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? 

Tempted by Trivial Treatment

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to live in the tension between our need to define according to our reference points and the invitation to new life through new understanding of our situation.

Taking Time for Life

The Reading from the Second Letter of Timothy presents Thanksgiving for The Gifts Timothy Has Received.

* [1:1–2] For the formula of address and greeting, see note on Rom 1:1–7.

* [1:1] The promise of life in Christ Jesus: that God grants through union with Christ in faith and love; cf. Col 3:4; 1 Tm 4:8.

* [1:3] As my ancestors did: this emphasizes the continuity of Judaism and Christianity; for a similar view, see Rom 9:3–5; Phil 3:4–6.

* [1:6] The gift of God: the grace resulting from the conferral of an ecclesiastical office. The imposition of my hands: see note on 1 Tm 4:14.

* [1:8] Do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord: i.e., of preaching and suffering for the sake of the gospel.

* [1:9–10] Redemption from sin and the call to holiness of life are not won by personal deeds but are freely and graciously bestowed according to God’s eternal plan; cf. Eph 1:4.

* [1:11] Teacher: the overwhelming majority of manuscripts and Fathers read “teacher of the nations,” undoubtedly a harmonization with 1 Tm 2:7.

* [1:12] He is able to guard…until that day: the intervening words can also be translated “what I have entrusted to him” (i.e., the fruit of his ministry) as well as “what has been entrusted to me” (i.e., the faith). The same difficult term occurs in 2 Tm 1:14, where it is modified by the adjective “rich” and used without a possessive. (2 Timothy, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 123 proclaims exemplary confidence in God.

* [Psalm 123] A lament that begins as a prayer of an individual (Ps 123:1), who expresses by a touching comparison exemplary confidence in God (Ps 123:2). The Psalm ends in prayer that God relieve the people’s humiliation at the hands of the arrogant (Ps 123:3–4). (Psalms, PSALM 123 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus addresses the Question about the Resurrection.

* [12:18–27] See note on Mt 22:23–33. (Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [22:23–33] Here Jesus’ opponents are the Sadducees, members of the powerful priestly party of his time; see note on Mt 3:7. Denying the resurrection of the dead, a teaching of relatively late origin in Judaism (cf. Dn 12:2), they appeal to a law of the Pentateuch (Dt 25:5–10) and present a case based on it that would make resurrection from the dead ridiculous (Mt 22:24–28). Jesus chides them for knowing neither the scriptures nor the power of God (Mt 22:29). His argument in respect to God’s power contradicts the notion, held even by many proponents as well as by opponents of the teaching, that the life of those raised from the dead would be essentially a continuation of the type of life they had had before death (Mt 22:30). His argument based on the scriptures (Mt 22:31–32) is of a sort that was accepted as valid among Jews of the time.

* [22:23] Saying that there is no resurrection: in the Marcan parallel (Mk 22:18) the Sadducees are correctly defined as those “who say there is no resurrection”; see also Lk 20:27. Matthew’s rewording of Mark can mean that these particular Sadducees deny the resurrection, which would imply that he was not aware that the denial was characteristic of the party. For some scholars this is an indication of his being a Gentile Christian; see note on Mt 21:4–5.

* [22:24] ‘If a man dies…his brother’: this is known as the “law of the levirate,” from the Latin levir, “brother-in-law.” Its purpose was to continue the family line of the deceased brother (Dt 25:6).

* [22:29] The sexual relationships of this world will be transcended; the risen body will be the work of the creative power of God.

* [22:31–32] Cf. Ex 3:6. In the Pentateuch, which the Sadducees accepted as normative for Jewish belief and practice, God speaks even now (to you) of himself as the God of the patriarchs who died centuries ago. He identifies himself in relation to them, and because of their relation to him, the living God, they too are alive. This might appear no argument for the resurrection, but simply for life after death as conceived in Wis 3:1–3. But the general thought of early first-century Judaism was not influenced by that conception; for it human immortality was connected with the existence of the body. (Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that, inspired by the words of Jesus and Saint Charles Lwanga’s legacy, we, too, must ask: where are we misled? Too often, we find ourselves focusing on trivial things, trapped in the narrow confines of flawed human reasoning, and limiting God’s promises to what fits our understanding.

So, what does this mean for us today? Look at the worries that press on your heart—fear of the future, grief over loss, relationships you cling to, or dreams you insist must happen. Sometimes we try to box God in, and we attempt to contain sacred mysteries within our own understanding, but like Saint Charles Lwanga, we are called to have bold faith despite pressure and confusion. The invitation is always the same: to trust God’s word, see beyond uncertainty, and live each day with resurrection faith. That includes, forgiving when anger is easier, letting go of control for true peace, speaking truth with courage, and loving even when rejected. As we live with a resurrection faith, each “little death”—whether ego, fear, or selfishness—becomes not an ending, but the beginning of new life.

Faithful God, may we have the courage to open our hearts to the life that waits on the other side of surrender, trusting in the God who transforms everything—fear into faith, death into life, and limitation into eternity. Amen. (Amu, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “No marriage in the resurrection,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"What did the Lord say to the Sadducees? He said, 'You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. For in the resurrection they marry neither husbands nor wives; for neither do they start dying again, but they will be equal to the angels of God' (Mark 12:24-25; Matthew 22:29-30). The power of God is great. Why do they not marry husbands or wives? They will not start dying again. When one generation departs, another is required to succeed it. There will not be such liability to decay in that place. The Lord passed through the usual stages of growth, from infancy to adult manhood, because he was bearing the substance of flesh that still was mortal. After he had risen again at the age at which he was buried, are we to imagine that he is growing old in heaven? He says, 'They will be equal to the angels of God.' He eliminated the assumption of the Jews and refuted the objection of the Sadducees, because the Jews did indeed believe the dead would rise again, but they had crude, fleshly ideas about the state of humanity after resurrection. He said, 'They will be equal to the angels of God.' ... It has already been stated that we are to rise again. We have heard from the Lord that we rise again to the life of the angels. In his own resurrection, he has shown us in what specific form we are to rise again." (excerpt from SERMON 362.18-19.30) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12 comments that Pope Benedict XVI explained, our faith is “not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with . . . a person” (Deus Caritas Est, 1). It is Jesus who changes our hearts and sets us on a new path.

We can know Jesus like that, too. We can encounter him and form a relationship with him that grows throughout our lives and becomes the foundation on which we build everything else. Knowing Jesus can inspire us to proclaim the good news without shame, just as Paul did. It can enable us to bear hardship for his sake. And it can cement our trust that God is loving and taking care of us and will accomplish his plans in and through us.

So spend time with Jesus today, whether at Mass, Adoration, or your prayer time. Let him bring you to a deeper knowledge of himself so that you can proclaim with Paul, I know him in whom I have believed!

“Jesus, help me to come to know you better. I believe in you and want to build my life on you!” (Meditation on 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments, in 2 Timothy, we have to remember that the Pastoral Letters were likely written in the name of Paul because the description of the Church is much more advanced than in Paul’s time. The Church would represent suffering in the faith like Paul called to self sacrifice and boldness and share the message of Paul as apostle and preacher. Timothy is encouraged to do the same. In the Gospel of Mark, the Jewish leaders, the Sadducees, are trying to confound Jesus. They are conservative in belief and the Pentateuch does not mention angels nor the resurrection of the dead. They try to confront Jesus in the practice of the  Levirate marriage custom that seems to treat the woman as a piece of property. Jesus asserts that you do not marry and own people in heaven. In the Pentateuch, in Exodus, God revealed His name as the God of Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob. Friar Jude comments that the God of the living and not the dead can still exist as implied in the Pentateuch. 

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces CAC team member Cassidy Hall who reflects on our impulse to ask questions of those we see as fundamentally different than us.

Even if we let go of the need to know or understand, our society still obsesses about naming, claiming, and defining. As I worked on my documentary film about Thomas Merton, I listened to audio clips of his stream-of-consciousness thoughts from his hermitage, and I especially resonated with this line: “I know in my heart that I do not need to be defined, I do not need to define myself, and yet I have this allergy of definition.”

Like most of us, I’ve spent a large chunk of my life figuring out, naming, and identifying the things around me…. But when we reach to trap anything in definition, we also trap ourselves. A desire to define or know does not give me permission to ask questions simply to satisfy my own curiosity. Rather, the desire to name, define, or identify is a different invitation altogether. It’s an invitation for me to examine and hold openhanded my own definition, my own name, and my own identity, over and over again….

We are ever evolving, ever becoming, and ever unfolding. Identity is an ever-moving target, and any conviction that the self is singular or fixed is limiting and often even harmful. Instead, we can hold what we think we know about ourselves with open hands. We can allow ourselves to become, which offers us room to breathe and blossom…. Contemplative life beckons us to the same: encouraging us to loosen our grip on ourselves, those around us, and the Divine. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ask the Spirit to guide our exploration of life and love in the Way that refutes judgement based on our limited knowledge, personal privilege or prejudice.

References

Amu, V. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-3-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 22 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/22? 

Meditation on 2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/03/1584503/ 

Psalms, PSALM 123 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/123? 

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

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Know Neither the Scriptures nor the Power of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Timothy, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 3, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/1?