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. 

Friday, Jul 17, 2026

 

Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8; Matthew 12:1-8)

Not long ago, a group of Catholics, both young and old, were talking together.  Someone mentioned the old practice of abstinence from meat under pain of mortal sin every Friday, like the Church still insists upon during Lent.  The younger people seemed to be amused by the idea.  How could eating meat on any Friday, then or now, be considered a mortal sin?

Certainly, eating meat on Friday is Church, not Divine, Law.  The question becomes, does Church leadership have authority to impose binding obligations on people?   Bishops have a responsibility not only of sanctifying their people but also of evangelizing others.  Given the “keys to the Kingdom,” they can bind people to penitential actions like abstaining from meat.  It is a simple demonstration of our living for God and not to satisfy our appetites.  For this reason, when Catholics publicly defer from eating meat, they indicate to others their love for God.   

We should be aware that although abstinence from meat on Fridays outside of Lent is no longer required, Catholics are still obliged to do penance on Fridays.  As in Jesus’ citing of the prophet Isaiah in today’s gospel, an act of mercy will more than suffice for this penance.  It would be good to see nursing homes or prisons filled with visitors on Fridays trying to carry out their penitential obligation.

Thursday, July 16, 2026

 

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 26:7-9.12.16-19; Matthew 11:28-30)

Today’s reading from the first part of the Book of Isaiah seems misplaced.  It ignores the concerns of the Southern Kingdom for which the original prophet wrote.  In its stead, it speaks of a time of perfect peace when both personal and public conflicts will be resolved.  The people have evidently been chastened by the exile and now find hope in the prospect of resurrection from the dead.

In the gospel Jesus offers himself as the peace of the people.  He bids the poor to accept the yoke of his teaching.  It not only eliminates the intricacies of pharisaical precepts but also connects them to him as a source of strength.  As he declares in the Gospel of John, “’I am the Resurrection and the Life’” (Jn 11:25).

July is a time of extremes.  In the Northern Hemisphere temperatures reach their heights.  The Southern Hemisphere experiences the other extreme.  Most people working outdoors or just commuting to work in either clime are struggling with the weather.  Of course, most everyone has inner conflicts to work through. All can look to the Lord for relief.  Like a body of water at daybreak or nightfall, time with him in prayer brings resolution and hope.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

(Isaiah 10:5-7.13b-16; Matthew 11:25-27)

Today’s gospel is understood as an insight into Jesus’ divinity.  The Passage is often introduced as a “Johannine thunderbolt in a Matthean sky.”  Recognizing Jesus as God’s Son is a dominant theme of John’s Gospel.  But Matthew as well has a “high Christology” which sees Jesus very much as divine.

Another critical aspect of the passage is its context.  Jesus has just expressed his frustration with the cities of Galilee for their rejection of him.  “’Woe to Chorazin’” and “’woe to Bethsaida,’” he lamented in yesterday’s gospel.  And yet in this very next passage he praises his Father for enabling the poor, the simple, and public sinners to accept his message.  By no means is Jesus a feint-hearted man.  In both good and bad times he is able to praise God, his Father.

We can see in today’s patron, Saint Bonaventure, a like spirit.  He was both an extremely gifted and a humble person.  Although a professor of theology at the University of Paris, Bonaventure became the leader of the Franciscans. Navigating between the regulars and the Spiritualists of the Order, Bonaventure was able to support the intellectual ministry while maintaining a simple life.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

 

Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin

(Isaiah 7:1-9; Matthew 11:20-24)

Today’s reading gives a classic description of faith. With the Israel-Aram alliance threatening the Kingdom of Judah, God sends Isaiah on mission.  The prophet tells the king of Judah not to worry, but to trust that God will defend His people.  The prophecy becomes reality.  The super-power Assyria smashes the alliance.  But Israel will abandon trust in God as its protector and allies itself with pagan Assyria.

In the gospel Jesus laments the lack of faith in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.  These cities have witnessed his mighty deeds and yet refuse to heed his message of repentance and belief.  They cannot abide by his preferential attention to the poor and to sinners.  They refuse to repent of hypocrisy and continue their self-affirming ways.

The lessons of Isaiah and Jesus should affect all of us.  It is tempting to put more trust in medicine and savings for our welfare than in God.  We should always look to God first for salvation by diligent prayer and careful carrying out his will.  It is our faithfulness to Him, not our status in society, that will save us from ruin.

Monday, July 13, 2026

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 1:10-17; Matthew 10:34-11:1)

A man tells the story of his daughter.  When she was a teenager, she became pregnant outside marriage.  She wanted to have her baby, but her mother encouraged her to have an abortion.  For the mother, the girl was not only too young to be a mother but also needed to finish her education.  The girl desperately turned to her father who was divorced from his wife.  The man believed in his daughter and promised to help her keep her baby.  Relieved, the girl said that she had bought a bus ticket to another town in case no one would support her at home.  Whether she knows it or not, this girl is following Jesus’ instructions to his apostles in today’s gospel.

It is not that Jesus has abortion in mind as he lectures his apostles.  Rather, he knows that his righteousness will always unleash opposition.  His insistence that divorce opposes the Creator’s intention will cause a furor among those who favor a more lenient standard.  His reaching out to the grubby poor will scandalize those with a high sense of propriety.  In these ways Jesus forces people to choose.  Will they stand with him or conform to the prejudices of their families?

We may not have to choose between family and Jesus.  Our choice may be between Jesus and the urgings of our corrupted hearts.  Will we follow our impulses to illicit sex, or will we resist sinful sexual desires?  Will we continue to impose our will upon others, or will we work out a mutually acceptable agreement? Will we continue to seek others’ approval, or will we daily acknowledge our sinfulness and ask the Lord’s mercy? Facing issues like these, we realize that Jesus does not bring the peace of mind that we desire but a deeper peace that we cannot even imagine.

Friday, July 17, 2026

 

Friday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8; Matthew 12:1-8)

Not long ago, a group of Catholics, both young and old, were talking together.  Someone mentioned the old practice of abstinence from meat under pain of mortal sin every Friday, like the Church still insists upon during Lent.  The younger people seemed to be amused by the idea.  How could eating meat on any day Friday, then or now, be considered a mortal sin?

Certainly, eating meat on Friday is Church, not Divine, Law.  The question become, does Church leadership have authority to impose binding obligations on people?   Bishops have a responsibility not only of sanctifying their people but also of evangelizing others.  Given the “keys to the Kingdom,” they can bind people to penitential actions like abstaining from meat.  It is a simple demonstration of our living for God and not to satisfy our appetites.  For this reason, when Catholics publicly defer from eating meat, they indicate to others their love for God.   

We should be aware that although abstinence from meat on Fridays outside of Lent is no longer required, Catholics are still obliged to do penance on Fridays.  As in Jesus’ citing of the prophet Isaiah in today’s gospel, an act of mercy will more than suffice for this penance.  It would be good to see nursing homes or prisons filled with visitors on Fridays trying to carry out their penitential obligation.

Sunday, July 12, 2026

 

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Isaiah 55:10–11; Romans 8:18–23; Matthew 13:1–23)

This Gospel passage is both familiar and difficult to understand. We have heard it countless times, and we know that the different kinds of soil represent different kinds of people. These images are so striking that many people pay little attention to the second part of the passage. There Jesus indicates that some fail to understand the parable because they have already rejected the basic message of his preaching. Let us look once again at the parable before trying to understand how some people reject Jesus’ message.

We know that the Parable of the Sower appears in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is also found in a shortened but more powerful form in the Gospel of John.  Shortly before his Passion, Jesus says, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24). In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the soil must be rid of obstacles in order for the grain to bear fruit. In John, the emphasis is on the grain dying in the ground so that it may have an abundant harvest.  

In all four gospels the grain represents the word of God. Yet “the word” in Matthew, Mark, and Luke has a different referent than in John. The first three gospels present the “word of God” as God's message proclaimed and heard, much like the prophet describes it in today's first reading. Isaiah says that the word that goes forth from God's mouth always accomplishes His purpose.  It always brings salvation to God’s people. In John's Gospel, however, the “word of God” is Jesus himself who dies on the cross to redeem humanity from sin and death.

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus explains the meaning of the parable. The seed that falls on the path cannot bear fruit because the birds devour it before it can sprout. It is like busybodies who don't focus on God's word but get carried away by life’s trivialities. Rocky ground doesn't yield a harvest because it is hard and shallow. It represents those who initially want to serve God but then lose heart when trials of death, duplicity, and hardship come. The thorny ground also fails to bear fruit because the thorns choke the young plants. It represents those who allow power, prestige, and pleasure to suffocate God's inspiration within their hearts. To bear abundant fruit, we must free ourselves from everything that prevents us from making a priority of loving God and neighbor.

Now let us consider the challenging part of today's Gospel. Jesus says that he speaks in parables because there are people who have eyes but do not see, and ears but do not hear or understand. These are the people who have rejected his basic message of “repent and believe.”  Their hearts resist loving others and forgiving those who have offended them. For them, the parables remain little more than foolish riddles.

Pope Francis used to observe that there is a crucial difference between sinners and the corrupt. He said that there is hope for sinners to repent but the corrupt have become so hardened that they no longer recognize their need for conversion. This group certainly includes assassins and pimps, but it can also include people who have become so rigid that, although they attend Mass, they do not want to hear about mercy and love.

All of us should ask ourselves if we have tendencies like those of this latter group. If we discover that our hearts have become hardened to loving others, if we find ourselves being increasingly self-absorbed, then we must repent without delay. The Lord never stops loving us. He is always ready to soften our hearts, to help us love others, and to enable us to bear abundant fruit for His Kingdom.

Friday, July 10, 2026

 

Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hosea 14:2-10; Matthew 10:16-23)

In Robert Frost’s memorable poem, “Tree at my Window,” the poet compares a tree to himself.  He says that like the tree he sees in a storm, he tosses and turns in his sleep.  But as the tree, moored to the earth, does not fall, he survives his restless nights.  In today’s reading from the prophet Hosea compares the people of Israel to different trees.

Unmoored from idols and connected to God, Israel is as strong and fragrant as a Lebanon cedar.  The people are gloriously fruitful like an olive tree.  Also, like the protection the cedar and the cypress provide, they raise grain to nourish themselves. 

Like Israel, we must rid ourselves of idols so that we might thrive like a redwood or a giant oak.  Idols, of course, include more than metals objects some think of as bringing them good luck.  Idols are what we wrongly consider as sources of full happiness.  They can be sports teams, rock stars, perhaps our cars or our telephones.  We must acknowledge the Lord as the source of all good things and duly give Him thanks and praise.

Thursday, July 9, 2026

 

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hosea 11:1-4.8e-9; Matthew 10:7-15)

Today when people set out on a journey they take more than what they need.  “Just in case,” they say, they carry clothes for the fall on a summer journey and a few hundred dollars more than what they anticipate spending.  Their concern with having enough contrasts with Jesus’ lesson for his missionaries in today’s gospel.

Jesus wants his apostles to preach the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God.  They are to show evidence of the Kingdom by their ministry to the sick and to the mentally disturbed.  Also, their own dependency upon God anticipates the immediacy of His Kingdom’s presence. They are not to take money, nor clothes other than what they wear, nor even a walking stick to help them traverse rough terrain.

Do Jesus’ instructions have any bearing on how we live today?  To be sure, it is meant for missionaries, not vacationers or salespersons on business.  Yet it warns us about greed.  We are not to let our risk-aversion culture make us worry about what may happen.  Rather we are to be practice what was called “liberality” by classical philosophers.  Liberality is the virtue that enables us to use our resources for the good of all. It frees us from fussing about whether we will always have enough so that we might help those now facing legitimate crises.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

 

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hosea 10:1-3.7-8.12; Matthew 10:1-7)

The readings from the prophet Hosea these past two days tell of sowing and reaping.  Yesterday the prophet warned that if Israel sows the wind, it will reap the whirlwind.  The wind is the panoply of false gods – money, pleasure, power, and prestige.  Hosea means that any people who strives primarily for these vanities is bound to wreak havoc upon itself.  This result was evidenced after World War I, the so-called “Great War.”  After the Allied powers imposed heavy penalties upon Germany, a second, more disastrous war followed.

In today’s reading Hosea pleads with Israel to “sow for yourselves” justice so that it may “reap the fruit of piety.”  If a nation endeavors to put into practice the Lord’s justice, it will be duly rewarded.  After World War II, the United States established the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe.  As a result, in not too many years the whole continent flourished economically.  The United States had markets for its products as well as the goodwill of the world.

We sometimes see slogans like “follow your dreams” or “do what your feelings tell you.”  Such advice might lead to “sow(ing) the wind.”  We are wise to think through our dreams and feelings to see where they are leading.  If they move us to love God and neighbor, then yes, let’s consider them seriously.  If not, let’s find fruitful alternatives.

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Matthew 9:32-38; Hosea 8:4-7.11-13)

Today’s gospel passage represents a bridge from the first to the second of five sections making up the body of Matthew’s Gospel.  In the first section Jesus delivers his great Sermon on the Mount and begins his ministry of healing and exorcising.  The reading tells of an exorcism and then summarizes Jesus’ work.

The second section begins by noting Jesus’ compassion. He responds to the people’s need for pastoral guidance by drawing his disciples’ attention to it.  But rather than immediately sending them out to minister, he asks them to pray to God.  All pastoral ministry should begin by petitioning the help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus will soon give his “apostolic discourse” instructing his disciples on how to proclaim the gospel.

 It is often said that the gospels are not biographies of Jesus.  Rather they were presentations of events in his life that show why early Christians believed in him as Lord.  Their writers were skilled theologians and dramatists who were utterly convinced that Jesus saves believers from their sins.  They give us additional reason to move beyond our doubts and to follow Jesus with all our hearts.

Monday, July 6, 2026

 

Monday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Hosea 2:16.17c-18.21-22; Matthew 9:18-26)

Today’s reading from the prophet Hosea complements the history of Israel whose story was told at Mass during the last few weeks.  Hosea prophesied in Israel during the period of its corruption and downfall.  The people abandoned the justice which God’s law sought to establish.  Instead of absolute worship of the Lord God and care for the oppressed, the well-to-do people of both Northern and Southern Kingdoms chose self-gratification and worship of indulgent gods.  The result was disaster.

Hosea writes of a future time when Israel would recognize the true God who rescued their ancestors from slavery and endowed them with a law of moral perfection.  The prophet identifies Israel with a wanton woman who is left in distress.  God calls this woman into the desert of penance where she recognizes her sins and returns to the Lord, her Creator and Redeemer.  Once forgiven, she becomes the Lord’s bride in a union of faithful love.

We recognize the marriage taking place in Jesus’ union with Israel’s remnant which forms the Church.  His cross has cleansed the people of their sins. His resurrection has made her his bride for eternity.  We become his bride when we renounce desires to live for pleasure or power over others.  We also pledge ourselves to God’s honor and glory.  As troubled as our social environment has become, giving ourselves solely to him is a tall order.  But we must not reject it because it promises fullness of life.

Sunday – July 5, 2026

 

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 
(Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30)

Of all the symbols of the United States, none attracts more attention than the Statue of Liberty. This colossal monument was a gift from France, originally intended to commemorate the nation's centennial in 1876. It was placed on a small island near New York Harbor so that immigrants arriving from Europe could see it as they entered the country.

Now, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation, the Statue of Liberty stands as a tribute to the ideals of the United States. From its very beginning, this country has offered freedom, justice, and opportunity to millions of immigrants from every part of the world. It has given them the chance to participate in a society governed by the rule of law rather than by the privileged.

Inscribed on the pedestal of the statue is a poem that captures the spirit of the nation. One of its most famous lines is known by schoolchildren across the country: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." The poem was written by a Jewish woman who worked with immigrants. Her words inspired hope in the hearts of the poor and the oppressed, offering them the promise of a better life. They also bear a remarkable resemblance to the words of Jesus in today's Gospel: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."

Of course, Jesus' invitation is far more than an offer of political asylum or material prosperity. Rather, it is a call to lasting peace and eternal happiness through a close relationship with him. Trusting in Christ frees us from the anxiety that afflicts so many people who make wealth, prestige, and pleasure the supreme goals of life. Although these values are not evil in themselves, they cannot give us the fullness of life that Christ won for us. Indeed, when pursued without restraint, they can even lead to ruin.

Jesus gives us that fullness of life when we accept his gentle yoke. His yoke—the beam that joins us to him—is his teaching. At times those teachings challenge us, as when he insists that we forgive those who have wronged us. But we should always remember that Jesus is at our side, helping us carry the burden. His friendship comforts us, and his strength makes our load lighter.

It would not be accurate to say that the United States is a Christian nation. Nevertheless, our country has incorporated many values inspired by Christianity, such as equality, freedom, and a welcoming spirit toward the poor and the refugee. On this Independence Day weekend, let us thank God for these principles. At the same time, let us pray that America will continue to live by them. They have been a source of our nation's strength and greatness. And as we strive to remain faithful to these ideals, may God continue to bless the United States.

 

Friday, July 3, 2026

 

Feast of Saint Thomas, apostle

(Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29)

Earlier in his gospel as in today’s reading, John says that Thomas is also called “Didymus.” This is the Aramaic version of the Greek name “Thomas.”  In both languages the words mean “twin.” John’s explanation of the name does not seem to be parenthetical.  Rather he may be suggesting that we identify with him.  We are Thomas’ twin.  Like Thomas, we are on a journey to know the Lord.  Of course, our journey is spiritual where Thomas is both physical and spiritual.

Thomas is introduced in the gospel as Jesus decides to return to Judea to raise Lazarus from the dead.  When the other disciples warn Jesus of the danger of the return, Thomas enthusiastically proclaims, “Let us also go to die with him.” As young men and women the thought of dying for Christ was attractive to us as well.  We thought of ourselves as becoming heroes praised by the people and assured of a martyr’s reward.  But aging often wears the soul as well as the body.  We become more cautious not wanting to cut short the years remaining to us.  Thomas becomes skeptical of Jesus’ resurrection.  He will not believe when the other disciples tell him that they have seen the Lord.  In the same vein, we begin to doubt the value of martyrdom. However, when the risen Jesus appears to him, Thomas professes faith that he is Lord.

Not because we have seen the risen Lord but because we have witnessed his glory, we profess faith in the Resurrection and the Lordship of Jesus.  What have we observed?  We have heard stories of the saints and have known holy men and women whose lives manifested an uncompromising love of Christ. We have noted how Christian doctrine quite sensibly coordinates both Scripture and experience.  And who of us has not prayed to Jesus and not found our requests honored?  We know that the Lord Jesus lives and follow the road he marked for us in the gospels.  If God calls us to martyrdom, we will not run away from it.

Thursday, July 2, 2026

 

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Psalm 19)

The psalm response today gave rise to a memorable line of Abraham Lincoln: “The judgments of the Lord are true and all of them just.” Lincoln was reflecting on the Civil War in his magisterial Second Inaugural Address shortly before his assassination.  He lamented how the war devastated the land and slaughtered its people.  Yet at the same it facilitated God’s purpose of ending slavery in the nation.

The psalm itself gives tribute to God’s creation.  It begins with a reflection on the sun which comes and goes every day as it warms the earth.  The psalm continues with a paean to God’s law.  Like the sun, the law is unrelenting in its benefit for the people.  It instructs all as it lays down the rules for a just society.

As the United States celebrates its two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, it should thank God especially for Abraham Lincoln.  As its president, he led the people to a self-understanding that coordinated its high aspirations with the people’s deep Biblical faith.