July 12^th 2026. The Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Matthew 13, 1-9

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Matthew 13, 1-9

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Kieran’s summary . . . On Sunday, we have the “Queen of Parables”, that of the Sower. It raises the question of how we are to understand the word of the Lord. The word of God is one only, because the grace of God and the love of the Father are one only. But the same word can be more or less fruitful in us depending on how we receive it in our hearts. The fact is that people did not understand the parable of the sower. The disciples eventually understood it, but only by coming closer to the teacher, closer to Christ! They valued his word, wanted to comprehend it, and so they asked for his help. What prevents us from understanding God’s word are the various filters that we use to interpret everything that happens to us. God is always sending a word our way, a providential plan hidden in the events of our lives. But this word will not be illuminated unless these filters are overcome. Now consider the three “filters” in the parable that prevent us from receiving God’s word. First, the seed falls on the path and it does not penetrate. This represents the word that is not understood by us. Sometimes we discard the Lord’s word because we don’t understand it, just as we ignore what others say to us sometimes whenever we have problems of comprehension. But if we do that with the word of God then we will never understand! God has much to say to us that we cannot grasp right now. We must allow ourselves to be led by him into that which we do not comprehend. If we only say yes to that which we grasp, then our understanding will always remain at the same mediocre level as our brains. It is not intelligence that counts, but abandonment into the hands of the Lord. Mary is our great example. She kept and pondered in her heart what she could not comprehend. Secondly, the seed falls on the rocky soil and sprouts quickly. Sometimes we receive the Lord’s word with enthusiasm, but reject it when difficulties arise. Difficulties, however, are what make real listening authentic. If we don’t like what the Lord is saying, but we still welcome it, then we give ourselves the chance of making progress. If we only listen to what we want to hear, then we will remain exactly where we are already. Thirdly, the seed falls among thorns. This is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. Receiving the word of God requires renouncing the things of this world. If I “listen” to the word of God but also listen to other things, then I am living a life of mediocrity. Selfless love is not compatible with worldly considerations of profit and self-promotion. With Mary we must learn not to resist the word the Lord is sending us. We too must learn to say, “Let it be done onto me according to thy word”.

The parable of the sower is the “Queen of Parables”. The same exact seed produces six different outcomes.

This Sunday we listen to the queen of parables. As Jesus says with regard to this same parable in Mark’s Gospel: "If you do not understand this parable, how will you be able to understand all the others?" (Mk 4:13). In the story, the exact same seed produces different results. Six different outcomes are described, of which three are negative and three are positive. The seed can fall on the path, on the rocky ground, in the middle of the thorns, or can be fruitful to three different degrees (thirty, sixty or one hundredfold).

How are we to understand the parable? Only by coming closer to the teacher, closer to Christ! What prevents us from understanding God’s word are the various filters that we use to interpret everything that happens to us. God is always sending a word our way, a providential plan hidden in the events of our lives. But this word will not be illuminated unless these filters are overcome.

To the crowds Jesus adds nothing else, and simply asks whoever has ears to hear. But in reality nobody understands what Jesus means. The disciples ask him for an explanation of this apparently simple, but in reality cryptic, communication. To them, after a severe quote from the prophet Isaiah and a consideration of how lucky they all are, the key of interpretation is finally given, and then they understand. The parable, in fact, is a communication that must be decoded, but to do this you need to come closer to the teacher who delivered it. Here is the point: nobody understands the parable except those who establish a relationship with Jesus. The Lord is always sending a word our way. This word can be hidden in the events of our life, which conceal a providential plan. In order for this word to be illuminated, the filters that we have erected have to be overcome. Otherwise we do not “have ears to hear” the word that the Lord is trying to speak to us.

Sometimes we resist the Lord’s word because we don’t understand it. But if we do that then we will never understand! God has much to say to us that we cannot grasp right now. We must allow ourselves to be led by him into that which we do not comprehend. If we only say yes to that which we grasp, then our understanding will always remain at the same mediocre level as our brains. Mary is our great example. She kept and pondered in her heart what she could not comprehend.

The word the Lord is trying to speak to us can find an impenetrable path. This happens when we do not understand the word and continue to follow our own way regardless. Is it so surprising to learn that being unable to understand does not entitle us to refuse? Often, God has things to tell us that we do not understand at the moment. We must let ourselves be led into what we do not understand. Otherwise we will never reach the stage of being able to grasp things more deeply. If we do not allow ourselves to be led into that which we cannot comprehend, then our understanding will always be at the same mediocre level as our brains. Mary is our great example. She pondered and kept in her heart the words she did not understand (cf. Lk 2,50-51).

Sometimes we receive the Lord’s word with enthusiasm but reject it when difficulties arise. Difficulties, however, are what make real listening authentic. If we don’t like what the Lord is saying, but we still welcome it, then we give ourselves the chance of making progress. If we only listen to what we want to hear, then we will remain exactly where we are already

The word the Lord is speaking to us can also arouse enthusiasm. This is the case of the seed that sprouts close to the stone because the conditions for sprouting are more favourable there. But our enthusiasm is shattered when it confronts difficulty, just as the seed withers when the sun comes out. In reality, it is difficulties that can make listening authentic; it is the tribulations that verify whether one is truly welcoming the word or merely listening in a superficial way. In fact, the word the Lord is speaking to us  can often be something that we do not want to hear. But if God wants to us to journey as adults with him, then he cannot tell us only what we want to hear; otherwise he will leave us exactly where we are already.

Receiving the word of God requires renouncing the things of this world. If I “listen” to the word of God but also listen to other things, then I am living a life of mediocrity. Selfless love is not compatible with worldly considerations of profit and self-promotion. With Mary we must learn not to resist the word the Lord is sending us. We too must learn to say, “Let it be done onto me according to thy word”.

We can also give the word of the Lord an ambiguous welcome: “I listen to you, but I also listen to other things”. We are the artists of compromise and the lovers of mediocrity. The word of God does not agree with the world, because the word operates according to love and not according to profit, which is actually the opposite of selfless love. God asks us to renounce things, and love asks for renunciations very often. Let us face it: we must stop defending our little corner before the word of God. It is better to say with Mary: "Let it be done onto me according to your word".  Let us welcome the word without resistance.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

 July 5^th 2026. Fourteenth Sunday of the Year

GOSPEL: Matthew 11, 25-30

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading ...

(Check us out on Facebook – Sunday Gospel Reflection)

GOSPEL: Matthew 11, 25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

“Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am meek and humble of heart;
and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

Kieran’s summary . . The gift of Understanding is not simply a characteristic of intelligent people. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and his gifts are for everyone! Understanding is the capacity to comprehend the connections between things. It gives us the ability to see beyond the disconnected appearance of events, and it permits us to gaze upon the true inner nature of things. Evidently, this capacity goes beyond human capabilities. In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that the gift of Understanding is granted to the childlike. To know God’s mysteries, you don’t have to be cultured or educated, but small! Humility is the gateway to a wisdom that goes beyond human intelligence. Jesus then invites us to take his yoke upon him. The characteristic of a yoke was that it was generally made for two. Jesus wishes to walk with us in bearing this load. And what is the load? It is the negation of our ego. A beautiful event in the conversion of St Francis of Assisi recounts how, when the saint embraced a leper, he ceased to worship himself. The yoke of Christ is liberating because it frees us from ourselves.

Understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It grants us the ability to see the connection between things, to form a perspective that goes beyond the disconnected appearance of facts and events, and it permits us to gaze into a thing’s true nature.

When the Holy Spirit enters the heart, he brings with him a series of gifts - seven to be exact - and one of these is Understanding. This gift is not the same as a personal characteristic of the person. It does not belong only those who are intelligent. If it did, then it would not be for everyone, whilst the Holy Spirit is Lord and gives life to everyone. Understanding, therefore, is not precluded to those who they are less gifted. It is the ability to understand the "connection" between things. The word “intellect” (which is the equivalent of the term “understanding” in Latin) derives from the expression intus-legere or intus-ligare. This refers to the activity of understanding how things are connected to each other (ligare) and allows you to see beyond (legere) the disconnected appearance of facts and expressions. However, its peculiar characteristic is an inner gaze (intus) on things. No wonder people are inclined to think that understanding requires brains!

In order to understand the deepest connection between things, we need childlike humility because these things are beyond the reach of human intelligence. Humility is the gateway to wisdom

The deepest connection between things, of course, lies in the way that the Lord weaves events together. His thread of Providence unifies history and gives it a direction. As they say, God brings this providence to fruition using crooked lines to write straight. If all this seems to us like something that requires enormous intellectual abilities, then we are not wrong. It requires unprecedented abilities that are completely beyond the reach of human intelligence. This is the point of the Gospel this Sunday: understanding the providential connection between things is not achieved by one's own ability, but by the gift of God. “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and to the learned and you have revealed them to the little ones”. To know the wonderful secret of everything, you don't have to be cultured or qualified, but small. This Wisdom of knowing one’s littleness (which is another gift of the Holy Spirit), involves a humble intuition of itself, which is a form of Knowledge (a further gift of the Holy Spirit!) entirely different to the one we associate with bookishness.  Every Eucharistic liturgy invites us to practice this knowledge at the beginning of every celebration: "In order to celebrate the holy mysteries worthily, we recognize our sins". One enters the light because one comes from darkness.

Christ has a light yoke for us. It is the yoke of being free from ourselves. When we recognize our smallness and misery, God reveals his mysteries to us.

It is important to know one's own poverty. This doesn’t mean that we become fixated with our defects, analyzing them constantly, impatient with our limits and fragility. Such scrupulousness can have its origin in pride. Rather, what we need to do is recognize our sins, the evil we have done in thoughts, words, deeds and even omissions. In fact, the omissions are often the most serious: the wrong we do is certainly bad, but never as bad as the good that has not been done. God reveals his mysteries to those who know their own misery, to those who are aware of their failures in love and recognize the dark part of their hearts. With God we win when we lose, we become strong when we admit our weaknesses, we become wise when we recognize our stupidity, we become adults when we confess our smallness, we enter into peace when we become aware of our fixations. Christ has a light yoke for us to take, full of the Holy Spirit: it is the yoke of freedom from ourselves.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

 July 2nd 2026. Thirteenth Sunday of the Year

GOSPEL: Matthew 10, 37-42

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading ...

GOSPEL: Matthew 10, 37-42

Jesus said to his apostles:

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,

and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

and whoever does not take up his cross

and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,

and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet

will receive a prophet’s reward,

and whoever receives a righteous man

because he is a righteous man

will receive a righteous man’s reward.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water

to one of these little ones to drink

because the little one is a disciple—

amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

1. It is not possible to follow Christ and to continue following the urges of our infantile scheme of survival, trying to keep Mum and Dad happy. How many saints have had to go against the absolutes of family life to live the greatness of their vocation.

The Gospel for this thirteenth Sunday of ordinary time is radical, serious, and very adult in nature. It calls us to go beyond a mediocre Christianity that is like an insurance policy that comes to our aid in times of trauma. The theme is prepared by the story in the first reading of a woman who becomes fertile as a result of welcoming a prophet as a prophet. Here we see the lifegiving character of the word of God when it is welcomed openly. In the Gospel, we might be surprised to hear the radical demands of the Lord, but let us never forget that the life of faith is a calling to an extraordinary life. It is not a calling to a comfortable existence, nor to a life of survival and self-protection. The statements of Jesus are disconcerting: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” To lose one’s life – what is being referred to here? During the 1990s, the era of the “New Age”, Christianity was transformed into a system aimed at wellbeing. The true Gospel, however, is always destabilising and calls us to a life that is not simply the life given to us by our parents. Our parents gave us natural life. Jesus, true God and true man, whose divine person took on human flesh, transforms human life into life as children of God. It is an extraordinary life. The Our Father says, “on earth as it is in heaven”. We are called to live this extraordinary heavenly life, the life of the prophet, to be bearers of a word that bears in itself the very power of God. It is not possible to follow Christ and to continue following the urges of our infantile scheme of survival, trying to keep Mum and Dad happy. How many saints have had to go against the absolutes of family life to live the greatness of their vocation. Just think of Francis of Assisi handing his clothes back to his father and breaking his dependence on him.

2. This is the fecundity that we are called to, to be born into a new life. To pass from the life given to us by our parents to a life that is born from above, as Jesus tells Nicodemus, to live under a different fatherhood.

The first reading speaks of fecundity. This is the fecundity that we are called to, to be born into a new life. To pass from the life given to us by our parents to a life that is born from above, as Jesus tells Nicodemus, to live under a different fatherhood. When Jesus says not to call anyone on earth our father, he is not saying that we neglect our parents. Charity demands respect, care and love for our parents, but we shouldn’t think that the life they gave us is the only true life. There is a greater and more noble life, the life of the Spirit. Again, as Jesus tells Nicodemus, what is born of the flesh is flesh, what is born of the spirit is spirit, and often these two types of life are in opposition. There are many “absolutes” that come from our infancy: habits formed in times of discontent, by virtue of the various roles we had to assume, the compensations that we yearned for, the deficiencies that we experienced, etc.. If we keep obeying the dictates of this infantile structure, we will never arrive at the capacity for love according to God. God’s love resets all of these elements and begins from zero, taking as its starting point the things that the Lord has done for us, from his grace, from his power. We see in the catacombs of Rome that the early Christians measured the days of their life as beginning from the moment of their baptism. They took new names, just as Christ gave new names to some of his disciples to show that they were becoming different people, entering into a new life, a different life, a greater life.

3. Trying to get Christianity to fit within our natural lives is to reduce Christianity to a parody of itself, to something mediocre. Because we have diminished Christianity to something horizontal, to something that suits our material interests, we end up reducing it to a moral message and nothing more.

Trying to get Christianity to fit within our natural lives is to reduce Christianity to a parody of itself, to something mediocre. Because we have diminished Christianity to something horizontal, to something that suits our material interests, we end up reducing it to a moral message and nothing more. But Christianity is not a moral system, it is grace, it is the power of God that is born from on high. It begins from the pardon of sins and mercy, and it becomes the work of mercy, the mercy of God which hopes for everything, believes in everything and excuses everything, which does not measure the evil that is has suffered. This love originates in our heavenly Father. This is the life that we must embrace. This is the life that goes beyond the life given to us by our parents. When Jesus says, “He who loves his parents more than me is not worthy of me”, this notion of worthiness is not something ethical. Rather it has to do with being fit for a purpose. A person who is limited by this earthly adherence to infantile things is simply incapable of loving God. Many with important roles in the Church are attached to these unresolved connections to childhood, to tendencies towards rivalry, mediocre aspirations and needs. They love according to earthly things rather than according to heaven.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

  June 21 2026. Twelfth Sunday of the Year

GOSPEL: Matthew 10, 26-33

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini, broadcast on Vatican Radio

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Don Fabio’s reflection follows the Gospel reading ...

 

GOSPEL: Matthew 10, 26-33

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.

‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

1. Fear is the key. If we fear people, then the word of God does not come to fruition in us. Between the moment of being fertilised by the word of God in our hearts, and the visible manifestation of the word in our lives, the process is often interrupted by our fear of the opinions of others.

The first reading recounts the dramatic events of the life of Jeremiah. He is called to say things that are unpleasant and unpopular. The truth is often unpopular! He who lives for popularity is often a hypocrite. As Christians, we too run the risk of paying too much attention to our audience and not enough on the truth. In order to avoid this tendency of living for vainglory, we must be led out of the slavery of fear. In fact, Jesus’s opening words in Sunday’s Gospel are: “Do not fear men.” This is the key! If we have fear of people, then we end up living as hypocrites, living a double life, one life that is public and another life that is hidden. It is normal that Christianity has a hidden inner part. The word of God is spoken to our hearts, in an internal room, then gradually it becomes visible. If it does not become visible, then it is not real. If it does not become concrete, then it was not fertile. There is a journey to be undertaken between the moment that the heart was touched by a beautiful word (that caused it to want to follow Christ) and the moment in which the word bears visible fruit. The journey can be interrupted by fear, fear of incurring the wrath of others. The fear of disappointing those around us is one of the most common elements that brings out human ugliness. Herod goes ahead and kills John the Baptist out of the fear of losing face in front of guests at a banquet, even though he had already intuited the importance of John. When we try to satisfy our companions of life, we become shadows of ourselves. In order to get a laugh from them, or a good reaction, we become scarecrows who live a life inferior to that to which we have been called.

 

2. There are many people who are obsessed with the care of their bodies but who radically neglect the soul. They go to great lengths to enjoy the pleasures of the body but do not know the pleasures of the soul. The pleasures of the soul are more intense, more profound and more long-lasting.

What must we do? We must stop fearing those who can kill the body. This Gospel presents us with a dichotomy: which is more important, to kill the body or to kill the soul? What use is my body if I lose my soul? Jesus will say elsewhere that I gain nothing if I win the whole world and lose my soul. A body without soul is an inconsistent and superficial life. This Gospel calls on us to conserve and nurture integrally the life of the soul, the heart, that which is central. There are many people who are obsessed with the care of their bodies but who radically neglect the soul. They go to great lengths to enjoy the pleasures of the body but do not know the pleasures of the soul. The pleasures of the soul are more intense, more profound and more long-lasting.

 

3. The present generation has a very intense anxiety for recognition. What we need to do is to reverse this situation: in order to realize that we are cherished and recognized, held valuable, we must recognize God as our Father.

How do we live this harmony between the body and the soul? We must recognize who we are in the eyes of God. We must recognize who the Father is and who we are for him. The present generation has a very intense anxiety for recognition. What we need to do is to reverse this situation: in order to realize that we are cherished and recognized, held valuable, we must recognize God as our Father. This leads to our freedom, because we know that we are held dear by our heavenly Father. Recall St Francis of Assisi: in front of his own father, he recognized the Fatherhood of God, and in so doing he became an enormous gift of grace for the entire Church and all of humanity. In recognizing our only true Father, we can all become gifts for humanity. But to do this, we must disobey our fear for the body. Let us enter into a covenant with the Lord on this point, that we will place our priority on the care of our souls, and then, secondarily, manage the body. The point of departure must be our soul, not our body, this is wisdom for a life that is beautiful and true.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.

 June 14th 2026. Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: John 6:51-58

______________________________________________________________

 

Translated from a homily by Don Fabio Rosini broadcast on Vatican Radio

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

 

GOSPEL: Matthew 9,36 – 10,8

When Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest’.

He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows:

‘Do not turn your steps to pagan territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.

The Gospel of the Lord: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

 

1. Authentic faith includes the acknowledgement of our fragility, our insufficiency. The delirium of autonomy always leads to shame, to the revelation that we are inadequate and in need of God.

On this eleventh Sunday of ordinary time, the first reading from Deuteronomy recounts the words of the Lord to Moses from Sinai. The people of Israel, he says, are to become a kingdom of priests, of intercessors, a people who prays for the world to God and makes God present to the world. What does it mean to be the Lord’s people, to be his property? This is the question raised by our baptism, which is an echo renewed in Christ of the covenant made by God with Israel. In Sunday’s Gospel, we read of the compassionate gaze of Jesus upon the people who are like sheep without a shepherd. It is important to note that in those times, a flock without a shepherd could not survive. The sheep needs to live in a flock and to be shown the places to obtain water and food. We too have need of God in a similar way, but this is opposed by an anthropology that has come to dominate human affairs since the 1800s. At this time there arose the delirium of a way of looking upon humanity as being autonomous, of being able to survive by himself, of not needing God. This, ironically, has led in turn led to a widely diffused feeling of insecurity, a sense that we are fragile, an instinct that we are insufficient after all. To counter this, we harbour the delusion of the victorious human being who is able to overcome all adversaries. In sport we see this with the victor being glorified and everyone else counting for nothing. Consequently, we have lost the understanding of who we are and what the faith is. Authentic faith includes the honest realisation of our own fragility. In the third chapter of Genesis, humanity asserts its autonomy in opposition to God the Father and then it discovers itself to be naked, fragile and ashamed of itself. This is always the consequence of those who proclaim themselves autonomous – they find themselves naked and incapable of maintaining this pretext of independence.

 

2. We carry in ourselves the memory of our dignity, of our being chosen by God, of our true greatness, but we decides instead to become “great” following the path of the serpent, until we arrives at the point of shame, a disordered relationship with our own body, and with other people

When we look at the Twelve that Christ called, we see what a fragile bunch they were. Peter is a flawed man who makes many mistakes. James and John, sons of Zebedee, are embarrassed before the others when their mother seeks for them the most advanced careers in the Kingdom. Thomas has his doubts and Judas Iscariot even ends up betraying his master. In summary, the “casting” of Jesus wasn’t done so well. He did not choose the best but rather men who had many limits. Yet these are the ones who are sent to console, heal and liberate from impure spirits. The impure spirit was a mixture of the good and the bad, taking a little of that which comes from God and combining it with evil. This is the story of humanity who carries in himself the memory of his dignity, of his being chosen by God, of his true greatness, but who decides instead to become “great” following the path of the serpent, until he arrives at the point of his shame, a disordered relationship with his own body, and with other people, living always in a state of rivalry with others, seeking constantly to exalt himself in an effort to recreate the memory of his true beauty and true goodness.

 

3. What we are called to is love, not to perfection according to the idolatrous models of this world.

Jesus is seeking workers for his harvest. He is not seeking “victors” but people who have the same compassion that he has. If we consider the gaze of Jesus upon the crowds, his way of looking at them, it is sobering to think of the obsession in our times with the external aspect of ourselves as if it were everything. Jesus looks deeper than our appearance, deeper than our make-up, deeper than our existential deodorants, deeper than our disguises in which we try to present ourselves as perfect people, even in church. We try to present ourselves as people without weaknesses, but then the weaknesses pursue us and reveal themselves when we least expect it. We must accept that we are vulnerable and weak. What we are called to is love, not to perfection according to the idolatrous models of this world. The human being reaches perfection when he has love and mercy in his heart, not when he is capable of defeating every enemy. We must rid our hearts of these delusions so that we can embrace the love that God shows us. Our lives are a training in love, not a training for victory. This Sunday, may we all accept that we are sheep in need of a shepherd, that we desperately need to be cared for by him, and let us leave behind us the delirium of autonomy of the 1900s. Just as the people of Israel were unable by themselves to confront any of their challenges, so too may we enter into the covenant with the Lord, acknowledging our absolute need of him, refraining from believing ourselves to be something that we are not. All of our strength resides in our covenant with God, not in anything of ourselves that makes us feel independent, but in the gift of our heavenly Father! Let us live as children of the Father, as allies with him in the covenant, as sheep who are cared for by a Good Shepherd, who are fed, washed and healed by One who loves them.

“In the Stars the Glory of His Eyes – Tales from an Irish Tour Guide in Rome”

FROM IGNATIUS PRESS

Tales of unexpected blessings, hilarious true stories, unique perspectives on the lives of the saints. An original, entertaining and orthodox presentation of the Catholic faith. You won’t be able to put it down!

"Captivating."

— Elizabeth Lev, Professor of Art History, Rome.

“Entertaining.”

— Cardinal Seán Brady, Ireland.

"I laughed out loud many times, and told the stories to others who laughed just as hard."

— Sally Read, Author.

"Enchanting."

— Bishop Brendan Leahy, Diocese of Limerick.

"Unique and insightful."

— Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly, Cashel and Emly.