Day: September 25, 2026

A reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes
11:9—12:8

Rejoice, O young man, while you are young 
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart,
the vision of your eyes;
Yet understand that as regards all this
God will bring you to judgment.
Ward off grief from your heart
and put away trouble from your presence,
though the dawn of youth is fleeting.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come
And the years approach of which you will say,
I have no pleasure in them;
Before the sun is darkened,
and the light, and the moon, and the stars,
while the clouds return after the rain;
When the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent,
And the grinders are idle because they are few,
and they who look through the windows grow blind;
When the doors to the street are shut,
and the sound of the mill is low;
When one waits for the chirp of a bird,
but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
And one fears heights,
and perils in the street;
When the almond tree blooms,
and the locust grows sluggish
and the caper berry is without effect,
Because man goes to his lasting home,
and mourners go about the streets;
Before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is broken,
And the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the broken pulley falls into the well,
And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the life breath returns to God who gave it.

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
all things are vanity!

From the Gospel according to Luke
9:43b-45

While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

They were afraid of the cross. Peter himself, after that solemn confession in the region of Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus said this once again, rebuked the Lord, saying to Him: “No, never, Lord! Not this!” He was afraid of the cross. But it was not only the disciples, not only Peter; Jesus Himself was afraid of the cross. He could not deceive Himself; He knew. And so great was His fear that on that Thursday evening, He sweated blood. So great was Jesus’ fear that He spoke almost the same words as Peter. Almost: “Father, take this cup away from me”; but He added, “Your will must be done”. That is the difference. (…) We must ask for the grace not to flee from the cross when it comes. With fear, it is true; it frightens us. (…) Very close to Jesus on the cross is His mother, His mama. Let us pray to her, and we would do well to ask her to grant us the grace not to take away our fear – it is natural to be afraid of the cross – but not to let us be terrified and flee from the cross. She was there, and she knows how to stand by the cross. (Pope Francis, Homily at Santa Marta, 28 September 2013)