Thursday, July 16, 2026

 

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 26:7-9.12.16-19; Matthew 11:28-30)

Today’s reading from the first part of the Book of Isaiah seems misplaced.  It ignores the concerns of the Southern Kingdom for which the original prophet wrote.  In its stead, it speaks of a time of perfect peace when both personal and public conflicts will be resolved.  The people have evidently been chastened by the exile and now find hope in the prospect of resurrection from the dead.

In the gospel Jesus offers himself as the peace of the people.  He bids the poor to accept the yoke of his teaching.  It not only eliminates the intricacies of pharisaical precepts but also connects them to him as a source of strength.  As he declares in the Gospel of John, “’I am the Resurrection and the Life’” (Jn 11:25).

July is a time of extremes.  In the Northern Hemisphere temperatures reach their heights.  The Southern Hemisphere experiences the other extreme.  Most people working outdoors or just commuting to work in either clime are struggling with the weather.  Of course, most everyone has inner conflicts to work through. All can look to the Lord for relief.  Like a body of water at daybreak or nightfall, time with him in prayer brings resolution and hope.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

(Isaiah 10:5-7.13b-16; Matthew 11:25-27)

Today’s gospel is understood as an insight into Jesus’ divinity.  The Passage is often introduced as a “Johannine thunderbolt in a Matthean sky.”  Recognizing Jesus as God’s Son is a dominant theme of John’s Gospel.  But Matthew as well has a “high Christology” which sees Jesus very much as divine.

Another critical aspect of the passage is its context.  Jesus has just expressed his frustration with the cities of Galilee for their rejection of him.  “’Woe to Chorazin’” and “’woe to Bethsaida,’” he lamented in yesterday’s gospel.  And yet in this very next passage he praises his Father for enabling the poor, the simple, and public sinners to accept his message.  By no means is Jesus a feint-hearted man.  In both good and bad times he is able to praise God, his Father.

We can see in today’s patron, Saint Bonaventure, a like spirit.  He was both an extremely gifted and a humble person.  Although a professor of theology at the University of Paris, Bonaventure became the leader of the Franciscans. Navigating between the regulars and the Spiritualists of the Order, Bonaventure was able to support the intellectual ministry while maintaining a simple life.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

(Isaiah 7:1-9; Matthew 11:20-24)

Today’s reading gives a classic description of faith. With the Israel-Aram alliance threatening the Kingdom of Judah, God sends Isaiah on mission.  The prophet tells the king of Judah not to worry, but to trust that God will defend His people.  The prophecy becomes reality.  The super-power Assyria smashes the alliance.  But Israel will abandon trust in God as its protector and allies itself with pagan Assyria.

In the gospel Jesus laments the lack of faith in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.  These cities have witnessed his mighty deeds and yet refuse to heed his message of repentance and belief.  They cannot abide by his preferential attention to the poor and to sinners.  They refuse to repent of hypocrisy and continue their self-affirming ways.

The lessons of Isaiah and Jesus should affect all of us.  It is tempting to put more trust in medicine and savings for our welfare than in God.  We should always look to God first for salvation by diligent prayer and careful carrying out his will.  It is our faithfulness to Him, not our status in society, that will save us from ruin.

Monday, July 13, 2026

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 1:10-17; Matthew 10:34-11:1)

A man tells the story of his daughter.  When she was a teenager, she became pregnant outside marriage.  She wanted to have her baby, but her mother encouraged her to have an abortion.  For the mother, the girl was not only too young to be a mother but also needed to finish her education.  The girl desperately turned to her father who was divorced from his wife.  The man believed in his daughter and promised to help her keep her baby.  Relieved, the girl said that she had bought a bus ticket to another town in case no one would support her at home.  Whether she knows it or not, this girl is following Jesus’ instructions to his apostles in today’s gospel.

It is not that Jesus has abortion in mind as he lectures his apostles.  Rather, he knows that his righteousness will always unleash opposition.  His insistence that divorce opposes the Creator’s intention will cause a furor among those who favor a more lenient standard.  His reaching out to the grubby poor will scandalize those with a high sense of propriety.  In these ways Jesus forces people to choose.  Will they stand with him or conform to the prejudices of their families?

We may not have to choose between family and Jesus.  Our choice may be between Jesus and the urgings of our corrupted hearts.  Will we follow our impulses to illicit sex, or will we resist sinful sexual desires?  Will we continue to impose our will upon others, or will we work out a mutually acceptable agreement? Will we continue to seek others’ approval, or will we daily acknowledge our sinfulness and ask the Lord’s mercy? Facing issues like these, we realize that Jesus does not bring the peace of mind that we desire but a deeper peace that we cannot even imagine.

Friday, July 17, 2026

 

Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8; Matthew 12:1-8)

Not long ago, a group of Catholics, both young and old, were talking together.  Someone mentioned the old practice of abstinence from meat under pain of mortal sin every Friday, like the Church still insists upon during Lent.  The younger people seemed to be amused by the idea.  How could eating meat on any day Friday, then or now, be considered a mortal sin?

Certainly, eating meat on Friday is Church, not Divine, Law.  The question become, does Church leadership have authority to impose binding obligations on people?   Bishops have a responsibility not only of sanctifying their people but also of evangelizing others.  Given the “keys to the Kingdom,” they can bind people to penitential actions like abstaining from meat.  It is a simple demonstration of our living for God and not to satisfy our appetites.  For this reason, when Catholics publicly defer from eating meat, they indicate to others their love for God.   

We should be aware that although abstinence from meat on Fridays outside of Lent is no longer required, Catholics are still obliged to do penance on Fridays.  As in Jesus’ citing of the prophet Isaiah in today’s gospel, an act of mercy will more than suffice for this penance.  It would be good to see nursing homes or prisons filled with visitors on Fridays trying to carry out their penitential obligation.