Friday, February 20, 2026

 

Friday after Ash Wednesday

(Ezekiel 18:21-28; Matthew 5:20-26)

Tac had a rough life.  He grew up the son of a bar owner and married a woman who worked in the bar.  The two lived loosely with much partying.  Then Tac’s father died of alcoholism, and he told his wife that they must reform.  They quit their jobs in bars and began a family. One day Tac went home and found his wife raped and murdered.  He was accused of the crime but easily cleared himself.  However, Tac could not clear the anger in his head.  When the murderer was caught, Tac tried to take revenge by getting himself arrested in the same jail as the murderer.  The plan failed, but Tac was sentenced first to probation on a drug charge, then after being caught with more drugs to a state abuse punishment center. 

There things turned for the better.  Tac met a chaplain who, as he says, “saw Christ in me.”  With the chaplain’s assistance, Tac forgave his father and finally his wife’s murderer.  Tac attended the execution of the murderer and heard his final statement.  The man thanked God for his friends and family who enabled him to reform. Right before his death, the murderer turned to Tac and asked, “Can you forgive me?”  Tac nodded yes.

This true story teaches that reconciliation is more than praying for your persecutors and telling yourself that you forgive them.  It is seeking them out to forge a relationship of mutual care and respect.  Jesus demands us to do this in today’s gospel.  He tells us, who come to mass, that as we arrive and remember that we have done something wrong to another, we must seek that person out, offer our apology and pray that it is accepted.  If we cannot do this, we should not expect God to be lenient with us on judgment day.

Thursday, February 19, 2026

 Thursday after Ash Wednesday

 (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Luke 9:22-25)

 “Choose life.”  We have all seen bumper stickers with this anti-abortion message.  No doubt, people who feel burdened by an unexpected pregnancy find the message ironic.  To them life is being liberated from the responsibility of a child so that they may pursue their own felt needs.  Life, then, is one of those simple words with a range of meanings. 

 In the reading from Deuteronomy today, Moses exhorts the Israelites to “choose life.”  He has in mind following God’s commandments which bring prosperity to both individual and community. As always, Jesus intensifies Moses’ message.   In today’s gospel he says that life comes when people surrender themselves to God as he does.  This will often mean a renunciation of one’s personal desires.  But the life that Jesus has in mind is eternal happiness with God.

 We have already chosen Jesus’ way of life, but we have not always been faithful to it.  During Lent we make the necessary adjustments to renew our choice. It requires sacrifice for sure. To help us in the process we have the Lord himself in the Eucharist as well as one another.

 

Wednesday, February18, 2026

 Ash Wednesday

(Joel 2:12-18; II Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18)

A guest editorialist recently wrote in a national newspaper about his experience of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday.  He said that like most Catholics he does not attend Mass every Sunday. But -- he defended himself -- he always goes on Ash Wednesday.  He said that it is a good thing to receive the ashes and hear the words, “… you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

It would be fair to ask the writer, “Good for what?” if he does not repent of sins like not giving due worship to God.  Ashes are administered to do more than remind one of human mortality once a year.  Obituaries do the same every day.  Ashes are the first step in the process of repentance and reform.  They move recipients to stop thinking about conforming to the Lord’s ways and to start doing it.

In today’s gospel Jesus tells us that our repentance must be sincere.  It should not be done to impress others or – more foolishly – to think we can fool God by fasting, giving alms, or praying publicly.  These requisite practices are to be carried out without drawing attention to ourselves or convincing ourselves that we are better than others.  No, we practice repentance for love of God whom we have often failed.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(James 1:12-18; Mark 8:14-21)

Novice hikers in the Rockies are told what to do if they spot a bear.  They are not to run.  Running would provoke a bear to attack if it is threatened or hungry.  Rather than run, hikers are to hold their backpacks over their heads and walk away from the bear.  Bears do not have 20-20 vision.  They would see a hiker with a pack held high as a giant with whom they would rather not tangle. 

What has this to do with today’s gospel? Only this: like a hiker with backpack raised high will appear formidable to a bear, pride and arrogance will distort the vision of a sinner.  She will think herself better than she is.  In the gospel Jesus warns his disciples not to think like this.  The “leaven of the Pharisees” is pride which puffs up one’s self-perception.  Disciples do not have to boast about who is smarter. stronger or more beautiful.  They have Jesus -- the one loaf – with them.  He is both sustenance and consolation for one and all.

Tomorrow we begin Lent.  It is a time of grace.  We will walk with Jesus forty days to temper our pride -- our love of self -- and to bolster our charity -- our love for others. 

Monday, February 16, 2026

 

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

(James 1:1-11; Mark 8:11-13)

The Letter of James is a New Testament enigma.  No one knows who wrote it or to whom it was written.  Some think it was written by James, “the brother of the Lord.”  Perhaps, but if so, why does the author never relate a personal experience with Jesus?  In fact, he hardly mentions the Lord.  For this reason, others wonder if it is not a Jewish document that has been “baptized” with a few Christian references.  Yet the work echoes Jesus’ passionate defense of the poor.  This is seen in today’s passage which speaks of the lowly being exulted and the sun scorching the richly endowed flower of the field.

Today’s reading also mentions “the twelve tribes of the diaspora” as the letter’s addressee.  This may sound like a reference to Jews living outside of Palestine.  However, the First Letter of Peter begins with a similar reference.  Perhaps, then, the phrase refers to the communities of the twelve apostles. 

Since the Reformation, the Letter of James has been most noted for its apparent refutation of St. Paul’s claim, “… a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Rom 3:28). James states his case bluntly, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).   Paul himself bows to this truth in the Letter to the Galatians where he says, “For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).  Let us note as well James’ testimony to faith in today’s passage.  He writes that when faith is tested, it produces perseverance which leads to perfection.  The perfection of sanctity is what we consider essential for eternal life.