July 26^th 2026. The Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Matthew 13, 24-43

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

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

GOSPEL: Matthew 13, 24-43

Jesus said to his disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again,
and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,
which collects fish of every kind.
When it is full they haul it ashore
and sit down to put what is good into buckets.
What is bad they throw away.
Thus it will be at the end of the age.
The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous
and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

“Do you understand all these things?”
They answered, “Yes.”
And he replied,
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven
is like the head of a household
who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.”

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

Kieran’s summary . . . Sunday’s Gospel calls on us to open our eyes to what really matters in life, to discern wisely, to consider what is really valuable. If we reflect on the riches that the Lord is offering us, then we will joyfully do whatever we can to receive those riches. But Christianity is often presented in a way that suffocates this joy! Sometimes our faith is presented as something that primarily involves denial and sacrifice. But a more balanced view emphasizes that Christianity is all about receiving much more than we give. It is pride and egoism that causes us to present sanctity as if it were all about our efforts. Our faith is first and foremost about liberation and salvation, not arbitrary penance and sacrifice. The Gospel passage challenges us to discern the riches and the beauty of what Christ is offering us. For that which is really valuable, we will willingly and joyfully renounce everything because we receive much more than we give. Our efforts, our renunciations, only serve to acquire the box in which the treasure is hidden. The value of the treasure is infinitely greater, but we spend too much time thinking about our efforts to acquire the box! Christian discernment focusses on the treasure. It is only then that everything acquires its real value.

Sometimes Christianity is presented as something that involves denial and sacrifice. But a more balanced view emphasizes that Christianity is all about receiving much more than we give.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field; a man finds it and hides it; then he goes, full of joy, sells all his possessions and buys that field”. The act of giving away all one's possessions is normally understood as an action of self-denial and renunciation, something that is done in an attitude of detachment and sacrifice ... but nothing could be further from the Gospel! The Lord never proposes any renunciation except with the view to receiving something much greater and more valid. In this passage, for example, the man gives away everything he has full of joy, because what he has found is much greater. There is no denial in Christianity that does not lead to something superior. If God asks us for something, it is always because he is offering us much more. Whoever loses his life for the love of Christ, does it because it is precisely in this way that he finds the life that can never be lost. In this way, we obtain a treasure in heaven where thieves do not break in, where rust and woodworm do not consume. Christian discipleship is never a question of losing, but, on the contrary, of acquiring.

It is pride and egoism that causes us to present sanctity as if it were all about our efforts. But our faith is primarily about liberation and salvation, not arbitrary penance and sacrifice.

Why has Christianity been presented so often in an exclusively negative way, as if self-deprivation was the central thing? For the usual reason: because we are fixated with our ego. We focus our attention on what we do, not what God does. When we describe the holiness of saints, or of the Church itself, we make it sound like a celebration of works by exceptional, individuals. We make holiness into something based on human qualities, instead of being an encounter with grace that permits the power of God to emerge in men and women. In this way, Christianity is presented as something involving blood, sweat and tears, not liberation and salvation.

The Gospel passage calls us to discern wisely between that which is really worthwhile and that which is worthless. For that which is really valuable, we will willingly renounce everything because we receive much more than we give.

This Sunday's Gospel gives another perspective: we hear of the man who sells everything to have the field with the hidden treasure and the pearl merchant who leaves everything to have the most beautiful pearl.  Then we are presented with images of the process of selection: the fishermen who throws away the bad fish and keeps the good; the master of the house who brings from his storeroom things old and new. This points to the importance of discernment, of the wise choice, of the selection of what is really worthwhile and the rejection of that which is inferior.

Our efforts, our renunciations, only serve to acquire the box in which the treasure is hidden. The value of the treasure is infinitely greater, but we spend too much time thinking about our efforts to acquire the box! Christian discernment focusses on the treasure. Then everything acquires its real value.

All of that man's possessions served only to buy the field containing the treasure. Everything we have is only enough to acquire the treasure chest, but there is endless wealth inside the chest! If you win the lottery, you soon forget the envelope where the ticket that won the lottery was stored. All of our renunciations are aimed only at the purchase of the envelope. The issue here is appreciating the value of the treasure, understanding the value of the pearl, instead of spending all our time thinking of our efforts to acquire the box. When does Christian discernment begin? When we get to know the treasure! Then everything acquires its real value.

“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 19th  2026. The Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

GOSPEL: Matthew 13, 24-30

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

 

Don Fabio’s homily follows the Gospel

 

GOSPEL: Matthew 13, 24-30

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man
who sowed good seed in his field. 
While everyone was asleep his enemy came
and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 
When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. 
The slaves of the householder came to him and said,
'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? 
Where have the weeds come from?'
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.'
His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds
you might uproot the wheat along with them. 
Let them grow together until harvest;
then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters,
"First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning;
but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

​

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

 

The readings today warmly welcome us with a passage from the Book of Wisdom, which beautifully expounds on God's indulgence. It describes God's patient nature, which allows us to make mistakes, offering us the opportunity to repent and come to our senses. As the Psalm echoes, 'You are good, Lord, and you forgive.'

 

In contemplating the theme of God's Forgiveness and His patience with our imperfections, we encounter the parable of the weeds: the sowing of bad seed among the good, performed by an enemy in the vast field which is our world.

 

Here, we are confronted with the complex nature of reality. Life presents us with a mixture of good and not-so-good aspects. We often face unpleasant or even disturbing circumstances in our everyday lives.

 

It is in this challenge that we must learn to examine and understand the diverse elements of reality. Reality has various origins. We have what is good and comes from God – the wholesome, beautiful, and constructive aspects – and we also have what is destructive and stifles the good. How often contradictory elements coexist within the human heart! How should we navigate this reality? The first reading presents the theme of God's indulgence, and the parable urges us to grapple with the master's strange decision not to uproot the weeds until they unmistakably reveal themselves as such. In this world, both good grain and weeds coexist. The difference lies in the grain, which turns golden when mature, while the weeds remain green and fruitless. This colour distinction allows for differentiation. There is a risk of uprooting the good grain along with the weeds. The master's idea is to refrain from intervening harshly and violently because there is always something good worth protecting. In all of us, in the world, there is something valuable that must be defended. And it is worthwhile to wait for the good to ripen because goodness has its own timing; it will reveal itself as good, meaningful, and salvific.

 

This is how we should nurture the new generations: never passing sharp and definitive judgments on those who are still growing. Adolescents may sometimes be difficult and trying, but there is life and goodness in them, and we must trust them. They need time to mature, and eventually, they will be able to distinguish between the weeds and the fruitful grain – the beautiful and significant elements. We must be cautious not to live according to a logic that prioritises justice and the need to fix everything immediately. A tendency towards uncertain intervention, characteristic of a generation focused solely on justice, may push us to intervene prematurely, without giving things time to develop naturally into what they are meant to be. This is especially crucial from an educational and relational standpoint. We need to be vigilant against the impulse to discard everything when negative elements are present. As mentioned before, this impulse is not compatible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

The second reading of the liturgy tells us, 'The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness, for the Spirit Himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.' We, who are inherently weak, might wonder how we could ever pray adequately or relate to God in a presentable and worthy manner. Yet, the Spirit comes to our aid, supporting us in our weakness. Our vulnerability becomes the very space where the Spirit operates, the pivotal aspect of our relationship with God.

 

Be cautious if you believe that you have everything sorted out, fixed, and adjusted perfectly. That's never the case. It's a trap, a deceptive mindset that can lead us to adopt a harsh attitude, cutting off potentially good things before they have a chance to reveal their true nature. If we were to judge Francis of Assisi based on his youth, we might have dismissed him as immature, pleasure-seeking, disorderly, and focused on trivial pursuits driven by mere desires for quick rewards. Yet, we would have overlooked the fact that he would later become one of the greatest Saints in Church history. Similarly, if we were judged during times of ambiguity and contradiction in our lives, we might have been robbed of the beauty and significance that later emerged. The fruits in our lives, just like in the life of the Church, often take time to mature, and we must have faith in this gradual process.

 

Our focus should be on what truly matters, which is life itself. It's essential to orient everything towards bearing good fruit, allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us. We should never lose hope or hastily discard something. Instead, we must patiently wait for God's work to come to fruition and completion.

“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 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.