Seeing Full Life in Service

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today contrasts the folly of our pursuit of power that may lead to corruption with our call to service which brings fullness of life.

Opportunities to Serve

The Reading from the Second Book of Kings presents the Death of Athaliah.

* [11:2] According to 2 Chr 22:11, Jehosheba was the wife of Jehoiada, the high priest. If this is historical, it would explain her access to the Temple’s residential precincts.

* [11:4] Carians: foreign mercenaries serving as the royal bodyguard. Compare “Cherethites and Pelethites” in 1 Kgs 1:38.

* [11:12] Testimony: that is, the two tablets of the law preserved in the ark in the Temple. Presumably they were placed upon the king during his installation ceremony as a reminder of the law he was to uphold.

* [11:14] By the column: the king’s special place in the Temple court; cf. 23:3; 2 Chr 23:13. People of the land: in this period, the phrase referred to the important citizenry, whose influence sometimes extended to the selection of royal successors (cf. 2 Kgs 11:14–20; 15:5; 16:15; 21:24; 23:6, 30–35; 24:14; 25:3, 19). In postexilic times, by contrast, the phrase was used of the poor.

* [11:17] There are two covenants. One is between the Lord as one party and the people, headed by the king, as the other. The second covenant, between king and people, is comparable to that made between David and the elders of Israel at Hebron (2 Sm 5:3). (2 Kings, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 132 is a song for a liturgical ceremony in procession to the Temple.

* [Psalm 132] A song for a liturgical ceremony in which the ark, the throne of Israel’s God, was carried in procession to the Temple. The singer asks that David’s care for the proper housing of the ark be regarded with favor (Ps 132:1–5), and tells how it was brought to Jerusalem (Ps 132:6–10). There follows God’s promise of favor to the Davidic dynasty (Ps 132:11–12) and to Zion (Ps 132:13–17). The transfer of the ark to the tent in Jerusalem is described in 2 Sm 6. (Psalms, CHAPTER 132 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew exhorts us to seek Treasure in Heaven and presents The Light of the Body.*

* [6:19–34] The remaining material of this chapter is taken almost entirely from Q. It deals principally with worldly possessions, and the controlling thought is summed up in Mt 6:24: the disciple can serve only one master and must choose between God and wealth (mammon). See further the note on Lk 16:9.

* [6:22–23] In this context the parable probably points to the need for the disciple to be enlightened by Jesus’ teaching on the transitory nature of earthly riches. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer comments that some biblical scholars have focused on what it meant to have “good eye” and in ancient Hebrew, that meant the person was generous with others. When paired with Jesus’ message about storing our treasures on earth vs. in heaven, this interpretation has validity.

But if we are to dig deeper, what we gaze on, and how we respond to what we are seeing, might be what Jesus wants us to focus on. Through what lens do we see the world? Some see the downtrodden and think, Why don’t they get a job? Others see the same person and ask, What can I do to help alleviate their suffering? The same image, but a completely different response. From spiritual blindness to love and compassion.

Unfortunately, our world is still filled with much darkness, and it is all too easy to let it inundate our thoughts and skew our view of humanity and of God’s wonderful world. We need to keep in mind the cumulative effect of seeing with a “bad eye,” for over time, it can diminish our ability to focus on what God has called us to do. Seeing with a bad eye can negatively impact how we interact with our neighbors and how we serve God. It can diminish the values God wants us to radiate like a bright light for others to see and follow. 

So, during our Daily Examen, let’s pray that our eyes can be Windows to the Soul, Watchful Guardians, and Mirrors of Reflection that clearly see the opportunities God presents to us each day, to love and serve and make our world one filled with light. (Scholer, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Seeking the right intention,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

"We know that all our works are pure and pleasing in the sight of God if they are performed with a single heart. This means that they are performed out of charity and with an intention that is fixed on heaven. For 'love is the fulfillment of the law'(Romans 13:10). Therefore in this passage we ought to understand the eye as the intention with which we perform all our actions. If this intention is pure and upright and directing its gaze where it ought to be directed, then unfailingly all our works are good works, because they are performed in accordance with that intention. And by the expression 'whole body,' Christ designated all those works that he reproves and that he commands us to put to death. For the apostle also designates certain works as our 'members.' 'Therefore,' Paul writes, 'mortify your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness' (Colossians 3:5), and all other such things." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.13.45) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23 comments that Jesus has prepared a place for us in the beautiful new Jerusalem, where there is no darkness, sickness, or pain. He will reign there as Lord, and we will see him face-to-face! What a day of rejoicing that will be! The second aspect of heavenly treasure is what we can experience here and now.

For those who follow Christ, life on earth is filled with glimpses of heaven. Freedom from guilt. Power over persistent sin. A dynamic, personal relationship with the Creator of the universe. Clarity and purpose for living. Deep friendships with brothers and sisters in the Lord. Conviction of the truth and clarity about right and wrong. The ability to forgive. Strength in weakness. Peace in times of trial. Joy in the knowledge of salvation. Hope for the future. Divine wisdom for everyday situations. Healing and miracles. When you stop to think about it, no luxury car or mansion can possibly compare!

“Jesus, thank you for filling me with the good gifts of your kingdom!” (Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in 2 Kings involves a palace coup. Athaliah desires to reign alone but the hidden heir is proclaimed as king and the pagan things are done away with but the victory does not last. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents two wisdom sayings that exhort us not to have many material things but to have a goal but to serve and view reality with light. Friar Jude advises us to look for the good and we will be able to see it and the Kingdom already dawning, even in the midst of all the chaos.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces turns to the apostle Paul’s advice to the first churches to envision church renewal today. Most people today, in fact, understand church to mean a building, rather than “where two or three gather in my name,” where the Divine Presence is promised just as certainly as it is promised in the bread, in the Bible, in the Sacraments, or in any anointed leadership: “There I am in your midst” (Matthew 18:20).

While Christian churches today do much good, they are still largely aligned, especially in the West, with cultural and political power. To recover the early church’s emphasis on faith as a loving and communal way of life, we clearly need to support good and compassionate pastoral and healing practices. We must begin to validate Paul’s original teaching on “many gifts and many ministries” (1 Corinthians 12:4–11) that together “make a unity in the work of service” (Ephesians 4:12–13). We need Christian people who are trained in, validated for, and encouraged to make home and hospital visits; do hospice work and jail ministry; support immigrants and refugees; help with soup kitchens; counsel couples before, during, and after marriage; teach classes in parenting; offer ministries of emotional, sexual, and relational healing; help with financial counseling; build low-cost housing; take care of the elderly; run thrift centers—all of which put Christian people in immediate touch with other people. Remember, healing was most of the work Jesus appeared to do. It is almost too obvious. Either we see Christ in everyone, or we hardly see Christ in anyone. Either we are Christ to everyone, or we cannot be Christ to anyone.

My vision of any future church needs to be much flatter and much more inclusive. It is much less “churchy,” surely less patriarchal, and more concerned with fulfilling its mission statement than with endlessly reciting its heavenly vision and philosophy statement—the Nicene Creed—every Sunday. Simply put, any notion of a future church must be a fully practical church that is concerned about getting the job of love done—and done better and better. Centuries of emphasis on art and architecture, songs, liturgy, and prescribed roles have their place, but their overemphasis has made us a very top-heavy, decorative church that is largely, and constantly, concerned with its own in-house salvation. (Rohr, n.d.)

We trust in the Spirit to guide our path through the chaos of the world as we serve our community with the “good eye” that sees the needs and responds with love and compassion.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6? 

Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/18/1594230/ 

Psalms, CHAPTER 132 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/132?11 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Re-Enlivening Ministries. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/re-enlivening-ministries/ 

Scholer, S. (2026, June 18). Daily Reflection June 19, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-19-2026  

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lay up Treasure in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/11?1 

Abba Assistance

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the power of prayer to inspire our work towards the goal of living daily in the “Kingdom of God”.

Hallowed Help

The Reading from the Book of Sirach identifies the “hero” Elisha who continued Elijah’s work.

* [48:11] Verse 11b is not extant in the Hebrew; it is represented in the Greek tradition by “for we too shall certainly live.” But this can hardly be the original reading.

* [48:12–16] Elisha continued Elijah’s work (vv. 12–14), but the obstinacy of the people eventually brought on the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and the dispersion of its subjects. Judah, however, survived under the rule of Davidic kings, both good and bad (vv. 15–16).

* [48:13] The reference in v. 13b seems to be to 2 Kgs 13:21 where it is related that a dead man, thrown into Elisha’s grave, came back to life. (Sirach, CHAPTER 48 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 97 presents God appearing in a storm.

* [Psalm 97] The hymn begins with God appearing in a storm, a traditional picture of some ancient Near Eastern gods (Ps 97:1–6); cf. Ps 18:8–16; Mi 1:3–4; Heb 3:3–15. Israel rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers and their gods (Ps 97:7–9) and the rewarding of the faithful righteous (Ps 97:10–12). (Psalms, CHAPTER 97 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents The Lord’s Prayer.

* [6:9–13] Matthew’s form of the “Our Father” follows the liturgical tradition of his church. Luke’s less developed form also represents the liturgical tradition known to him, but it is probably closer than Matthew’s to the original words of Jesus.

* [6:9] Our Father in heaven: this invocation is found in many rabbinic prayers of the post-New Testament period. Hallowed be your name: though the “hallowing” of the divine name could be understood as reverence done to God by human praise and by obedience to his will, this is more probably a petition that God hallow his own name, i.e., that he manifest his glory by an act of power (cf. Ez 36:23), in this case, by the establishment of his kingdom in its fullness.

* [6:10] Your kingdom come: this petition sets the tone of the prayer, and inclines the balance toward divine rather than human action in the petitions that immediately precede and follow it. Your will be done, on earth as in heaven: a petition that the divine purpose to establish the kingdom, a purpose present now in heaven, be executed on earth.

* [6:11] Give us today our daily bread: the rare Greek word epiousios, here daily, occurs in the New Testament only here and in Lk 11:3. A single occurrence of the word outside of these texts and of literature dependent on them has been claimed, but the claim is highly doubtful. The word may mean daily or “future” (other meanings have also been proposed). The latter would conform better to the eschatological tone of the whole prayer. So understood, the petition would be for a speedy coming of the kingdom (today), which is often portrayed in both the Old Testament and the New under the image of a feast (Is 25:6; Mt 8:11; 22:1–10; Lk 13:29; 14:15–24).

* [6:12] Forgive us our debts: the word debts is used metaphorically of sins, “debts” owed to God (see Lk 11:4). The request is probably for forgiveness at the final judgment.

* [6:13] Jewish apocalyptic writings speak of a period of severe trial before the end of the age, sometimes called the “messianic woes.” This petition asks that the disciples be spared that final test. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Angela Maynard comments that Jesus reminds us that God knows our needs. Prayer should come from the heart. It should reflect a genuine relationship with God.

 

As I reflect on today’s gospel, I think about how I learned to pray.  I was blessed with wonderful, faith-filled parents.  From the time I was very little, I recall seeing my parents kneeling at their bedside saying morning prayers.  As they tucked me and my siblings in bed each night, they prayed with us… a very simple, “ Jesus bless…”  followed by a litany of family, friends, and occasionally a pet.  I carried on the same tradition with my children.  After having a week with our Grandson, I prayed the same way with him. He is 17 months old, so I listed the litany of those to pray for. I look forward to hearing who he wants to pray for as he learns to talk.

 

One’s faith life can be personal and I believe making it more complicated than it needs to be is a barrier encountered by far too many people who truly try to improve their faith practices or prayer life.  

 

Today’s gospel reminds us how simple prayer can be.  It also reminds us of the importance of a relationship with God and finally, the great value of forgiveness.

 

Consider praying as Jesus instructed and as St. Thérèse describes.

 

“I pray like little children who do not know how to read. I say very simply to God what I wish to say, without composing beautiful sentences and He always understands me.”           

St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Maynard, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Blessed are they who recognize their Father!” by Tertullian, 160-225 A.D.

"Our Lord so frequently spoke to us of God as Father. He even taught us to call none on earth father, but only the one we have in heaven (Matthew 23:9). Therefore, when we pray to the Father, we are following this command. Blessed are they who recognize their Father! Remember the reproach made against Israel, when the Spirit calls heaven and earth to witness, saying, 'I have begotten sons and they have not known me' (Isaiah 1:2). In addressing him as Father we are also naming him God, so as to combine in a single term both filial love and power. Addressing the Father, the Son is also being addressed, for Christ said, 'I and the Father are one.' Nor is Mother Church passed over without mention, for the mother is recognized in the Son and the Father, as it is within the church that we learn the meaning of the terms Father and Son." (excerpt from ON PRAYER 2.2-6) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:7-15 comments that we know God as the all-powerful, omnipresent, and eternal Lord of the universe. And he certainly is. However, he is also our Father. Sometimes we can forget that he longs for us to know him also as a Father who loves us, as a Father who wants a personal relationship with us. He knows what we need, and he wants to give us what is best for us. He wants us to sit next to him and tell him everything about what makes us happy or sad, what we think we need, or whatever worries us. And he promises to listen to us as we do.

Above all, God wants us to love him. And one way to do that is through prayer. When we pray with the words Jesus taught us in today’s Gospel, we are praising our heavenly Father, accepting his will in our lives, trusting him for what we need, and asking for his mercy and protection. In other words, we are telling him all the ways we love him and are giving our hearts to him.

So today, come to your Father and love him. And let him love you!

“Jesus, help me to love your Father and to trust in him as my Father.” (Meditation on Matthew 6:7-15, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Sirach gives a summation of what Elijah did to further the goal of asserting the wisdom of Israel is as good as the wisdom of the Greeks. The heroes of Israel include Elijah, whose works are recounted, and Elisha who receives a double dose of Elijah’s spirit. In the Gospel of Matthew, we have heard about the importance of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents the fully developed prayer and the account in Luke is a series of petitions, likely closer to Jesus' words. Friar Jude presents some aspects of the Lord’s Prayer noting God is identified, perhaps controversially, as Father. God is “Hallowed” in words of praise where we get nothing out of it. “Thy kingdom thy will be done” We petition God to give sustenance and forgive trespasses and declare that we are willing to forgive others, to open our hearts. “Lead us not into temptation” in Luke is expressed as delivering us from the trial. We need God’s help to lead us through temptation.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Brian McLaren who asks in The Great Spiritual Migration what kind of spiritual movement could challenge willing sectors of Christian faith to migrate from their systems of belief to a shared way of life centered on love? Jesus framed his message through a powerful central image (kingdom of God), a unique art form (parables), and through powerful slogans (“Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand,”… “Love your enemies,” “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me,” for example). He developed a protest and messaging strategy that included public teach-ins (the Sermon on the Mount), demonstrations (healings, exorcisms, feeding of the five thousand), guerrilla theater (his triumphal entry into Jerusalem), and advanced action-reflection leadership training (deployments and retreats with disciples).

I could see these same dynamics at work in Paul and his colleagues around the Mediterranean, as the “kingdom of God” movement expanded to the far corners of the earth. And I could see similar patterns reemerging throughout Christian history—in the desert fathers and mothers, in Saint Patrick and the Celts, in Saint Francis and Saint Clare, in the Wesleys and the early Pentecostals, in Dr. King and Desmond Tutu, in Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero. Since its earliest and most dynamic centuries, Christianity has been most vital when it has been energized by movements of self-organizing—or perhaps we should say “Spirit-organizing”—cells. These cells have taken root and grown like seeds in communities and institutions. There they have grown, multiplied, and borne fruit—fruit in just and vibrant institutions, fruit in thriving, peaceful, joyful communities. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Spirit to guide our migration in growing close to Christ as we live out the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?7 

Maynard, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-18-2026 

Meditation on Matthew 6:7-15. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/18/1594230/ 

Psalms, CHAPTER 97 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/97?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Movement that Continues. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-movement-that-continues/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Your Heavenly Father Knows What You Need. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Sirach, CHAPTER 48 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/sirach/48?1 

A Mantle for Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine the practices in our journey that deepen our commitment to be agents of Jesus’ Love.

Food and Full Life

In the Reading from the Second Book of Kings, Elisha Succeeds Elijah.

* [2:9] Double portion of your spirit: as the firstborn son inherited a double portion of his father’s property (Dt 21:17), so Elisha asks to inherit from Elijah his spirit of prophecy in the degree befitting his principal disciple. In Nm 11:17–25, God bestows some of the spirit of Moses on others.

* [2:12] My father: a religious title accorded prophetic leaders; cf. 6:21; 8:9; and 13:14, where King Joash of Israel reacts to Elisha’s own impending death with the same words Elisha uses here.

* [2:14] The LORD, the God of Elijah—where is he now?: the words in Hebrew have an incantatory quality, as if Elisha is invoking both the divine name and the name of his departed master in an attempt to duplicate Elijah’s miracle. (2 Kings, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 31 presents an anticipatory thanksgiving.

* [Psalm 31] A lament (Ps 31:2–19) with a strong emphasis on trust (Ps 31:4, 6, 15–16), ending with an anticipatory thanksgiving (Ps 31:20–24). As is usual in laments, the affliction is couched in general terms. The psalmist feels overwhelmed by evil people but trusts in the “God of truth” (Ps 31:6). (Psalms, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus Teaching About Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.

* [6:1–18] The sermon continues with a warning against doing good in order to be seen and gives three examples, almsgiving (Mt 6:2–4), prayer (Mt 6:5–15), and fasting (Mt 6:16–18). In each, the conduct of the hypocrites (Mt 6:2) is contrasted with that demanded of the disciples. The sayings about reward found here and elsewhere (Mt 5:12, 46; 10:41–42) show that this is a genuine element of Christian moral exhortation. Possibly to underline the difference between the Christian idea of reward and that of the hypocrites, the evangelist uses two different Greek verbs to express the rewarding of the disciples and that of the hypocrites; in the latter case it is the verb apechō, a commercial term for giving a receipt for what has been paid in full (Mt 6:2, 5, 16).

* [6:2] The hypocrites: the scribes and Pharisees, see Mt 23:13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29. The designation reflects an attitude resulting not only from the controversies at the time of Jesus’ ministry but from the opposition between Pharisaic Judaism and the church of Matthew. They have received their reward: they desire praise and have received what they were looking for.

* [6:16] The only fast prescribed in the Mosaic law was that of the Day of Atonement (Lv 16:31), but the practice of regular fasting was common in later Judaism; cf. Didache 9:1. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Greg Dyche thinks the main question is who are you asking to look, people or God?  Elisha is not a hypocrite. He’s not saying “look, look”. 

 

Jesus is instructing me about intent, “Take care not to perform … in order that people may see” me. I find it difficult to help and ignore the feeling of “look, look”. I used to avoid serving to avoid the temptation.  I have come to believe my own weakness is not a good enough reason to stay out of the game, to not help. I trust I am a work in progress. 

 

In closing, I’d like to invite you to look into the names of Elijah and Elisha, and how they tell a story of what is happening in the New Testament. Elijah translates as “God is Yahweh.” And Elisha roughly translates as “God is Salvation.” By Elisha asking for a double portion, it’s saying Salvation is the firstborn of Yahweh. (Dyche, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Pray with the angels,” by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"When you pray, it is as if you were entering into a palace - not a palace on earth, but far more awesome, a palace in heaven. When you enter there, you do so with complete attentiveness and fitting respect. For in the houses of kings all turmoil is set aside, and silence reigns. Yet here you are being joined by choirs of angels. You are in communion with archangels and singing with the seraphim, who sing with great awe their spiritual hymns and sacred songs to God, the Lord of all. So when you are praying, mingle with these voices, patterning yourself according to their mystical order. It is not to human beings that you are praying but to God, who is present everywhere, who hears even before you speak and who knows already the secrets of the heart. If you pray to this One, you shall receive a great reward. 'For your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.' He did not merely say he would give it to you but reward you, as if he himself had made a pledge to you and so honored you with a great honor. Because God himself is hidden, your prayer should be hidden." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 19.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 comments that we know that fasting is good for us. It helps cleanse our mind of selfish thoughts, and it teaches us the virtue of self-denial. It’s also obvious that almsgiving is good for the poor and the hungry. But those are all “practical” rewards. There are even deeper rewards that God gives us when we practice them.

There’s nothing wrong with seeking the rewards that come from a life of holiness. After all, these rewards reach far more deeply into our hearts and are far more valuable than the rewards that come from selfish acts. In fact, they give us the greatest reward of all: they make us more like Jesus. Who wouldn’t want that?

“Father, I am so grateful that you see and reward me, even in my private acts of love and generosity!” (Meditation on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading from 2 Kings presents the story of Elijah taken up into heaven and how Elisha succeeds him. The guild prophets are told to stay but Elisha joins Elijah. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah’s gifts. He receives his request and can return by crossing the Jordan using Elijah’s mantle. The understanding at this time was that Heaven was not a place for people. The idea of heaven was very unusual. Three figures, Moses, Elijah and Enock who walked with God, are attributed to have had unusual deaths. Apocalyptic books are attributed to these figures who have special knowledge of heaven. The passage from the Gospel of Matthew is part of Jesus' Sermon On the Mount and it is in the context of the question of the Jewish people about how to be forgiven when the Temple is destroyed. Jesus' answer directs us to almsgiving, fasting and prayer. We are instructed to do it with the Spirit and hide it even from ourselves. Friar Jude reminds us to seek a turning of our hearts rather than a showing of pride. We seek poverty of spirit as opposed to arrogance and self righteousness.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Church historian Diana Butler Bass who recounts how some early Christians lived their faith in the way of Jesus. Throughout the first five centuries people understood Christianity primarily as a way of life in the present, not as a doctrinal system, esoteric belief, or promise of eternal salvation. By followers enacting Jesus’s teachings, Christianity changed and improved the lives of its adherents and served as a practical spiritual pathway. This way—and earliest Christians were called “the People of the Way”—bettered existence for countless ancient believers.

Yet love is what Jesus preached—and what he embodied. In the early church, devout Christians tried to embody God’s love and to experience God in such a way that love reshaped their lives. “Love for God is ecstatic, making us go out from ourselves,” wrote Dionysios the Areopagite around 500; “it does not allow the lover to belong anymore to himself [or herself], but he [or she] belongs only to the Beloved.” Not all Christians achieved this; they too struggled with loving God. But Romans frequently criticized the Christian emphasis on love as somehow a little deluded and perhaps prurient, suggesting that followers of the Jesus Way made it known that theirs was a path of love. Early Christians insisted that love—not rationality or politics or even virtue—was the primary bond between God and human beings. Love was God’s symphony, the perfect beauty that human beings experienced through practices of faith—by imitating Christ and following his way. (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to remind us that “they will know we are Christians by our love” that is energized by our almsgiving, fasting, and prayer.

References

Dyche, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-17-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6? 

Meditation on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/17/1593648/ 

Psalms, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/31?20 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Christianity: A Love Song. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/christianity-a-love-song/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). When You Pray, Fast, and Give Alms. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/2?1