Monday, June 29. 2026

 

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles

(Acts 12:1-11; II Timothy 4:6-8.17-18; Matthew 16:13-19)

An ancient tradition tells the story of St. Peter fleeing Rome during Nero’s persecution in the first century.  On the way, he meets the Lord going the other way.  Peter asks Jesus in Latin, “Quo vadis, Domine?” (Where are you going, Lord?) Jesus answers, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.”  Peter, ashamed that he was once again denying Jesus, turns around and gives his life as a martyr.

Of course, Peter repented of cowardice in the gospel as well. Evidently, he was a man of tremendous ability – a type A character – and it was probably for this reason that the Lord entrusts him with the “keys of the Kingdom” in today’s gospel. But he, like all of us, could sin.  St. Paul, as well, gravely offended God by at first not recognizing Christ’s glory and then by persecuting the Church.  He also repented, rendered Christ magnificent service as a teacher, and died a martyr.

Saints Peter and Paul exemplify how Christians are a community of saints.  All of us have sinned and, when truth is told, continue to fail the Lord.  Yet asking God’s forgiveness, we pick up our walking stick to continue the journey of love and truth.  We can count on Christ’s help.  As he showed Peter the way to go in the tradition of “Quo vadis?” he will lead us through the Church which Peter led and Paul taught. 

Sunday, June 28, 2026

 

THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – June 28, 2026
(2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42)

With the celebration of our nation's semiquincentennial approaching, we should declare ourselves grateful both for our country—whether by birth or by adoption—and for our Catholic faith. We can add that we are loyal to both. Our participation in American society has secured for us the rights necessary to live with dignity, while our baptism has bestowed upon us the inheritance of eternal life.

Today, the Catholic Church is the largest religious community in the United States. The current Vice President is Catholic, as was the previous President. A majority of the members of the Supreme Court are Catholic, as are many members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. And many Catholics have given their lives defending this country.

Yet Catholics were not always welcomed in American society. During the colonial period, laws existed that prohibited the public practice of the Catholic faith and voting rights to Catholics. Although the Constitution guaranteed religious freedom, in the years before the Civil War a political party arose whose sole purpose was to limit Catholic influence. After the war, the Ku Klux Klan directed its hostility first against African Americans and later against Catholics and Jews. And when John Kennedy ran for President, he had to face the hateful accusation that he would obey the Pope before obeying the laws of the nation.

That accusation touches on a statement Jesus makes in today's Gospel. When He says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,” we could, in a sense, substitute “country” for “father or mother.” The Catechism discusses our duties toward civil authority within its treatment of the Fourth Commandment (nos. 2234-2257). Is it true, then? Should we love Jesus more than our country? Of course, we should.

For the most part, there is no conflict between love of country and love of God. Love of country—patriotism—is tied to our participation in the temporal society in which we live. Love of God is associated with our participation in the eternal society to which we are called. The two loves have different focuses, and so we can possess both. It is like belonging both to a labor union and to the Knights of Columbus. In fact, the two loves support one another. While our civil society guarantees the freedom to worship God, the eternal society of God's Kingdom insists that its members be just and honest citizens of the earthly society in which they live.

There is another reason why these two loyalties should not conflict. God is the supreme common good. When we honor God with all our hearts, we contribute to the common good, which is the very purpose of civil government.

Unfortunately, sooner or later conflicts arise between the state and the law of God. For some time now there have been proposals that would require physicians to perform abortions or, at the very least, refer pregnant women to those who do. Both actions are contrary to our faith. Likewise, from time to time we hear proposals that would require priests to reveal what they have heard in Confession regarding the abuse of children. I can say that I would never violate the seal of Confession for any reason whatsoever, and I expect no other priest to do so either.

Part of our love for God is obeying Him when He speaks to us through a faith-formed conscience. Our attitude should be similar to that of the presidential candidate John Kennedy. When asked whether there could ever be a situation in which he would follow his faith rather than the law, he replied: “…if the time should ever come — and I do not concede any conflict to be even remotely possible — when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office…”

Let us conclude with the words of a saint about what to do when a conflict arises between faith and government. St. Thomas More was about to be executed for refusing to recognize the king as head of the Church. His last words were: “I die the King's good servant, but God's first.”

 

Friday, June 26, 2026

 

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 25:1-12; Matthew 8:1-4)

Did you ever have to make a decision where there seemed to be no good options?  Say your daughter wants a “destination wedding” outside the Church.  You not only cannot approve the invalid marriage, you also doubt the couple’s maturity.  Should you support your daughter by attending the wedding?   In both readings today someone makes a decision when the options are not apparently favorable.

Behind the scenes in the first reading King Zedekiah is caught between losing support of his base and ignoring the Word of God spoken through the prophet Jeremiah.  In the gospel Jesus is confronted by a leper who asks healing.  Either he will touch the man and show authority over the law or disappoint the oppressed leper.  Zedekiah opts against God’s Word, but Jesus, who is the Word, lives up to it.

We must not be afraid to abide by the Word of God.  He speaks to us through Scripture, the Church, and our consciences.  Walking with him will, at times, bring hardship.  However, we will end stronger and already close to eternal life.

Thursday, June 25, 2026

 

Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 24:8-17; Matthew 7:21-27)

Did you ever notice yourself saying grace before eating when people are around but forgetting to do it when you are alone?  I have.  It is disconcerting to think that Jesus may forsake me for my pretension as indicated in today’s gospel.

Or perhaps we have given a sizeable amount to Catholic Charities and now figure that the Lord will overlook our pettiness with family and friends.  He is saying today that he expects better from us.  He does not care about any “mighty deeds” that we have done.  Rather what matters is our attention to the everyday details of a holy life: prayer, humility, kindness.

We may think we are as good as the next guy and better than most, but such calculation does not impress Jesus.  He calls us to perfection and sends us the Holy Spirit to make that happen.  If we focus on our accomplishments and not on his words, we settle for less and may end up disappointed.  But if we do good because Jesus has told us to do it, without aiming to impress him or anyone else, then we will find ourselves in his gracious company forever.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

 

Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

(Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66.80)

A man in his second career was having a “mountaintop experience.”  His wife had just given birth to their first child.  He looked at the baby and recognized his replacement.  Or so it seemed at the moment.  God-loving people will allow the possibility of the Lord’s shaping the destiny of their progeny in ways unthought of.

Elizabeth and Zachariah prove themselves such people in today’s gospel.  For years they have waited for their newborn.  Like the people surrounding them, they had probably presumed that he would be called “Zachariah” and follow in his father’s career path.  But when it all happened, they were aware enough of God’s hand in their son’s becoming to name their son “John” as the Lord indicated to them.

John did not follow his father as a priest, but he did manifest his father’s submission to God’s authority.  He had thought that the Messiah would purify the people with fire so to speak.  Then he met Jesus and recognized in him another kind of saving power.  John gave up his pretension of how the Messiah would fulfill his promise.  In John’s eyes Jesus was the lamb and not the lion of God.

We too should align our hopes and expectations with the Lord’s.  Our lives, after all, are not about ourselves but about Him.  This may mean a career change when we enjoy what we are doing.  It certainly necessitates our following His commands and not our own instincts and feelings.    We do it for Him who will compensate us more than we imagine.