The Family of Faith

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the understanding of our relationship to Christ as brothers and sisters in faith, hope, and love who continue His Way of relationship with all people.

Family and Faith

The Reading from the Prophet Micah is a prayer that God will care for the people as in ancient days.

* [7:14–17] A prayer that God will care for the people as in ancient days (v. 14) is answered (vv. 15–17) when the Lord promises to do marvelous things. The nations shall be afraid and turn to the Lord.

* [7:18–20] The final lines of the book contain a hymn of praise for the incomparable God, who pardons sin and delights in mercy. Thus the remnant, those left after the exile, is confident in God’s compassion and in the ancient promises sworn to the ancestors. (Micah, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 85 presents a national lament reminding God of past favors and forgiveness.

* [Psalm 85] A national lament reminding God of past favors and forgiveness (Ps 85:2–4) and begging for forgiveness and grace now (Ps 85:5–8). A speaker represents the people who wait humbly with open hearts (Ps 85:9–10): God will be active on their behalf (Ps 85:11–13). The situation suggests the conditions of Judea during the early postexilic period, the fifth century B.C.; the thoughts are similar to those of postexilic prophets (Hg 1:5–11; 2:6–9). (Psalms, PSALM 85 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims The True Family of Jesus.

* [12:46–50] See Mk 3:31–35. Matthew has omitted Mk 3:20–21 which is taken up in Mk 3:31 (see note on Mt 12:22–32), yet the point of the story is the same in both gospels: natural kinship with Jesus counts for nothing; only one who does the will of his heavenly Father belongs to his true family.

* [12:47] This verse is omitted in some important textual witnesses, including Codex Sinaiticus (original reading) and Codex Vaticanus. (Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “My mother through faith,” by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD).

"If someone can become the brother of the Lord by coming to faith, we must ask how one can become also his mother. We must realize that the one who is Christ's brother and sister by believing becomes his mother by preaching. It is as though one brings forth the Lord and infuses him in the hearts of one's listeners. And that person becomes his mother if through one's voice the love of the Lord is generated in the mind of his neighbor. (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 3.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Prophet Micah speaks the Lord as shepherd of Israel with a staff that indicates the original territories will be returned to Israel. Just as the people can see the faithfulness of the promises, God is always faithful. Matthew declares the mother and brothers of Jesus are those who do the will of the Father. We belong as brothers and sisters of Jesus by faith more than blood. Catholics consider the “brothers and sisters” in the Gospel are cousins often as close as siblings in Jesus' time. Orthodox Christians accept they are half brothers and sisters through the remarriage of Joseph. Some Protestant communities hold they are full brothers and sisters. Friar Jude notes that Roman Catholics hold to an ancient tradition of Jesus as the only son of Mary.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 comments that in the centuries after Micah, God did show the people marvelous signs when they cried out to him. But all these signs found their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.

The signs are all around. And like the signs that Micah prayed for, they are all meant to point you to the greatest and most powerful of all signs: the sign of a Savior who gave up his very life to set you free.

God has done wonderful things for us. May we never grow weary of recalling them. And may we never forget his most powerful marvel: the sign of his cross!

“Lord, I am amazed at all that you have done and continue to do in my life!” (Meditation on Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, recounts how he came to know the work of Thomas Merton (1915–1968). Amidst the societal disruptions of the 1960s, it was not enough for him to simply pray. He also devoted himself to action—writing, teaching, and collaborating with others—though he never lost his deep yearning for solitude and contemplation. [1]

The monastic flight from the world [or what Father Richard calls ‘the system’] into the desert is not a mere refusal to know anything about the world, but a total rejection of all standards of judgment which imply attachment to a history of delusion, egoism and sin … a definitive refusal to participate in those activities which have no other fruit than to prolong the reign of untruth, greed, cruelty and arrogance…. 

Therefore it seems to me to be a solemn obligation of conscience at this moment of history to take the positions which are … in vital relation with the obligations I assumed when I took my monastic vows. To have a vow of poverty seems to me illusory if I do not in some way identify myself with the cause of people who are denied their rights and forced, for the most part, to live in abject misery. To have a vow of obedience seems to me to be absurd if it does not imply a deep concern for the most fundamental of all expressions of God’s will: the love of [God’s] truth and of our neighbor. [2]

References:

[1] Adapted from Richard Rohr, The Art of Letting Go: Living the Wisdom of Saint Francis, (Sounds True, 2010).

[2] Adapted from Thomas Merton, Seeds of Destruction (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1980), xiii, xiv–xv, xv–xvi. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to inform our faith and action with the understanding of family as expressed by Jesus to his society and in our mission to act as members of a community that seeks to do the “will of the Father”.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12? 

Meditation on Micah 7:14-15, 18-20. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/21/1627733/ 

Micah, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/7? 

Psalms, PSALM 85 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/85? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Thomas Merton: A Monk in Action. Thomas Merton: A Monk in Action. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/thomas-merton-a-monk-in-action/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Who Are My Brothers and Sisters? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Signs of the Way of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present our desire to understand what signs, if any, guide us to understand what God requires from His people.

Sign of Hope

The Reading from the Prophet Micah identifies three actions that the LORD requires of us.

* [6:1–5] The Lord, through the prophet, initiates a legal case against the people. The initial calls (vv. 1–2) signal the beginning of a trial, and the proclamation that the Lord intends to enter into a legal dispute with Israel. One would expect accusations to follow such an introduction, but instead the Lord speaks in self-defense, reciting mighty acts done in behalf of Israel (vv. 3–5).

* [6:5] The Lord calls for the people to remember the saving events of the past, from the encounters with Balak and Balaam (Nm 22:23) during the wandering in the wilderness to the entrance into the promised land (“from Shittim to Gilgal,” Jos 3–5).

* [6:6–8] These verses continue the previous unit (6:1–5), the dialogue between the Lord and the people in the pattern of a trial. The Lord has initiated proceedings against them, and they ask how to re-establish the broken relationship with God (vv. 6–7), and are given an answer (v. 8). The form of the passage borrows from a priestly liturgical pattern. When worshipers came to the temple, they inquired of the priest concerning the appropriate offering or sacrifice, and the priest answered them (see Ps 15; 24; Is 1:10–17; Am 5:21–24).

* [6:7] The questions reach their climax with the possibility of child sacrifice, a practice known in antiquity (cf. 2 Kgs 16:3; 21:6).

* [6:8] To do justice refers to human behavior in relationship to others. To love goodness refers to the kind of love and concern which is at the heart of the covenant between the Lord and Israel; it is persistently faithful. To walk humbly with your God means to listen carefully to the revealed will of God. (Micah, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 50 proclaims that what God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience.

* [Psalm 50] A covenant lawsuit stating that the sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience (cf. Mi 6:1–8). It begins with a theophany and the summoning of the court (Ps 50:1–6). Then in direct address God explains what is required of the faithful (Ps 50:7–15), rebukes the hypocritical worshiper (Ps 50:16–21), and concludes with a threat and a promise (Ps 50:22–23; cf. Is 1:19–20). (Psalms, PSALM 50 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus responds to the Demand for a Sign from the scribes and Pharisees.

* [12:38–42] This section is mainly from Q (see Lk 11:29–32). Mk 8:11–12, which Matthew has followed in Mt 16:1–4, has a similar demand for a sign. The scribes and Pharisees refuse to accept the exorcisms of Jesus as authentication of his claims and demand a sign that will end all possibility of doubt. Jesus’ response is that no such sign will be given. Because his opponents are evil and see him as an agent of Satan, nothing will convince them.

* [12:38] Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19. In Mt 16:1 the request is for a sign “from heaven” (Mk 8:11). (Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Desiree Nownes observes that we seek signs in our lives to tell us whether we are doing the right thing or whether we should choose one thing over another. We ask for guidance and advice when troubling events occur. The unknown is as exciting as it is scary.

With the state of the world, I admit I am troubled and often ask for guidance in a world that seems to have forgotten that love and truth are not opposites but are in communion with one another. If love is the order from God, why do judgment and hate get a front seat to all the preachers on Sundays? God calls us to love, to forgive, to trust in faith, not by sight but by hope. I am renewed in my faith when I reflect on these teachings and readings from Christ’s path. Listen for God’s voice to speak to you and renew a heart full of caring and forgiveness. I faithfully pray for the hearts of men and women to turn to love and peace. Through these moments of reflection, may we all pray for a more Christ-like way of moving forward together.

Psalm 95 – If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. (Nownes, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The stumbling block of the cross,” from an anonymous early Christian teacher

"What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty. (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today. Micah speaks a plea that God makes in Hebrew or a “RIB” It is usually a law suit, God calls them to be witness to the trial coming but they turned to sin. How can they regain oneness with the Lord ? Micah simply advises three requirements: do right; love goodness; and walk humbly with God. Friar Jude suggests we start with simply “Be a good kind person”. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign as proof of His being the Messiah. Jesus cites the sign of Jonah as His response. Friar Jude offers two interpretations of this sign. The 3 days of Jonah in the belly of the whale are a sign of Jesus' three days in the tomb and the preaching and conversion of Nineveh. Pagans are converting in Matthew’s Gospel, written for a Jewish audience. This suggests the pagans are more ready to receive Christ than the Jews? Friar Jude notes that the pagan Queen of the South was seeking greater wisdom than the wisdom of Solomon. Everything that was said in the Hebrew Testament was referring to Jesus as Wisdom Incarnate.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 comments that from the beginning, God knew every situation we would face. He knew what our family would be like. He knew the struggles we would encounter growing up. Nothing in our life comes as a shock to him. No matter what our situation may be, his overflowing grace is always available to us.

So remember that no matter how complex the world becomes, God’s promises remain as simple as the day you were born. He has called you by name, and everything you need is found in him. Nothing brings him more joy than when you turn to him for guidance in every situation. He wants to walk with you every step. All he asks is that you walk humbly with him!

“Holy Spirit, teach me how to walk humbly with my Father.” (Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, shares his deep respect and admiration for the Missionaries of Charity, the community of sisters founded by Mother Teresa (1910–1987) in Calcutta, India. He spent three days immersed in the life, spirit, and ministries of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity community at the motherhouse in Calcutta—a year after her death.

Through that experience, I finally met a “conservative” yet fully contemporary form of religious life that I could trust. The sisters were not rigid; rather, they were simply devoted women. They did not need security, answers, and order, as we see in most traditionalist movements in the West. In fact, they were willing to live without security, with very few answers to their questions of mind and heart, and amid almost total disorder. All in union—hour by hour—with God. They lived that amazing and rare combination of utter groundedness and constant risk-taking that always characterizes the true gospel.

The sisters don’t waste time fixing, controlling, or even needing to understand what is wrong with other people. Instead, they put all of their time and energy into letting God change them. From that transformed place, they serve and carry the pain of the world, which they are convinced is the pain of God. This is the synthesis on a communal level that I am always seeking. I have encountered it in many individuals, but hardly ever in public and social form. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the signs on our journey that point to the action that God offers to us to increase our Wisdom of the Divine Path to live our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader. 

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12? 

Meditation on Micah 6:1-4, 6-8. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/20/1626981/ 

Micah, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/6? 

Nownes, D. (2026, July 20). Daily Reflection July 20, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-20-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 50 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Saint Teresa of Calcutta: A Mother to Many. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/saint-teresa-of-calcutta-a-mother-to-many/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). An Adulterous Generation Seeks for a Sign. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 20, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Grow with the Seed of Faith

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to sow the seeds of love and seek the generosity and patience needed for growth from our sowing.

Seeds and Separation of Weeds

The Reading from the Book of Wisdom offers a warning about defying God.

* [12:17] The brunt of divine anger and justice is borne by those who know God but defy divine authority and might. Cf. 1:2; 15:2, but also 12:27; 18:13. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 86 is an individual lament of the psalmist.

* [Psalm 86] An individual lament. The psalmist, “poor and oppressed” (Ps 86:1), “devoted” (Ps 86:2), “your servant” (Ps 86:2, 4, 16), “rescued…from the depths of Sheol” (Ps 86:13), attacked by the ruthless (Ps 86:14), desires only God’s protection (Ps 86:1–7, 11–17). (Psalms, PSALM 86 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans proclaims that after patient endurance in steadfast expectation, the full harvest of the Spirit’s presence will be realized.

* [8:18–27] The glory that believers are destined to share with Christ far exceeds the sufferings of the present life. Paul considers the destiny of the created world to be linked with the future that belongs to the believers. As it shares in the penalty of corruption brought about by sin, so also will it share in the benefits of redemption and future glory that comprise the ultimate liberation of God’s people (Rom 8:19–22). After patient endurance in steadfast expectation, the full harvest of the Spirit’s presence will be realized. On earth believers enjoy the firstfruits, i.e., the Spirit, as a guarantee of the total liberation of their bodies from the influence of the rebellious old self (Rom 8:23). (Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches using Parables of the Weeds Among the Wheat, the Mustard Seed, the Yeast and explains the Parables..

* [13:24–30] This parable is peculiar to Matthew. The comparison in Mt 13:24 does not mean that the kingdom of heaven may be likened simply to the person in question but to the situation narrated in the whole story. The refusal of the householder to allow his slaves to separate the wheat from the weeds while they are still growing is a warning to the disciples not to attempt to anticipate the final judgment of God by a definitive exclusion of sinners from the kingdom. In its present stage it is composed of the good and the bad. The judgment of God alone will eliminate the sinful. Until then there must be patience and the preaching of repentance.

* [13:25] Weeds: darnel, a poisonous weed that in its first stage of growth resembles wheat.

* [13:30] Harvest: a common biblical metaphor for the time of God’s judgment; cf. Jer 51:33; Jl 4:13; Hos 6:11.

* [13:31–33] See Mk 4:30–32; Lk 13:18–21. The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast illustrate the same point: the amazing contrast between the small beginnings of the kingdom and its marvelous expansion.

* [13:32] See Dn 4:7–9, 17–19 where the birds nesting in the tree represent the people of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. See also Ez 17:23; 31:6.

* [13:33] Except in this Q parable and in Mt 16:12, yeast (or “leaven”) is, in New Testament usage, a symbol of corruption (see Mt 16:6, 11–12; Mk 8:15; Lk 12:1; 1 Cor 5:6–8; Gal 5:9). Three measures: an enormous amount, enough to feed a hundred people. The exaggeration of this element of the parable points to the greatness of the kingdom’s effect.

* [13:34] Only in parables: see Mt 13:10–15.

* [13:35] The prophet: some textual witnesses read “Isaiah the prophet.” The quotation is actually from Ps 78:2; the first line corresponds to the LXX text of the psalm. The psalm’s title ascribes it to Asaph, the founder of one of the guilds of temple musicians. He is called “the prophet” (NAB “the seer”) in 2 Chr 29:30, but it is doubtful that Matthew averted to that; for him, any Old Testament text that could be seen as fulfilled in Jesus was prophetic.

* [13:36] Dismissing the crowds: the return of Jesus to the house marks a break with the crowds, who represent unbelieving Israel. From now on his attention is directed more and more to his disciples and to their instruction. The rest of the discourse is addressed to them alone.

* [13:37–43] In the explanation of the parable of the weeds emphasis lies on the fearful end of the wicked, whereas the parable itself concentrates on patience with them until judgment time.

* [13:38] The field is the world: this presupposes the resurrection of Jesus and the granting to him of “all power in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18).

* [13:39] The end of the age: this phrase is found only in Matthew (13:40, 49; 24:3; 28:20).

* [13:41] His kingdom: the kingdom of the Son of Man is distinguished from that of the Father (Mt 13:43); see 1 Cor 15:24–25. The church is the place where Jesus’ kingdom is manifested, but his royal authority embraces the entire world; see note on Mt 13:38.

* [13:43] See Dn 12:3. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

*

Rev. Kent Beausoleil, SJ, comments that in the end then, we find our hope through Jesus to be strong in love, for the spirit indeed does come in aid of our weakness.  In every human being, every human being, there is a soul that is longing and groaning for the truth. Let the Spirit come.

We all long for what is right and good. We all know this feeling. Let the Spirit come.  We can bury it. We can hide it. We can medicate it. We can do all kinds of things to push it away. Let the Spirit come.  

 

For there is an unrest or uneasiness with things that are not the way they are supposed to be. Let the Spirit come.  So, this day and always may we continue to find hope in a God who encourages us with the powerful truth that God’s love for us, all of us, will never die.  As God is merciful, we are called to be merciful, to judge not, to let the kingdom come, and wherever and whenever we are weak in love, weak in loving ourselves or others, we have a holy spirit that will come.  Let the spirit come then.  Let it come.  Let it come!  LET IT COME! (Beausoleil, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Faith as a grain of mustard,” by Jerome (347-420 AD).

"The man who sows in his field is interpreted by many as the Savior. He sows in the souls of believers. By others he is interpreted as one who sows in his field - that is to say, in himself and in his heart. Who is it that sows if not our mind and heart? They take up the grain of preaching and nurture the plant with the moisture of faith, making it sprout and shoot up in the field of the heart. The preaching of faith in the gospel appears to be least among all tasks. Indeed, anyone who preaches the God-man of truth, Christ who died, and the stumbling block of the cross may not think immediately of mere faith as the primary doctrine. Put this particular doctrine side by side with the teachings of the philosophers, their books, their splendid eloquence and fine discourses, and you will see just how small it is compared with the other seeds of the gospel plant. When those teachings grow, they have nothing to show that is pungent or vigorous or vital. Everything turns out weak and withering in a plant and in herbs that quickly dry up and fall to the ground. But when this tiny gospel teaching that seemed insignificant at the beginning has been planted either in the soul of the believer or throughout the world, it does not turn out to be just a plant. It grows into a tree, so that the birds of the air, which we interpret as the souls of believers or deeds dedicated to the service of God, come and dwell on its branches." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 2.13.31)

[Jerome (347-420 AD) was an early church Bible scholar who translated the entire Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek texts into the common language of his day (Latin)]. (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Book of Wisdom speaks about the might of God .Yet God enlivens justice with mercy. Mercy is not weakness. and not a weak virtue. We are to exercise mercy when people are not worthy of it. Spirit, the love between the Father and the Son, teaches us how to pray as relational prayers to build true love. The Spirit reveals how to pray and what to pray for. The Gospel of Matthew presents parables dealing with the Kingdom of Heaven. It is likely the final editor of Matthew was a Pharisee and uses the Kingdom of Heaven. instead of the Kingdom of God. The farmer has his field filled with weeds from the enemy. Jesus teaches to wait until the harvest so evil people are given time to have the opportunity to convert .The will be a reckoning, in Matthew’s Gospel. The mustard seed is very small but grows to fill the garden. Friar Jude suggests that by smiling and forgoing criticism of someone it may be like the butterfly effect and change the course of the world over time. He also notes that considering mustard is a very invasive plant in the garden this may be a not so subtle message, like yeast in dough. Do small things and change the entire world.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 13:24-43 comments that God’s work may have such tiny, unimpressive beginnings and grow so slowly that we barely notice it. This tends to be true in our spiritual lives, too. That kind of growth is often hidden, like the yeast that the woman put into “three measures” of flour (Matthew 13:33). We may not see dramatic signs of Christian maturity in ourselves or our loved ones right away. On the contrary, it can be easy to spot the “weeds” in our lives and our world that seem to take root and grow so quickly. And that can be discouraging!

That’s why Jesus encourages us to remember the mustard seed. He wants us to trust in the goodness of the seed of faith he has placed within us and in his Church. He wants us to keep looking for the green shoots of his kingdom. And he wants us to keep asking for the grace to nurture their growth in ourselves and the people around us.

So don’t worry! God’s work often starts off small and slow. He is faithful, and his seed will bear fruit!

“Lord Jesus, thank you that your grace is always at work. Help me to see it.” (Meditation on Matthew 13:24-43, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, explains why both action and contemplation are part of a fully articulated life of faith. The most important word in our Center’s name is not Action, nor is it Contemplation; it’s the word and. We need both compassionate action and contemplative practice for the spiritual journey. Without action, our spirituality becomes lifeless and bears no authentic fruit. Without contemplation, all our doing comes from ego, even if it looks selfless, and it can cause more harm than good.

The contemplative, nondual mind is not saying, “Everything is beautiful,” even when it’s not. However, we may come to “Everything is still beautiful” by contemplatively facing the conflict between how reality is and how we wish it could be. We must face dualistic problems, name good and evil, and differentiate between right and wrong. We can’t be naive about evil, but if we stay focused on this duality, we’ll become unlovable, judgmental, dismissive people. I’ve witnessed this pattern in myself. We must eventually find a bigger field, a wider frame, which is nondual thinking.  

Beginning with necessary, dualistic action and moving toward contemplation seems to be the more common—and for some, perhaps the more trustworthy—path these days. We see this pattern in Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Jr., Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, and many others. Such people enter into the pain of society and have to go to God to find rest for their soul, because their souls are so torn by the broken, split nature of almost everything, including themselves. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit as we act in our environment among weeds with our seeds of faith, hope and charity and the humility and patience of Jesus to contemplate our actions with intent to be more like Christ in our mission.

References

Beausoleil, K. (2026, July 19). Daily Reflection July 19, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-19-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?24 

Meditation on Matthew 13:24-43. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/19/1626334/ 

Psalms, PSALM 86 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/86?5 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/action-and-contemplation/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8?26 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Righteous Will Shine like the Sun in the Kingdom of Their Father. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Wisdom, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/12?