Friday, August 14, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

(Ezekiel 16:1-5.60.63; Matthew 19:3-12)

The Pharisees are playing hardball with Jesus as he and his disciples approach Jerusalem.  They are not testing whether he learned his catechism when they ask him about divorce.  They know that he has taught that marriage is a permanent union.  They want him to commit himself to opposing an article in the Torah that permits a man to divorce his wife with a written dismissal. 

Jesus is not intimidated by the truth.  He reiterates what he said in the Sermon on the Mount that it is a sin to divorce one’s wife to marry another woman.  As strong as Jesus is, he also is compassionate.  It is not impossible that Jesus has in mind homosexuals when he mentions those “incapable of marriage because they were born so.” 

There is no question of allowing so-called “homosexual marriage,” but there is reason to afford homosexuals special pastoral care.  Their genital desires can never be licitly satisfied.  Yet they may have fulfilling lives as they bear their cross behind Jesus.

 

Thursday, August, 13, 2026

 

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ezekiel 12:1-12; Matthew 18:21-19:1

Doesn’t the gospel today seem somewhat fantastical?  Whoever heard of a person asking forgiveness seventy-seven times?  The truth is that probably every one of us has done so.  As children, we likely confessed repeatedly, “disobeying my parents.”   As adults, many poor souls cannot stop looking at pornography and confess the sin sometimes twice a week.

However, multiple sinning is not the point of Jesus’ parable.  His intention goes to the heart of the good news he preached.  As the king in the parable, God forgives individual men and women their many offenses. In return, God expects them to forgive one another.

Must we forgive our offenders when they do not ask for our pardon?  Do we have to extend forgiveness if offenders show no sign of repentance?  It does not seem so.  The Church does not give general absolution for sins unconfessed.  But it is necessary that we be ready to forgive by praying for those who offend us.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

 

Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Ezekiel 9:1-7.10:18-22; Matthew 18:15-20)

The scribe with the stylus makes a “Thau” sign on the foreheads of faithful Israelites.  The “Thau” is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and has the shape of an “x” in the Canaanite script.  It was likely seen as a simple mark like a check or an “x” that people use today to indicate the presence of something.  In Ezekiel’s vision the “Thau” distinguishes faithful believers in God from the syncretists of the time who mix their belief in God with pagan elements.  The paganisms were received from non-Jewish neighbors. 

The “Thau” should remind New Testament readers of the seal of God in the Book of Revelation.  The seal was given to distinguish true “Servants of God” from the heathen masses.  The Servants of God are to be spared the impending slaughter of unrepentant sinners.  Church Fathers equated the “Thau” with Christ’s cross which the minister of Baptism makes on the foreheads of those about to be baptized.

All of us have been marked with Christ’s cross.  The symbol represents the expectation that we will be faithful to Christ by not mixing our beliefs with pagan elements.  It is a daunting challenge today with so many wondrous goods competing for our allegiance.  We must remember to put Christ first and foremost in our lives and not give ourselves over to abominations to which the Internet gives us access.

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin

(Ezekiel 2:8-3:4; Matthew 18:1-5.10.12-14)

“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” This sounds like a question people today would ask.  Superbowl champions, World Cup winners, Academy Award recipients – these are the greatest in the world today.  But who is the greatest before God?

Jesus gives a surprising answer.  The greatest is not a figure like Peter who recognized Jesus as the Son of God.  Rather the greatest is more like St. Clare whom the Church remembers today.  Clare became “humble, like this child” as she imitated Francis, “il poverello.”  Both these great saints personified humility, not only because they lived simply but also because they recognized goodness in others.  They found worth even in those who might be considered the dregs of humanity.  This lesson might be drawn from the gospel parable. 

We recall that the “Parable of the Lost Sheep” is found in the Gospel of Luke as well as that of Matthew.  In Luke it is introduces chapter 15, which leads to the “Parable of the Prodigal Son.”  The parable is misnamed, of course, because it is really about the prodigal love of the father representing God Himself.  Matthew, however, focuses more on the lost sheep who is worth the risk of losing ninety-nine to find.

Today the lost sheep include our friends and relatives who no longer come to church.  They have settled for striving to be great in the world.  That is, they work to satisfy their desire for money, pleasure, prestige, and power.  We call them back to church by telling them of their goodness and bidding them to thank God for who they are.

Monday, August 10, 2026

 Memorial of Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr

(II Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12:24-26)

Like many of the early martyrs St. Lawrence is more of a personage than a person.  I mean that there is not much factual history about him, yet he is famous for other reasons.  First, there are several charming legends about him.  Then, a church dedicated to him became one of seven important churches in Rome. Finally, his intercession is credited for a victory of Christian armies in later ages.

Lawrence’s martyrdom, nevertheless, was real and costly.  As Jesus reminds us in today’s gospel, Christian martyrdom becomes the seed of growth for the Church.  Today Christians may undergo a kind of martyrdom by adhering to Church teachings.  It is difficult not to join the majority by disregarding Church teaching on artificial contraception and in vitro fertilization.  Giving to the needy not just from one’s abundance but from one’s basic allowance also is challenging. 

Saints are not only to be imitated; they are also to be petitioned.  So we pray to St. Lawrence that we give testimony to our faith as true martyrs and that we assist the needy poor as the gospel requires.