2026/09/27 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

- Zach Melton, Manager of Media & Ministry Engagement

This week’s readings begin with Ezekiel 18:25, where we hear that if someone turns away from the wickedness they have committed, “they shall not die.” The passage reads almost like a poem, but to me, its message is simple and powerful: redemption is always possible when we turn back toward God. No matter what we have done, we are not defined by our past. When we turn away from sin and toward the Lord, it is as though we have been washed clean and given the opportunity to begin again.

The Responsorial Psalm reminds us what that turning toward God looks like. It calls us to know His ways, to follow His paths, and to remember His mercy. The characteristics of God highlighted throughout the Psalm are rooted in love. In recognizing who God is, we are also reminded of who we are called to become.

Finally, Philippians 2 points us directly toward Jesus. We are reminded of the humility, obedience, and selflessness of Christ, who emptied Himself and became a servant for our sake. Jesus shows us what it looks like to live this way. If He was willing to humble Himself, serve others, and completely give Himself over to the will of the Father, then we are called to walk in His footsteps.

Together, these readings remind us that God’s mercy gives us the opportunity to begin again, His love shows us how we should live, and Jesus gives us the example to follow.