Daily Office Reflection for Saturday, October 10, 2026
Psalm 20, 21, 110, 116, 117; Sirach 3:17–31; Acts 28:17–31; Luke 9:37–50
As I read the psalms this morning, familiar music began stirring in my memory. “How Great Thou Art.” “Praise Him! Praise Him!” Handel’s magnificent “Hallelujah” chorus from Messiah. And the word hallelujah still finds its way into songs today.
Across the generations, we keep finding ways to express wonder, gratitude, and hope. Sometimes we sing with a full voice. Sometimes our praise comes quietly, through tears or a simple prayer of thanksgiving.
Psalms 20 and 21 bring us into the prayers of a people asking for help and giving thanks for answered prayer. They remind me that trust belongs in both places: before we know what will happen and after we have experienced deliverance.
Psalm 21:7 draws my attention to the king’s trust in the Lord and the steadfast love of the Most High. That steadfast love is what I want to rest in, especially when the world feels confused and divided.
Psalm 110 carries the language of kingship and priesthood, which Christians have long understood in relation to Jesus. Psalm 116 gives voice to someone who has cried out and been heard. Then the brief Psalm 117 opens the invitation wide: all nations are called to praise the Lord.
The circle keeps widening.
But what happens after the song ends? How does the praise we offer become part of the life we live?
Sirach brings me to humility. Conduct your affairs with humility. Listen. Recognize your limits. Remain willing to learn. Care for those who need help.
There were times in my life when I felt I needed to have all the answers. At this point in the journey, I am more comfortable admitting that I am still learning. I can bring my questions to God. I can listen to another person without preparing my response before they have finished speaking.
I am still practicing that.
Humility makes room for someone else. It reminds me that the person sitting across from me may have something to teach me, even when our experiences or beliefs differ.
In Acts, Paul has reached Rome. His long journey has brought him into circumstances he cannot freely leave. Yet the closing picture is one of welcome. For two years, he receives those who come to him and continues proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about Jesus.
Some listen and believe. Others do not. Paul continues.
I am especially drawn to those words: he “welcomed all who came to him.”
I picture an open door and a conversation. Here is a man with his own hardships, yet he still makes room for others. His circumstances have placed limits on his movement, but he continues sharing the hope that carries him.
Then Luke brings that welcome into the everyday struggles of following Jesus.
A father pleads for help for his suffering son. Jesus responds to the child’s need. Soon afterward, Jesus speaks about his coming betrayal, but the disciples do not understand and are afraid to ask.
I recognize something of myself there. Sometimes I do not understand. Sometimes I hesitate to ask. Sometimes I need to slow down and listen again.
Then the disciples argue about which of them is greatest. Jesus places a child beside him and teaches them that welcoming this child in his name is welcoming him—and the One who sent him.
While they are thinking about their standing, Jesus directs their attention to someone they might overlook.
Finally, John tells Jesus about someone casting out demons in his name. The disciples tried to stop him because he did not belong to their group. Jesus tells them not to stop him.
That speaks to me. Can I recognize good being done by someone outside my own circle? Can I rejoice when compassion and healing come through a person whose church, background, or way of expressing faith differs from mine?
These readings leave me with something to practice today.
Let my praise open my heart. Let humility help me listen. Let the grace I have received become welcome for someone else.
Perhaps that begins with an ordinary conversation: paying attention, asking a thoughtful question, offering help, or making room for someone whose voice has gone unheard.
I am still the Curious Pilgrim, still traveling, still learning. Today, this is the prayer I want to carry with me:
Lord Jesus Christ, help me welcome those who come into my life, listen with wisdom, and speak with love.
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