Holiness Mercy and Compassion

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder if holiness can exist when we neglect the practice of Justice, Mercy and Faith.

Mercy and Compassion

The reading from the Second Letter to the Thessalonians alerts us to separate Christ and the Lawless One.

* [2:1–17] The Thessalonians have been shaken by a message purporting to come from Paul himself that the day of the Lord is already present. He warns against this deception in eschatology by citing a scenario of events that must first occur (2 Thes 2:3–12) before the end will come. The overall point Paul makes is the need to reject such lies as Satan sends; he also reaffirms the Thessalonians in their calling (2 Thes 2:13–14). (2 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 96 proclaims that even inanimate creation is to offer praise to God.

* [Psalm 96] A hymn inviting all humanity to praise the glories of Israel’s God (Ps 96:1–3), who is the sole God (Ps 96:4–6). To the just ruler of all belongs worship (Ps 96:7–10); even inanimate creation is to offer praise (Ps 96:11–13). This Psalm has numerous verbal and thematic contacts with Is 40–55, as does Ps 98. Another version of the Psalm is 1 Chr 16:23–33. (Psalms, PSALM 96 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents the Pharisees’ preoccupation with matters of less importance while they neglect the weightier things of the law.

* [23:23] The Mosaic law ordered tithing of the produce of the land (Lv 27:30; Dt 14:22–23), and the scribal tradition is said here to have extended this law to even the smallest herbs. The practice is criticized not in itself but because it shows the Pharisees’ preoccupation with matters of less importance while they neglect the weightier things of the law.

* [23:24] Cf. Lv 11:41–45 that forbids the eating of any “swarming creature.” The Pharisees’ scrupulosity about minor matters and neglect of greater ones (Mt 23:23) is further brought out by this contrast between straining liquids that might contain a tiny “swarming creature” and yet swallowing the camel. The latter was one of the unclean animals forbidden by the law (Lv 11:4), but it is hardly possible that the scribes and Pharisees are being denounced as guilty of so gross a violation of the food laws. To swallow the camel is only a hyperbolic way of speaking of their neglect of what is important.

* [23:25–26] The ritual washing of utensils for dining (cf. Mk 7:4) is turned into a metaphor illustrating a concern for appearances while inner purity is ignored. The scribes and Pharisees are compared to cups carefully washed on the outside but filthy within. Self-indulgence: the Greek word here translated means lack of self-control, whether in drinking or in sexual conduct. (Matthew, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock remembers Fr. Pat Malone, and the compelling nature both to him and to his preaching. He invited us into the reality of life: joys and sufferings. But most of all he invited us to “bless the world.” He shined a light on the path we, as Christians, are meant to follow through acts of mercy and kindness.

Recently I have heard several other priests at different Masses approach the living of the Christian life differently. It shocked me. Their emphasis was on “getting to heaven.” This was their only advice to how to live the Christian life. Directives such as. “Be holy - that’s the only thing you need to be,” and “Where are you in the stages of prayer? How advanced are you in the spiritual life?” It seemed to foster a self-centered approach. What about all those others around us? What about the suffering, the starving, the bombed in wars, the homeless? The lonely, the elderly? The sick? The migrant?

Getting to heaven might be the last thing on our minds if we are immersed in care for others. Heaven will take care of itself.

We strive to live in the Word. (Braddock, 2026)

In the presentation and book, “Compassion and Solidarity - The Church For Others (CBC Massey Lecture Series, 1987)”, Gregory Baum presents the Faith and Justice movement in the churches -- especially the Roman Catholic Church -- together with the considerable opposition to it. Baum presents the history of the cycle of emphasis in Christianity from periods of focus on compassion and solidarity to periods of personal holiness as the path to heaven.

Don Schwager quotes “Neglecting Weighty Matters of Love and Justice,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"Not only among the Jews but among ourselves as well, we find people sinning in these ways. They are swallowing camels. People of this type frequently show off their religion even in the smallest of things. They are rightly called hypocrites for wanting to exploit their religiosity before men but being unwilling to undertake that very faith which God himself has justified. Therefore the imitators of the scribes and Pharisees must be dislodged and sent away from us, lest a woe touches us in the same way it touches them. The scribes could be described as those who valued nothing found in the Scriptures except its plain sense interpreted legalistically. Meanwhile they condemn those who look into the very depths of God himself. Mint and dill and cummin are only spices for food but are not themselves substantial food. What substantive food would mean in conversion would be that which is necessary for the justification of our souls - faith and love - unlike these legalisms, which are more like condiments and flavorings. It is as if a meal might be thought to consist more of condiments and flavorings than the food itself. The seriousness of judgment is neglected while great attention is given to minor matters. Spiritual exercises which in and of themselves are hardly justice are spoken of as justice and compassion and faith. It is lacking in justice to treat these small parts as the whole. When we do not offer to God the observance of all that is necessary for worship, we fail altogether." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 19-20) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts today.

The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17 comments that we live in a world in which it is increasingly difficult to discern what is real or true. That means it’s more important than ever for us to be careful and responsible consumers of media. Even when the material is authentic, we might still find ourselves troubled in spirit. The sheer volume of bad news can be corrosive and discouraging.

How can we respond to these harmful influences? Cutting out some media time is one part of the equation. But the other part is just as important: replace it with times of intentional quiet listening in the presence of the Lord. He can help you to “stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). You can do this by seeking refuge in the Scriptures or by focusing on the beautiful qualities that you see in other human beings, all of whom are made in God’s image and are deeply loved by the Lord.

Do everything you can to remain grounded in “our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). Not only will you be protected from the worst of the rancor and division, but you will find the peace that only the Lord can give.

“Jesus, help me always remain rooted in you!” (Meditation on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr appreciates the purpose the false or egoic self serves, while encouraging us not over-identify with it. Our false self, which we might also call our small or separate self, is our launching pad: our body image, our job, our education, our clothes, our money, our success, and so on. These are the functional trappings of ego that we all use to get us through an ordinary day. However, they are largely projections of our self-image and our attachment to it.

Discovering the true self is not just a matter of chronological age. Some spiritually precocious young people see through the false self rather early, while some old men and old women are still dressing it up. If all we have at the end of our life is our separate or false self, there will not be much to eternalize. These costumes are transitory and impermanent, useful to us in our development, but also largely created by the mental ego. The false self is what changes, passes, and dies when we die. Only our true self lives forever.

Before we have encountered our true self, our false self is who we think we are. But our thinking does not make it true. The false self is primarily a social construct to get us started on life’s journey. It is a set of agreements made during childhood with our parents, family, neighbors, school friends, partner or spouse, and religion. Jesus might call it an “old wineskin,” which he points out cannot hold any new wine (Mark 2:22). (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the consolation of the Spirit as we work to pour the New Wine of compassion, solidarity, faith, and mercy into the old wine skins of self centered personal holiness. 

References

Braddock, S. (2026, August 25). Daily Reflection August 25, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 25, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-25-2026 

Matthew, CHAPTER 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/23? 

Meditation on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 14-17. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 25, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/25/1653913/ 

Psalms, PSALM 96 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/96?10 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Releasing Our False Self. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 25, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/releasing-our-false-self/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Do Not Neglect Justice, Mercy and Faith. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 25, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Thessalonians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2thessalonians/2?1 

Mission with Mystical Meaning

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be open to spiritual invitation from God to deepen our experience of the reality of our existence as spiritual beings in human bodies.

The Way to Truth

The Reading from the Book of Revelation presents the vision of the New Jerusalem.

 

* [21:9–22:5] Symbolic descriptions of the new Jerusalem, the church. Most of the images are borrowed from Ez 40–48.

* [21:9] The bride, the wife of the Lamb: the church (Rev 21:2), the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:10); cf. 2 Cor 11:2.

* [21:14] Courses of stones,apostles: literally, “twelve foundations”; cf. Eph 2:19–20. (Revelation, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 145 declares God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship, a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents Jesus' revelation of His Divine Nature to Nathanael.

* [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).

* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).

* [1:49] Son of God: this title is used in the Old Testament, among other ways, as a title of adoption for the Davidic king (2 Sm 7:14; Ps 2:7; 89:27), and thus here, with King of Israel, in a messianic sense. For the evangelist, Son of God also points to Jesus’ divinity (cf. Jn 20:28).

* [1:50] Possibly a statement: “You [singular] believe because I saw you under the fig tree.”

* [1:51] The double “Amen” is characteristic of John. You is plural in Greek. The allusion is to Jacob’s ladder (Gn 28:12). (John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Cindy Murphy McMahon comments that John’s gospel says much about friendship, skepticism, trust, and the importance of being open to changing our minds when confronted with new information. Jesus must have chuckled to himself over Nathanael’s need for answers.

Jesus replies that he saw him “under the fig tree,” before Philip had even approached him. We don’t know exactly what that means, but it was obviously something Nathanael realized Jesus couldn’t have known with normal human perception. Wherever the fig tree was, whether physically or metaphorically, it held special meaning for Nathanael. He knew Jesus must possess supernatural power to have been aware of that.

Nathanael immediately changes his mind about who Jesus is. The skeptic becomes a convert. How refreshing. May we be as eager to drop preconceived ideas when confronted with the truth, and especially when we experience God’s love in an unexpected way as we go about our days.

Lord, we pray for the wisdom to recognize the opportunities you present us each day, and we ask you to help us loosen our grip on whatever may separate us – ego, comforts, material possessions – from you. (Murphy McMahon, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes The Lord of Angels, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"Do you see how he [Jesus] leads him [Nathanael] up little by little from the earth and causes him no longer to imagine him as merely a man? For one to whom angels minister and on whom angels ascend and descend, how could he be a man? This is why he said, 'You shall see greater things than these.' And to prove this, he introduces the ministry of angels. What he means is something like this: Does this, O Nathanael, seem to you a great matter, and have you for this confessed me to be King of Israel? What then will you say when you see 'angels ascending and descending on me'? He persuades him by these words to receive him as Lord also of the angels. For on him as on the king's own son, the royal ministers ascended and descended, once at the season of the crucifixion, again at the time of the resurrection and the ascension, and before this also, when they 'came and ministered to him' (Matthew 4:11). They also ascended and descended when they proclaimed the good news of his birth and cried, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace' (Luke 2:14), when they came to Mary and also when they came to Joseph... Our Lord made the present a proof of the future. After the powers he had already shown, Nathanael would readily believe that much more would follow." (excerpt from the Homilies On the Gospel of John 21.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Revelation presents the Church as the bride of the Lamb. Jerusalem descends from the skies as a symbol of the true utopia that descends from God and the twelve apostles of the Lamb are the foundation of the Church. Bartholomew, likely Nathanael in John’s Gospel, is seen under the fig tree where scholars traditionally studied the Law. The name “true child of Israel” is based on Jacob who had been a deceiver except when Jacob wrestled with God and received a new name, Israel, and Nathanael is declared a true child of Israel struggling to understand Scripture. Nathanael realizes Jesus could not have seen his wrestling with the text as Jesus cites Jacob symbolism to Nathanael. Friar Jude notes Nathanael will be Israel as an example we will need to wrestle with God.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 1:45-51 asks, like Nathanael, we, too, may see only the earthly reality but miss the heavenly one. We might wonder, “What good can come from X situation?” or “What good can come from a Y relationship?” But as he did for Nathanael, Jesus can open our minds and give us a heavenly perspective on whatever might be puzzling to us. He can help us see everything in the light of his love and his purpose for our lives.

Let Jesus open your mind today. Close your eyes and picture yourself resting under the shade of a leafy tree, like Nathanael. Imagine Jesus walking toward you. He sits down next to you, looks at you intently, and says, “Before the creation of the world, I saw you and I loved you. Now, what’s on your mind?” Go ahead and share your heart with him. Then wait and see how he responds. Even if you don’t hear anything in that moment, trust that over time, Jesus will open your eyes to see your life in a heavenly light.

God has “greater things” in store for you (John 1:50)—and he wants you to set your sights on them, even now!

“Jesus, open my mind and my heart to heaven!” (Meditation on John 1:45-51, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr describes the characteristics and purposes of the true self in greater depth. The true self is the Divine Indwelling, the Holy Spirit within us.

I would say that the true self is precisely the divine part of us that is great enough, deep enough, gracious enough to fully accept the human part of us. If we are merely human, we will tend to reject our embarrassingly limited humanity. Think on that!

Paradoxically, immense humility, not arrogance, characterizes someone who lives from their true self. They simultaneously know they are a child of God, but they also know that they didn’t earn it and are not worthy of it. They know it’s entirely a gift (see Ephesians 2:8–9 and throughout the Pauline writings). All they can do is thank Somebody Else, occasionally weep with joy, and kneel without any hesitation. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are inspired by the Spirit to be able to recognize the Presence of the Divine in all the people we encounter in our daily journey, and we seek the patience to respond with love.

References

John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1?45 

Meditation on John 1:45-51. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/24/1653355/ 

Murphy McMahon, C. (2026, August 24). Daily Reflection August 24, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-24-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 145 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145? 

Revelation, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/21?9 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Recognizing Our True Self. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/recognizing-our-true-self/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Come and See. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 24, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/