Faith and Fidelity

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the themes of faith and our fidelity to the love and effort required to live with a heart that is grateful and generous.

Faithful Journey

The Reading from the Prophet Ezekiel is A Parable of Infidelity.

* [16:4–5] In this chapter, Ezekiel represents Jerusalem and Samaria as unwanted, abandoned sisters whom the Lord rescues and cares for. Here the prophet depicts Jerusalem as a newborn female, abandoned and left to die, an accepted practice in antiquity for females, who were considered financial liabilities by their families. That the infant has no one, not even her mother, to tie off her umbilical cord, wash her clean, and wrap her in swaddling clothes emphasizes Jerusalem’s death-like isolation and accentuates the Lord’s gracious action in her behalf. The practice of rubbing the skin of newborns with salt is an attested Palestinian custom that survived into the twentieth century.

* [16:60] Everlasting covenant: Ezekiel foresees God renewing the covenant of Sinai in a new and spirit-empowered way that will not be fatally broken as in the present exile or force God to abandon Israel again; cf. 11:19–21; 36:25–27; 37:26–28. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from the Prophet Isaiah is a Song of Thanksgiving.

* [12:1–6] Israel’s thanksgiving to the Lord, expressed in language like that of the Psalms. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches about Marriage and Divorce.

* [19:3] Tested him: the verb is used of attempts of Jesus’ opponents to embarrass him by challenging him to do something they think impossible (Mt 16:1; Mk 8:11; Lk 11:16) or by having him say something that they can use against him (Mt 22:18, 35; Mk 10:2; 12:15). For any cause whatever: this is peculiar to Matthew and has been interpreted by some as meaning that Jesus was being asked to take sides in the dispute between the schools of Hillel and Shammai on the reasons for divorce, the latter holding a stricter position than the former. It is unlikely, however, that to ask Jesus’ opinion about the differing views of two Jewish schools, both highly respected, could be described as “testing” him, for the reason indicated above.

* [19:4–6] Matthew recasts his Marcan source, omitting Jesus’ question about Moses’ command (Mk 10:3) and having him recall at once two Genesis texts that show the will and purpose of the Creator in making human beings male and female (Gn 1:27), namely, that a man may be joined to his wife in marriage in the intimacy of one flesh (Gn 2:24). What God has thus joined must not be separated by any human being. (The NAB translation of the Hebrew bāśār of Gn 2:24 as “body” rather than “flesh” obscures the reference of Matthew to that text.)

* [19:7] See Dt 24:1–4.

* [19:9] Moses’ concession to human sinfulness (the hardness of your hearts, Mt 19:8) is repudiated by Jesus, and the original will of the Creator is reaffirmed against that concession. (Unless the marriage is unlawful): see note on Mt 5:31–32. There is some evidence suggesting that Jesus’ absolute prohibition of divorce was paralleled in the Qumran community (see 11QTemple 57:17–19; CD 4:12b–5:14). Matthew removes Mark’s setting of this verse as spoken to the disciples alone “in the house” (Mk 10:10) and also his extension of the divorce prohibition to the case of a woman’s divorcing her husband (Mk 10:12), probably because in Palestine, unlike the places where Roman and Greek law prevailed, the woman was not allowed to initiate the divorce.

* [19:11] [This] word: probably the disciples’ “it is better not to marry” (Mt 19:10). Jesus agrees but says that celibacy is not for all but only for those to whom that is granted by God.

* [19:12] Incapable of marriage: literally, “eunuchs.” Three classes are mentioned, eunuchs from birth, eunuchs by castration, and those who have voluntarily renounced marriage (literally, “have made themselves eunuchs”) for the sake of the kingdom, i.e., to devote themselves entirely to its service. Some scholars take the last class to be those who have been divorced by their spouses and have refused to enter another marriage. But it is more likely that it is rather those who have chosen never to marry, since that suits better the optional nature of the decision: whoever can…ought to accept it. (Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jane Stein petitions the Lord with the exhortation: “Teach me to recognize that mission and service is not only what I do, but how I love.”

Your word also speaks to my marriage, Lord, especially as I look toward the thirty-fourth anniversary of marriage with my husband this month. Thank you for the gift of this covenant, for the grace that has carried us through joy and struggle, and for the quiet fidelity that has sustained us over the years. In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that what you have joined together is holy, and that truth gives me peace. Keep teaching us how to love with patience, forgiveness, tenderness, and endurance.

Lord, make my life a living yes to your covenant. Let me remember your goodness, praise you with joy, serve others with compassion, and cherish the sacred bond of marriage as a sign of your faithful love. Through the intercession of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, help me to live each day with a heart that is grateful, generous, and surrendered to you. Amen. (Stein, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Don't separate what God has joined together,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"Then he showed that it is a fearful thing to tamper with this law. When establishing this law, he did not say, 'Therefore, do not sever or separate' but 'What God has joined together, let man not separate.' If you quote Moses, I will quote the God of Moses, and with him I am always strong. For God from the beginning made them male and female. This law is very old, even if it appears human beings have recently discovered it. It is firmly fixed. And God did not simply bring the woman to her husband but ordered her also to leave her father and mother. And he not only ordered the man to go to the woman but also to cling to her, showing by his way of speaking that they could not be separated. And not even with this was God satisfied, but he sought also for another greater union: 'for the two shall be one flesh.'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 62.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the passage from Ezekiel is a parable about Israel like a young woman left to die yet God cared for her as she grows and she became a harlot prostituted with other gods. God will remember the Covenant even though she forgot it through the Hebrew concepts of “hesed and emet”; Covenant love and fidelity. Even if we are not. God is faithful. Jesus says not to divorce and we were created as one flesh from the beginning. Males and females are presented as one entity in the Creation narrative not complete without the other. Friar Jude notes in Jesus Jewish community that if you divorce the marriage is unlawful. The concept of  adultery in Greek, “pornia”, was marriage between people too close in relationship. Otherwise, divorce was not permitted.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 19:3-12 urges us to know that whatever led to the breakup… 

You are still a loved, treasured child of God. Jesus is standing before you with open arms, ready to forgive what needs forgiveness and to heal what needs healing. No matter what has happened and no matter who is at fault, his heart remains open to you.

We all experience hardness of heart in one way or another. We all commit sins and hurt the people around us. But Jesus is stronger than any sin we could ever commit. His love is greater than any resentment or wound we are bearing. It’s also greater than any wound we have caused. He is our merciful and patient Redeemer.

“Lord, bring healing to everyone who has been hurt by divorce.” (Meditation on Matthew 19:3-12, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, considers Franciscan mysticism an invitation to love the divine presence in the world, in ourselves, and in all creation:  

All being can correctly and rightly be spoken of with “one voice” (univocity), as Franciscan theologian John Duns Scotus (1266–1308) would later put it. “What I am, you also are, and so is the world.” Creation is one giant symphony of mutual sympathy, or, as Augustine loved to say, “And thus the end will be the one Christ, loving himself.” [2]

 

To arrive at this mystical vision, I must know that I am, at least in part, the very thing I am seeking. In fact, that is what makes me seek it! God cannot be found “out there” until God is first found “in here,” within ourselves. Then we can almost naturally see God in others and in all creation too. What we seek is what we are. The search for God and the search for our true self are finally the same search. Francis’s all-night prayer, “Who are you, O God, and who am I?” is one the most honest prayers we can offer.

A heart transformed by this realization of oneness knows that only love “in here” can spot and enjoy love “out there.” Thus, all mystics are positive people—or they are not mystics. Their spiritual work is precisely that of recognizing and then handing over all their inner negativity and fear to God. The great paradox here is that such a victory is a total gift from God, and yet we must also want it very much (see Philippians 2:12–13).

 

The central practice in Franciscan mysticism, therefore, is that we must remain in love, which is why it is a commandment as such (John 15:9) and, in fact, the commandment of Jesus. Only when we are eager to love can we see love and goodness in the world around us. We must ourselves remain in peace and then we will see and find peace over there. Remain in beauty, and we will honor beauty everywhere. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to remind us to “Remain in Love” as we journey daily in practice of the ancient concepts of “hesed and emet”.

References

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/16? 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/12? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19?3 

Meditation on Matthew 19:3-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/14/1645383/ 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Remaining in Love. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/remaining-in-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). What God Has Joined Together. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Stein, J. (n.d.). Daily Reflection August 14, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 14, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-14-2026 

Sacrifice Suffering and Love

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Good Friday of Holy Week in the Triduum, challenge us to be aware of the Cross as the Proclamation of Great Love of God for humanity.

Reflect on the Love of God

The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah presents the fourth oracle of the Suffering Servant.

* [52:13–53:12] The last of the “servant of the Lord” oracles (see note on 42:1–4). Taken together, these oracles depict a figure of one called by God for a vocation to Israel and the nations (42:4; 49:5–6); the servant’s exaltation both opens and closes the passage (52:13; 53:12). The servant responded in fidelity but has suffered opposition (50:4–6). In this fourth oracle the servant is characterized as “a man of suffering” (53:3) and appears to be unjustly put to death (53:8–9). Those who have witnessed his career somehow recognize that he is innocent, has undergone suffering for their sins (53:4–6), and his death is referred to as a reparation offering (see note on 53:10–11). The servant is described in ways that identify him with Israel (which is frequently referred to as “servant” in the context of Second Isaiah—e.g., 41:8, 9; 44:2, 21; 43:4) and is designated as “Israel” in 49:3; yet Israel outside the “servant of the Lord” oracles is not presented as sinless, but rather in exile because of sin (40:2; 42:21–25) and even as servant as deaf and blind (42:18–19). The servant is thus both identified with Israel and distinguished from it. As with the previous servant poems, this chapter helped the followers of Jesus to interpret his suffering, death, and resurrection; see especially the passion narratives. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 52 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 31 is a prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies.

* [Psalm 31] A lament (Ps 31:2–19) with a strong emphasis on trust (Ps 31:4, 6, 15–16), ending with an anticipatory thanksgiving (Ps 31:20–24). As is usual in laments, the affliction is couched in general terms. The psalmist feels overwhelmed by evil people but trusts in the “God of truth” (Ps 31:6). (Psalms, PSALM 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, Jesus is proclaimed the Great High Priest.

* [4:14–16] These verses, which return to the theme first sounded in Heb 2:16–3:1, serve as an introduction to the section that follows. The author here alone calls Jesus a great high priest (Heb 4:14), a designation used by Philo for the Logos; perhaps he does so in order to emphasize Jesus’ superiority over the Jewish high priest. He has been tested in every way, yet without sin (Heb 4:15); this indicates an acquaintance with the tradition of Jesus’ temptations, not only at the beginning (as in Mk 1:13) but throughout his public life (cf. Lk 22:28). Although the reign of the exalted Jesus is a theme that occurs elsewhere in Hebrews, and Jesus’ throne is mentioned in Heb 1:8, the throne of grace (Heb 4:16) refers to the throne of God. The similarity of Heb 4:16 to Heb 10:19–22 indicates that the author is thinking of our confident access to God, made possible by the priestly work of Jesus. (Hebrews, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents the Passion Narrative from The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus to the Burial of Jesus.

* [19:14] Noon: Mk 15:25 has Jesus crucified “at the third hour,” which means either 9 A.M. or the period from 9 to 12. Noon, the time when, according to John, Jesus was sentenced to death, was the hour at which the priests began to slaughter Passover lambs in the temple; see Jn 1:29.

* [19:16] He handed him over to them to be crucified: in context this would seem to mean “handed him over to the chief priests.” Lk 23:25 has a similar ambiguity. There is a polemic tendency in the gospels to place the guilt of the crucifixion on the Jewish authorities and to exonerate the Romans from blame. But John later mentions the Roman soldiers (Jn 19:23), and it was to these soldiers that Pilate handed Jesus over.

* [19:17] Carrying the cross himself: a different picture from that of the synoptics, especially Lk 23:26 where Simon of Cyrene is made to carry the cross, walking behind Jesus. In John’s theology, Jesus remained in complete control and master of his destiny (cf. Jn 10:18). Place of the Skull: the Latin word for skull is Calvaria; hence “Calvary.” Golgotha is actually an Aramaic rather than a Hebrew word. (John, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Edward Morse comments that today we are called to pause and behold that which causes us to look away.

For there can be no greater love shown upon this land than
In the one who came to die that we might live.

Behold, behold, the wood of the cross
On which is hung our salvation
O come, let us adore. (Morse, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ nailed our weakness to the cross,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"As evening drew near, the Lord yielded up His soul upon the cross in the certainty of receiving it back again. It was not wrested from Him against His will. But we too were represented there. Christ had nothing to hang upon the cross except the body He had received from us. And in doing so He nailed our human weakness to the cross." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 140,5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 52:13–53:12 comments that the first reading from the prophet Isaiah helps us ponder the amazing truth about how Jesus endured all that pain to save humanity.

If he gives his life as an offering for sin, . . . the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him (53:10). Jesus, you are the Lamb of God, the One who takes away the sins of the world. At any time, you could have stopped your agony. But you freely offered yourself so that I could be set free from the power of sin and death. You have redeemed me and restored me as a child of God. Thank you, Jesus—you did it for me!

“Lord Jesus, as I gaze at your cross today, I give you thanks for everything you chose to bear—for me!” (Meditation on Isaiah 52:13–53:12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler offers some detailed comments on Jesus' choice of the title “Son of God” and the Songs of the Suffering Servant in His self description. Hebrews proclaims Jesus as the High Priest and the Sacrifice and Friar Jude clarifies the connection of “perfect” to Jesus Priesthood. Friar Jude teaches about the strong proclamation of the Divinity of Jesus, the use of a literary chiasm, resonance with Levirate marriage as our heritage, the Paschal Lamb, and the Garden of Eden in the Gospel of John. Friar Jude reminds us of the growth of the faith of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, invites us to consider how loving surrender leads to softened hearts. On Good Friday, we lament Jesus’ death while living in hope that death does not have the last word on our destiny. We are born with a longing, desire, and deep hope that this thing called life could somehow last forever. It is a premonition from something eternal that is already within us. Some would call it the soul. Christians would call it the indwelling presence of God. It is God within us that makes us desire and seek God.

The crucifixion of Jesus is the preeminent example of God’s love reaching out to us. It is at the same moment the worst and best thing in human history. The Franciscans, led by John Duns Scotus, even claimed that instead of a “necessary sacrifice,” the cross was a freely chosen revelation of total love on God’s part.  

In so doing, they reversed the engines of almost all world religion up to that point, which assumed that we had to spill blood to get to a distant and demanding God. On the cross, the Franciscans believed, God was “spilling blood” to reach out to us! This is a sea change in consciousness. The cross, instead of being a transaction, was seen as a dramatic demonstration of God’s outpouring love, meant to utterly shock the heart and turn it back toward trust and love of the Creator. [2]  

I believe that the cross is an image for our own time and every time: We are invited to gaze upon the image of the crucified Jesus to soften our hearts toward all suffering. The cross beckons us to what we would call “grief work,” holding the mystery of pain, looking right at it, and learning from it. With softened hearts, God leads us to an uncanny and newfound compassion and understanding. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We witness the bareness of our Church on Good Friday as we attend to the promptings of the Spirit to explore love, sacrifice, and the violence that accompanies the attempt to reject our destiny as brothers and sisters of Christ called to reveal the truth about Love. 

References

Hebrews, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/4?14 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 52 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/52?13 

John, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/19 

Meditation on Isaiah 52:13–53:12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/18/1250299/ 

Morse, E. (2025, April 18). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/041825.html 

Psalms, PSALM 31 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/31?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Praying for Softened Hearts. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/praying-for-softened-hearts/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 18, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr18