Scripture
Luke 13: 10-17
Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.
When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?”
When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Ignatian Reflection
We Don’t Have to Live in Pain
It's amazing what we can get used to—chronic migraines, debilitating arthritis, persistent back pain, excruciating nerve damage. Pain that would send most of us to the hospital are conditions others manage every day. They adapt, find ways to function, and eventually accept what once seemed unbearable as part of everyday life.
The woman in today's Gospel is one of those people. She spent eighteen years bent over in pain, eyes forever fixed on the ground. Then, Jesus heals her. Her pain is gone, she stands, raises her eyes toward heaven and glorifies God.
Physical pain isn't the only suffering we learn to live with. Resentment we've carried for years. Anxiety that influences every decision. Guilt that convinces us we're defined by our mistakes. We become so accustomed to our suffering that it becomes our status quo.
But, Jesus sees us as we are, calls us to himself, and heals us. In doing so, he reminds us that we don't have to keep living with the pain. We just need to let him into our pain and open ourselves to the healing power of his love and mercy.
—Jackie Schulte is the Head of School and Dean of Faculty Formation at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Ignatian Prayer
Oct 26, 2026
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Free us from the burdens we have grown accustomed to carrying.
Give us the humility to bring our pain to you and the faith to trust in your healing power.
Through your love and mercy, help us find freedom from all that keeps us from you.
Amen
—Jackie Schulte
The Daily Examen is a prayer technique developed by St. Ignatius to help us reflect on the events of the day to discern God's presence and direction. When Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, he required the Jesuits to practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It's a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
The Examen structure presented below is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. Click here for more information from our partners in ministry at Loyola Press.
Daily Examen
1. Become aware of God's presence
God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.
2. Review the day with gratitude
God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.
3. Pay attention to your emotions
God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me, and continue to bless me.
5. Look toward tomorrow
As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.
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