Thursday, July 23, 2026

 Thursday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Jeremiah 2:1-3.7-8.12-13; Matthew 13:10-17)

The biblical history of Israel is largely a story of human unfaithfulness to a gracious God.  In its beginning Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit.  After God frees them from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites grumble against Him in the desert.  In today’s first reading Jeremiah tells of Israel’s prophets betraying the Lord.  Finally, Jesus continually castigates the people for rejecting him as God’s messenger.

Israel’s flaw – and the flaw of all humanity -- is a corrupt heart.  Jeremiah will describe the human heart, especially Israel’s, as “tortuous” and “beyond remedy” (17:9).  it seeks pleasure for its owner, power over others, and prestige among the people.  Somehow this heart must be healed. 

Jesus comes into the story as a heart specialist. He removes the rot of our hearts with miracles and exorcisms.  He teaches our hearts the will of God as their first priority.  His preaching moves our hearts to act on behalf of others. Finally, Jesus leaves behind the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist so that our hearts may be continually rejuvenated. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

 

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

(Song of Songs 3:1-4b; John 20:1-2.11-18)

The word “apostle” is derived from the Greek apostolos which means “one sent forth.” Today we celebrate St. Mary Magdalene, who, in a sense, was the first apostle.  She was the first person Jesus sent forth to announce his resurrection from the dead.

According to Luke’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene along with other women accompanied Jesus and his disciples from Galilee to Jerusalem.  That she was a reformed prostitute is doubtful although she had a serious malady -- perhaps demonic possession as it is considered today -- of which Jesus healed her.  She became his friend as evidenced by her standing at the cross.  She watched him die along with Jesus’ mother, one or two other women, and the “Beloved Disciple.”

Mary Magdalene has become a model for all Christians.  Nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus call Mary to follow him like he does Peter and Matthew.  Evidently, she pursued a prompting of the heart to accompany him.  Like her, then, Jesus heals all of us -- men and women, clergy and lay -- of our sins in Baptism.  Also like her, we follow Jesus as the source of our spiritual life.  Finally, like Mary Magdalene, we announce the Lord’s resurrection by our willingness to sacrifice ourselves for what is true and loving.

 

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.