Bishop Cousin recognized the need for local priests who could serve the growing Christian communities of Japan. Financial limitations prevented the acceptance and formation of some promising priestly vocations. The Bigards responded to this need, helping establish a society dedicated to the formation of indigenous clergy and religious.
The Society continues this mission by working with local bishops and Christian communities. Its assistance includes:
- Ordinary subsidies for the daily needs and formation of seminarians, novices, and religious sisters.
- Extraordinary subsidies for constructing and renovating seminaries.
- Self-sustainability projects that strengthen the long-term capacity of local churches.
- Mass intentions that assist seminary formators and missionary priests.
- Scholarships for future seminary educators.
This work reflects the Gospel’s movement from hearing to action. A local church hears the Word in its own circumstances and requires properly formed leaders to proclaim, celebrate, and embody that Word. Indigenous clergy serve as pastors, teachers, celebrants of the Eucharist, and witnesses to the Gospel within their own communities.
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle therefore supports more than individual students. It contributes to the development of stable, locally led Catholic communities in mission territories throughout the world.
Prayerful Resolution
- The faithful may ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to hear the Word of God with attention and humility.
- The faithful may examine whether daily conduct reflects the justice, truth, diligence, and mercy proclaimed in Proverbs.
- The faithful may bring the needs of the poor and vulnerable into personal prayer and practical decisions.
- The faithful may participate in the Eucharist with renewed awareness that the liturgy sends the Church into service.
- The faithful may pray for seminarians, novices, religious sisters, seminary formators, and future educators in mission territories.
- The faithful may consider supporting the formation of indigenous clergy through the Society of St. Peter the Apostle.
Support the Formation of Indigenous Clergy
The Society of St. Peter the Apostle supports the formation of local clergy and religious in mission territories through collaboration with bishops and Christian communities.
Support may be provided through the following channels:
- Donate to the Society of St. Peter the Apostle
- Request a Mass intention
- Learn more about the Society’s mission and programs
Through prayer, Mass intentions, and financial support, Catholics participate in the formation of priests and religious who hear the Word, proclaim the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, and serve their local communities.
Contact the Pontifical Mission Societies
The Pontifical Mission Societies
70 West 36th Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10018, USA
Phone: 212-563-8700
Email: contact@pontificalmissions.org