Monday, June 22, 2026

 

(Optional) Memorial of Saint John Fisher, Bishop and Saint Thomas More, Martyrs

(II Kings 17:5-8.13-15a.18; Matthew 7:1-5)

Today’s first reading demonstrates the viewpoint of the Deuteronomic author (or authors).  This writer composed or at least edited the Book of Deuteronomy and several other Old Testament works including the two Books of Kings.  Deuteronomic theology sounds to many rather karma-like.  It teaches that if you do good, you will be rewarded and if you do bad, you are doomed.

In the first reading the tit-for-tat is straight forward.  The Samarians (that is the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom (also called Israel and Ephraim) repeatedly violated Israel’s law.  They paid for their transgressions with deportation from their land.  Today’s gospel is more conventional, at least for Christians. Jesus tells his disciples not to judge, by which he means not to condemn others quickly.  If they do, he warns, God’s judgment of them in eternity will be swift and severe.

We see the two martyrs in this conventional light.  Both were beheaded for testifying to the supreme authority of the pope in the Church.  They are remembered after almost 500 years among England’s most renowned saints.  Thomas More has been lionized by the play and movie A Man for All Seasons.  John Fisher is recognized as a brilliant bishop whose theology influenced the Council of Trent.  More importantly, they have been rewarded with seats in the Kingdom of heaven.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

 

TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, JUNE 21, 2026

(Jeremiah 20:10-13; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33)

Once again the gospel today imparts a basic lesson for growth in the spiritual life. The passage is taken from Jesus' “apostolic discourse,” one of the five lessons that along with their accompanying narratives constitute the body of Matthew’s Gospel. We can think of it as preliminary instructions for the great sending of the apostles at the end of the work.

As Pope Saint John Paul II used to tell all Catholics, Jesus warns his apostles: “'Do not fear.'” Afraid of what? In the first three centuries of the Church, the lives of Christians were in danger because of their beliefs and practices. This type of persecution still exists in China, several Muslim countries and some parts of Africa. But it is rare in Western nations.

However, there is another type of fear among us. Many fear being belittled or considered out of touch and not “cool” if they live the faith as the Catechism teaches. That is, if we insist on attending Sunday mass even though we have to drive twenty miles or if we leave a movie theater that shows nudity. Some may make fun of us now. But it should not surprise us that in twenty years we will be remembered for having dedicated ourselves to a cause as noble as the conspiracy of charity that is the Catholic Church.

Jesus does not say that all kinds of fear are unnecessary. In fact, he recommends fear of the one “who can throw our soul and body into the place of punishment.” Unfortunately, he does not mention who he is referring to. Who can throw us into hell? Some Bible commentators have said that he has in mind God, his Father. Others think he means the devil. But isn't it true that both – God and the devil – are formidable and merit fear?

We think of the devil more as a person who can seduce us to perdition than as someone who could throw us there. However, the effect would be the same: the perpetual loss of happiness. By the way, if we do not accept terms like “devil” and “Satan,” we can change them to “evil” or “the web of evil.” What we are saying is that our natural tendencies toward  goods such as pleasure, power, and prestige can become disordered so that they suffocate us. That is, they can extinguish our desire to have just relationships with God and neighbor.

Certainly God can throw us into hell, but would He? Maybe not in the sense of forcing us out of His care. However, He has created us with free will to be responsible men and women. Furthermore, he has sent us his own Son to break the bonds of sin and light the paths to justice. If we wish to reject all these advantages, He will not prevent us from separating ourselves from Him.

Yes, we must fear God, particularly when we lack maturity. But once we grow in wisdom, fear turns into love like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. We recognize that our happiness remains with Him and not with the praise of drinking buddies. For this reason, the Word of God stipulates that fear of God is only “the beginning of wisdom.” We are truly wise when we cling to God like a child to his father in the middle of a crowd at a soccer match.

Since we have mentioned soccer, we can conclude with a comment about the World Cup. In previous years the competition was associated with much illicit pleasure. Obviously, the participants in the disordered activities were immature people despite being millionaires. They needed the fear of God to put them on the right path. But fans who are also friends of God always thank him for having created athletes with such skill as a Lionel Messi or a Kylian Mbappé. For them, football is an exciting pastime, but not as importance as Sunday mass.  It gives them even more reason to glorify God for all He has done.

Friday, June 19, 2026

 Friday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 11:1-4.9-18.20; Matthew 6:190-23)

The first reading today is long and impossible to appreciate without awareness of its context.  It forms an episode in the saga of the kings of Judah and Israel.  Athaliah is the daughter of the wicked King Ahab and Jezebel of Israel.  She is also the wife of King Jehoram of Judah.  When her husband and son are killed, Athaliah attempts to have all Jehoram’s sons by other mothers slain so that she can rule Judah.  Her plan is foiled as one of Jehoram’s sons survives Athaliah’s massacre and comes to rule the nation.  The saga demonstrates what Jesus teaches his disciples with his difficult parable.

“’The lamp of the body is the eye,’” Jesus tells his disciples.  He is saying that we look into ourselves with the same eyes that we see the world.  If we see the world as the locus of growth in truth and goodness, we will find in ourselves the seeds of virtue to be cultivated.  But if we look at the world primarily as opportunities for more fame, wealth, or pleasure, we will mostly desire to satisfy our basest needs.

Although Scripture testifies to God’s plan for us, it can be opaque at times.  We need to use its clearer parts to help us interpret the problematic ones.  Its long and rich contents provide material to ponder and contemplate as we make our way through life.  Hopefully, it will guide us to God’s Kingdom.

Thursday, June 18, 2026

 

Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(Sirach 48:1-14; Matthew 6:7-15)

A man was hurt as a child by the school’s bully.  His arm was twisted behind his back until its ligaments were torn from the bone.  The injury caused intense pain at the moment and long afterwards. He resented his offender until he experienced a conversion when he was writing him a letter about the trouble he caused.

One day, the man found his abuser’s picture and a description of his activities in an Internet search.  The former bad boy was the director of a large trucking company.  The man began a grudge letter but then stopped realizing that he harbored hatred.  The letter changed from vindictive to reconciliatory as the man asked forgiveness for his long-term resentment.  He received a gracious letter back, but it was also a bit disappointing.  The former bully said that he honestly could not recall the incident but was sorry for any injury he had caused.

Sometimes we hurt others without realizing the damage that is done.   We cannot make an adequate apology.  We stand helpless before God unable to feel contriteness for our sin.  In light of what Jesus says in today’s gospel, we should ask God to forgive not only the offenses we are conscious of but also those which we do not realize that we made.  Likewise, we pray that we may forgive others even when – as is sometimes the case -- they do not realize how they have offended us.

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

 

Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 2:1.6-14; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18))

There are two transitions in today’s first reading.  Obviously, Elijah is giving Elisha his authority to speak on behalf of God.  The younger prophet will need a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to face the new challenges of his generation.  Elijah defeated the threat of the Baalites to Israel.  But other false gods and empty promises will attract the people.  Elisha will need to assert God’s ongoing presence in their midst.

The second transition is the forever changing times.  Things never stay the same but are always in flux.  Seniors today recall the pre-computer age.  Television threatened the development of children in the 1950s.  Artificial Intelligence reached instantly through smartphones has become the culprit today.  Will our children overcome the challenges of technology to remain peaceful and loving?

They can if they disconnect long enough to hear the voice of God spoken within their hearts.  He will tell them not to worry about being better than others but try to serve the needy.  He will assure them of His love but assert that the world does not revolve around them.  He is at its center with the Son in the Spirit forever making things new.

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 21:17-29; Matthew 5:43-48)

Biblical theologian John Meier found Jesus’ command, “Love your enemy,” unique.  He examined all extant Jewish and pagan literature before and during Jesus’ lifetime without locating any equivalent saying.  For Meier this indicated that the words come directly from Jesus.  That is, he was convinced that the command could not have been borrowed from another source and attributed to Jesus as “the kind of thing he would say.”  “Love your enemy” may be jarring to those who hear it for the first time, but it is not the only statement of today’s gospel that wakes one from slumber.

Jesus tells his disciples to “’be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.’”  This statement sounds almost neurotic.  Conventional wisdom states that “perfection is the enemy of the good.”  Mothers advise their children that only God is perfect and that humans must accept their fallibility.  But Jesus remains unsparing in his command.  His disciples are to become like God in their relations with others; that is, they must treat everyone justly.

Before putting aside Jesus’ command as impossible, impractical, or self-destructive, we need to consider something.  These dictates come with grace of the Holy Spirit.  He is the very presence of God who does not merely help but transforms us.  We are no longer crippled by sin but walk as God’s children. As Bach’s children wrote music approaching the glory of their father’s work so too can our virtue resemble the perfection of our heavenly Father’s.

Monday, June 15, 2026

 

Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 21:1-16; Matthew 5:43-48)

“’Frailty, thy name is woman,’” Prince Hamlet says of his mother, the queen, in Shakespeare’s play.  But it is not true.  Some women, like Lady Macbeth in another Shakespearean play, are as hard as the seats in the church basement.  There is nothing frail either about Queen Jezebel in the first reading.  As her husband, the king, pouts over not being able to obtain a parcel of land, she cooks up a treachery that would impress the Godfather.  She not only defrauds but murders to steal the land away.  Then she triply defies God’s law by arranging false witnesses testify that they heard poor Naboth curse God.  Not frailty but pure wickedness characterizes this dame!

Some may see Jezebel as a figure of the archetypal Eve and cast all women in a negative hue.  But that characterization is erroneous as well as villainous.  In Genesis, both Adam and Eve willingly share the forbidden fruit.  In contemporary life, men much more typically than women commit heinous crimes.  What sin always demonstrates, however, is the human need of redemption.  Somehow humans must be freed from the burden of guilt attached to their crimes.

“...all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus...,” declares St. Paul in the Letter to the Romans.  Christ has freed Jews and Greeks, men and women, the dark and the light complexioned from the guilt which would hold them in sin like a car stuck in sand.  We celebrate this redemption in the Eucharist.  Here he frees us from our wanton desire to possess, dominate, and even to kill like King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

 

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Exodus 19:2-6a; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36–10:8)

This Sunday we resume reading the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. It will be our guide until Advent. Matthew’s Gospel emphasizes discipleship.  It teaches us how best to serve the Lord.

In today’s reading, Jesus notices how much the people need pastoral care. He sees them as “troubled and abandoned.” To a large extent, the Jewish leadership has failed them. The scribes are preoccupied with the minutiae of the law, while the people long to hear about God’s love. The Pharisees seek places of honor at banquets, while the people need to know how to respond to God’s goodness.

The lack of adequate pastoral accompaniment continues today. However, the problem is not so much that people feel “troubled and abandoned.” Rather, the faithful are often confused and bewildered by the things they see around them. Many people in Western society desire affirmation even when they act in ways that were once considered abominations. The problem is not so much that they want to tattoo their arms up to their shoulders or dye their hair green. Rather, they show little regard for the primacy of the family. They want to live with their partner outside of marriage, to have a same-sex partner, or even to change their biological sex.

These irregularities become particularly visible during this month of June, designated by some as “pride month.” It seems strange to us that so many people want to boast publicly about things that were once considered private. As disciples of Jesus, how should we respond? Jesus’ recommendation in the gospel that we pray to the Father is particularly appropriate. These sexual matters are profound and sensitive. Wisdom is needed to address them appropriately. What else could we do?

In the first reading, God indicates what He wants from Israel. He says that they will be His chosen people if they keep His commandments. He adds that he will protect the nation as long as it maintains the covenant it has made with Him. In addition to advising prayer, in the gospel Jesus chooses the Twelve Apostles to proclaim this same message of election and protection. He sends them particularly to those who have gone astray to guide them back to the right path. The message remains relevant today.

God's love does not allow us to condone habits that distance those involved from Him. Behaviors such as having sex outside of marriage do precisely this. We may have the opportunity to speak honestly and openly to those in these situations. If so, we can convey to them how their actions offend God. At the same time, we want to hear their personal histories if they are willing to share them. In this way, the give and take will foster mutual understanding and goodwill.

Let's take the case of a Catholic school teacher who has a child in her class with two fathers and no mother. Some might wonder if the school administration should admit children in this situation. However, the Church does not consider admission impermissible in such cases. It reasons that the child will receive a Catholic education. It can be further hoped that by dialoguing with the teacher, his parents will come to value chastity. At the same time, the teacher will learn something about the reasons for and difficulties of having homosexual tendencies.

One might ask if our era is the best time to live in history. Who knows? It is true that we live more comfortably today than at any other time in history. On the other hand, it may be harder now than ever to convey the teaching of Christ. Nevertheless, we are called as ever to follow the Lord Jesus. We must ask for his help as we proclaim his truth.

Friday, June 12, 2026

 

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

(Deuteronomy 7:6-11; I John 4:7-16; Matthew 11:25-30)

Some Christians still believe that there is a qualitative difference between “the God of the Old Testament” and “the God of the New.”  In the Old, they say, God is primarily wrathful, even vengeful, with inklings of tenderness.  In the New Testament, they would say, Jesus reveals God to be much kinder and gentler.  Jesus certainly emphasized the Father’s loving kindness, but so do the prophets of the Old Testament.  In the first reading Moses does not refrain from speaking of God’s merciful love.

We might note as well Jesus’ God never hesitating to correct His people when necessary.  The context of today’s gospel is Jesus’ chastising Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Their failure to believe in him as God’s Son, despite his powerful preaching and mighty deeds, required disciplining.  Fortunately, not all reject Jesus.  It is the poorer, lesser educated who tend to accept him.  To these he offers his yoke of wisdom.

Jesus’ wisdom is a product of both his brain and his heart.  By “brain” we understand correct assessment of right and wrong.  By “heart” we mean a proclivity to forgive. Jesus’ heart was pierced on the cross and drained of its life blood but hardly of his mercy.  It dispenses forgiveness where our sins deserve punishment.

Thursday, June 11, 2026

 Memorial of Saint Barnabas, apostle

 (Acts 11:21b-26.13:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12)

St. Barnabas is mentioned a number of times in Acts and the letters of St. Paul.  From all that is said, he is an exemplary Christian disciple.  He donates the proceeds from the sale of his land to the community of disciples (Acts 4:36-37).  He is sent to Antioch as a representative of the Church to investigate the new Christian community there.  One may find in him the gifts of patience and mercy in an incident that occurred while preaching with Paul.  Barnabas’ desire to allow John Mark to rejoin the preaching team after previously abandoning the project contrasts with Paul’s demand that he stay behind (Acts 15:39).

Today’s reading from Acts even testifies to his virtue calling him “a good man full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24).  The same Spirit asks that he and Paul be set aside for missionary work (Acts 13:2). It further indicates his ability by naming Barnabas the first of the prophets and teachers at Antioch.

 We should imitate Barnabas.  We certainly can be generous with what we own.  We can also be people of faith ready to forgive others.  We should also speak up in favor of Jesus and the Church.  Jesus’ teachings of self-sacrificial love are called into question by radical groups today.  The Church has detractors for its stand in favor of the assignment of gender with DNA code, the integrity of marriage between a man and a woman, and the dignity of life from conception to natural death. Jesus never doubted these natural truths as he showed us our destiny with God through his Paschal experience.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

 

Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 18:20-39; Matthew 5:19-19)

It should be no wonder why Israel is looking to Baal for salvation.  Their land has had draught conditions for years.  The people need rain in order to survive.  Yahweh seems deaf to their pleas.  Then they hear their neighbors speak of Baal, the god of rain, lightning, and fertility.  They say to themselves, “Why not give this god a try?”

Elijah, however, knows that appealing to Baal will only bring ruin to Israel.  He realizes that the reason for the draught is not an indifferent Yahweh.  Rather, Yahweh is chastising them for their faithlessness.  The infidelity is epitomized by their wicked king Ahab.  Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a test.  If Baal exists, then as the god of lightening, he should be able to easily burn his prophets’ offering.  But, of course, he doesn’t exist and cannot consume the offering.  Yahweh, however, burns up Elijah’s sacrifice, even after the prophet has made it hard to do so.

Don’t many people – perhaps some of us -- worship Baals?  They attach superhuman status to entertainers, politicians, and athletes.  These people try to fulfill their needs for doing well and being recognized by identifying with these celebrities.  They may even wear their jerseys, copy their hairstyles, or imitate their mannerisms.  Such attention to gifted but inevitably flawed heroes may bring a little euphoria but cannot bring happiness.  Worse, it diverts one from following the true God revealed in Jesus Christ.  If this portrait describes us, we must stop worshipping Baal and concentrate on following Jesus.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings7:7-16; Matthew 5:13-16)

As the United States celebrates its semiquincentennial, its citizens will recall a famous sermon preached by John Winthrop, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  In 1630, Winthrop told a shipfull of Puritan colonists that they would be like “a city on a hill” of which the world would take notice.  He exhorted the people to reflect the decency and justice which their faith espoused. The analogy was taken from today’s gospel passage.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus coins the expression “a city on a hill.”  He means, of course, that his disciples should lead exemplary lives of virtue.  He himself is the lamp to be reflected by every household as a guide for all the world.  Living as he teaches, they would make of the earth the forerunner of God’s Kingdom.

The United States is not a Christian nation.  It is composed of adherents to many different religious traditions and of people without faith.  Yet its founding principles are largely in line with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  It has always advocated the primacy of law, the virtue of charity, the value of freedom, and (yes) the necessity of belief in God.  It has been “a city on a hill” that has not only guided many to its shores but has served as a model for other nations.

Monday, June 8, 2026

 

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Kings 17:1-6; Matthew 5:1-12)

Both readings today speak of the Lord’s care for those who love Him.  The context of the first reading is important.  Elijah is announcing to King Ahab God’s guilty verdict.  Israel’s ruler has married a pagan woman and worshipped her god.  Having spoken truth to power, Elijah is forced into exile.  He might perish, but the Lord has ravens bring him food.

Once again, we hear the gospel pronouncing as "blessed" those who overcome pride and do good.  Although the world may be blind to their sanctity, the Lord will not let it go unrewarded.  He will grant Jesus’ faithful disciples the most wanted real estate of all, a place in the Kingdom of heaven.

As good as it sounds and as reliable as it has been, we may still doubt God’s beneficence.  Doubting and temporizing, we don’t place ourselves in God’s hands when in trouble. Rather we let ourselves worry.  Yet our experience is quite the contrary. Like me, you probably ask yourself why God is so good to you.  We just cannot place ourselves outside the infinite reach of His mercy.

Sunday, June 7, 2026

SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST

(Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58)

We might call this time of the year “the season of the great mysteries.” Last Sunday we celebrated the Holy Trinity, known as the central mystery of the Christian faith. Although it does not belong to this season, the mystery of the Incarnation, or Christmas, is also of extraordinary importance. Likewise, the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead holds a transcendent place among the mysteries of our faith. We complete this list of principal mysteries with the feast we celebrate today: the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi.

Before reflecting on this solemnity, it is important to understand what a mystery of faith is. It is not a puzzle to be solved by the human mind. Rather, it is a revelation from God to be contemplated, accepted, and incorporated into our lives. We speak, for example, of the “mysteries of the Rosary,” such as the Assumption of Mary and the Transfiguration of the Lord. By contemplating them, we realize that they are not entirely beyond our grasp. Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we too hope will be assumed into the Kingdom of God where we shall behold Christ’s glory.

When we speak of the “Body and Blood of Christ,” we are referring to the Eucharist, the sacrament that strengthens and deepens our relationship with Jesus Christ. In his presence we experience the first glimmers of eternal life. In this way, we move toward the universal human goal of everlasting happiness. Today’s readings teach us what this sacrament is and how it transforms our lives.

In the Gospel, Jesus declares that he gives his own body to eat and his own blood to drink. Because the Jews respond with disbelief, Jesus emphasizes that he is not speaking figuratively. He repeats what he has just said but uses an even stronger expression: whoever eats his flesh remains in him. How can the flesh of a person be consumed without violating human dignity? The answer introduces us to the Eucharistic mystery. Eucharistic bread has been inwardly transformed into Christ’s Body for the benefit of the one who eats it. Human dignity is not violated because what is consumed is the appearance and qualities of bread, not those of human flesh. Yet beneath the appearance of bread remains the reality of Christ’s Body.

As evidence of this mystery, the Body of Christ does not diminish within the person who receives it; rather, it grows. In the second reading, Saint Paul asks, “The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” Of course it is. The Body of Christ, which is also the Church, grows as we are strengthened by the Eucharist. In a famous statement, Saint Augustine explains this phenomenon: ordinary food is transformed into the person who eats it; but when we receive the Body of Christ, it is the communicant who is transformed into Christ.

The Eucharist is also food for the journey. The first reading comes from Moses’ final address to the Israelites. There he reminds them that the Lord fed them with another extraordinary “bread” in the desert. That “bread,” the manna, enabled them to continue their journey and become the People of God. In the same way, the Eucharist enables us to persevere through the struggles of life. Through it we can overcome temptations, grow in charity, and endure life’s trials until we reach our final destination with God.

The mysteries of faith are not meant only to be contemplated; they are also meant to be lived. With regard to the Body and Blood of Christ, living this mystery requires that we give positive answers to several questions. Do we give the Eucharist the honor it deserves by preparing to receive it through the proper fast, by seeking forgiveness for our sins, and by responding with a sincere “Amen” when it is handed to us? Do we observe the commandments and teachings of the Church, cooperate with the initiatives of our parish, and take an active role in its ministries? Finally, are we preparing for the end of our life by treating our family members with love, sharing our abundance with the poor, and avoiding evil?

Although living in this way requires effort, it is well worth it. It is no accident that the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, is called “the source and summit” of our Catholic faith.  It is the source because it nourishes us on the journey, and it is the summit because it becomes the heavenly banquet.

 

Friday, June 5, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

(II Timothy 3:7-10; Mark 12:35-37)

The two readings today are deceptively rich in ideas.  In the first, St. Paul reminds Timothy of the different uses of Scripture.  Beyond its help in praying, the Word of God instructs and can be used to refute mistaken beliefs.  In today’s gospel Jesus employs Scripture for this third purpose.

Jesus has won the crowd’s esteem by overcoming the challenges of his religious adversaries.  Now he instructs the people with a display of mastery over the Holy Writ.  He brings up a claim of the scribes that the Messiah is merely the Son of David.  Later he will tell the Sanhedrin that he is the Messiah, the Son of God who will sit on God’s right hand.  For now, he just shows how even David recognizes that the Messiah (or Christ) is more than his Son; he is also his Lord.  Jesus uses Psalm 110 to make his point.  David presumedly wrote the psalm, which says: “The Lord [that is God] said to my Lord [that is Christ], ‘Sit at my right hand …’”

We cannot underestimate the value of Scripture. St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."  Scripture is like a roadmap to get us through life safely.  If we do not consult it regularly, we are going to lose our way to salvation.

Thursday, June 4, 2026

 

Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28-34)

We nod affirmingly to the words of Jesus in today’s gospel.  “Yes,” we say, “we are to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves.”  But then, as Paul points out in the first reading, we quibble about words.  “What does it mean to say, “above all”?  we ask, and “How can I be expected to show the same love to another household as I do my own?”

Responses to our queries need not be abstract.  “Above all” means that we realize, as Bishop Robert Barron frequently says, that our lives are not about ourselves but about God.  We are to seek what He wants of us, not what we may like for ourselves.  I might enjoy watching sports events at the bar with my friends on Sunday evenings, but my conscience – that is God speaking -- tells me to spend time at the nursing home visiting an old relative.

As everything else in the world, love should be ordered.  We can hardly pay as much attention to the needs of all who are around us as we do to ourselves and our families.  Loving our neighbor as ourselves means that we don’t forget them as we proportion our resources.  Certainly, our children have a greater claim on our time than the neighbor’s children.  But those children too require our consideration and effort. 

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

 Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs

 II Timothy 1:1-3.6-12; Mark 12:18-27)

In A Grief Observed, his memoir of dealing with the death of his wife, C.S. Lewis exhibits no euphoria about eventual reunion.  He almost dismisses the idea saying that it is not biblical and, in any case, cannot be a replay of earthly bliss.  In this last remark Lewis reflects the surprising teaching of Jesus in today’s gospel.

 The context of the passage is a debate between Jesus and a group of Sadducees, the priestly party which does not believe in the resurrection of the dead.  The Sadducees propose to Jesus a ridiculous scenario of seven brothers marrying in succession the same woman in order to give the first brother-husband an heir.  Then they pose the question, “’At the resurrection when they arise, whose wife shall she be?’’’  Jesus responds that the Sadducees misunderstand the nature of resurrected life where marriage between man and woman does not exist.

 Although Christians eagerly look forward to eternal life, it is best that we not try to describe it.  Saying that it is like an eternal honeymoon seems to conflict with what Jesus is saying here.  Describing it as an eternal liturgy is likely to take away many people’s interest.  The idea of an eternal banquet may raise more interest, but sound theologians have commented that there is no corporal satiation in heaven.  We just don’t know what eternal life is like, yet we do know that it brings happiness eminently worth striving for.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(II Peter 3:12-15a.17-18; Mark 12:13-17)

The recent motion pictures “Man of God” relates the saintly life of the Greek Orthodox priest, Nektarios of Aegina.  Nektarios demonstrated holiness when he gave a beggar the shoes on his feet, when he retired to prayer and work in a monastery, and – most of all -- when he refused to use his popularity as a platform to attain high ecclesial office.  In a poignant scene, Nektarios is urged to seek the patriarchy of Alexandria for the sake of the people.  He told his promoter that he was tempting him with power.  In today’s gospel Jesus similarly resists the flattery of the Herodians and Pharisees.

In Jerusalem to give himself as God’s servant, Jesus is approached by his enemies.  Before they ask a question meant to ensnare him in controversy, they try to flatter him with accolades about his integrity.  Jesus, however, knows their hearts, refuses to respond to the flattery, and then deftly responds to the question.  The scene ends with even his opponents amazed at Jesus’ astuteness.

Flattery plays on our pride, the basest vice because it inflates our ego.  Thinking of ourselves as important, we think less of God.  We are wise to be wary of excessive attention to us and to acknowledge the Lord behind any virtue we possess.