Service and Survival

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to remain true to the values and teachings that guide our fullness of life in the service of love, hope, and charity.

At The Edge

The Reading from the Second Letter of Timothy is Solemn Charge to persevere to a Reward for Fidelity.

* [4:1–5] The gravity of the obligation incumbent on Timothy to preach the word can be gauged from the solemn adjuration: in the presence of God, and of Christ coming as universal judge, and by his appearance and his kingly power (2 Tm 4:1). Patience, courage, constancy, and endurance are required despite the opposition, hostility, indifference, and defection of many to whom the truth has been preached (2 Tm 4:2–5).

* [4:3] Insatiable curiosity: literally, “with itching ears.”

* [4:6] The apostle recognizes his death through martyrdom to be imminent. He regards it as an act of worship in which his blood will be poured out in sacrifice; cf. Ex 29:38–40; Phil 2:17.

* [4:7] At the close of his life Paul could testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold concerning him at the time of his conversion, “I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16).

* [4:8] When the world is judged at the parousia, all who have eagerly looked for the Lord’s appearing and have sought to live according to his teachings will be rewarded. The crown is a reference to the laurel wreath placed on the heads of victorious athletes and conquerors in war; cf. 2 Tm 2:5; 1 Cor 9:25. (2 Timothy, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 71 is a lament of an old person who remains buoyant.

* [Psalm 71] A lament of an old person (Ps 71:9, 18) whose afflictions are interpreted by enemies as a divine judgment (Ps 71:11). The first part of the Psalm pleads for help (Ps 71:1–4) on the basis of a hope learned from a lifetime’s experience of God; the second part describes the menace (Ps 71:9–13) yet remains buoyant (Ps 71:14–16); the third develops the theme of hope and praise. (Psalms,CHAPTER 71 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus blesses The Poor Widow’s Contribution.

* [12:41–44] See note on Lk 21:1–4. (Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [21:1–4] The widow is another example of the poor ones in this gospel whose detachment from material possessions and dependence on God leads to their blessedness (Lk 6:20). Her simple offering provides a striking contrast to the pride and pretentiousness of the scribes denounced in the preceding section (Lk 20:45–47). The story is taken from Mk 12:41–44. (Luke, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Mirielle Mason asks “What does it truly mean to serve the Lord with a humble heart and soul? Today’s Gospel and first reading placed that question heavily on my heart. Do I seek validation for my time spent in service? Are my monetary contributions appropriately sized? If I truly take the time to be honest with myself, is my motivation pure? 

It can be scary to address those questions head on because human nature craves attention… Although, for each question we ask ourselves we have a decision to make. Sometimes, the vast number of decisions we are presented with as humans can feel paralyzing, but I think part of that fear comes from the unknown. We don’t know what may come of our choices, and we are nervous that it may hurt us. Modern Christians especially may feel like following Christ isolates them from society, but we have to remember that we are called to walk the narrow way. 2 Timothy urges us to remain confident and focused on our mission, emphasizing that it will be difficult. But there is also hope in the knowledge that we know what will come of choices of this nature. Every time we choose the path of our Lord, we become closer with Him on our journey to everlasting life.

Each day I am able to choose the Lord in a thousand tiny ways. I can decide to give of my time today, I can choose to show up for mass. How will you choose the Lord today? (Mason, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes Mercy and compassion are never worthless, by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.

"Although the spite of some people does not grow gentle with any kindness, nevertheless the works of mercy are not fruitless, and kindness never loses what is offered to the ungrateful. May no one, dearly beloved, make themselves strangers to good works. Let no one claim that his poverty scarcely sufficed for himself and could not help another. What is offered from a little is great, and in the scale of divine justice, the quantity of gifts is not measured but the steadfastness of souls. The 'widow' in the Gospel put two coins into the 'treasury,' and this surpassed the gifts of all the rich. No mercy is worthless before God. No compassion is fruitless. He has given different resources to human beings, but he does not ask different affections." (excerpt from SERMON 20.3.1.6) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation was not available at publication time.

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading from 2 Timothy is a continuation of an exhortation to hold faithful to the Gospel. This action against the Gospel occurs later in the 1st century and is one argument against the authorship of Paul of this letter. A libation, offered to the gods, is traditionally poured out on the ground. We must be willing to pay the price for our faith. Difficulties of Christian life may occur in gossip or on the highway.  St. Thérèse of Lisieux described a “martyrdom of pin pricks” originating in the annoying things of our daily lives. The leaders are accused, by Jesus, of being in it for the honour and their pride. The poor widow has given all she had, far more consequential than giving from excess. Friar Jude asks: “What are we capable of doing?” The best we can with what we have received.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Poet Alison Davis who finds blessings for those who are on the edges of who they are and what they think they know.

“A Blessing for Those at the Edge”

Maybe you walked here.
Maybe you ran here.
Maybe you followed a trail of stones, of feathers, of flowers,
of scents, of sky.
Maybe you went afoot with the Mystery & so how you got here
is also a mystery.
But here is where you are & here
is always its own kind of blessing & here
at the edge, blessings compound.

Bless those at the edge of the river
of their heart,
full of promise.

Bless those at the edge of the morning,
singing the bright face of day
into the blue.

Bless those at the edge of what they know,
watching the old certainties crumble.

Bless those at the edge of doom,
bearing it out, as the famous bard wrote,
with or without the draw of a happy ending.

Bless those at the edge of love
of self, of other, of world,
as the way forward grows more subtle, less sound.

Bless those at the edge of language,
whose tongues & tales & names
are more pledge than guarantee.

Bless those at the edge of believing
a life can be lived at the edge. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit when we are confused about the Way in which we live a quality life that displays gratitude for our blessings in the joy of our service particularly “on the edge”.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/lk/21?1#50021001 

Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12?38 

Mason, M. (2026, June 6). Daily Reflection June 6, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-6-2026 

Psalms,CHAPTER 71 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/71?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Beyond Binaries: Weekly Summary. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/beyond-binaries-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). This Poor Widow Has Put in More Than the Rest. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Timothy, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 6, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/4?1 

Heritage of Hope and Help

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to assess how we might offer our experience and Divine enlightenment to help others grow in relationship with God.

Gathered in His Name

The Reading from the Second Letter of Timothy presents Paul’s Example and Teaching.

* [3:10–17] Paul’s example for Timothy includes persecution, a frequent emphasis in the Pastorals. Timothy is to be steadfast to what he has been taught and to scripture. The scriptures are the source of wisdom, i.e., of belief in and loving fulfillment of God’s word revealed in Christ, through whom salvation is given.

* [3:16–17] Useful for teaching…every good work: because as God’s word the scriptures share his divine authority. It is exercised through those who are ministers of the word.

* [3:16] All scripture is inspired by God: this could possibly also be translated, “All scripture inspired by God is useful for….” In this classic reference to inspiration, God is its principal author, with the writer as the human collaborator. Thus the scriptures are the word of God in human language. See also 2 Pt 1:20–21. (2 Timothy, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 119 presents peace in fidelity to the law.

* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms,CHAPTER 119 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus addresses the Question About David’s Son.

* [12:35–37] Jesus questions the claim of the scribes about the Davidic descent of the Messiah, not to deny it (Mt 1:1; Acts 2:20, 34; Rom 1:3; 2 Tm 2:8) but to imply that he is more than this. His superiority derives from his transcendent origin, to which David himself attested when he spoke of the Messiah with the name “Lord” (Ps 110:1). See also note on Mt 22:41–46. (Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [22:41–46] Having answered the questions of his opponents in the preceding three controversies, Jesus now puts a question to them about the sonship of the Messiah. Their easy response (Mt 22:43a) is countered by his quoting a verse of Ps 110 that raises a problem for their response (43b–45). They are unable to solve it and from that day on their questioning of him is ended.

* [22:41] The Pharisees…questioned them: Mark is not specific about who are questioned (Mk 12:35).

* [22:42–44] David’s: this view of the Pharisees was based on such Old Testament texts as Is 11:1–9; Jer 23:5; and Ez 34:23; see also the extrabiblical Psalms of Solomon 17:21. How, then…saying: Jesus cites Ps 110:1 accepting the Davidic authorship of the psalm, a common view of his time. The psalm was probably composed for the enthronement of a Davidic king of Judah. Matthew assumes that the Pharisees interpret it as referring to the Messiah, although there is no clear evidence that it was so interpreted in the Judaism of Jesus’ time. It was widely used in the early church as referring to the exaltation of the risen Jesus. My lord: understood as the Messiah.

* [22:45] Since Matthew presents Jesus both as Messiah (Mt 16:16) and as Son of David (Mt 1:1; see also note on Mt 9:27), the question is not meant to imply Jesus’ denial of Davidic sonship. It probably means that although he is the Son of David, he is someone greater, Son of Man and Son of God, and recognized as greater by David who calls him my ‘lord.’ (Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jeanne Schuler comments that persecution is a harsh reality. Those who were bullied in school get this pain. Mostly we dodge thoughts of deliberately inflicting harm. Paul consoles us: “Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me.” What lies before us is unknown. What we do know is that we do not face trouble alone. God dwells within us through good times and bad.

What gets us closer to the reality is to consider those whom we persecute. How do good-hearted folks like us persecute? Pope Francis points to the indifference that numbs us to the plight of others. Some poor countries welcome refugees. Our rich country has slammed the door on refugees, who are stuck in camps waiting for years. The harm inflicted in my name barely registers.

Victim or perpetrator, no one is abandoned. Jesus left us the word. Paul reminds the community to study scripture to find protection from those lurking in the shadows. Those “consecrated in truth” by Jesus can recognize what is twisted. In today’s gospel, Jesus rebuts the scribes, who question his identity, with a passage from the Psalms.

Let us love this world as those consecrated in truth. (Schuler, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus is Son of David and Son of God”, by Cyril of Alexandria, 375-444 A.D.

"We also will ask the Pharisees of today a similar question. They deny that he who was born of the holy Virgin is very Son of God the Father and himself also God. They also divide the one Christ into two sons. Let these people explain to us how David's Son is his Lord, not so much as to human lordship as divine. To sit at the right hand of the Father is the assurance and pledge of supreme glory. Those who share the same throne are equal also in dignity, and those who are crowned with equal honors are understood of course to be equal in nature. To sit by God can signify nothing else than sovereign authority. The throne declares to us that Christ possesses power over everything and supremacy by right of his substance.

"How is the Son of David David's Lord, seated at the right hand of God the Father and on the throne of Deity? Is it not altogether according to the unerring word of the mystery that the Word as God sprung from the very substance of God the Father? Being in his likeness and equal with him, he became flesh. He became man, perfectly and yet without departing from the incomparable excellence of the divine dignities. He continued in that state in which he had always been. He still was God, although he became flesh and in form like us. He is David's Lord therefore according to that which belongs to his divine glory, nature and sovereignty. He is his son according to the flesh." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 137.52) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Timothy 3:10-17 comments that Paul’s answer to Timothy’s anxieties was surprisingly simple. After detailing his own challenges, he counseled his young friend simply to “remain faithful” to the things he had “learned and believed” about the life of a disciple (2 Timothy 3:14).

Remain faithful. When the way seems unsure, take a step back, and ask the Spirit if there is one simple principle of faith—something you have “learned and believed” (2 Timothy 3:14)—that can help you move forward. Is it the call to forgive? To be generous? To speak a difficult truth to someone firmly but with care? Take that one step and see where it leads.

Remain faithful. Don’t let the anxieties of life or the complexities of the world hold you back. You are a child of God, an heir to a vast treasury of heavenly wisdom and strength. Hold fast to that, and you can always find the way forward.

“Lord, help me remain faithful to you.”  (Meditation on 2 Timothy 3:10-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that, in Timothy, the author speaks of the persecution of Paul yet he continued to preach the Gospel. By the time of this letter, wicked persons, charlatans and heretics have arisen indicating a later point in time than Paul’s ministry. The Hebrew Testament is cited as Sacred Scripture, at this time, to stay on the right path. The Gospel became sacred scripture in the 2nd Century. The Gospel proclaims Christ is the Messiah, the Son of David. Jesus quotes the Psalms where the Lord speaks to my Lord to the Scribes. Jesus is showing a cleverness that profounds His enemies. Friar Jude comments that saying what others cannot understand showed the cleverness so esteemed in the ancient world.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, invites us to know and honor ourselves and others in all our complexity. “Why, oh why, do we allow temporary costumes, or what Thomas Merton called the “false self,” to pass for the substantial self, the soul, which is always “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)?” Episcopal priest Elizabeth Edman recounts a story of challenging expectations as a child.

I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1962. The world I grew up in was defined by rigid binaries: white/black, capitalist/communist, north/south. Oh yeah, and male/female. That one didn’t work for this tomboy.

When I was five, I had to drag my mother into the boy’s section of the shoe store to look at sneakers. “Mama, c’mere! Let me show you the ones I want!”…

When I presented the shoes to the clerk, he said, “Those are boys’ shoes.”

My mother cut him off: “Yes, size four, please.”

My mother was a singer. Being who she was meant having the courage to witness God’s presence in the sacred music she loved. You could see her put her whole trust in God, entering into this space between heaven and earth where her best voice, her best self, emerged.

Christianity is all about being who you are. That’s what Jesus was trying to tell us: Orient your whole being to the sacred, he insisted. Not because I’m telling you to, not because it’s what Scripture demands; do it because it’s who you are. It’s who God created you to be. God made us to be complex creatures, every one of us, for a reason. So if you want to honor God, here’s the first step: Know who you are. Be who you are. Be the person God created you to be. Amen. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the example of the ministry of Timothy and seek the inspiration to support our fellow Christians in their response in bringing help and hope to our communities.

References

Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12?35 

Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22?41=#48022041 

Meditation on 2 Timothy 3:10-17. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/05/1585603/

Psalms,CHAPTER 119 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?157 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-place-for-god-to-move-in/ 

Schuler, J. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-5-2026 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Christ Is the Son of David. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Timothy, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/3? 

The Word of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, challenge our tendency to disputes that may displace our Love with heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Love in Strength

The Reading from the Second Letter of Timothy defines Timothy’s Conduct including a Warning against Useless Disputes.

* [2:8–13] The section begins with a sloganlike summary of Paul’s gospel about Christ (2 Tm 2:8) and concludes with what may be part of an early Christian hymn (2 Tm 2:11b–12a; most exegetes include the rest of 2 Tm 2:12 and all of 2 Tm 2:13 as part of the quotation). The poetic lines suggest that through baptism Christians die spiritually with Christ and hope to live with him and reign with him forever, but the Christian life includes endurance, witness, and even suffering, as the final judgment will show and as Paul’s own case makes clear; while he is imprisoned for preaching the gospel (2 Tm 2:9), his sufferings are helpful to the elect for obtaining the salvation and glory available in Christ (2 Tm 2:10), who will be true to those who are faithful and will disown those who deny him (2 Tm 2:12–13).

* [2:14–19] For those who dispute about mere words (cf. 2 Tm 2:23–24) and indulge in irreligious talk to the detriment of their listeners (2 Tm 2:16–19), see notes on 1 Tm 1:3–7; 6:20–21. Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tm 2:17), while accepting the Christian’s mystical death and resurrection in Christ through baptism, claimed that baptized Christians are already risen with Christ in this life and thus that there is no future bodily resurrection or eternal glory to come. The first quotation in 2 Tm 2:19 is from Nm 16:5; the other quotation is from some unidentified Jewish or Christian writing. (2 Timothy, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 25 expresses confidence in God who forgives and guides.

* [Psalm 25] A lament. Each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Such acrostic Psalms are often a series of statements only loosely connected. The psalmist mixes ardent pleas (Ps 25:1–2, 16–22) with expressions of confidence in God who forgives and guides. (Psalms, PSALM 25 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark presents an exchange between Jesus and a scribe who is impressed by the way in which Jesus has conducted himself.

* [12:28–34] See note on Mt 22:34–40.(Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [22:34–40] The Marcan parallel (Mk 12:28–34) is an exchange between Jesus and a scribe who is impressed by the way in which Jesus has conducted himself in the previous controversy (Mk 12:28), who compliments him for the answer he gives him (Mk 12:32), and who is said by Jesus to be “not far from the kingdom of God” (Mk 12:34). Matthew has sharpened that scene. The questioner, as the representative of other Pharisees, tests Jesus by his question (Mt 22:34–35), and both his reaction to Jesus’ reply and Jesus’ commendation of him are lacking. (Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jay Carney comments that standing with the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan Woman, and “Good Pharisees” like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, Mark’s Good Scribe undermines this “us and them” dynamic. Jesus calls every person to be his disciple, loving God and neighbor alike. He praises truth and goodness wherever he encounters them, even amidst the opposition.

It bears no repeating that Americans live in an increasingly polarized political climate. I have also seen this dynamic play out in my research in eastern Africa where ethnicity, party, religion, and generation (Gen Z vs. the Gerontocracy) have become major social dividers. One of the great dangers of polarization is the collective stereotyping that accompanies it. We know what these people are like before we even encounter them, and we know they are bad. Rather than a unique subject of inestimable dignity, the individual human person is subsumed beneath a categorization. It is hard to even encounter the person outside their perceived “tribal” loyalties and identities. (Carney, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Love God with one's whole self,” by Gregory of Nyssa, 330-395 AD

"Human life consists in a threefold unity. We are taught similarly by the apostle in what he says to the Ephesians, praying for them that the complete grace of their 'body and soul and spirit' may be preserved at the coming of the Lord. We use the word 'body,' for the nutritive part, the word for the vital, 'soul,' and the word 'spirit' for the intellective dimension. In just this way the Lord instructs the writer of the Gospel that he should set before every commandment that love to God which is exercised with all the heart and soul and mind (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27). This single phrase embraces the human whole: the corporeal heart, the mind as the higher intellectual and mental nature, and the soul as their mediator." (excerpt from ON THE MAKING OF MAN 8.5.10) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 12:28-34  comments that every morning, the first thing that Jews in ancient Israel did was recite the prayer above, a prayer called the Shema. This beautiful prayer proclaims that Israel has only one God, and that he is God over all of creation. He isn’t just one of many “gods” like the idols of neighboring nations; he was and is omnipotent, loving, powerful, and faithful.

Do something different today. Before you leave home, and again as you get ready for bed tonight, pray the Shema. As you recite this prayer, remind yourself that you have only one God. Consider his greatness and the mercy he has shown you, and acknowledge him as Lord. Then, in your own words, tell him that you want to love and serve him with all of your heart and soul, mind and strength. Do it again when you start the day tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Let this consecration develop into a daily habit. Over time, you’ll find yourself more able to love the Lord with everything you are.

“Lord, you alone are my God. I want to love and serve you with everything I am.” (Meditation on Mark 12:28-34, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the reading from 2 Timothy, Paul is portrayed as if in prison to contrast with the Word that cannot be imprisoned. Even in prison, Paul was able to evangelize the Pretorian Guard. The distinction is made between the denial of Jesus and being unfaithful. “We mess up and we sin” but to deny Him is complete rejection. We cannot participate if we deny Him.  Our faith is something to be lived every day even with difficult consequences. The leader’s attempt to embarrass Jesus is an opportunity to present the Great Commandment. Jesus proclaims our command to love God with our heart, soul, mind and strength. “Mind” is not in the Hebrew Great Commandment and Friar Jude comments that “heart” is our intellect, soul is “time of persecution when “our very soul” is threatened", “strength” is our physical possessions and  “mind” probably refers to our “conscience.” Faith is both vertical and horizontal. Jesus declares closeness to the Kingdom of the Scribe who recognizes the proclamation of God's truth.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis who reflects on the liberating impact of receiving unconditional love.

In any relationship, fierce love causes us to cross boundaries and borders to discover one another, to support one another, to heal one another. When we do this, when we go crazy with affection, and offer wild kindness to our neighbor across the street or across the globe, we make a new kind of space between us. We make space for discovery and curiosity, for learning and growing. We make space for sharing stories and being changed by what we share. This is the space of the border, of “mestizaje”, of both/and. It’s the kind of space where we can enhance our knowing with what the other knows; we can develop this kind of knowing, which W. E. B. Du Bois called “double consciousness.” We can learn to see the world not only through our own stories, through our own eyes, but also through the stories and worldview of the so-called other. This is the kind of space that changes us, that grows empathy, this is ubuntu…. We simply must open our eyes, look across the room, the street, the division, the border—and reach out to that neighbor, offering our hand, our compassion, and our heart. (Rohr, 2026)

We contemplate the Love we experience through the Spirit and seek the guidance to be wise in our practice of this love with our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

References

Carney, J. (2026, June 4). Daily Reflection June 4, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-4-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22? 

Meditation on Mark 12:28-34. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/04/1584966/ 

Psalms, PSALM 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/25?4 

Rohr, R. (2026, June 3). Resisting Definition — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/resisting-definition/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Love the Lord with All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Timothy, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 4, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/2?