Reflection for the readings for Tuesday, September 29, 2026 (Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Feast) and the Gospel of John 1:47-51 for Give Us This Day (Liturgical Press). Used with permission. Learn more and subscribe at giveusthisday.org.

Today’s Gospel reading reminds me of an episode of the TV show The Gilded Age. In season three of the series, Ada Forte, played by Cynthia Nixon, visits a medium. She is mourning the death of her husband and desperately wants to believe that he is communicating with her from the beyond. It’s clear to viewers that the medium, Madame Dashkov (Andrea Martin), is a charlatan, but we empathize with Ada’s grief and desire for comfort. Like Nathaniel in John’s Gospel, Ada is pure of heart and sees only good in other people. The idea that someone might take advantage of her never occurs to her. Nathaniel wants to believe so deeply in Jesus, he takes the first sign offered to him. Jesus, touched by Nathaniel’s innocence, appears to say, “Really? Is that all it takes? Well, wait until you see what comes next!” It’s a sweet and touching exchange.

Taking a page from Ignatian imaginative prayer, I wonder how I would react if I were in Nathaniel’s place. I tend to be a bit more hesitant—wary of people’s intentions and who they claim to be. I might have responded to Jesus with some healthy skepticism. And how, then, would Jesus have responded? I believe that while he hears “the words of my mouth,” as today’s responsorial psalm tells us, he sees what’s in our hearts. I like to think he would have welcomed my pushback, because it comes from a place of honesty. We can learn much by emulating Nathaniel’s faith, and certainly Ada Forte’s compassion and kindness. But we shouldn’t despair if we question first. Jesus always meets us where we are.

Image: Detail from Our Lady Who Removes Walls by Kelly Lattimore, featured on the cover of the September 2026 edition of “Give Us This Day.” More at kellylatimoreicons.com.