Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Micah 7:14-15.18-20; Matthew 12:46-50)

Both readings today provide images for the People of God.  The prophet Micah calls the nation of Judah “the flock of (the Lord’s) inheritance.”  The term implies dependency since sheep survive only with the care of their shepherd.  Unlike sheep, however, the people have rebelled against their Lord.  They are doomed unless God shows them mercy which he does.

There is no hint of rebellion in the gospel image.  Jesus calls his disciples “brother, sister, and mother...”  Indeed, they have become his family because they obey the will of God his “Father.”  They have accepted his yoke which they can readily bear with his accompaniment.

 We too have been called into Jesus’ family.  Perhaps we rebel at times by not keeping his commandments.  For our rebelliousness we daily ask his forgiveness.  The outcome is immeasurably satisfying.  We are not only pardoned but also receive Jesus’ eternal brotherly presence.

Monday, July 20, 2026

 

Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Micah 6:1-4.6-8; Matthew 12:38-42)

My sister, brother, and I used to ask our mother what she wanted for Christmas, her birthday, or Mother’s Day.  It didn’t matter the occasion, our mother always had the same answer, “good kids.”  She sounds like the Lord God in today’s first reading.

In one of the most cited passages of the Old Testament, the prophet Micah describes a showdown between the Lord and His people.  They are prepared to bring Him all kinds of offerings.  But He does not want, and much less need, anything human-made.  He wants their souls, which he crafted, back.  He wants His people to follow the Law He gave them. He desires a righteous, loving, and humble nation.

We should take care that we become the kind of people the Lord wants.  We must go beyond saying the rosary or even attending Mass to striving to live the Beatitudes.  Of course, receiving the Eucharist, we bring into our lives the one who most perfectly lived them. We need to listen and to do what he tells us.

Sunday, July 19, 2026

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, JULY 19, 2026

(Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43)

A year ago, a storm caused the Guadalupe River in the heart of Texas to rise fifteen yards in forty-five minutes. The flood claimed the lives of 119 people, including 25 girls attending a summer camp on the riverbank. Now, amid lawsuits and accusations of negligence, the victims' relatives are undoubtedly asking, "Why does God allow such disasters?" Today's first reading and Gospel attempt to answer this question, which is often called "the problem of evil."

The first reading from the Book of Wisdom affirms God's justice. It says that he is just because he has power. He can reward or punish people according to their deeds. The passage assures us that evil will not ultimately prevail. God's justice will defeat it while it rewards the innocent in the end.

However, the Book of Wisdom does not explain why God allows the wicked to ruin the lives of some, even taking the lives of children. Ivan Karamazov, a character in a famous Russian novel, is consumed by the problem of evil. He memorably says that as long as God doesn't adequately explain why He allows evil to befall the innocent, he will return his ticket to heaven. That is, since God allows children to suffer, he wants nothing to do with Him, not even to take a seat in heaven that his Baptism promises him. For some, saying that the innocent are destined for heaven and the wicked for hell doesn't justify the pain, sometimes horrific, in present life.

In the Gospel, Jesus uses a parable to explain the problem of evil. He says that, just as you cannot cut the weeds in a field without damaging the wheat, you also cannot eliminate all evil without harming some good people. But at harvest time, the difference between the weeds and the wheat will become clear. Then the weeds can be cut down and burned first, so that only the wheat may be gathered into the barn.

Once again, only in the end will justice be served, with the innocent being pursued and the wicked punished.

Faith has another answer to the problem of evil. It focuses on the story of Jesus Christ. After performing many acts of service, he turned himself in to the authorities. Although completely innocent, he suffered the torment of crucifixion. He died like the worst of criminals, but soon after, God raised him from the dead and placed him at his right hand forever. Now he offers us his story as the definitive answer to our anxiety over evil. He tells us all will be well. We have not only a promise but also the record of Jesus as proof.

We should admit that there is no completely satisfying answer to the problem of evil. Evil is a mystery beyond the grasp of the human mind. However, there remains the hope of the great reckoning at the end of time when Jesus will come to judge all. Through his resurrection from the dead, Jesus gave us a glimpse of the outcome for the innocent. 

In the meantime, we can perform acts of mercy. These acts will not only alleviate some of the suffering of those who are grieving but will also bear witness to Jesus. By taking the time to comfort the afflicted and help the weak, we imitate our Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we will be demonstrating our conviction that he will come to right all the wrongs of history. 

Friday, Jul 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 Friday, then or now, be considered a mortal sin?

Certainly, eating meat on Friday is Church, not Divine, Law.  The question becomes, 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.

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.