Paradox and Preparation

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, challenge us to ponder paradox and preparation as principles that are part of our journey to fullness of life.

Preparing the Journey

The Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians presents the Paradox of the Cross.

* [1:17b] Not with the wisdom of human eloquence: both of the nouns employed here involve several levels of meaning, on which Paul deliberately plays as his thought unfolds. Wisdom (sophia) may be philosophical and speculative, but in biblical usage the term primarily denotes practical knowledge such as is demonstrated in the choice and effective application of means to achieve an end. The same term can designate the arts of building (cf. 1 Cor 3:10) or of persuasive speaking (cf. 1 Cor 2:4) or effectiveness in achieving salvation. Eloquence (logos): this translation emphasizes one possible meaning of the term logos (cf. the references to rhetorical style and persuasiveness in 1 Cor 2:1, 4). But the term itself may denote an internal reasoning process, plan, or intention, as well as an external word, speech, or message. So by his expression “ouk en sophia logou" in the context of gospel preaching, Paul may intend to exclude both human ways of reasoning or thinking about things and human rhetorical technique. Human: this adjective does not stand in the Greek text but is supplied from the context. Paul will begin immediately to distinguish between sophia and logos from their divine counterparts and play them off against each other.

* [1:21–25] True wisdom and power are to be found paradoxically where one would least expect them, in the place of their apparent negation. To human eyes the crucified Christ symbolizes impotence and absurdity. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 invites the Just to praise God.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents The Parable of the Ten Virgins.

* [25:1–13] Peculiar to Matthew.

* [25:1] Then: at the time of the parousia. Kingdom…will be like: see note on Mt 13:24–30.

* [25:2–4] Foolish…wise: cf. the contrasted “wise man” and “fool” of Mt 7:24, 26 where the two are distinguished by good deeds and lack of them, and such deeds may be signified by the oil of this parable.

* [25:11–12] Lord, Lord: cf. Mt 7:21. I do not know you: cf. Mt 7:23 where the Greek verb is different but synonymous.

* [25:13] Stay awake: some scholars see this command as an addition to the original parable of Matthew’s traditional material, since in Mt 25:5 all the virgins, wise and foolish, fall asleep. But the wise virgins are adequately equipped for their task, and stay awake may mean no more than to be prepared; cf. Mt 24:42, 44. (Matthew, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB, n.d.)

Edward Morse comments that Father James Schall, S.J., was particularly fond of Saint Augustine, for whom we celebrate this feast day. 

Father Schall wrote that Augustine’s City of God contemplates a human existence based, “not upon the ‘survival’ of future generations but on the quality of the spiritual choices of persons within the context of their histories and lives that will normally and necessarily be lived in very imperfect states and human conditions.” Our messy world will survive. We should do our best to clean up the messes, especially those of our own making. But we must start with the cross, or those efforts will be in vain. (Morse, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Kingdom of God compared with ten maidens,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)

"The whole story is about the great day of the Lord, when those things concealed from the human mind will be revealed through our understanding of divine judgment. Then the faith true to the Lord's coming will win the just reward for unwavering hope. For in the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:2), a complete separation between the faithful and unfaithful is established... The wise virgins are those who, embracing the time available to them, were prepared at the first onset of the coming of the Lord. But the foolish were those who were lax and unmindful. They troubled themselves only over present matters and, forgetting what God said, did not direct their efforts toward hope for resurrection." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 27.3,5) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts today. In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul is preaching the good news of the Cross. He is proclaiming the Good News, the message about Jesus born, died, raised from the dead. In Athens, Paul tried to preach to the philosophers who accepted an invisible Creator and the idea of One body. However the Greeks believe the body is part of the fallen material world and receiving the body back in resurrection is not sensible. The parable of the ten virgins in the Gospel of Matthew presents the rendering at the end of time. The wise brought extra oil but the foolish have run out. The wise were prepared. The idea of the parable is to be ready for the accounting and store up good deeds. The wise are not actually selfish. Friar Jude notes this is not the point of the parable, but it is to remind us that we should always be prepared.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13 comments that we can stay close to Him by building a regular daily prayer time into our schedule rather than simply hoping that we will find time to pray when we get a spare moment. In our quiet times with God, we can ask him for the grace and strength we need to do his will throughout our day, whether that’s helping someone in need or caring for our family.

We can also make sure that we are never too busy to worship the Lord and receive his Body and Blood each week at Mass. And when we stray, we can get right with the Lord by confessing our sins and receiving his mercy as soon as possible.

When you do these things as part of your regular routine, you can be at peace. You will be ready to enter the great heavenly wedding feast with enough “oil” to burn brightly before the Lord!

“Jesus, help me to see what I need to do to be ready to joyfully greet you when you come again!” (Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr teaches that true religion leads us to an experience of our true self and undermines our false self. The false self is characterized by separateness. Jewish and Christian traditions call this state of disconnectedness “sin.” When we’re separated from our deepest being, we are in a state of sin or alienation. When we are disconnected from our true self in God, we look for various false and addictive ways to fill our emptiness. The small or false self is who we think we are, but our thinking does not make it so. It is our identity created through culture, education, class, race, friends, gender, clothes, and money.

The true self is characterized by communion and deep contentment. It’s okay, right here, right now. The true self is the realigned self; and religion’s main purpose is to lead us to experience this self, which is who we are in God and who God is in us. It has to do with participating in a Universal Being that is beyond our being. Ultimately, our lives are not about us. We are about life! That doesn’t mean we stay in the true self twenty-four hours a day. Life is three steps forward and two steps backward. Yet once we know the big picture, we will never be satisfied with the little picture. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the enlightenment of the Spirit as we live in the paradox of life in death and the perception of preparation sometimes being in tension with our mission to address the needs of people living today.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/25?1 

Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/28/1655837/ 

Morse, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministry. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-28-2026 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1?17 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Realigned with the True Self. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/realigned-with-the-true-self/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Foolish Will Miss Heaven's Wedding Feast. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Days of Drought and Decision

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the good and evil that we encounter on our journey and consider how Jesus would teach us to deal with this dichotomy. 

Harvest and Weeds

The Reading from the Prophet Jeremiah laments The Great Drought.

n. [14:17] Jer 9:17.

o. [14:19] Jer 8:15; 2 Chr 36:16.

p. [14:20] Ps 106:6; Dn 9:5, 8.

q. [14:21] Jer 14:7; Lv 26:44; Ps 25:11.

r. [14:22] Jer 5:24; Zec 10:1. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 79 admits that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe of destruction of Jerusalem.

* [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11). (Psalms. CHAPTER 79 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents the Explanation of the Parable of the Weeds.

* [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. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Edward Morse comments that as the hospital for sinners, even the church is not safe from these effects. Saint Augustine saw the church as containing weeds and wheat, too.

His greatest concern for new converts was not the influence of the pagan world, but the influence of bad Christians! So we can all read this parable and Jesus’ explanation of the final judgment with a little uneasiness. We know that without the grace of God, none of us can produce a harvest worthy of being gathered in by the Master. Moreover, we are all liable to being choked out by weeds. God forbid that we might be weeds rather than good plants; recall that the weeds were sown by the enemy, not by the Master! (Morse, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Let us become friends of Jesus,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"Now, having discoursed sufficiently to the multitudes in parables, he sends them away and goes to his own house, where his disciples come to him. His disciples did not go with those he sent away. As many as are more genuine hearers of Jesus first follow him, then having inquired about his house, are permitted to see it. Having come, they saw and stayed with him for all that day, and perhaps some of them even longer. In my opinion, such things are implied in the Gospel according to John... And if then, unlike the multitudes whom he sends away, we wish to hear Jesus and go to the house and receive something better than the multitudes did, let us become friends of Jesus, so that as his disciples come, we may also come to him when he goes into the house. And having come, let us inquire about the explanation of the parable, whether of the tares of the field, or of any other. (excerpt from the COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.1-3) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the Readings for today. Jeremiah normally offers a condemnation of the people of Israel. Today it is a lamentation imploring God to be merciful and take back the punishment.  The author voices the woes of the people and takes the time to say the punishment and pain is too great. There are very good lamentations in the Psalms. God has to take care of his people. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus gives the explanation of the parable of the weed and wheat. God waits till the harvest to separate good and evil. Friar Jude queries that if the Kingdom is dawning why is there still evil? The Kingdom has not fully come but there will be a time of reckoning at the end of time.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 13:36-43 notes that St. Augustine argued against this kind of thinking by leaders who wanted to exclude people who had renounced their faith under persecution. They believed the Church should consist only of perfectly holy people. Augustine disagreed, saying that the Church will remain a corpus permixtum, a “mixed body,” with good and bad together, until the final judgment. Perhaps recalling his own sinful past, Augustine urged, “They who today are tares, may tomorrow be wheat” (Sermon 23).

Jesus and Augustine are telling us there is always hope! God wants all people to know his salvation. His patience is meant to lead everyone to repentance (Romans 2:4). For now, our Church is a mixture. That’s why our best strategy is to leave the weeding to God. We can also ask the Lord to search our own hearts and help us uproot our sins. And we can pray that all darkness would be turned back and that everyone we know would turn to God and shine like the sun at the end of time.

“Lord Jesus, purify my heart today.” (Meditation on Matthew 13:36-43, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis who explains how Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37) to illustrate God’s desire that no one be left alone in their hour of need. Rabbi Jesus is talking to a religious leader—a lawyer—about what it means to be faithful.

Together, they review the Jewish scriptures: The way to live right is to love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself. Looking for a loophole, the lawyer wants to know who qualifies as a neighbor. Jesus answers by telling a story about a man who was robbed, beaten, and left for dead by a marauding gang. A priest and another religious man walked by and, seeing the man on the ground, they did nothing…. But a Samaritan—a mixed-race person considered in ancient times to be an impure enemy of the Jewish people—did not cross the street. Instead, he tended to the wounded man….

In using this story to answer his companion’s question about the definition of neighbor, Rabbi Jesus was getting to what he considered to be the essential laws—love God with all you have and love your neighbor as yourself…. If you want to know what love looks like, Rabbi Jesus is saying, here it is: Love crosses borders and boundaries; it makes new cultural rules; it cares for the stranger. Love turns strangers into friends. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to illuminate our attitude of self righteousness that blinds us to the plan of God to sustain both the good and evil in faith, love, and hope for a return to the community that seeks fullness in the Bread of Life.

References

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/14?17 

Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?36

Meditation on Matthew 13:36-43. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/28/1634233/ 

Morse, E. (2026, July 28). Daily Reflection July 28, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-28-2026 

Psalms. CHAPTER 79 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/reading-the-good-samaritan/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Righteous Will Shine like the Sun in the Father's Kingdom. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Healed of Spiritual Blindness

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to consider if the lack of “spiritual milk” in our daily actions is blinding us to the beauty of our role in living in community with others.

See Our Community

The Reading from the First Letter of Peter exhorts us to live in God’s House and be Christian Examples.

* [2:1–3] Growth toward salvation is seen here as two steps: first, stripping away all that is contrary to the new life in Christ; second, the nourishment (pure spiritual milk) that the newly baptized have received.

* [2:3] Tasted that the Lord is good: cf. Ps 34:8.

* [2:4–8] Christ is the cornerstone (cf. Is 28:16) that is the foundation of the spiritual edifice of the Christian community (1 Pt 2:5). To unbelievers, Christ is an obstacle and a stumbling block on which they are destined to fall (1 Pt 2:8); cf. Rom 11:11.

* [2:9–10] The prerogatives of ancient Israel mentioned here are now more fully and fittingly applied to the Christian people: “a chosen race” (cf. Is 43:20–21) indicates their divine election (Eph 1:4–6); “a royal priesthood” (cf. Ex 19:6) to serve and worship God in Christ, thus continuing the priestly functions of his life, passion, and resurrection; “a holy nation” (Ex 19:6) reserved for God, a people he claims for his own (cf. Mal 3:17) in virtue of their baptism into his death and resurrection. This transcends all natural and national divisions and unites the people into one community to glorify the one who led them from the darkness of paganism to the light of faith in Christ. From being “no people” deprived of all mercy, they have become the very people of God, the chosen recipients of his mercy (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:23). (1 Peter, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 100 is a hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings.

* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them. (Psalms,CHAPTER 100 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus heals the physical and spiritual blindness of Bartimaeus.

* [10:46–52] See notes on Mt 9:27–31 and 20:29–34. (Mark, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Nancy Shirley reflects on considering love as knowledge, Augustine theology would imply that truly loving someone or something requires deep knowledge of it.  She thinks that’s why as so many of us age, we delve deeper into the Bible and spiritual readings to more deeply understand our relationship with God and our need to connect. 

Perhaps this reads as more of a classroom presentation than a reflection and thank you for indulging me.  The need for this deeper understanding is what drives my ability to reflect – I need that knowledge to put perspective on my life. I leave you with one last quote from St. Augustine – his most famous quote on beauty:

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!

The Institute of Catholic Culture asserts that it reflects a spiritual awakening to divine beauty, describing it as a transcendent force that calls to the soul and offers peace.  I suppose that is what happened to me when I attended mass on Thanksgiving Day, 1997 and found peace for my soul. While I have listened many times to the song O Beauty, Ever Ancient (the link is below) by Father Roc O’Connor, I never really understood its meaning until now. I am a Beloved Child of God!! (Shirley, 2026)

O Beauty, Ever Ancient

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12 comments that in today’s first reading, St. Peter describes the “before” and “after” experience that his Gentile readers had after they first “tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:3). Once they were in darkness, but now they have stepped into God’s “wonderful light” (2:9). Once they were “no people,” but now they are “God’s people.” Once they “had not received mercy,” but now they have received God’s mercy (2:10).

Today, spend some time thanking and praising the Lord that you are among the countless people who know they belong to him. Thank him that you have received his mercy—and continue to receive it. Then “taste” his goodness when you come to him in prayer, when you read his word in Scripture, and when you receive his grace in the sacraments. You will grow closer to him every day!

“Lord, I am in awe of your goodness and mercy! With all my heart, I thank you!” (Meditation on 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading from 1 Peter speaks of seeking pure spiritual milk, We are living stones that build up spiritual life. Peter proclaims a chosen race, now the Gentile Christians who called as a holy nation to live in the world and not of the world, marked as different to show other values and to follow Jesus. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus is in Jericho on the way to Jerusalem. Blind Bartimaeus addresses Him: “Jesus , Son of David, have mercy on me.” We are reminded that there are times of insistent prayer when we pound our fist on gates of heaven. Friar Jude comments that Jesus' proclamation that “Your faith has saved you” indicates the blind man is healed physically and spiritually. Friar Jude observes that by identification of Jesus as “the Son of David”, the blind man could see more clearly than the sighted that Jesus was the Son of David.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces his friends, Andreas Ebert and Patricia C. Brockman, who summarized how the Spirit was at work during this period of Richard’s ministry.

The young people he taught and led on retreats were overwhelmed with the gospel message. They gathered around this enthusiastic young priest, hungry for Scripture, increasingly eager for the shared life described there. Their weekly prayer gatherings began with fervent charismatic prayer and expanded from a group of teenagers to, at times, more than a thousand persons of many ages and diverse backgrounds. All the signs and wonders of the early church flourished among the prayers. It eventually became clear that enthusiasm was not enough, and among those followers some desired to live in a closer bond and within the discipleship of Christian community. Thus, New Jerusalem came into being, a laboratory-church where many came to commit themselves to the dream of a church that follows and trusts Jesus. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the work of the Spirit in the growth and development of the Church and the increase of love and compassion in our own growth as followers of Christ.

References

Mark, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/10?46 

Meditation on 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/28/1579869/ 

1 Peter, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1peter/2? 

Psalms,CHAPTER 100 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Birth of a New Community. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-birth-of-a-new-community/ 

Shirley, N. (2026, May 28). Daily Reflection May 28, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved May 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-28-2026