Providence Parents and Peace

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the image of God as a loving parent and exhort us to be loving “parents” in our relationship with the people in our communities.

Parents and Peace

The Reading from the Prophet Hosea presents Disappointment of a Parent in Israel’s response.

* [11:4] I drew them…with bands of love: perhaps a reversal of the yoke imagery of the previous chapter, i.e., not forcing them like draft animals, but drawing them with kindness and affection.

* [11:8] Admah…Zeboiim: cities in the vicinity of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gn 14:2, 8) and destroyed with them (Gn 19:24–25; Dt 29:22). (Hosea, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 80 complains that God has broken down the wall protecting the once splendid vine brought from Egypt.

* [Psalm 80] A community lament in time of military defeat. Using the familiar image of Israel as a vineyard, the people complain that God has broken down the wall protecting the once splendid vine brought from Egypt (Ps 80:9–14). They pray that God will again turn to them and use the Davidic king to lead them to victory (Ps 80:15–19). (Psalms, PSALM 80 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus exhorts the Twelve to share the Word freely.

* [10:8–11] The Twelve have received their own call and mission through God’s gift, and the benefits they confer are likewise to be given freely. They are not to take with them money, provisions, or unnecessary clothing; their lodging and food will be provided by those who receive them.

* [10:13] The greeting of peace is conceived of not merely as a salutation but as an effective word. If it finds no worthy recipient, it will return to the speaker.

* [10:14] Shake the dust from your feet: this gesture indicates a complete disassociation from such unbelievers. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Andy Alexander, SJ, comments that God loves us with affectionate love, no matter how we stray from that relationship. We can ask for the desire to respond in prayer, asking for the grace to be missioned to love, similar to the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.

                  

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

          Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

          Where there is injury, pardon.

          Where there is doubt, faith.

          Where there is despair, hope.

          Where there is darkness, light.

          Where there is sadness, joy.

 

  

        O Divine Master,

          grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled,

          as to console;

          to be understood, as to understand;

          to be loved, as to love.

          For it is in giving that we receive.

          It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

          and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

 

May our Lord renew us in an experience of a loving relationship and show us our path in being his disciples in our everyday lives. (Alexander, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The gift of power to reign with the Lord,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"All the power possessed by the Lord is bestowed upon the apostles! Those who were prefigured in the image and likeness of God in Adam have now received the perfect image and likeness of Christ. They have been given powers in no way different from those of the Lord. Those once earthbound now become heaven-centered. They will proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, that the image and likeness of God are now appropriated in the company of truth, so that all the holy ones who have been made heirs of heaven may reign with the Lord. Let them cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out devils. Whatever impairment Adam's body had incurred from being goaded on by Satan, let the apostles wipe away through their sharing in the Lord's power. And that they may fully obtain the likeness of God according to the prophecy in Genesis, they are ordered to give freely what they freely have received (Matthew 10:8). Thus a gift freely bestowed should be freely dispensed." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 10.4) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Hosea in the earlier prophecy looked at the relationship between husband and wife in imagery to illustrate the nature of God. Now Hosea offers the relationship between a father and a child as has rescued and taught the people and they worshipped pagan gods in rebellion. Hosea declares the answer of “ I am God not a man”. God is always faithful. Sin means we turn away. Conversion is to turn back again. Jesus sent the apostles on a mission and instructed them not to take anything. Show the Kingdom in works and well as words. Trust the hospitality of those to whom we minister. Friar Jude reminds us Faith is a gift from God and if they have not received it yet,  we plant seeds that may not come to fruition in our time. Trust in Providence.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:7-15 comments that we truly are members of a glorious family of faith, coheirs to an inheritance that is kept for us in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). We have received—without cost to us—the good news of salvation and the chance to experience new life in Jesus Christ. This unearned, unpurchased gift is of immeasurable value.

You received your faith without cost—so give it away! Look for a chance to share the good news with someone, and trust God to give you the right words to say. It could be as simple as sharing an insight from Mass with your coworker or asking a friend how you can pray for them. Whatever it is, have confidence that the Lord has anointed you to give what he has freely given you.

“Lord, help me to share your good news today!” (Meditation on Matthew 10:7-15, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, connects righteousness with justice. The peace activist John Dear, who has spent his life working for nonviolence, writes about this beatitude.

How do we hunger and thirst for justice? By making global justice a priority in our lives. This beatitude requires us to join a grassroots movement that fights one or two issues of injustice and to get deeply involved in the struggle. Since all issues of injustice are connected, fighting one injustice puts us squarely in the struggle against every injustice. As Martin Luther King Jr. said over and over again, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Befriend the victims of systemic injustice, side with them, listen to their stories, let their pain break your heart, join the movements to end injustice, tithe your money to the cause, and commit yourself to the struggle….

While [it] may take a long time, our nonviolent persistence and truth-telling will eventually win out and bear the good fruit of justice. Truth is on our side; God is on the side of justice. “The arc of the moral universe is long,” Martin Luther King Jr. said famously, “but it bends toward justice.” [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We are assured that the Spirit supports and empowers our mission to serve the people on our journey in Jesus Way trusting in Providence.

References

Alexander, A. (2026, July 9). Daily Reflection July 9, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-9-2026 

Hosea, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/11? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10? 

Meditation on Matthew 10:7-15. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/08/1610528/ 

Psalms, PSALM 80 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/80?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Thirsting for Justice. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/thirsting-for-justice/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Freely Have You Received - Freely Give. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Misunderstanding and Mission

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, Saturday in the Octave of Easter, resonate with the experience we may have had when the intent of our actions have been misunderstood and we have had to proceed in spite of our being misunderstood.

Continue to Care

In the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John are questioned before the Sanhedrin.

* [4:1] The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees: the priests performed the temple liturgy; the temple guard was composed of Levites, whose captain ranked next after the high priest. The Sadducees, a party within Judaism at this time, rejected those doctrines, including bodily resurrection, which they believed alien to the ancient Mosaic religion. The Sadducees were drawn from priestly families and from the lay aristocracy.

* [4:11] Early Christianity applied this citation from Ps 118:22 to Jesus; cf. Mk 12:10; 1 Pt 2:7. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 118 recounts God’s rescue.

The people confidently implored God’s help (Ps 118:5–9) when hostile peoples threatened its life (Ps 118:10–14); vividly God’s rescue is recounted (Ps 118:15–18). Then follows a possible dialogue at the Temple gates between the priests and the psalmist as the latter enters to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice (Ps 118:19–25). Finally, the priests impart their blessing (Ps 118:26–27), and the psalmist sings in gratitude (Ps 118:28–29). (Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark presents a general resume of the material concerning the appearances of the risen Jesus.

* [16:9–20] This passage, termed the Longer Ending to the Marcan gospel by comparison with a much briefer conclusion found in some less important manuscripts, has traditionally been accepted as a canonical part of the gospel and was defined as such by the Council of Trent. Early citations of it by the Fathers indicate that it was composed by the second century, although vocabulary and style indicate that it was written by someone other than Mark. It is a general resume of the material concerning the appearances of the risen Jesus, reflecting, in particular, traditions found in Lk 24 and Jn 20. (Mark, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Michele Bogard shares that faith defies logic. It is a conversation she has many times nowadays when people ask “How I can still be Catholic in today’s day and age.” And despite all the madness across the lands, she shares that faith defies logic.

Mary Magdalene’s faith defied logic. Jesus appeared to a woman first post-resurrection. …

Her faith defied logic and the law. Her faith and story of repentance cast her into a role that made her the perfect “apostle to the apostles,” as some say. Humility trumps position, wealth, and power. 

Today I celebrate the Resurrection story. I also celebrate Mary Magdalene’s faith and courage to proclaim what she saw and witnessed. I celebrate that God dignified women in this pivotal moment in our collective faith story. (Bogard, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Great Commission,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

"The command to the apostles to be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts of the earth was not addressed exclusively to those to whom it was immediately spoken. They alone would not be the only ones who would carry such an enormous task to completion. Similarly he seems to be speaking to the apostles very personally when he says: "Behold I am with you even to the end of the world," yet who does not know that he made this promise to the universal church which will last from now even to the consummation of the world by successive births and deaths?" (excerpt from Letter 199, To Hesychius 49) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 16:9-15 comments that even though they doubted and didn’t believe those Easter eyewitnesses, Jesus still didn’t give up on the Eleven who were very close to Jesus during his three years of ministry.

Jesus hasn’t given up on you, either. Maybe you serve in a ministry in your church. Maybe you’ve been a faithful Catholic all your life. Maybe you’ve participated in numerous Bible studies. But you still might let doubt or unbelief get the better of you at times. Even then, Jesus still tells you, Go, proclaim the gospel.

If you’ve found yourself less excited about sharing the good news than you once were, remember the Eleven. You are not disqualified by your lack of confidence or zeal. Keep sharing the gospel, keep sharing your testimony of what God has done in your life, and keep shining the light of Christ through your joy, your kindness, and your good deeds.

“Jesus, thank you for calling me to share your good news. Help me to shine for you today.” (Meditation on Mark 16:9-15, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts, the Sanhedrin have called in Peter and John after the kerygma and first healing. They are very cheeky and challenge the judges to determine if they should obey God or the authorities. The Longer Ending to the Gospel of Mark, after verse 8, needed some additions to improve the ending. Friar Jude notes that a scribe likely has added material from other Gospels: from John for the encounter with Mary Magdalene, the Emmaus from Luke and commissioning of the Apostles from Matthew. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces peace activist Father John Dear who finds encouragement for living a nonviolent life in Jesus’s words to his disciples after his resurrection.

When he rose from the dead and appeared to his awe-struck disciples on that Easter Sunday night, [Jesus] told them repeatedly, “Peace be with you.” He showed them his wounds, and repeated his greeting, “Peace be with you.” In that resurrection moment, he offered a peace that is not of this world. It is the peace that comes about through total surrender, nonviolence, non-retaliation, and unconditional, universal love. If, like the nonviolent Jesus, we choose not to respond to violence with further violence, if we dare respond with love, surrender ourselves to God, and practice creative nonviolence, then, come what may, we will know a new kind of peace.

…

If we dare surrender to the God of Universal Love and Peace right now, then we can go forth into the world of violence and war, without fear, worry, anxiety, or anger, and be transforming agents of loving nonviolence like Gandhi and Dr. King, and know, with the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich, that “all will be well, all will be well, all manner of things will be well.” (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek reassurance from the Spirit that “all will be well” as we act in response to our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader in our environment.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/4?13 

Bogard, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-11-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/16?9 

Meditation on Mark 16:9-15. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/11/1541283/ 

Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/118?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Easter Story: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-easter-story-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Go and Preach the Gospel to the Whole Creation. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/