faith

Would we like to celebrate in a banquet of death or eternal life?

“He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother” (Mark 6:28).

The momentum that led to the death of John the Baptist could have slowed and the direction could have taken a different course. It did not slow down and only escalated. Once Herod Antipas offered to the girl “even half of his kingdom”, she went in haste to her mother. Without hesitation her mother asked for John the Baptist’s head and the daughter fed on horrific request not with disgust but bad adding fuel to the fire. The daughter “hurried back” and asked that the head of John be given to her “at once on a platter”.

There was a slight hesitation on Herod’s part when he received the request, but no one spoke up about the atrocity or horror of this request. Herod, as would Pontius Pilate, gave in to the pressure, not saving a life, but in taking the life of an innocent man, which the executioner executed quickly and efficiently.

John’s crime, what he was arrested for, was calling Herod and Herodias to repent, to turn away from the sin of adultery they were committing and to turn back to God. John sought to help this couple to see that their actions not only were leading to their own demise, but that they were leading many of their subjects with them. Each person chose to play their part in John’s death, they chose their own ego-drama over and above the principal actor before them playing out God’s theo-drama.

This horrific account, if it was not bad enough on its own, was a foreshadowing of another – John’s cousin. Jesus would also be tried, condemned, and crucified for choosing to speak God’s word of repentance, to invite others within ear shot to turn away from that which was keeping them from God. Many were not only closed to the idea of repentance, they not only ignored his message, but also called out for his death, “Crucify him” (Mark 15:13)!

John and Jesus were faithful to hearing and following the will of God. They exhibited true courage in their willingness to give their lives, and because they have done so, they have opened up for us the path to eternal life. Where do we find ourselves in the account of the beheading of John the Baptist and the crucifixion of Jesus? Are we on the side of the indifferent that will watch them die without a word, are we on the side of rejecting the light of God and choosing the darkness of our own sin? If our conscience is pricked, do we resist following the invitation of the Holy Spirit and listen to the lies of the enemy and follow him instead?

Is there another option than those witnessed in the Gospel accounts? Yes, those of Mary and the Apostles. They, despite the cultural, political, familial, internal, and even religious pressures of the time, chose to trust in Jesus and follow him, even when they didn’t understand. This is revealed powerfully when Jesus asked the Apostles at the end of the Bread of Life discourse, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life” (John 6:67-68).

With each thought, word, and decision we make, we are invited today to take the time to pause and discern what voices we are listening to. If they don’t align with the will of God, we need to follow the lead of John and Jesus and renounce them. Otherwise, we can get caught up in a momentum of thoughts, then words, that can lead to actions that can lead to some dark places we don’t want to go. The Holy Spirit can help us to change course at any point, even when we have walked away… If we are willing to stop, take a breath, and listen. It is never too late to shift the momentum and repent. It is never too late to turn away from sin, return to God, and get back on the path that leads to eternal life.

Photo: There is much distraction, diversion, and temptation that the enemy will place in our way. When we remain in and follow the light of Jesus he will “rescue our feet from the snare” (cf. Psalm 25:15).

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, August 29, 2026

How can we have enough oil to keep our torches burning all the way to the wedding feast?

“The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves'” (Mt 25: 8-9).

The context for Jesus’ parable was the procession to the wedding feast which was the beginning of the second stage of marriage after the time of betrothal that could take up to a year. One of the roles for this procession was carrying torches to light the way to the home of the groom from the home of the bride’s family home. They needed torches as the procession began after sunset. The wise virgins were not being self-centered or stingy but truly prudent and wise. If they ran out in sharing the oil before the completion of the procession that would have been a terrible embarrassment for the bride and groom. It could also lead to injury by having to walk in the darkness.

Jesus is doing more here though in this parable than introducing prudent discipleship. The wise and foolish virgins are representative of those invited to participate in the wedding feast, an image of participating in the kingdom of heaven. They who have their lamps burning brightly do so because they are living their faith in practice and reflecting the light of Jesus as they witness their faith to others. They cannot give their oil though. Each person must receive the invitation of Jesus and decide to live their faith and put it into practice in their own lives.

No one can do this for them. The foolish virgins are those that are not prepared or ready because they lack the commitment, the discipline, and the actual living out of their life of faith. This is shown starkly when the foolish virgins come to the locked door. They are not allowed in to participate in the wedding feast because the groom, Jesus, says that he does not know them. They are members of the community but they “have offended the bridegroom by their irresponsibility and lack of preparation.” This is “a claim of disassociation, of renouncing his former ties with them” (Mitch and Sri, 192). These virgins represent those disciples that have not put their faith into practice through prayer, worship, and good works. “It is one thing to make a strong start in the Christian life, to believe in Jesus and to commit oneself to repentance (4:17). But this commitment must be sustained over time” (Mitch and Sri, 193).

We gain some insight that the wise and foolish for Jesus has a different connotation than what the world deems to be wise and foolish. St. Paul in his letter to the Church at Corinth wrote that “the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18). The cross was not only a horrific symbol of oppression, it was a sign of the finality of death. To the world the cross showed that Jesus could not be the messiah, for he could not even save himself.

The imagery of the cross was still raw for the first few centuries and was depicted rarely in early Christian art. And yet, in one of the earliest accounts of the New Testament we have Paul not just discussing but proclaiming victory in the cross: “We proclaim Christ crucified” (I Cor. 1:22). A foolish and absurd statement in the view of the world, yet one of foundational wisdom to the disciple and apostles of Christ.

This was and continues to be the banner call of the Christian. Jesus died, and yet conquered death and rose again. This is a statement of faith that we can only make an ascent to through our belief and experience of, trust in, and deepening our relationship with, the one who died, conquered death and rose again. St. John Chrysostom (349-407) wrote that: “For the Apostles themselves came in not by wisdom, but by faith, and surpassed the heathen wisemen in wisdom and loftiness, and that so much the more, as to raise disputes is less than to receive by faith the things so far” (p. 249, The Word on Fire Bible).

Our faith is not a blind faith that we dumbly believe and follow along like lemmings. It is our reason seeking understanding and allowing God’s grace to build on our nature. Our faith grows as it did with the Apostles, through our encounter and lived experience with Jesus. Just like any other relationship, we build it with Jesus through time spent being loved by him, so we come to know him, love him, persevere in serving him through good works, such as the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy.

Jesus was clear that we do not know the time or hour of his return. We do not need to be worried about the time or the hour as long as we are faithful to and trust in him with everything and follow his will and do whatever he tells us to do. When he does return, we, like the wise virgins, will be ready to be welcomed into and enter the wedding feast.

Photo: Daily prayer, weekly Mass, participating in the sacraments, quiet time with Jesus, studying and mediating with Scripture, following the will of God, loving and serving one another, will help us to have enough oil to light out torches and keep them burning.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, August 28, 2026

Mitch, Curtis and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010.

Word on Fire Bible: Acts, Letters, and Revelation. Park Ridge, IL: Word on Fire Ministries, 2022.

We are faithful and prudent servants when we receive, rest in and share God’s love.

“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time” (Mt 24:45)?

Jesus is calling us to be that “faithful and prudent servant” and the household we are to serve is our own homes, churches, places of worship, communities, states, countries, and world. For the world is our home and those we serve are our brothers and sisters. Jesus’ call is a universal call to solidarity. We are all invited to be united in this effort for and with one another because we are all created in the image of our loving God and Father.

God has created us, not as automatons or robots, or drone worker bees. He has created us as unique persons, one of a kind, distinct wonders that have never been nor ever will be again. Within our uniqueness, there is also the gift of diversity. We are not intended to be separate from one another, for God has created all of us to be interconnected, to be loved, and to love. What affects one, affects all.

Jesus clearly emphasizes this distinction in his parable, often called the Judgment of the Nations, when he stated: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” And the king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25: 37-40).

Being faithful and prudent servants means being aware of and willing to attend to the needs of the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, those ill, and/or imprisoned. This is not an exhaustive list. We are to allow our hearts to be open to have compassion upon those for whom God calls us to serve. We begin this process with prayer, for prayer is the most important thing that we can do each day. We are to make the time to spend in silence, to step away from the busyness and the noise, so we can hear God’s word and better discern his will.

Not all of us will be moved in the same way or for the same cause. It is important to remain open to the nudge of the Holy Spirit, trust his direction, and follow him regarding how and who we can serve, no matter how small of a gesture. One thing that can limit us is if we are unwilling to admit to and confess our sins, prejudices, insecurities, and/or biases. When we have the humility to confess and willingness to change and heal, God is ready to forgive, bring healing, and transform our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

As we are forgiven and begin to heal, we experience more of the love and mercy of Jesus. He empowers and strengthens us with his love. St. Teresa of the Andes said it well, “his love for me is infinite – an eternal incomprehensible love that led him to become man, that made him to be transformed into bread in order to be with me, to suffer and console me. If you give yourself to prayer, you’ll find that God will show himself to you, and make you fall in love with him.”

We become “faithful and prudent servants” when we experience God’s love by setting aside time to receive, rest in, and savor God’s love. We will no longer feel so alone, afraid, or anxious. We will, feel heard and seen; believe that we belong, are secure, and more stable. Resting in and abiding in God’s infinite love helps us to experience more peace, freedom, and hope. Being known and loved also helps us to see each person we encounter less defensively and more lovingly. The more of God’s love we are willing to receive, the more will give, and the more love we share, the more we will receive!

Photo: Breathing, receiving, resting, and abiding in God’s love at the chapel in Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center.

Quote from St. Teresa of the Andes from pp. 384-385, Magnificat, Vol. 28, No. 6, August.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 27, 2026

With Jesus, may we pay a little more attention to the inside.

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing” (Mt 23:27-28).

How many of us spend an inordinate amount of time regarding physical externals? Washing, makeup, the right clothes, the correct scents, teeth whitening, plucking, nipping, and tucking. How about time spent exercising through gym memberships, home exercise equipment, physical trainers, sports, stretching, running, or cycling. How about time spent towards a career through education, updating, professional learning, seminars, webinars, and networking. There are other categories that I can add, and the point is that there is not anything necessarily wrong with any of the above when they are properly ordered and each is in a healthy balance.

Yet, if external activities and how we define ourselves externally are all we are investing our time and energy in, then Jesus has a point. We may “appear beautiful on the outside” with great looks, a body that doesn’t quit, and a career to die for, but what is going on inside? Are we empty, unfulfilled, achieving goal after goal, yet feeling adrift or hollowed out? Do we have all the right social skills and etiquette down, know the right things to say in public, we have friends in the hundreds or thousands on our social media accounts, yet we feel alone and not a part of anything meaningful?

Worse yet, do we go to Church, say the right prayers, are active in ministry, tithe, are members of boards, involved in the community, and doing some great works of charity, but when the door is closed, and no one is looking… what kind of “hypocrisy and evil doing” are we up to? It is easy to rest in a false sense of security while Jesus chews out the scribes and the Pharisees, right now, yet, do Jesus’ words have an effect on us if we allow his light to shine also on the imperfections and shadow sides of us as well.

We can spend our time whitewashing the outside, projecting a perfect image, while chasing finite and material pursuits alone, which will more than likely leave us still feeling anxious, restless, unsatisfied, and worn out. Maintaining and protecting a false image on any level is exhausting. Instead, we can take a good look at the time we invest, where we focus our energies, examine our conscience, and assess the health of our relationship with God, family,  significant friendships, our vocation instead of occupation, and our service to those within and beyond our intimate circle.

Instead of expending energy maintaining a perfect persona, we will do better to be in touch with our weaknesses, our faults, wounds, and poverty of spirit, so that we can resist defending or rationalizing and seek healing, reconciliation, and transformation. By doing so, we may be more accepting, patient, understanding, and forgiving of others because we will come to realize that we are not all that perfect, the world does not revolve around us, and we are in need of help.

The path lit by Jesus will reveal our imperfections and sins and also will help us to distinguish between apparent goods and what is authentic and truly good. When we can step off the treadmill of chronic stress, come to a stop… breathe… press pause, we will begin to experience our vulnerabilities, insecurities, and fears. When we allow Jesus into those places and ask him for strength, forgiveness and healing, we will experience the peace, love, and rest we have been made for. We can rest in just being, just being ourselves and loved by God as we are, imperfections and all – no whitewash necessary.

Photo: Sending some quiet time while the sun was setting to reflect on where I can improve and need God’s help and healing, and thanking him for what I did well with his help.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, August 26, 2026

May we have the humility to allow Jesus to love us where we are in need of healing, confession, and change.

Today’s account in the Gospel is a ringing denouncement by Jesus regarding the abuse of the leadership and religious authority of his day. Those who were to shepherd, guide, care for, protect, and lead to God, were not doing so. And so Jesus gives voice to the prophets before him: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites:”

Woe may not be a word we use much these days. Jesus is waving the red flag of warning with these woes. He is holding them accountable with poetic language that emphasizes the absurdity of their apparent observance of the law and shows the level of their hypocrisy. Jesus reveals that although they are being faithful to their tithing “of mint, dill, and cumin”, a tithe is the giving of ten-percent right off the top of the harvest, these contributions are minuscule. They don’t even touch the heart of crops received in the harvest. They are just spices and seed. They are so scrupulous in these tithes while not addressing what matters most regarding their roles as scribes and Pharisees which is to meet out “judgment and mercy, and fidelity.”

The next analogy Jesus gives flight to offers an even greater absurdity exposing their faults. He compares the meticulous detail of straining out the gnats from their drinks, while not expressing any concern for consuming the camel whole. Again, following the dietary laws outlined in Leviticus 11, straining the gnats kept their drinks ritually pure, but in the accusation of eating the whole camel, one of the most ritually unclean of animals exposes the level of degradation some of the leadership was engaged in.

The final one Jesus offered today: “You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence” (Mt 23:25). Again, ritual purity is being observed truly with the act of purifying the vessels, but with no attention to their inner thoughts and deeds, does the washing of the cups and dishes really matter?

Today, there continues to be challenges within sadly not only the political arena but also Church leadership. Though many improvements have been put in place, the abuse scandals, many happening before 2002, still have, and rightly so, shaken many of us. Abuse and cover-ups have left a gaping wound in the Body of Christ because of the devastation, first and foremost, to those who have been gravely wounded physically, emotionally, and spiritually, as well as for those families who have accompanied their loved ones through these years of trauma.

Jesus bestowed dignity on the vulnerable youth of his day when he chided his disciples for not allowing the children to be brought to him for a blessing (cf. Mt 19:13-15). Jesus modeled the proper treatment of children and at-risk adults time and again throughout his ministry, and as disciples of Christ, first and foremost, we too are to stand up for and protect the dignity of each person, but especially the most vulnerable among us. There is no defense for these horrific actions, nor the egregious coverups.

Since that time of the reporting, many dedicated people, both laity and clergy, have been diligently working together, to protect at-risk adults and children, to implement strategies and programs of awareness, to educate parents, children, and all who work with children and at-risk adults in our dioceses across the country.

We are the Body of Christ, and where one suffers, we all suffer. Jesus Christ promoted integrity over identity. The dignity of the person is to be placed before any institution. We need to pray for, while at the same time provide full access to those who have been abused. This means that they are to be heard, that their claims will be fully investigated, and they will have access to resources for healing, mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. Part of that process is to allow them to share their stories that need to be told and heard. We also need to continue to be vigilant in protecting settings that provide access to children and at-risk adults from predators.

At the same time, we need not leave the Church because of those who sin. We place our faith in Jesus and seek his guidance and help. It is important we remain to bring about healing, reform, and justice. We need to be aware and clear to put boundaries and proven protective practices in place, be alert and vigilant to the warning signs regarding those who do not respect boundaries, as well as be fully open and cooperative with revealing the abuses enacted past, present, and future.

Along with protective practices being put in place and monitored, avenues opened for healing, we also need to continue to pray and come to know our healer and savior personally. Today and each day following may we take the woes of Jesus seriously and allow his light to reveal where we fall short of the glory of God. May we have the humility to receive the light and love of Christ, be willing to see where we are in need of healing, of confession, and growth. With vulnerability, honesty, and humility, by allowing ourselves to be loved and transformed by Jesus, we can work together to build a culture of life, that respects, protects, empowers, and stands up for the dignity of all.

Photo: “Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees” – James Tissot, late 19th century

Link for the Mass for Tuesday, August 25, 2026

“Come and see”…

But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see” (Jn 1:46).

Many biblical scholars believe that Nathanael is the same man as the Apostle Bartholomew, who is mentioned in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. We see in today’s Gospel from John that his initial reaction to Philip’s invitation is doubt. Why? Because of where Jesus came from. Nazareth was a small peasant village with a population of about 1,600 people (Meier, 317). I don’t think its small size would be the main reason for Nathanael’s offering a demeaning jab at the expense of Jesus’ hometown, though he must have had some reason. The more important point is that Nathanael did not allow his preconceived notions of Nazareth to keep him from following Philip’s invitation to “Come and see” (John 1:46).

This is a lesson for us as well, “in our relationship with Jesus we must not be satisfied with words alone… we ourselves must then be personally involved in a close and deep relationship with Jesus” (Pope Benedict XVI, 108). Nathanael felt a deeper invitation than the one offered by Philip. He followed and experienced Jesus in such a way that his life was transformed forever.

Nathanael would not only “come and see”, but after Jesus shared how he first saw Nathanael under the fig tree, Nathanael claimed that Jesus was “the Son of God… the King of Israel” (Jn 1:49). What he was able to see in Jesus, Jesus’ own townsfolk of Nazareth were not able or willing to see. Nathanael was willing to see not only beyond his initial and limited perspective of prejudice, but his human and finite limitations. He received the same revelation as we heard Peter proclaim in yesterday’s gospel. The reality that Jesus is not only the messiah, he is the Son of God.

Jesus would not be a powerful political leader nor military leader, but the suffering servant of Isaiah. Jesus also told Nathanael that he would “see greater things than this” (Jn 1:50). Francis Moloney articulated that: “Faith based on miracles will not suffice; something more is needed. This greater faith will enable all disciples to see the revelation of the heavenly in Jesus, the Son of Man” (Harrington, 57).

Though we do not know a lot about Nathanael, we know that he was willing to set aside his initial doubt and prejudice of Jesus’ hometown. He was willing to encounter, then follow, and remain with Jesus and become one of the Twelve. He experienced in Jesus the wedding of humanity and divinity. He was willing to accept the proposal of the Groom, the Lamb of God, and become the bride of Christ that is richly presented in our first reading from Revelation.

There is speculation that he traveled to India to spread the Gospel he received. Most likely he encountered those who also doubted that anything good could come from the One from Nazareth. There would be those who not only refused to believe his message but killed him. Yet, before and after his martyrdom, some, though initially doubtful, some like Nathanael himself, came, saw, and believed.

St. Bartholomew, “son of Talmay”; Nathanael, “God has given” (Benedict, 107), pray for us that we may resist the temptations of our own biases, doubts, and prejudices, and open our hearts and minds to “come and see” Jesus in the Scriptures, in the Eucharist, in our prayer, in creation, our life situations, and in those we meet today, especially in the distressing disguise of the poor. Help us not only to resist judging and being constricted by our prejudices, but please help us to come and see Jesus as you did, so we can be healed, expand, and made whole again as we breath, receive, rest, and abide in the love of Jesus that he so much thirsts to share with us.

Painting: The Apostle Bartholomew by Rembrandt 1657

Benedict XVI, Pope. The Apostles. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2007.

Meier, John P. A Marginal Jew, vol. 1 : The Roots of the Problem and the Person. New York: Yale University Press, 1991.

Moloney, S.D.B., Francis J. “The Gospel of John, vol. 4.” In Sacra Pagina, edited by Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, August 24, 2026

Have we prayed with and answered Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”

“But who do you say that I am” (Mt 16:15)?

This question is just as important to us today as it was when Jesus asked his disciples the same question some two thousand years ago. The answer is wide and varied as attested to in the many books written about Jesus and the many people within and without of denominations who claim to follow him. There is also a vast array of pictures, paintings, documentaries, and movies.

Through each medium, we are given a view of the Jesus of history or the Christ of faith, some emphasizing more the humanity of Jesus and others more the divinity of Jesus, and some a balance of both the human and the divine. Debate has continued around whether Jesus was or is God, was/is he only human, only divine, or both, and even more recently, did he ever really exist at all?

When I taught fifth and sixth-grade students at Rosarian Academy, each Easter Season, I assigned my students the task of drawing a picture of the Resurrected Jesus. I quickly noticed a common characteristic of those first artistic renditions: Jesus consistently did not have a beard. At first, I started to hand back the pictures to say they needed to add a mustache and beard but I quickly stopped myself. I realized I had made a mistake. This is how they saw Jesus from their perspective at their age.

The way we talk about and express Jesus may actually say a lot more about us than Jesus. The painting I posted is very similar to the more famous head image Warner Sallman painting he titled, “Head of Christ” that came out later. The Sallman image was one I grew up with. Neither representation is of the historical Jesus. Yet, it was a picture that touched me in my youth. Many artistic representations of Jesus are not historical. What draws people to continue to share them is such a vast variety of ways, is that their representations provide a connection and relevance, which then touches others.

Presently, there has been no picture or representation of Jesus that captures my imagination and I have looked at many. Finding the new painting by L’hemitte (posted) was fun and I will enjoy praying with it, although I find myself less moved by artistic representations these days. Even when I meditate and pray with the Gospel accounts, Jesus feels closer at times than others. When I attempt to focus too tightly on his appearance, that becomes a distraction and diversion. What has become more consoling has been, not what he looks like, but instead the experience of his presence, his peace, and his love.

Debates regarding who Jesus is will continue, even though the Church has given the definitive answer in the Apostle’s and Nicene Creed. It echoes Peter’s, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus is fully God and fully man. He is God, the second Person of the Trinity, who has become one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. This is not just a wonderful truth to proclaim each Sunday together.

Answering Jesus’ question, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) is an important question to meditate upon and pray with daily, in our times of uncertainty and unrest, as well as during our times of peace and rest and everywhere in between. Speaking, even believing this truth, is not enough. Jesus invites us to experience the truth of his reality and presence, to trust him with everything and in every situation. Doing so, will help us to experience his love and he will become real and relevant in our lives.

Painting: Above: Leon-Augustin L’hermitte “Friend of the Humble” (Supper eat Emmaus)”, 1892. Warner Sallman’s “Head of Christ” came out in 1940 and bears a striking resemblance to L’hermitte’s.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, August 23, 2026

As we give of ourselves in service, we experience humility and love.

“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:11-12).

Jesus warns us to resist the sin of pride, and hubris, where we place ourselves as the focal point instead of God. This happens when we seek to be the center of the gravitational pull within our realm of influence. Through our subtle and not so subtle actions, we can embrace this temptation to live a life of, “Look at me, look at me!” Desiring to be affirmed is not a bad thing but that ought not to be our primary motivation for our actions. Ultimately, we will be better served when we seek our affirmation from God.

Choosing our own self-determination free of God’s guidance is the height of pride. God does not seek to limit us but to inspire us so that we may actualize the fullness of who he has created us to be. St Mother Teresa often guided her sisters not to seek to do great things but to do little things with great love. I came across a cassette tape of one of her talks during my freshman year of college. Her words, such as, “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”, started to plant a seed in my soul that urged me to look out beyond myself toward others.

Growing up with an introverted and shy nature, I spent much of my youth in my own world and spent more time with myself than others. The invitation to change that perspective would happen during my second semester of that same year. I took a psychology course and thought it would be interesting to work in a hospital. A close friend of mine, Steve, shared with me that his mother was a nurse in a nursing home in our hometown. That summer, when the semester ended, I applied for the job as a certified nursing assistant and was hired.

The first resident I assisted was named Margaret, age somewhere in her 90’s. She rolled passed me in her wheelchair and a particular odor followed. The aide I was training with caught my eye and I realized this would be my first solo attempt of service. I redirected and guided her to the toilet, which was in a small closet-sized area in between two adjoining bedrooms. It was a particularly hot day, and as I removed Margaret’s depends, I found quite the surprise. For the next fifteen minutes as I cleaned her up, I sweat, teared up, and repeatedly fought back the urge to gag, all the while Margaret – sang. Once finished and in a fresh nightgown, I helped her into her bed, tucked her in, and then Margaret said, “Give me a kiss lover.”

Others may have run for the door and never looked back. I stayed, and for the next four or five years, I experienced the wonderful gift of building relationships with the many residents and coworkers who drew me out of myself. What started out as a job became an extended family, and I served them with great joy.

God presents us with opportunities daily. We can choose to curve in upon ourselves or we can risk being present for and give of ourselves to others. Let us resist the urge to be led by anxiety or fear and instead pray for the courage to be open to the opportunities to extend the grace God offers us to serve in little ways with great love, one person, one encounter at a time. I pray that you may encounter your Margaret! For Margaret helped me to live what St Mother Teresa taught me: “Love only can become our light and joy in cheerful service of each other” (Teresa 2010, 355).

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Photo: The model of humility! Mary our queen and mother, please pray for us!

Mother Teresa. Where There Is Love, There is God. Edited by Brian Kolodiejchuck, M.C. NY: Doubleday, 2010.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, August 22, 2026

Let us open our hearts and minds to receive and enter into the dance of God’s love!

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Mt 22:34-40).

Jesus, in response, was not just throwing up a cloud of theological dust into the eyes of the Pharisees. His answer to, “which commandment in the law is the greatest?” was drawn directly from the Torah. Showing again his knowledge of the Torah. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 and merged the two verses together as one unit. His purpose was to emphasize the point that what is to be the greatest aspiration for humanity is to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves, not either/or. Jesus again was showing that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but that he came to fulfill them (cf. Mt 5:17).

In this statement, Jesus also revealed the foundation of reality, the Trinitarian communion of love. For the immanence of God – God within himself – has always been, always is, and always will be a communion of love. God the Father loves the Son, God the Son receives the Father’s love and in return loves God the Father holding nothing back, and God the Holy Spirit is the love expressed and shared between God the Father and God the Son. The overflow and abundance of this perichoresis, or divine dance of trinitarian communion, has been the loving of creation into existence.

This means that we as God’s created beings, his children, have been loved into existence too! We are willed into existence and loved by God our Father and so capable of loving God and one another in return. This love mirrors on earth the love that is shared in Heaven. It is through our participation in the life of Jesus that we can live up to his command to love our enemies, wonderfully expressed in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:29-37).

This is why prayer is so important. If we don’t get our relationship with God right, if we don’t spend time with and allow ourselves to rest, receive, and abide in his love, we will not be able to return the love we have received, and then how can we truly love ourselves and each other? When we do get the love of God right, we and our realm of influence changes. We can experience that peace that surpasses all understanding, and we can find the rest, that rest within the depths of our souls that we all seek. This peace, love, and rest we can then share with God and one another.

We can do so in simple but powerful ways. When we catch the eye of another – smile. This small gift can make such difference in another’s life. If someone says, “How are you today?” say, “Better that you asked.” When you are with someone be there as if they were the only person in the world. Go out of your way to do some random acts of kindness, especially for that someone who ordinarily and regularly gets under your skin.

Picture: Today – Perichoresis! Let us breathe, rest, receive, and abide in and participate in the dance of God’s trinitarian love, and let his love reign free in our lives to overflowing.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, August 21, 2026

The feast is ready, we are invited, will we attend?

“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son” (Mt 22:2).

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus not only talked about feasts but he is recorded as often celebrating table fellowship with others. Those he ate with ranged from people who were considered sinners to the religious elite among the Pharisees.

In the parable from today’s Gospel, Jesus presented a range of reactions to the invitation already supposed to have been accepted to a great, wedding banquet offered by the king for his son. The custom of the time for a wedding feast, which often was a celebration that would not last just a day but often a week, was that a first invitation would be sent out, and when accepted, at the time to begin the banquet, a second invitation would be sent for those to now come to enjoy the festivities.

In Jesus’ parable, the first group are so caught up in their own lives, that they are not willing to break away from their daily activities. The second group rejects the invitation outright and does so violently, by mistreating and even killing the servants of the king. The retribution of the king is swift and punitive. Then he sent his servants out into the streets, “and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,” and they not only welcomed the invitation, they said yes to the invitation, “and the hall was filled with guests” (Matthew 22:10).

God invites us into a relationship with him, but we must be willing to repent, to change our hearts and minds to see the invitation for what it is, an eternal gift. Those who refused were unwilling to change their plans, as well as others who, with hearts of stone, were outright hostile, willing to abuse and even kill the servants. Are we willing to choose our busyness over time with God each day or will we stubbornly hold on to our own self-reliance and pride and refuse God’s gift?

Near the end of the parable, Jesus presents a curious fellow that the king found present without the proper attire. This is not a literal indictment of not having the proper clothes, but the wedding garment imagery may be a recognition of a willingness to receive the benefits of the invitation without a yes to the responsibility involved. A desiring to reap the gift without accepting the responsibility. We need to be willing to take off the clothes of our old ways of life, our ways of sin, self-indulgence and reliance, and receive the wedding garments offered to us by the king who seeks to clothe us “with the garments of salvation;” and cover us “with the robe of righteousness” (see Isaiah 61:10).

We are invited to participate in the banquet of eternal life with God. The invitation is freely given, yet it requires that we dress for the occasion. Again, this dress is no material garment of fine linen and gold embroidery, but our willingness to repent, to turn away from those idols, that which we have placed or put before God, to have our hearts and spirits renewed. We are invited to be a part of God’s new creation by participating in the life of his Son, the firstborn of the new creation.

We see this played out in salvation history as well. God the Father offered this invitation of the eternal banquet to the patriarchs, judges, prophets, and the people of Israel, to be one with him that they might shine brightly before all so to make his will and glory known to the world. In God’s timing, he sent his Son to fulfill that mission of invitation and to be with us in our present moment and in our present condition in life. Jesus meets us where we are right now in our everyday experiences and tells us that “the feast is ready.”

We are invited each day to begin again, to pray, to turn away from our selfish ways, to receive a new heart and a renewed spirit. God invites us. Are we willing to let go of our idols, our disordered affections, and attachments. We are called to be transformed and perfected through our participation in the life of Jesus and through the purifying fire and love of the Holy Spirit.

Our yes demands accountability. We can’t just show up dressed for the part and take up space. Our ultimate attire is the transformation from within, in which our posture changes from a curving in upon ourselves to an opening and willingness to praying with and being guided by God, to devote our time, discipline, talent, and treasure to serving at the banquet and inviting others to attend.

“Many are invited, but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14). The first step is saying yes to the invitation. The second step is to be prepared for and be ready to come when the time for the wedding feast is announced. We need to be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to renew our hearts and minds, to take up our cross, to know and follow the Father’s will, serve and sacrifice by the giving up of ourselves in love. The way to the banquet is no easy path, but we can take comfort in the truth that we do not walk alone. Jesus guides and empowers us when we are willing to follow.

Painting: May we refuse the temptation of callousness, indignation, and indifference, be willing to repent, and join the great feast!

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, August 20, 2026