A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday & Weekday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (Series 23, n. 33)
Week 15 in Ordinary Time: July 13-19, 2025
(The pastoral tool BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD: A LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY & WEEKDAY LITURGY includes a prayerful study of the Sunday liturgy from various perspectives. For the Lectio Divina on the liturgy of the past week: July 6-12, 2025, 2025 please go to ARCHIVES Series 23 and click on “Ordinary Week 14”.
Below is a LECTIO DIVINA APPROACH TO THE SUNDAY - WEEKDAY LITURGY: July 13-19, 2025.)
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July 13, 2025: FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us to Love our Neighbor”
BIBLE READINGS
Dt 30:10-14 // Col 1:15-20 // Lk 10:25-37
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Lk 10:25-37): “Who is my neighbor?”
Tim Montanari’s story, “Saving Melissa” in GUIDEPOSTS magazine (July 2004) is notable in that it shows what it means to be a neighbor to one in need. Tim, a police officer in charge of the vice squad at St. Petersburg, Florida, met Melissa Collora, the sweet little girl he used to babysit, after thirteen years as a crack-addicted prostitute, caught in a drug deal in an alley of a notorious neighborhood. Tim remembered being at the Colloras’ home on steamy summer days when he was 15 or so, playing football in the yard with her brothers. Melissa, about three, would sit on the swing-set clutching her teddy bear, watching them with big brown eyes, so sweet and innocent. When she was eight, Mr. Collora died and her mother remarried. Melissa’s stepfather abused her. In 1993 her mother committed suicide. Melissa went to live with relatives outside New York City, where she discovered crack cocaine and life on the street. Tim, a man of faith who tries to see the best in people, made every effort to help Melissa, to no avail. “That girl’s a lost cause,” the officers in his squad said. “Why do you keep trying?” One day, Melissa was ready for a change and appealed to him for help. Tim’s court testimony on her behalf was instrumental in having Melissa’s imminent ten-year sentence at a state prison commuted to treatment at the Walter Hoving Home in New York. Now Melissa is doing well and recovering. Tim Montanari asserted, “What I did for her wasn’t much, but I think it was the best thing I could have done.”
The Gospel reading on the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37), which is set in the context of Jesus’ paschal journey to the cross, underlines an important element of Christian discipleship: love of neighbor. The parable of the Good Samaritan delineates the Christian exigency of active service. Together with the story of the two pious disciples Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38-42), on the pre-eminence of listening to the word of Jesus, the parable of the Good Samaritan helps depict Luke’s comprehensive image of discipleship as love of Jesus present in our neighbor (active charity) and in his living Word (contemplative prayer).
Indeed, Christian discipleship is not a matter of intellectual knowledge, but of unmitigated love of Jesus as concretely expressed in service and compassionate acts to our brothers and sisters in need. The way to eternal life is not merely a mental perception of what is written in the law: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (cf. Dt 6:4-5; Lev 19:18) or the ability to verbalize it, but to translate this twofold love command into action.
In Luke’s account, the litigious lawyer who posed the question of eternal life in order to disconcert Jesus failed in his attempt. He then tried to “justify himself” because Jesus had made his poorly motivated question seem so easy. He thus raised the crucial and politically colored question that can be found in Luke alone: “And who is my neighbor?” (Lk 10:29). The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoffer comments: “The final question Who is my neighbor? is the parting shot of despair (or else of self-confidence); the lawyer is trying to justify his disobedience. The answer is: ‘You are the neighbor. Go along and try to be obedient by loving others.’ Neighborliness is not a quality in other people; it is simply their claim on ourselves. Every moment and every situation challenges us to action and to obedience. We have literally no time to sit down and ask ourselves whether so-and-so is our neighbor or not. We must get into action and obey – we must behave like a neighbor to him.”
The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that the concept of “neighbor” is not a matter of blood bonds, nationality, or religious communion. There is no theoretical definition of neighbor or practical limits to those whom we could consider a neighbor. Our “neighbor” is the one to whom we draw near because he or she is in need of our help and evokes our compassion. Furthermore, Luke’s parable helps us to focus on the figure of Christ, the Good Samaritan par excellence and our ultimate neighbor.
B. First Reading (Dt 30:10-14): “The word is very near to you: you only have to carry it out.”
I really enjoyed the Reader’s Digest condensed novel “Lady of No Man’s Land” by Jeanne Williams. It is about a young and beautiful Swedish immigrant, Kirsten Mordal, an itinerant seamstress who traveled in the 1870’s around the Old West, in the wild territory called “Neutral Strip” or “No Man’s Land” in a covered wagon. Her escort was a loyal friend named Blue Martin, part Kiowa Indian and a plantation slave descendant. The courageous Kirsten and Blue Martin defied the orders of the “Committee” – a group of shady vigilantes who had enthroned themselves as dealers of “justice” in the lawless “No Man’s Land”, which lay between Kansas and Texas, west of the part of the Indian Territory called the Cherokee Outlet. The vigilantes were hunting for the wounded fugitive, Bob Randall, a dark, good-looking cowboy whom they had falsely accused as a cattle rustler. Kirsten and Blue Martin came upon the bleeding Randall, bound up his wounds and cared for him. Unfortunately, when Randall was strong enough to move on, he was caught by the ruthless and cruel vigilantes and was hung on a cottonwood tree. A paper pinned on the dead man’s vest was a warning from the “Committee” to leave the body on the tree. The carcass of a sentenced rustler dangling on a tree was a grim symbol of the type of “law” that the vigilantes wielded in “No Man’s Land”. Kirsten and Blue Martin buried Randall in a shallow grave dug by Blue Martin. The vigilantes, with their perverted notion of “law”, pursued and punished Kirsten for her defiance. The heroic Kirsten, however, animated by the law of love and spirit of compassion, was ultimately vindicated. Indeed, good triumphs over evil.
The need for obedience to the true law that promotes the life and good of Israel is depicted in this Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Dt 30:1-14). Today’s passage about the Rule of Life is part of a solemn farewell speech attributed to Moses at the end of his life. The Chosen People led by Moses are about to cross the river Jordan to the promised, but unfamiliar land. Moses is calling Israel to repentance and conversion. He reiterates the need for obedience to the law of the Lord, the only way for Israel to secure its future in the Promised Land.
The biblical scholar, Leslie Hoppe comments: “Repentance will bring restoration to the land from which Israel has been exiled. Restoration will mean the complete reversal of the effects of infidelity. Not only will Israel be restored to its land, but it will enjoy a renewed prosperity. The only requirement is obedience – obedience that is the offshoot of Israel’s love for God. To prevent Israel from becoming discouraged by its failures, God will provide an inner source of commitment that was previously unavailable. Israel will no longer have to rely on its own strength but will receive a heart circumcised by God and fit for a renewed commitment.”
Indeed, the principle of life to animate us, the new Chosen People of God, is the absolute love for God (Dt 6:5) and the efficacious love for one’s neighbor (Lev 19:18). The law of God that commands us to love him and our neighbors is not up in the sky or across the sea. It is neither inaccessible nor remote, but very near. It is inscribed in our conscience and etched deeply in our hearts.
C. Second Reading (Col 1:15-20): “All things were created through him and for him.”
The Christian love imperative takes on a deeper meaning and broader perspective when seen against the backdrop of this Sunday’s Second Reading (Col 1:15-20), which is an early hymn of the Church extolling Christ as Creator and Redeemer. As the first-born of all creation and the first-born from the dead, he is the head of the body, the Church, and has primacy in everything. It is astounding that this highly exalted Jesus Christ fulfilled the divine saving plan “to reconcile everything” both on earth and in the heavens through “the blood of his cross”. Christ is the image of the invisible God. By his paschal mystery, he reveals the fullness of the God’s love for us and becomes the perfect icon of the Father’s compassionate love. Through his sacrificial death that has brought redemption and peace to all creation, Christ manifests radically the absolute and uncompromising love of God for all and thus becomes the utmost sacrament of salvation.
As Christian disciples, we are urgently called to be deeply involved in the work of creation and redemption. We do this by following the demands of covenant love: “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” We too need to be icons or living images of God’s compassionate love for all. One efficacious way to reflect the goodness of God is to treat with sensitivity and preferential concern the poor and needy, the weak and vulnerable among us.
The following story is lovely and very inspiring. It illustrates how we can be “icons of love” in today’s world. We need more inspiring and heart warming testimonies like this (cf. “The Life Cycle of the Egg Salad Sandwich” by Colby Thiele and Roger Williams in The Way of St. Francis, March-April 2010, p. 11-15).
It all began in December 2008. The U.S. economy was continuing its decline, foreclosures were mounting, unemployment rates were steadily rising, and newspaper articles were being written about how the growing homeless population had increased the strain on the local food banks. That was when we – Roger and Colby – decided we wanted to give back to the community by volunteering our time. The two of us shared an employer and rode the bus to work each day. As luck would have it, our route passed right by St. Mary’s Basilica, a Franciscan parish in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Each morning we observed a congregation of homeless men and women in the church’s parking lot, waiting in line for something. Our curiosity aroused, we called to inquire about volunteering our services – and to find out what was really going on.
Our journey began in earnest the first week of February 2009 when we met Linda and Tom, the couple in charge of the St. Mary’s Food Program. What we had been witnessing from the bus was a church-sponsored effort that provided a sack lunch to some 200 to 300 people a day. We were immediately welcomed into the volunteer family of the morning food program. Initially, we thought we could give a little of our time to help those less fortunate. After our first day, however, we found that we had committed to volunteering three days a week: every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning. Little did we know that we would benefit more from our efforts that those who received food from us.
On occasion, the two of us had discussed just how fortunate we both were in life. Life, after all, can take many different paths. Depending on your philosophy, you can attribute your path to luck, choice or divine intervention. After our first few weeks of volunteer work with the food program, we were both overwhelmed with questions. We wondered, if we had made different decisions, or if our circumstances been slightly different during periods in our life, would we be on the other side of the receiving line? We came to the conclusion that this could have easily been the case.
Our first day consisted of placing sandwiches in brown paper bags that already contained round tortilla corn chips and candy. After that, we were escorted by Linda and Tom to the street level with the bagged meals and a cart full of juice boxes. We began the distribution process by joining hands and reciting The Lord’s Prayer. Twelve months later, it is safe to say that the two of us have recited The Lord’s Prayer more often in the back parking lot of St. Mary’s than in all our other days combined!
We handed out the sack lunches and the drinks, and offered simple greetings such as “Good morning” or “How are you?” Each of our guests replied with a pleasant “thank-you” or “God bless you”. It felt good to receive such a warm response and see the appreciation in the eyes of the men and women. Then came the first ripple in the pond that provided the moment of change – we asked a person for his name. He said his name was Clyde, and we, in return, introduced ourselves. The look in Clyde’s eyes and his demeanor immediately changed. The idea that someone would ask his name and take more of an interest than just handing out food surprised him.
As each day went by, we made a point to introduce ourselves and find out the name of at least one additional person per day. Before long we knew Clyde, Chet, Adam, Tony, David, Guy, Anna, Pat, Adrian, Meagan, Blake, Ed, Floyd and many more. We became familiar with some of their likes and dislikes. Guy, for example, likes Costal Cooler juice boxes, so we would save one for him each day and slip him two sandwiches so that he could keep one for dinner. Blake prefers bologna sandwiches with a crunch, so he would take his chips and add them to the middle of his sandwich. Forearmed with this knowledge, we were able to make Blake feel that his preferences were known and important: when he showed up, we’d have his sandwich ready, chips already inserted in the middle.
It didn’t take long before we had our first uncomfortable encounter. One of the homeless men began shouting at others in line. We didn’t know what to do or how to handle it. Fortunately for us, the situation resolved itself. The shouting ended and the man left. The next day the man was back, and we were worried about another confrontation. Instead, the man took his place in line, and we asked his name. He told us his name, Michael, and we introduced ourselves, thus beginning a dialogue that lasted nearly a year. Then we had Sam get upset over a candy bar. He threw it on the ground in front of us and stepped on it. The next day we greeted Sam and went out of our way to be nice and befriend him. We found out very quickly that the way to change people was through kindness and understanding.
As the days and weeks past, we realized we were receiving more from the program than the homeless were. We looked forward to our Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. We found that beginning our day at St. Mary’s was not only good for our souls but actually energized us. We work in an office building with more than 300 coworkers, yet we noticed we were saying hello to more people on the streets than to coworkers in the office. Over the course of the last year, we have become involved in the lives of the people we serve. We have raised funds for cross-country bus tickets; donated watches, hats and clothing; purchased brakes for bicycles; and made hundreds of brownies to add to the food bags. We do these things because we feel we are making a difference. And each time we give, we receive.
Our week begins before 6:30 each Monday morning at St. Mary’s. Immediately upon our arrival in the church’s downstairs social hall, we add 180 to 216 ham and cheese sandwiches to bags already packed with other items. While we are getting the meals ready, Linda is hard at work, running up and down the stairs to the friary kitchen to boil 15 dozen eggs. At 7 a.m., we move the ham and cheese sandwich lunches to the street level, recite The Lord’s Prayer and spend the next sixty minutes handing out food and greeting the people we have come to know over the last year. During this sixty-minute period, other volunteers are peeling the hard-boiled eggs (yes, all 180 of them) and crushing them into sizes small enough for egg salad. The crushed eggs are wrapped and refrigerated.
On Wednesday morning we arrive – again, before 6:30 a.m. – and once more place the day’s sandwiches (this time tuna salad) in the pre-packed bags. Once we have completed this task, it’s time to mix the crushed eggs with mayonnaise into a mixture with the proper consistency to spread on bread. We then proceed to make 180 to 216 egg salad sandwiches. These sandwiches are bagged, boxed and refrigerated for the following day.
On Thursday morning we arrive and transfer the egg salad sandwiches from the refrigerator to the pre-made bags for distribution to the homeless that morning. We have come to know our week as The Life Cycle of the Egg Salad Sandwich. Our journey begins on Monday with the raw eggs and ends on Thursday with very tasty sandwich.
As an aside, since we became involved with the St. Mary’s Food Program, our professional careers have flourished and our personal lives have improved in ways that are indescribable. Coincidence? Some may think so, but we know better.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
Are we truly neighbors to those in need? Do we respond to them with compassion? Do we trust that Jesus is the Good Samaritan par excellence and our true neighbor?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Master,
we do not ask the petty question,
“Who is our neighbor?”
But rather, we ask the question that matters:
“Are we neighbors to our brothers and sisters in need?”
Fill us with wisdom and love
that we may care for those
who have a claim on our kindness and compassion.
You are the Good Samaritan and our true neighbor.
With you living in us and we living in you,
may we incarnate your love
as the selfless Good Samaritan
and the loving neighbor to those in need.
We praise and adore you,
now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Lk 9:23)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Do what you can to help the poor and needy. By your active works of charity to the poor and vulnerable, strive to be “icons of love” in today’s world.
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July 14, 2025: MONDAY – SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA, Virgin (USA)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Teaches Us the Way of Peace … He Was Persecuted”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 1:8-14, 22 // Mt 10:34-11:1
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 10:34-11:1): “I have come to bring not peace, but the sword.”
I was in my third year of high school when I came across Leo Tolstoy’s novel, “War and Peace”. It was irresistible. I did not go to school for three days to read it from cover to cover. I love the works of Tolstoy. I am fascinated by this Russian “prophet”. I am awed by his commitment to Christ’s teaching on love, compassion and non-violence. Peter White’s article, “The World of Tolstoy”, in the June 1986 edition of the National Geographic (cf. p. 758-791) contains interesting insights which I share here.
Count Tolstoy was deeply inspired by Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, especially his moral exhortation, “Resist not evil” (cf. Mt 5:39), but instead, “Return good for evil”. This would be at the heart of Tolstoy’s doctrine on universal love, moral self-improvement and non-violence, as eventually expressed in his work, “The Kingdom of God Is Within You”. India’s Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Leo Tolstoy. He avowed that, when he read Tolstoy’s work, “The Kingdom of God Is Within You”, he was overwhelmed. Having exchanged correspondence with Tolstoy, Gandhi was cured of his skepticism and became a firm believer in ahimsa, nonviolence. Through Gandhi’s program of nonviolent struggle, India would later be free from British rule.
Leo Tolstoy, however, was a “sign of contradiction”. His radical view on non-violence was greatly opposed. While praising Tolstoy as a genius who drew incomparable pictures of Russian life and castigated social falsehood and hypocrisy, the communist leader Lenin considered his advocacy of nonresistance to evil as “crackpot preaching” and deplored his inability to understand the class struggle – that a better life could be achieved through the violent overthrow of capitalism by the proletariat.
In his novel, “Resurrection”, Tolstoy indicted the tsarist courts and prison system. The Russian Orthodox Church was angered by his comments in this book against the state religion. The Holy Synod declared Count Tolstoy a false prophet, accusing him of undermining the faith. He was excommunicated, but there was an outpouring of sympathy from other segments of Russian society.
Conscience-stricken and upset by the plight of the poor, Count Tolstoy opted for a simplified life and dedicated more greatly his literary pursuits to socio-religious themes. His wife Sonya did not share his zeal for reform and for his new lifestyle that was simple and austere – for example, making himself a brew of barley and acorns because coffee was a luxury! She was chagrined that he chose to work on pugnacious tracts that put people off, when he could be producing wonderful novels that would bring in lots of money. Tolstoy did not care about money, but she had to, otherwise what would become of their children? Unable to bear any longer the divisive and oppressive situation at home, and detesting the luxury found in his estate, Yasnaya Polyana, the 82-year-old Tolstoy, left home on November 10, 1910, accompanied only by his doctor. He fell ill on a southbound train and died at a stationmaster’s house on November 20, 1910. Indeed, Leo Tolstoy is a fascinating figure – a modern day example of a prophet of contradiction.
Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 10:34-11:1) presents the divisions that Jesus’ mission creates, even in families. His way catalyzes separations and provokes conflicts between those who have made a radical choice for him and those who have not. Jesus’ gift of peace comes from God. It is a result of his immersion into the bloodbath of paschal sacrifice and is therefore not a facile kind of peace. The authors of the Days of the Lord, vol. 6, explicate: “To welcome the peace of the kingdom which Jesus gives and which is only attained through the cross, places believers in a situation where they are sometimes set in conflict with others. For this peace rests on faith, the choice for Christ and the kingdom, which necessarily involves detachment from, if not rejection of, all that is opposed to Christ and the Gospel or that is incompatible with the choice one makes for it … Every human life is confronted, at some point or another, with choices that in some instances demand real heroism. The situation becomes particularly distressing when one finds oneself torn between faithfulness to God, faith, and the gospel, and on the other hand, to family, friends, and country.”
B. First Reading (Ex 1:8-14, 22): “Come, let us deal shrewdly with them to stop their increase.”
For the following three weeks the Old Testament reading is taken from the Book of Exodus. This is about the “exodus” or departure of the people of Israel from Egypt, where they have been slaves. God chooses Moses to lead his people from Egypt. Today’s reading (Ex 1:8-14, 22) tells us what brought about the misery experienced by the Israelites in Egypt. In the previous years, through the good graces earned by Joseph, the governor of Egypt, toward his father Jacob and the entire clan from the reigning Pharaoh, the Israelite nation had flourished in Egypt. The growth of the Israelites in Egypt, where they were once treated as special guests and bestowed special privileges by Joseph’s sympathetic Pharaoh-friend, fulfils the divine promise to the patriarchs to make of them a great nation. Many years later, a new king, who knows nothing about Joseph, comes to power in Egypt. The prolific Israelites seem a political threat to him and he tries to subjugate them through slave labor. But the cruel imposition of slave labor is not able to contain the population growth of the Israelites. The Pharaoh then resorts to infanticide. He orders his subjects to throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile river, but to let the girls live. It is ironic that from “the river of death” will be drawn forth Moses, the Hebrew boy who will lead the Israelites through the Red Sea towards the Promised Land.
The population control that the Pharaoh uses in his attempt to subjugate and oppress the Israelites is a brutal tactic that modern people likewise employ. The following newspaper article illustrates the irony of it all (cf. Alive! March 2013, p.2).
Israel didn’t want black immigrants having babies: Israel has admitted that it has been injecting Ethiopian Jewish immigrants with a dangerous, long-lasting contraceptive without their consent. The practice is said to have been going on for years. Women in transit camps waiting to emigrate to Israel were told the injection was obligatory, or that it was simply for immunization, according to a report in Haaretz.
“We said we won’t have the shot”, one woman told the Israeli newspaper. “They told us, if you don’t, you won’t go to Israel. And also you won’t get aid or medical care.” The woman who left Ethiopia eight years ago added: “We were afraid. We didn’t have a choice. Without them and their aid we couldn’t leave there. So, we accepted the injection.”
The scandal was revealed by an investigative program on Israel Educational TV, and was at first denied by Israel’s Health Ministry. Journalist Hedva Eyal, who wrote the report, commented, “We believe it is a method of reducing the number of births in a community that is black and mostly poor.”
Since the story broke, the Health Ministry has ordered an end to the injections. Doctors have been told “not to renew prescriptions for Depo-Provera for women of Ethiopian origin if there is concern that they might not understand the ramifications of the treatment.” A civil rights activist noted that “findings from investigations into Depo-Provera are extremely worrisome, raising concerns of harmful health policies, with racist implications.” Numerous studies have linked the controversial drug with osteoporosis, increased risk of blood clots, breast cancer, cervical cancer and heart disease. Pushed by Western agencies, it also causes abortions by preventing implantation of the newly-conceived human being in the womb.
According to a LifeSiteNews.com report, Israeli schools have, in recent years, refused to enroll Ethiopian children, and the government has engaged in mass deportations of African immigrants.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Why does the peace that Jesus brings lead to division? Do we welcome the peace of Christ and his example of total commitment to the kingdom? Are we willing to embrace the detachment, renunciation and opposition that the peace of Christ entails? Are we willing to be fully united with Christ and become, in him, a “sword of division” in today’s world?
2. How do the cruel decisions of the Egyptian Pharaoh to subjugate the Israelites impact us? What do we do when civil authorities impose policies that are contrary to the right to life and the dignity of the human person?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Lord Jesus Christ,
you said to your apostles:
“I leave you peace, my peace I give you.”
Look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church,
and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom.
Jesus, sword of division,
you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Make us walk in the ways of peace
and help us to worship in spirit and in truth.
We love and praise you, now and forever.
Amen.
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All-powerful God,
you are the author of life and the defender of life.
The destiny of the Israelite nation is in your hands.
We too are in your hands.
Protect us from those who violate the sanctity of life.
Give us the wisdom and strength
to promote the right to life
and the dignity of every person
created lovingly in your image.
Bless us and grant us the gift of eternal life.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” (Mt 10:34) //“Look how numerous and powerful the people of the children of Israel are growing.” (Ex 1:9)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
While avoiding facile compromises and easy tradeoffs, endeavor to bring the peace of Christ to a distressing situation that needs healing and reconciliation. Be courageous to be a “sword of contradiction” when the situation calls for it. // By word and action, promote the Church’s social teaching on the right to life and the dignity of a human person.
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July 15, 2025: TUESDAY – SAINT BONAVENTURE, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Reproaches Them for Their Unbelief … He Cares for His People”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 2:1-15a // Mt 11:20-24
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 11:20-24): “It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon and for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Today’s Gospel (Mt 11:20-24) teaches us that repentance is a key dimension of Christian discipleship. Those who hear Jesus’ words and witness his mighty deeds, but do not repent, will suffer the same fate as those of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, the epitome of lack of repentance. The mission of Jesus in Galilee produces only a few disciples. Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum are recipients of his teachings and miracles. But there are those unmoved by his proclamation. Those with hardened hearts refuse to respond to the miracles that reveal his tender solicitude and compassion. Like the inhabitants of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, we are free to make choices and respond to God’s word. But we are ultimately responsible for what we are: our sins, failures, shortcomings, imperfections, the dismal acts that precipitate us to destruction. Jesus calls us to conversion. We must open up to the grace of repentance. Those who have been gifted with much have greater liability and accountability on judgment day.
The words of Mother Teresa contain a tinge of reproach for those who have received much spiritual enlightenment, but fail to respond fully to the gift (cf. Mother Teresa: Her Essential Wisdom, ed. Carol Kelly-Gangi, New York: Barnes and Noble, 2006, p. 117-118).
How is it that nowadays, all over the world, so many priests and nuns abandon their calling? Did they not commit themselves to follow him after long and mature reflection? How then can a nun pronounce perpetual vows, and some years later give up the religious life? Are married people not bound to remain faithful to each other until death? Then, why should the same rule not apply to priests and nuns?
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Many congregations have discarded this vow of obedience. They don’t have superiors anymore. Each member makes her own decisions. They have discarded obedience completely. Do you know what has happened because of that? In the United States alone fifty thousand nuns have left the religious life. The destruction of religious life comes mainly from the lack of obedience. Sheer negligence destroys religious life completely.
B. First Reading (Ex 2:1-15a): “She called him Moses for she said, ‘I drew him out of the water’. After Moses had grown up, he visited his people.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 2:1-15a) underlines God’s providential care for the future Exodus leader, who was rescued from the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter. She adopts him as her own son and calls him Moses because, according to her, “I drew him out of the water.” The boy’s name “Moses” (based on the Hebrew root “msh” meaning “to draw up”) is related to the word “Hebrew”, which means “the people from across the river”. Although brought up in the Egyptian royal society, his heart belongs to his people, the Hebrews. After Moses has grown up, he visits his people one day and sees how they are oppressed with hard labor. Feeling an affinity for his people, Moses takes vengeance against an Egyptian who kills a Hebrew. Unfortunately, his defense of the oppressed is misconstrued and would be wrongly used to reject his peace-making effort involving two Hebrews. The culprit resists him with the accusation: “Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” When the Pharaoh hears of the affair, he seeks to put Moses to death. Moses flees to the land of Midian, a desert area in the Sinai Peninsula where a kindred Semitic tribe welcomes him.
The sympathy and concern of Moses for his own people prefigures the ultimate love and saving intervention of Jesus Christ, who visits and dwells among us, his own people. The following story will help us appreciate what it means to have concern for one’s own people (cf. “Missionary Sister, 52, uses unusual background to help the Poorest of the Poor in Haiti” in Our Sunday Visitor, December 2, 2012, p. 6).
Sr. Irene Clare Duval knew she wanted to be a nun since she was 8 years old, but it wasn’t until she was 48 that she joined the Missionaries of the Poor Sisters. During the four decades in between she served in the U.S. military, went to college and worked for the New York City police department as a drug chemist.
Though she still isn’t sure why God told her to wait so long, she knows now that the things she learned while she was waiting help her serve the poor in Haiti better. “I could ask why for the rest of my life”, says Sr. Irene in something between a Haitian and Brooklyn accent. “But the way I see it, God’s timing is perfect and he had me go through what I have for a reason. Besides, I figure I’ll live until about 112, so I have lots more life to give to God”, the 52-year-old says with a broad smile.
Sr. Irene is known now as the dynamic Catholic sister who transformed the lives of hundreds of families in Viloux, a small, remote village in the mountains of southern Haiti. She began important social programs where none existed.
Sr. Irene was born in Haiti but moved with her family to New York when she was in sixth grade. In Haiti she had always attended Catholic school – where she first realized she wanted to be a nun – but in New York her parents could only afford to send her and her siblings to public school. “I used to get beat up every day at school because I looked and talked different from everyone in my class”, Sr. Irene says. “I quickly learned how to deal with bullies – a skill that still serves me well today.”
After graduating high school, she considered joining a convent, but she was shy and says “it just didn’t feel like the right time”. Instead she joined the U.S. army reserves and went to Prait University in Brooklyn to study chemical engineering. After graduating, she made a pact with God, promising to join an order and help the poor after she paid off her student loans – a task that took more than 15 years. In the meantime, she worked for the City of New York’s Department of Environmental Protection and then for the New York Police Department’s drug testing lab.
“My classmates and coworkers always used to ask why I’d want to give up my great job and become a nun. They asked how I’d have money to live,” Sr. Irene recalls. I just smiled and told them that I had the ultimate sugar daddy – Jesus.”
Finally at age 48, Sr. Irene joined the Missionaries of the Poor Sisters. Just two years later she was sent to Haiti to begin the outreach work she had promised God she would do. And she kept her promise in a big way. She started a school feeding program that provides meals to 121 children, most of whom were going days without food before she arrived. She opened up the local government school to more children by hiring additional teachers and launched a dispensary, doling out medicine and care to families who had nowhere to turn when they got sick. (…)
“Everything I’ve done in my life has come into play in my mission. I’m not working as an engineer, but it’s like my studies – it all comes into play”, Sr. Irene says. “People are always coming to me with some need. I’m able to help because of the varied experiences I’ve had. I think that was God’s plan.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we respond fully to the grace of God in our lives? Are there times when we are unrepentant and unresponsive to the word of God and his miracles in our life?
2. Do we feel a deep affinity with God’s people and are we willing to defend the oppressed? Do we look upon Moses as a model to imitate?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Jesus,
our disobedient hearts merit your reproach.
Forgive our wicked ways.
Help us to be receptive to your grace
so that we may rejoice in your benediction.
Teach us to be responsible in making life choices
that we may no longer deserve your just reproach.
Give us the grace to be firm in faith.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
God our Father,
you surround Moses with care and protection.
You guided Pharaoh’s daughter
to draw him out of the water and save him.
The young man, Moses, visits his own people
and sees them subjected to oppression.
On account of the Hebrews,
Moses suffers persecution.
Grant us the grace to imitate Moses
in his care for the suffering and the oppressed.
We give you glory and praise, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” (Mt 11:20) //“Moses visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forced labor.” (Ex 2:11)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Spend quiet moments with the Scriptures and/or the Blessed Sacrament. Examine your conscience and see what in your life deserves Jesus’ just reproach. // In words and in deeds, do what you can to alleviate the suffering of God’s chosen people today.
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July 16, 2025: WEDNESDAY – WEEKDAY (15); OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Comes for the Little Ones … He Is God’s Burning Bush”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 3:1-6, 9-12 // Mt 11:25-27
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 11:25-27): “Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”
Today’s Gospel reading (Mt 11:25-27) reinforces the truth that the meek and humble Messiah comes for the “little ones”. Jesus Christ, who exemplifies the anawim, or the lowly ones of God, invites us to assume his basic stance as the meek Servant-Son of Yahweh. He exhorts us to participate in his intimate and loving relationship with God the Father. Those who are childlike and trusting, like Jesus, become the recipients of divine revelation. They are able to relish deeper intimacy with God. Indeed, Christ’s saving message about the Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, could only be grasped by “the childlike” and not by “the wise and the learned”. In order to receive fully the refreshing peace and the restoration of soul that Jesus brings, we need to follow him who is the Servant-Son. We need to learn from him the humble ways of the anawim and the “little ones”. Jesus Christ teaches us how to be receptive to grace and submit to the benevolent plan of God. Through his compassionate ministry we are filled with divine wisdom and experience the joy of being God’s children.
The following story illustrates that the grace of God and his benevolent hand surround the “little ones” (cf. “An Extraordinary Daughter” by Mary Kay Kusner in St. Anthony Messenger, January 2008, p. 23-26).
I knew that something was wrong when I first laid eyes on my newborn daughter. Anna’s tiny forehead looked misshapen, and she was listless. As I held her and scanned her with my eyes, I noticed that her skin looked ashen. Minutes later, she was taken from me, rushed to the intensive care unit and put on a breathing machine. Within four days, the genetic tests were back: Anna had a chromosome abnormality … The doctors weren’t sure what this meant for Anna’s development but told us not to expect much. They predicted her I.Q. would be low – between 30 and 70. I was devastated. God had betrayed me. How could I ever believe again? Through all the sleepless nights and tears, I questioned: “Why? Why would God have kept nudging me to have a disabled child?” It made no sense. Just when I thought I had my life back under control, the rug was pulled out. I felt like a fool. All my life, I had been faithful, trusting. I thought Anna would be an answer to my prayer. Now none of that mattered. (…)
When Anna was about six weeks old, a strange incident occurred. She was lying on her back on our bed while I gently massaged her after her bath. Suddenly, I felt as if we were not alone. Anna looked past me, over my shoulder, to Someone who clearly adored her. My daughter smiled and I became almost bashful in the face of such love. I couldn’t see anything but felt the presence melt through me as I realized that Anna was seeing more than I did, that she was inviting me to see more too. After about a minute, the presence left and Anna looked right at me as if to say, “Why do you doubt, Mom?” I promised her to try to be more open after that.
Our boys adored their new sister from the start. They loved to make her laugh. David taught her how to burp and Jon wrestled with her on the floor. Matthew insisted that I never cut her curly hair. They didn’t notice her differences. When others stared at Anna, the boys got annoyed. “How do they know she’s different?” they asked me. Even though her eyes bulge and her forehead is flat, they don’t see it themselves. But I did. I was painfully aware of how different Anna looked. Sometimes I was embarrassed to take her out in public. Once, while riding in the van with the boys, I said out loud, “I wonder why God made Anna like she is.” After a few moments of silence, Matthew, who was almost 11, said, “Well, Mom, if God didn’t make her like she is, then she wouldn’t be Anna.” It took my breath away. “You’re right,” I said. “Thank you, Matthew.” It was a lesson of faith that made me begin to think twice. I loved Anna, but not as freely as a mom should. My boys were teaching me how unconditional love can be. (…)
One day at church, the fuller meaning of Anna finally hit home. Lorraine, a longtime friend, spotted us and waved from her pew. Anna, who was almost three, waved back, and I saw Lorraine laugh. When church ended, we were walking down the aisle toward the door. Lorraine was making her way toward us. “Hi, Anna, I saw you waved at me,” she said to Anna. Anna smiled and said, “Hi. Hi,” over and over. Then Lorraine looked at me and said with such directness, “Thank you for having Anna for all the rest of us.” Her comment brought tears to my eyes. I realized that Anna is a gift to others. She is her own person with her own worth, her own way of contributing to the world … Anna had taught me to be more open, to allow life to become what it can be, not to force it to be what I think it should be.
B. First Reading (Ex 3:1-6, 9-12): “The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 3:1-6, 9-12) is about Moses’ experience of the “burning bush”. While tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, the fugitive Egyptian-bred Moses, who has found a refuge among a Semitic tribe in the land of Midian and has married Zipporah, encounters a strange phenomenon: a “burning bush” that is never consumed. In this awesome “theophany” on Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb, God reveals himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God likewise manifests to him his firm resolve to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors. Moreover, the divine plan is revealed to make Moses the instrument of deliverance. Moses is deeply overwhelmed, but the loving God says to him: “I shall be with you.” The Lord God assures Moses of his presence and the grace he needs to carry out a mission that is beyond his natural powers.
Jesus Christ is God’s “burning bush” in that in his Son the divine nature as compassionate love is fully revealed to us. In Jesus and in the events of our daily life God continues to reveal himself to us. We too like Moses continue to experience the “burning bush” phenomenon, but we need to be sensitive to the revelation of divine grace. The following account gives an insight into this (cf. Elizabeth Sherill, “Beauty” in Daily Guideposts 2010, p. 238).
The bedroom windows here face east. Through them come the sound of the surf, the salt air of the sea and, of course, around 5:00 AM, the light of the rising sun. Usually I groan and reach for my eye mask.
Today, though, a Carolina wren sang so urgently somewhere nearby that I threw off the covers, dressed and headed down the road to my favorite vantage point at the water’s edge.
On the dunes the rugosa roses were in bloom. I caught their fragrance before I saw them – white, pink, maroon. The tide was ebbing, leaving behind a carpet of glistening stones. I sat on a flat-topped rock and watched the incoming waves rise, curl, spill over. For an instant, as each wave crested, the early sun shining through it turned it translucent emerald green.
Beauty – the sheer, extravagant beauty of God’s creation is what the ocean is calling me to see today. Tomorrow we have to leave this house by the shore, and I’ve wondered how I can bear to say good-bye to the salt air and blue water. The ocean is speaking to me about just that. Open your eyes! it says. See the beauty of a raindrop as well as the beauty of a wave, a chipmunk as well as a whale, the potted plant in your kitchen as well as a wild dune rose. You’ve learned to look keenly here by the sea; look as keenly back home.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we trust in Jesus as the true revelation of the Father? Are we the “little ones” who are willing to savor the rich and life-giving revelation of Jesus?
2. Did we ever experience a “burning bush” divine manifestation in our life? What is our response to it?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Loving Father,
you reveal your great love for Jesus, the anawim
and the other “little ones”
who are meek and humble.
In your Servant-Son,
teach us the way of “littleness”
and complete surrender to your saving will.
Help us to be humble instruments of your saving plan.
We praise and bless you, now and forever.
Amen.
***
Almighty God,
you revealed yourself to Moses in the “burning bush” on Mount Sinai
as the faithful and benevolent God of the patriarchs.
And you reveal yourself radically to us
through your Son Jesus Christ,
the ultimate “burning bush” experience of our life.
Moreover, you continue to manifest your beauty and grace
in every aspect of our life.
Help us to be sensitive
to the light of truth and your saving grace.
Give us the eyes to see the wonders of creation
and the marvels of your love.
We bless and thank you.
We adore and glorify you, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“You have revealed them to the childlike.” (Mt 11:25) //“God called out to him from the bush.” (Ex 3:4)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Pray meditatively the thanksgiving prayer of Jesus to the Father and make it your own. Alleviate the suffering of a person who is deeply afflicted and ease the burden of the poor and destitute in the local and world community. // Today be sensitive to the divine manifestation in your life and welcome this “burning bush” experience with joy.
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July 17, 2025: THURSDAY – WEEKDAY (15)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Comes for the Weary and Heavily Burdened … He Is the Ultimate Moses”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 3:13-20 // Mt 11:28-30
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 11:28-30): “I am meek and humble of heart.”
In today’s Gospel (Mt 11:28-30) we hear that Jesus is meek and humble of heart. He fulfills the Father’s saving plan by “humbly” and “meekly” undergoing the paschal mystery of his passion and death and glorious resurrection. By his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, as the meek and humble Messiah, Jesus inaugurates God’s kingdom of justice and peace. He offers to all – especially to the poor and the lowly - the radical salvation he merited on the cross. Jesus, who comes for the “little ones” to reveal the truth about the compassionate Father, also comes to refresh the labor-weary and heavily burdened. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” is his compassionate cry. To turn to him is true consolation. Jesus assures us that his “yoke” is easy and his “burden” light. The “yoke” of love that he puts upon our obedient heart becomes “easy”. He gives us the grace and strength to bear it. The “burden” that faithful Christian discipleship entails becomes “light”. He fills us with the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to follow him through the way of the cross to eternal glory.
When my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer when I was a teenager, my mother responded fully to Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”. She turned to Jesus in trusting prayer. Her favorite praying stance was kneeling - arms outstretched in the form of a cross. Her eyes were closed to focus more intently on Christ crucified. In Jesus, meek and humble of heart, she found solace and strength to cope with life’s trials. My father eventually recovered and lived thirty more years.
In the Prayer Notes series published by the Abbey Press (St. Meinrad, Indiana), Joel Schorn has an article entitled “Comforting Prayers for Times of Pain and Suffering”. He writes: “For Christians, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus testify to the fact that God knows your pain and suffering and promises you relief from your fears.” From the Book of Common Prayer (1979), he cites the following comforting prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, by your patience in suffering you hallowed earthly pain and gave us the example of obedience to your Father’s will. Be near me in my time of weakness and pain. Sustain me by your grace that my strength and courage may not fail. Heal me according to your will. And help me always to believe that what happens to me here is of little account if you hold me in eternal life, my Lord and my God. Amen.
B. First Reading (Ex 3:13-20): “I AM WHO AM. I AM has sent me to you.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 3:13-20) continues to depict Moses’ experience of theophany at Mount Sinai. God reveals his name to Moses as “I AM WHO AM”. God’s name means “He causes to be what comes into existence”. Moreover, “I AM” sounds like the Hebrew name “YAHWEH”. It is a name that is not properly a name and thus affirms God’s transcendent otherness. Nonetheless, by revealing himself to Moses as “Yahweh”, God manifests a desire to enter into an intimate and personal relationship with his creature. It implies that God is always there for us and is deeply involved and actively present in our life. Indeed, Yahweh is deeply committed to act on behalf of his people. Hence, after revealing his name, God elaborates the mission of his newly chosen instrument. He chooses Moses to be his prophet and liberator. Moses is the one who will speak on God’s behalf to the people of Israel and the one who will lead the Israelites out of the misery in Egypt into the Promised Land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”. The invitation that God extends to the Israelites through Moses is a promise of rest – of deliverance from oppression and fruitless toil. To Moses’ doubt about his reception among the people and his fear of the Pharaoh’s violent resistance, the Lord God gives an assurance of divine protection and a promise of divine marvels.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate Moses – the “I AM” has sent him to us. Like Moses and Jesus Christ, the “I AM” has also sent us to do our part in the divine saving plan. The following story gives us a glimpse into our mission as human agents of the liberating and healing God (cf. Marion Bond West, “December 15 Reflection” in GUIDEPOSTS 2010, p. 392).
I didn’t want my son Jeremy to lose one inch of hard-gained ground. A recovering addict who struggles with bipolar disorder, he’s come so far in the last year. But when he received a much-needed hip replacement, he couldn’t attend his daily AA meetings.
Then one dreary December day, the mail brought a small, heavy package from Texas. Someone named Betty wrote, “Marion, I’ve been praying for Jeremy daily. I’m sending him a few of the smooth stones I’ve been painting and giving away.”
At the hospital Jeremy lit up like a Christmas tree when I put the stones on his bed. Betty had neatly printed a slogan on each stone, familiar messages from AA and Celebrate Recovery, like “One day at a time” and “Let go and let God”.
After Jeremy wrote to Betty to thank her, she sent him another heavy box. The accompanying note said, “Jeremy, this time I’m sending blank stones with paints and brushes. You paint them, okay?”
When Jeremy returned to his meetings, he brought stones with encouraging phrases he’d painted on them and handed them out to his buddies. “You should have seen how excited the guys were to get the stones, Mom. I’m going to paint some more.”
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. Do we give heed to Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”? Are we ready to take up the yoke of the Father’s saving will and learn from him, who is “meek and humble of heart”? Do we relish and look forward to the gentle promise: “you will find rest for yourselves”?
2. What is our response to the divine revelation “I AM WHO AM”? What is our response to his commission “I am sending you …”?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord, meek and humble of heart,
we turn to you with trusting hearts.
We bring to you the world’s afflictions.
Restore our weary souls.
Raise us up from the grave of sin and despair.
My Lord and my God,
you love us beyond death.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
Lord God,
you reveal to us the meaning of your name
as a creative and saving presence.
How wonderful are you and great is your name!
We love and praise you.
Like Moses and your beloved Son Jesus,
you are sending us to the world of today
as human agents of your liberating power and healing love.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28) //“I AM sent me to you.” (Ex 3:14)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
That we may appreciate more deeply the promise of comfort of Jesus, the meek and humble of heart, make an effort to spend some moments of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. // Be sensitive to the people around you who are in distress and are in need. See how you can bring the saving presence of God into their life so that you may be able to say: “I AM has sent me to you.”
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July 18, 2025: FRIDAY – WEEKDAY (15); SAINT CAMILLUS DE LELLIS, Priest (USA)
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Is Lord of the Sabbath … He Is Our Passover”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 11:10-12:14 // Mt 12:1-8
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 12:1-8): “The son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.”
The Gospel (Mt 12:1-8) tells us that seeing Jesus’ disciples plucking heads of grain on a Sabbath and eating them, the Pharisees raise the issue of lack of Sabbath observance. According to them, the disciples are harvesting on a holy day and transgressing the law of Sabbath rest. Jesus’ defence of the disciples manifests his compassionate stance. For him, human need takes precedence over the law. People are more important than rigid legal observance. In a case of proportionate necessity, positive law may be rightly dispensed with. The Pharisees have wrongly hedged the Sabbath law with unnecessary prohibitions. Those who have God’s law in their hearts know how to act with compassion, even on the Sabbath. Jesus is the supreme interpreter of the Law and he does so in humanitarian terms. As Lord of the Sabbath, he calls for steadfast love rather than ritualism or false sacrifice.
An ex-seminarian committed suicide by hanging himself in the shower room using a bandanna. The parish priest denied him a Christian burial. He belongs to an old tradition that interprets rigidly the canon law concerning “those to whom ecclesiastical funeral rites are to be granted or to be denied”. A priest from the seminary, together with a group of seminarians, went to visit the grieving family and celebrated the Funeral Mass before the coffin of the deceased. He did so in the compassionate spirit of Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath.
B. First Reading (Ex 11:10-12:14): “It shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. Seeing the blood I will pass over you.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 11:10-12:14) depicts the rite of Jewish Passover. What is ritually commemorated is the Lord’s Passover, that is, the saving event when his angel of destruction “passes over” the Israelite households whose doorposts and lintels have been marked by the blood of the sacrificial lamb. When the Lord goes through Egypt to kill the first-born of the Egyptians in the last and final plague, he prevents the angel of death from entering the Israelite households. God commands the Israelites to celebrate this experience of salvation through a religious festival to remind them of what the Lord has done for them. God enjoins them to celebrate it for all time to come.
The following story gives us an insight into what a “memorial of salvation” means (cf. Cookie Curci, “The Secret of Grandma’s Sugar Crock” in Chicken Soup for the Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al., Cos Cob: CSS, 2008, p. 190-193).
During World War II, a government-issued flag, imprinted with five blue stars, hung in the front window of my grandparents’ old farmhouse. It meant five of their sons were off fighting in the war. (…)
As darkness fell on the ranch, we’d all gather together on the cool, quiet veranda of the front porch, Grandpa would settle comfortably into his rocker, under the dim glow of a flickering moth-covered light bulb, and there he’d read the latest war news in his newspaper, trying to track the whereabouts of his five young sons.
Grandma always sat nearby on the porch swing, swaying back and forth and saying her perpetual rosary. The quiet squeak of Grandma’s swing and the low mumbling of her prayers could be heard long into the night. The stillness of the quiet ranch painfully reflected the absence of the five robust young men. This was the hardest part of the day for Grandma; the silence of the empty house was a painful reminder that her sons were far, far away, fighting for her country.
On Sunday morning, Grandma was back out on the porch again, repeating her rosary before going into the kitchen to start cooking. Then she and Grandpa sat at the kitchen table, counting out ration slips for the week ahead and what little cash there was to pay the bills. Once they were finished, Grandma always took a portion of her money and put it in the sugar crock, placing it high on the kitchen shelf. I often asked her what the money in the jar was for. She would simply say, “A very special favor.”
Well, the war finally ended, and all five of Grandma’s sons came home, remarkably safe and sound. After a while, Grandma and Grandpa retired, and the family farm became part of a modern expressway.
I never did find out what the money in the sugar crock was for until a week or so before last Christmas. Completely on impulse, perhaps feeling the wonder of the Christmas season and the need to connect with its spiritual significance, I stopped at a little church I just happened to be driving past. I’d never been inside before, and as I entered the church through the side door, I was stunned to come face-to-face with the most glorious stained-glass window I’d ever seen.
I stopped to examine the intricate beauty of the window more closely. The magnificent stained glass depicted the Holy Mother and child. Like an exquisite jewel, it reflected the glory of the very first Christmas. As I studied every detail of its fine workmanship, I found, to my utter amazement, a small plague at the base of the window that read, “For a favor received – donated in 1945 by Maria Carmela Curci-Dinapoli.” I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was reading Grandma’s very words! Every day that Grandma had said her prayers for her soldier-sons, she’d also put whatever money she could scrape together into her sacred sugar crock to pay for the window.
Her quiet donation of this window had been her way of saying thank you to God for sparing the lives of her beloved five sons. The original church in which the window was placed had long ago been torn down. Through the generations, the family had lost track of its existence. Finding this window at Christmastime, more than half a century later, not only brought back a flood of previous memories, but also made me a believer in small but beautiful miracles.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. What is our attitude in regard to the law? Do we try to live by the letter of the law or by its spirit? Do we follow the compassionate stance of the Lord of the Sabbath? Do we allow the spirit of love to permeate our legal and religious observance?
2. Do we appreciate the importance of rituals and memorial celebrations? What do we do to keep alive the saving events we have experienced in our life?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
O merciful Jesus,
you are Lord of the Sabbath.
Your compassionate ways and fidelity
inspire us to live by the divine law.
Deliver us from false piety
and teach us to walk by your ways.
You, likewise, are the font of healing.
Free us from our infirmities
and restore us to good health.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
***
O loving God,
how wonderful are your works!
Israel’s experience of Passover in Egypt
is a saving event that prefigures Christ’s Passover
from death to life.
Help us be thankful and grateful.
Help us to celebrate fittingly your might deeds
and be faithful to you always.
We adore and bless you, now and forever
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the day. Please memorize it.
“For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.” (Mt 12:1-8) //“This day shall be a memorial feast for you.” (Ex 12:14
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Reflect on the meaning of law in the Church. Try to perceive its significance and abide by the spirit of the law, and not by the letter. // Resolve to participate in the Mass with greater consciousness and appreciation of it as a memorial of Christ’s Passover.
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July 19, 2025: SATURDAY – WEEKDAY (15); BMV ON SATURDAY
“JESUS SAVIOR: He Will Not Break a Bruised Reed … We Celebrate His Passover in the Easter Vigil”
BIBLE READINGS
Ex 12:37-42 // Mt 12:14-21
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS: A Pastoral Tool for the LECTIO
A. Gospel Reading (Mt 12:14-21): “He warned them not to make him known to fulfill what had been spoken.”
In today’s Gospel (Mt 12:14-21), we continue to witness the “meek and gentle” ways of Jesus. He is the chosen and beloved Servant of the Lord, filled with his Spirit. He is destined to proclaim salvation to the nations and bring healing to the bruised and the weak. Jesus is the harbinger of God’s mercy to Jews and Gentiles. Fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Servant of the Lord, the non-violent Jesus does not “contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets”. He avoids useless confrontations with the Pharisees by withdrawing quietly. He avoids self-aggrandizing publicity by ordering those cured not to make public what he has done. His care for the weak, the discouraged and the marginalized is captured in the beautiful words of Isaiah: “A bruised reed he will not break; a smoldering wick he will not quench.” Far from rejecting sinners and morally weak people, Jesus encourages them to greater efforts and leads them to repentance. He is not a conquering political Messiah, but a Servant Lord who heals and treats mankind with great compassion. His loving heart is open to all. His “meek and gentle” heart can sense the longing for conversion that lies deep in every person.
The ministry of Poverello House, founded by Mike McGarvin (“Papa Mike”) in Fresno, gives us a glimpse of how to incarnate the mission of the Servant of the Lord in today’s world. From the incident he relates below, we are challenged not to give up on the “bruised reed” (cf. Poverello News, December 2011, p.1-2).
People in line for food in our dining room queue up on the southern wall as they come through the door. Here, they wait to move up to the serving window. This places them in close proximity to tables where people are already eating. Often, to pass the time while they wait, those in line exchange pleasantries with friends who are already served. Occasionally, an argument will break out between someone in line and someone seated, but that is, thankfully, a very rare occurrence.
One day recently, a “Code Red” call crackled across our walkie-talkies. Code Red is never good news; it means that there is a fight taking place, or that someone is having some kind of medical emergency, and all the available staff need to rush to the scene to assist. Over the years, Code Reds have been invoked for seizures, fainting, one-on-one fights, melees involving many people, car accidents, stabbings, and shootings. A Code Red is guaranteed to make one’s adrenaline start pumping.
This time, the Code Red was for a man seated near the line on the south wall. He had tried to swallow something too large, and it became lodged in his throat. He started choking severely, his face turning purple, and the people around him began panicking.
The men on security duty knew they needed help, so they immediately put the call out on the radios. Just as they did, a homeless man in the food line observed what was happening. He quietly walked over to the distressed man, and proceeded to do a textbook Heimlich maneuver on him. After a few abdominal thrusts on the choking victim’s diaphragm, the food rocketed out of the victim’s mouth, and he could breathe once more.
As nonchalantly as he left the line, the rescuer walked back over and resumed his place. He was a hero, but he nevertheless didn’t seem to want much attention, nor did he want to miss his meal.
This action surprised many of us, but it shouldn’t have. Sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking far too negatively about our homeless guests, based on the action of a few. In reality, there is a sense of community and helpfulness among many of the homeless.
Around here, the old saying, “There is no honor among the thieves”, sometimes get paraphrased as, “There is no kindness among homeless addicts”. Addictive behavior is often quite predictable, but, because we are dealing with individual human souls, our predictions are never the last word. Even people in the throes of this extremely self-centered affliction are capable of rising above their circumstances and aiding someone else.
Those of us who labor trying to help the homeless are also human. That means that, in spite of our good intentions, we sometimes lapse into negative attitudes, stereotyped thinking, and low expectations. Occasionally, God sends a small miracle our way, like the homeless hero described above, to remind us that people are every bit as capable of saintly behavior as they are of selfishness.
B. First Reading (Ex 12:37-42): “This was a night of vigil for the Lord as he led them out of the land of Egypt.”
Today’s Old Testament reading (Ex 12:37-42) depicts the night vigil for the Lord as he leads the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. The Israelites have lived in Egypt for 430 years. On the day the 430 years ended, all the tribes of the Lord’s people leave Egypt. The Lord keeps vigil over the Israelites on the night when he leads them out of slavery in Egypt. Just as the Lord has kept vigil over the Israelites on the night of deliverance, so must the Israelites celebrate their deliverance by keeping a ritual night vigil for all generations. The Jewish vigil celebration of their deliverance from Egypt prefigures the Christian Easter Vigil, the Mother of all Holy Vigils. St. Augustine reminds us: “We must keep vigil on that night because the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. That life where there is no longer the sleep of death began for us in his flesh. Being thus risen, death will no more have dominion … If we have kept vigil with the risen one, he will see that we shall reign with him forever.”
The importance of keeping vigil over those undergoing the completion of their “transitus” or passage to eternity can be gleaned from the following story (cf. Sandy Beauchamp, “Helen’s Story” in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, et. al. Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1997, p. 265-266).
Helen Packer was 17 years old when I met her. A devout Christian and much-loved child, she was entering the hospital for the last time. Her diagnosis was lymphoma and all attempts at remission failed. Helen shared with me, her nurse, that she could handle everything but the thought of dying alone.
She just wanted a loved one near her to hold her hand and pray with her. Helen’s mother would stay at her bedside from early morning to late evening, return home for rest and resume the vigil come morning. Her father traveled in his job but relieved his wife as often as he could.
All of the nurses on the unit realized that Helen was precariously near death, as did she and her family. She began having seizures and lapses of consciousness.
As I was leaving the hospital at 11:00 one night, I noticed Helen’s mother heading toward the parking garage as well. Our conversation was interrupted by the loudspeaker. “Outside call, Helen Packer. Please call the operator!”
Mrs. Packer reacted immediately with alarm. “Everyone knows how ill she is!” she blurted. “I’m going back to her room to see who is calling.” With that she left me and returned to Helen. The operator reported that the calling party had hung up but left a message: “Tell Helen her ride will be late but is coming.”
Baffled, Mrs. Packer stayed at Helen’s bedside in anticipation of a mysterious visitor. Helen died at 1:13 A.M. with her mother at her side, holding her hand and praying.
When queried the next day, the operator couldn’t remember even the gender of the caller. No other Helen Packer was found, employee or patient or visitor. For those of us who cared for, nurtured and prayed for Helen, there was only one answer.
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART: A Pastoral Tool for the MEDITATIO
1. How does the following description of Jesus impinge on us: A bruised reed he will not break; a smoldering wick he will not quench”? Do we imitate the gentle ways of Jesus and his compassionate stance?
2. Do we see the importance of keeping vigil over a dying person? How do we participate in the Church Easter Vigil celebration?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the ORATIO
Jesus Lord,
you are the beloved Servant of Yahweh.
The Lord God delights in you.
He anoints you with his Spirit.
Help us to be channels of your peace to the heart-broken
and bearers of grace to the hopeless.
Give us the courage to be peaceful in a violent world
and the faithful love to care for the needs of the weak.
You live and reign, forever and ever.
Amen.
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Loving Father,
you always keep vigil over us
as you lead us from death-dealing situations
to the light of eternal life.
Grant us the grace to celebrate worthily
the Easter Vigil of our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection
and help us keep watch and support
those who are departing to eternal life.
We trust in you
for you are the God of the living, now and forever.
Amen.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD: A Pastoral Tool for the CONTEMPLATIO
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“A bruised reed he will not break; a smoldering wick he will not quench.” (Mt 12:20) //“This was night of vigil for the Lord.” (Ex 12:42)
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION: A Pastoral Tool for the ACTIO
Manifest the compassionate stance of Jesus to the people around you. Pray for the grace to overcome negative attitudes and prejudices so as to avoid breaking a “bruised reed” and quenching a “smoldering wick”. // Pray for the grace of a happy death for the dying and assist in any way possible those who are terminally ill.
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Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
PIAE DISCIPULAE DIVINI MAGISTRI
SISTER DISCIPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
60 Sunset Ave., Staten Island, NY 10314
Tel. (718) 494-8597 // (718) 761-2323
Website: WWW.PDDM.US