Called to Be A Great Nation

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Canada Day, resonate with themes of the question of what makes a great nation.

Faith and A Great Nation

The Reading from the Prophet Amos contains a double appeal to “seek” the Lord .

* [5:1–17] These verses form a chiastic section beginning and ending with a lament over Israel (vv. 2, 16–17) and containing a double appeal to “seek” the Lord (vv. 4, 14). This editorial arrangement gives the whole section a negative cast, in effect nullifying the only hopeful verse in Amos (v. 15). Israel is as good as dead.

* [5:21–27] The prophet does not condemn cultic activity as such but rather the people’s attempt to offer worship with hands unclean from oppression of their fellow Israelites (cf. Ps 15:2–5; 24:3–4). But worship from those who disregard justice and righteousness (v. 24) is never acceptable to the God of Israel. Through the Sinai covenant the love of God and the love of neighbor are inextricably bound together. (Amos, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 50 presents what is required of the faithful and rebukes the hypocritical worshiper

* [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 heals the Gadarene Demoniacs.

* [8:28] Gadarenes: this is the reading of Codex Vaticanus, supported by other important textual witnesses. The original reading of Codex Sinaiticus was Gazarenes, later changed to Gergesenes, and a few versions have Gerasenes. Each of these readings points to a different territory connected, respectively, with the cities Gadara, Gergesa, and Gerasa (modern Jerash). There is the same confusion of readings in the parallel texts, Mk 5:1 and Lk 8:26; there the best reading seems to be “Gerasenes,” whereas “Gadarenes” is probably the original reading in Matthew. The town of Gadara was about five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, and Josephus (Life 9:42) refers to it as possessing territory that lay on that sea. Two demoniacs: Mark (5:1–20) has one.

* [8:29] What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. Before the appointed time: the notion that evil spirits were allowed by God to afflict human beings until the time of the final judgment is found in Enoch 16:1 and Jubilees 10:7–10.

* [8:30] The tending of pigs, animals considered unclean by Mosaic law (Lv 11:6–7), indicates that the population was Gentile. (Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jeanne Schuler of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, notes that as the United States celebrates her nation’s founding, what appears exceptional is entwined with injustice. 

 

We are a remarkable nation settled by immigrants and dedicated to freedom.  We are a nation that enslaved Africans to grow prosperous and decimated native people by taking their land.  Our achievements fill us with pride; what underlies the hoopla unsettles us.  Both matter.  Like our ancestors, we cannot be complacent.  There is work to be done.

In the gospel, two persons are ravaged by destructive spirits.  Their rage and violence make travel near the tombs dangerous.  How do we determine what is good?  Jesus shows mercy to both the men and spirits.  He heals those afflicted with madness and heeds the pleas of the spirits to enter the swine.  Pigs were seen by Jewish people as unclean.  The townspeople, however, view the herd’s demise differently. (Schuler, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ is triumphant over the forces of demons,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD)

"[Jesus] said to them, 'Go!' The foul-smelling animals are delivered up, not at the will of the demons but to show how savage the demons can become against humans. They ardently seek to destroy and dispossess all that is, acts, moves and lives. They seek the death of people. The ancient enmity of deep-rooted wrath and malice is in store for the human race. Demons do not give up easily unless they are forcibly overcome. They are doing the harm they are ordered to do. Therefore the foul-smelling animals are delivered up that it may be made clear to the demons that they have permission to enter the swine but not to enter humans. It is by our vices that we empower them to do harm. Similarly, by our power of faith we tread on the necks of demons. They become subject to us under Christ who is triumphant." (excerpt from SERMONS 16.8)

[Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD) was a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th century] (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Amos 5:14-15, 21-24 comments that God is calling us to “seek good.” He is calling us to actively look for ways we can build up our loved ones and relieve other people’s suffering.

So take the time to listen to a friend who is struggling, and offer to pray with them. Invite a coworker out for coffee, and let them sense how valuable they are to the Lord. Show up with some groceries at the door of a neighbor with financial troubles—or invite them over for dinner.

Seek good! Love the Lord and love your neighbor! It’s the most joy-filled, fulfilling life you’ll ever know!

“Lord, help me to seek and do good to others.” (Meditation on Amos 5:14-15, 21-24, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading from Amos proclaims conversion for the people from evil to good. Amos proclaims that  God is sick of hypocritical worship and going through motions without change for the poor of the country who live in great contrast to the rich. Amos warns that we can’t bribe God. The healing of the demoniacs in Matthew 28 is a parallel to the account in Mark even though there are two demonics in two different events. The demonics were living in a location where the Jews thought was unclean. The “Son of God” is a true recognition from the demonics possessed by spiritual creatures who knew Jesus' divinity.  Swine was raised by non Jews who drowned themselves because the demons caused them to flee Jesus. Friar Jude comments that they beg Jesus to leave the neighbourhood and are frightened by the potential for loss of their herds.

The reflection from the Centre for Contemplation and Action, founded by Father Richard Rohr, OFM, today begins with two quotes.

I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

—Genesis 12:1–4

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

—John 3:16

Brian McLaren reflects on how God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–4 softened the exclusive way his evangelical tradition has sometimes interpreted John 3:16. McLaren summarizes the way that John 3:16 has often been taught, and contrasts it with the biblical message of blessing, which is always to love and bless others.

That is the way many people [have been] taught John 3:16. All you have to do is raise your hand, say yes to the privileges promised to those who are chosen, and you will be pronounced as a “born again Christian,” which means you would have a free ticket to safety, security, and enjoyment in heaven for yourself and yourself alone, forever.

But that is not what Genesis 12 or John 3:16 are actually about, contrary to a very popular belief. God chooses Abram, not for elite and exclusive privilege for his descendants alone, but for deep responsibility and service for all the nations of the world. God chooses Abram not to the exclusion of others, but to the benefit and blessing of others. As Lesslie Newbigin said, you can’t claim God’s blessings for yourself, your race, your culture, or your religion, and leave out and “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”…

God’s desire, Jesus says, is not to condemn everyone or anyone, but to save everyone. In other words, divine blessing is not exclusive; it is instrumental. We are not blessed to the exclusion of others; we are blessed to be a blessing to others, so that through us, others can be included in the generous circle of divine blessing. (McLaren, n.d.)

We invoke the Holy Spirit as we contemplate the characteristics of the people of a great nation who reject hypocritical worship and injustice. People of great nations free injured people from demons and put into action God's blessing for all the people of the world.

References

Amos, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/5? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?28 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jesus-came-for-everyone/ 

Meditation on Amos 5:14-15, 21-24. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/01/1606059/ 

Psalms, PSALM 50 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50? 

Schuler, J. (2026, July 1). Daily Reflection July 1, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-1-2026 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Frees Those Who Are Bound Up. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 1, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Path to a Fascist Nation

 

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Karl J Martin of Netflix, Inc. and works at Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures shared the post by Chris Armitage, Public Policy Analyst, Former Law Enforcement Officer, Veteran, Author, asking if the United States has become a fascist nation.

 

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“In 1933, German conservatives thought they could control Hitler. Two years later, they were being executed in their own homes. I spent weeks researching this question, desperately looking for counter-examples, for hope, for any time in history where people successfully stopped fascists after they started winning elections.

Here's what I found: Once fascists win power democratically, they have never been removed democratically. Not once. Ever.

I know that sounds impossible. I kept digging, thinking surely someone, somewhere, stopped them. The actual record is so much worse than you think.

Let's start with Germany because everyone thinks they know this story. Franz von Papen, the conservative politician who convinced President Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor, said ‘We've hired him’ in January 1933. He thought he was so clever. Within 18 months, the Nazis were machine-gunning von Papen's allies in their homes during the Night of Long Knives. Von Papen himself barely escaped to Austria with his life. Every single conservative who thought they could ‘control’ or ‘moderate’ Hitler was either dead, in exile, or groveling for survival by 1934.

 

Italy was even dumber, if that's possible. October 1922, Mussolini announces he's marching on Rome with 30,000 blackshirts. Except here's the thing: they were poorly armed, disorganized, and the Italian military could have crushed them in about three hours. The King had his generals ready. He had martial law papers drawn up. The military was waiting for the order. Instead, he invited Mussolini to form a government. Just handed him power. Twenty-three years later, partisans hung Mussolini's corpse upside down at a gas station while crowds beat it with sticks. The king died in exile. Hundreds of thousands of Italians died for that moment of cowardice.

Spain might be the worst because everyone saw it coming. Three years of escalating fascist violence. Actual assassination attempts. Then in 1936, Franco and his generals launch a straight-up military coup. The Spanish Republic begged for help. France said "not our problem." Britain said ‘both sides are bad.’ America declared neutrality. The result? Franco ruled for 39 years. He died peacefully in his bed in 1975. They're still finding mass graves in Spain. Still.

In 2025.

Want something more recent? Look at Hungary. Orbán won democratically in 2010. By 2011 he'd rewritten the constitution. By 2012 he controlled the media. By 2013 he'd gutted the judiciary. It's 2025 and he's still in power. The EU has been ‘very concerned’ for fourteen fucking years. They've written strongly worded letters. They've held meetings. Hungary is now a one-party state in the middle of Europe and everyone just...accepts it.

Okay, but surely someone, somewhere, stopped them?

Finland 1932 is the only clean win I can find. The fascist Lapua Movement tried an armed coup before they'd secured government power. The military stayed loyal to democracy, crushed the rebellion, and banned the movement. That's it. That's the success story. One time out of roughly fifty attempts, fascists were stopped because they were stupid enough to try violence before winning elections.

France in 1934 looked like a victory for about five minutes. Fascist leagues tried to storm parliament on February 6th. Six days later, twelve million workers went on general strike. Twelve million. The entire country stopped. No trains, no factories, no shops, nothing. The fascists backed down. Great victory, right? Except those exact same fascists enthusiastically collaborated when the Nazis invaded six years later. They just waited.

Portugal's fascist regime finally fell in 1974. After 48 years. How? Military officers launched a coup. Democratic resistance had been crushed for five decades. International pressure meant nothing. The dictator Salazar died in 1970 and his successor just kept going until the military said enough. That's your success story: wait half a century and hope the military gets tired.

The pattern is so consistent it's almost funny if it weren't so terrifying. Every single time it goes like this: Conservatives panic about socialism or progressives or whatever. They ally with fascists as the ‘lesser evil.’ Fascists take power. Fascists immediately purge the conservatives who helped them. Then it's 30-50 years of dictatorship. This happened in Germany, Italy, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Romania, and Hungary.

Want to know how many times conservatives successfully ‘controlled’ the fascists they allied with? Zero. Want to know how many times fascists purged the conservatives after taking power? All of them. Every single time.

And here's the part that breaks your heart. Violence works. For them. Fascists use violence while claiming to be victims. They create chaos that ‘requires’ their authoritarian solution. Then they purge anyone who opposes them. Meanwhile, democrats keep insisting on following rules that fascists completely ignore. They file lawsuits. They write editorials. They vote on resolutions. And fascists just laugh and keep consolidating power.

The statistics are brutal. Fascist takeovers prevented after winning power democratically: zero. Average length of fascist rule once established: 31 years. Fascist regimes removed by voting: zero. Fascist regimes removed by asking nicely: zero. Most were removed by war or military coups, and tens of millions died in the process.

I'm not allowed to make the obvious contemporary comparisons, but you're already making them in your head. ‘We can control him’ is being said right now, in 2025, by people who apparently never cracked a history book.

 

Based on the historical record, there are exactly three ways this goes.

• Option one: Stop them before they take power.
• Option two: War.
• Option three: Wait for them to die of old age.

But here's the thing: we already missed our chance.

The window isn't closing; it's closed.

The Supreme Court declared Trump above the law. He's threatening to arrest political opponents. He's already sent the FBI after elected officials when they haven’t committed crimes. Congress is his. Most state governments are his. Billionaire oligarchs openly coordinate with him. The window slammed shut.

So let's stop pretending we're in the ‘prevention’ phase and start talking about what you do when fascists already control the institutions but haven't fully consolidated power yet. Because historically, nobody's been here before, not like this.

No wealthy democracy with nuclear weapons has ever fallen to fascism.

The 1930s examples everyone cites were broken countries. Weimar Germany was weakened by World War I and hyperinflation. Italy was barely industrialized. Spain was largely agrarian. They didn't have the world's reserve currency. They didn't have thousands of nukes. They didn't have surveillance technology that would make the Stasi weep with envy.

America has all of that. Plus geographic isolation that makes external intervention impossible. Plus a population where 30-40% genuinely wants authoritarian rule as long as it hurts the ‘right people.’ The historical playbook is useless here. We're in unprecedented territory.

But that also means the old rules about what's possible might not apply.

Option 1: The Blue State Coalition

California's economy is bigger than the UK's. New York controls global finance. The blue states collectively represent over 60% of America's GDP. They could, theoretically, make the federal government irrelevant.

Imagine if California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Massachusetts, and others started coordinating directly. Ignoring federal mandates. Creating their own interstate compacts for everything from climate policy to civil rights. They already started this with climate agreements when Trump pulled out of Paris. But I'm talking about going much further.

State-level cryptocurrency to avoid federal monetary control. State-funded healthcare systems that ignore federal restrictions. State-level immigration policies that simply refuse to cooperate with ICE. Make the federal government have to physically enforce every single policy, stretching their resources to breaking.

The precedent? The way Northern states nullified fugitive slave laws in the 1850s. The way states are currently ignoring federal marijuana prohibition. But coordinated and comprehensive.

Option 2: Selective Compliance and Irish Democracy

The Irish called it ‘Irish Democracy’ when they were under British rule, the silent, dogged resistance of millions who simply ignored laws they found illegitimate. Don't protest. Don't riot. Just don't comply.

Red states need blue state money. Blue state taxes fund red state governments. What if millions of people in blue states simultaneously decided to claim exempt on their W-4s and simply... stopped paying federal taxes? Not as protest but as a coordinated ‘forgetting.’ Overwhelm the IRS. Make enforcement impossible.

Doctors in blue states could ignore abortion restrictions. Teachers could ignore curriculum mandates. State police could refuse to enforce federal laws. Not dramatically, just... incompetently. ‘Sorry, we couldn't find them.’ ‘The paperwork got lost.’ ‘Our systems are down.’

Make every single act of authoritarian control require physical enforcement, then make that enforcement impossibly expensive and difficult.

Option 3: Secession

We already have two incompatible visions of what America should be. One side wants a multi-ethnic democracy with a social safety net. The other wants a white Christian ethnostate with unlimited corporate power. These cannot coexist indefinitely.

What if blue states started seriously discussing secession? Not threatened as political theater but actually planned. Constitutional conventions. Referendums. Negotiations for national debt division. Military base transfers. Currency agreements.

Yes, the last time states tried to leave it caused a civil war. But that was over slavery, with clearly defined geographic boundaries and two relatively equal economic systems. This would be the economic powerhouses leaving the welfare states. What would the red states do, invade California? With what money?

The mere serious threat might be enough to force structural changes. Quebec nearly left Canada twice and got massive concessions both times just from credible threats.

Option 4: International Intervention

This has never happened to a nuclear power, but there's a first time for everything. Blue states could request UN election monitoring. They could sign their own climate agreements with the EU. They could create alternate diplomatic channels.

California could request Canadian peacekeepers for ‘election security.’ New York could invite European observers for ‘financial transparency.’ Make it embarrassing. Make America's collapse visible to the world. Force the international community to pick sides.

No, the UN can't invade America. But they can isolate it. Sanctions work. Ask Russia. International humiliation works. Ask South Africa under apartheid.

We're past normal. The fascists already won round one. They control the institutions. They have their judges. They have their media ecosystem. They have their army of true believers who will excuse anything.

But they don't have the money. They don't have the cities. They don't have the educated workforce. They don't have the young. And most importantly, they don't have legitimacy in the eyes of the majority.

The historical record says once fascists gain power, they stay for 30-50 years. But the historical record doesn't have examples of fascists taking over a country where their opposition controls most of the economy, technology, and cultural production. We're in uncharted territory, which means we need unprecedented responses.

The question isn't whether these options are extreme. They are. The question is whether we're ready to admit that normal is already gone. The window to prevent fascism closed. But the opportunity for something else, something unprecedented, might just be opening.

The German conservatives who said ‘we can control him’ were all dead or fled within two years. We're just months into our version of this story. The question is: are we going to be the first generation that finds a new way out, or are we going to be another cautionary tale future historians write about?

At least we're finally asking the right questions.”

- Chris Armitage, Public Policy Analyst, Former Law Enforcement Officer, Veteran, Author.

References

Martin, K. J. (n.d.). White Rose Resistance. Facebook. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://www.facebook.com/whiteroseresistanceofficial/ 

Care and Compensation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today exhort us to examine the actions of the greedy shepherds of our time as a preparation to attend to the prompting of the Spirit to work in faith for truth, beauty, and love in our environment.

Working in the Vineyard

The reading from the Prophet Ezekiel contrasts Israel’s false shepherds with God the True Shepherd.

* [34:2] Shepherds: the leaders of the people. A frequent title for kings and deities in the ancient Near East; the ideal ruler took care of his subjects and anticipated their needs. Ezekiel’s oracle broadens the reference to include the whole class of Jerusalem’s leaders (v. 17). The prophet assures his audience, the exiles in Babylon, that God holds these leaders responsible for what has happened to Jerusalem and will give Israel a new shepherd worthy of the title. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 34, n.d.)

Psalm 23 praises the Divine Shepherd.

* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10).

* [23:1] My shepherd: God as good shepherd is common in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Ez 34:11–16; Jn 10:11–18). (Psalms, PSALM 23, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches about the Labourers in the Vineyard.

* [20:1–16] This parable is peculiar to Matthew. It is difficult to know whether the evangelist composed it or received it as part of his traditional material and, if the latter is the case, what its original reference was. In its present context its close association with Mt 19:30 suggests that its teaching is the equality of all the disciples in the reward of inheriting eternal life.

* [20:4] What is just: although the wage is not stipulated as in the case of those first hired, it will be fair.

* [20:8] Beginning with the last…the first: this element of the parable has no other purpose than to show how the first knew what the last were given (Mt 20:12).

* [20:13] I am not cheating you: literally, “I am not treating you unjustly.”

* [20:14–15] The owner’s conduct involves no violation of justice (Mt 20:4, 13), and that all the workers receive the same wage is due only to his generosity to the latest arrivals; the resentment of the first comes from envy. (Matthew, CHAPTER 20, n.d.)

The visit of Pope Francis to Canada’s Indigenous People reminds Joan Blandin Howard of Nicholas Black Elk,  an Oglala of the Lakota Sioux tribe, who In 2017, the Vatican authorized his cause for canonization and he was named “Servant of God”.

World-wide we witness the idolatry of greed, self-aggrandizement, and the mistreatment of those whose dreams, faith traditions, and spiritualities are different from ours.  Nicholas Black Elk was a Catholic and a Lakota Sioux. In his 87 years he experienced, valued, respected and lived the sacredness of both traditions.

Today, we have heard harsh tones, impatience, frustration maybe even condemnation from the Lord.

However, the most lasting and powerful words in today’s readings:

“I am coming…I will save my sheep.”  Says the Lord. (Creighton U. Daily Reflection, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ our householder,” author unknown, from the 5th century A.D.

"The householder [in Matthew's parable - chapter 20] is Christ, to whom the heavens and the earth are like a single house; the family is as it were the multitude of creatures both angelic and earthly. It is as if he built a three-storied house: hell, heaven and earth, so that those struggling may live upon the earth, those conquered below the earth, those conquering in heaven. We too, set in the middle, should strive not to descend to those who are in hell but ascend to those who are in heaven. And in case perhaps you do not know which one you ought to shun or which one you ought to aspire to, he has given you as it were a little taste of both while you live between light and darkness: night as a taste of hell, daylight as a taste of heaven." (excerpt from an incomplete Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, HOMILY 34) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us  Meditation on Matthew 20:1-16 comments that we all possess a sense of justice that cries out, “It’s not fair!” That can be a good thing when it energizes us to address unjust situations in our society. God cares about these things, as should we. But there’s no such thing as “it’s not fair” when it comes to God’s mercy, grace, and the eternal life he died to give every one of us.

Jesus knew we would find this parable jarring; as humans we are so used to limits and comparisons. He told it in order to expand our understanding of how generous God is and how much he longs for us to be united with him. So even if it’s a struggle, today try to imagine the joy you will feel in heaven when your brothers and sisters who came to the vineyard later than you receive the same blessings you are enjoying. What a celebration that will be!

“Jesus, I praise you for the unlimited, never-ending grace and mercy you pour out on me!” (Meditation on Matthew 20:1-16, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler recounts how the kings and priests of Israel preyed upon their flock and how Ezekiel prophesied that God would become their Shepherd. Jesus shared the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in connection with the celebration of the Dedication of the Temple. Friar Jude counters our sense of jealousy with the fact that we have been blessed with great gifts that carry great expectation for our labour in the Vineyard.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, teaches about the trustworthy authority that belongs to those who have stood with and “held” the suffering of their lives and the world—rather than fled and avoided it. Jesus and Mary model such “staying power”

Unfortunately, our natural instinct is trying to fix pain, to control it, or even, foolishly, attempting to understand it. The ego insists on understanding. That’s why Jesus praises a certain quality even more than love, and he calls it faith. It’s the ability to stand in liminal space, to stand on the threshold, to hold contraries, until we are moved by grace to a much deeper level and a much larger frame. Our private pain does not take center stage, but is a mystery shared with every act of bloodshed and every tear wept since the beginning of time. Our pain is not just our own. The normal mind can’t deal with that. That’s why mature religion always teaches some form of contemplation—to break our addiction to this egoic, disconnected thinking. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the gifts of the Spirit we have received to enable our continued labour in the vineyard of the Lord to make His Love and care visible to all with whom we journey.

References

Creighton U. Daily Reflection. (n.d.). Online Ministries. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/081722.html 

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 34. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/34?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 20. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/20?1 

Meditation on Matthew 20:1-16. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/08/17/470168/ 

Psalms, PSALM 23. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/stay-where-the-pain-is-2022-08-17/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=aug17