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/ 

Building on the Rock

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to confront the distractions and obstacles that may be interfering with our release from the captivity of the world.

The Rock as our Foundation

The Reading from the Second Book of Kings presents the Reign of Jehoiachin

* [24:12] The eighth year of his reign: that is, of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, not Jehoiachin’s. The year was 597 B.C.

* [24:14] People of the land: see note on 11:14. (2 Kings, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 79 is a lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple.

* [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, PSALM 79 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus identifies the True Disciple and our choice between The Two Foundations.

* [7:15–20] Christian disciples who claimed to speak in the name of God are called prophets (Mt 7:15) in Mt 10:41; Mt 23:34. They were presumably an important group within the church of Matthew. As in the case of the Old Testament prophets, there were both true and false ones, and for Matthew the difference could be recognized by the quality of their deeds, the fruits (Mt 7:16). The mention of fruits leads to the comparison with trees, some producing good fruit, others bad.

* [7:21–23] The attack on the false prophets is continued, but is broadened to include those disciples who perform works of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus (Lord) but live evil lives. Entrance into the kingdom is only for those who do the will of the Father. On the day of judgment (on that day) the morally corrupt prophets and miracle workers will be rejected by Jesus.

* [7:23] I never knew you: cf. Mt 10:33. Depart from me, you evildoers: cf. Ps 6:9.

* [7:24–27] The conclusion of the discourse (cf. Lk 6:47–49). Here the relation is not between saying and doing as in Mt 7:15–23 but between hearing and doing, and the words of Jesus are applied to every Christian (everyone who listens).

* [7:28–29] When Jesus finished these words: this or a similar formula is used by Matthew to conclude each of the five great discourses of Jesus (cf. Mt 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). (Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. George Meze, SJ, comments that today’s Gospel reminds us that love is shown through our actions. Obeying God’s Will is like building a house on solid rock.

The good news is that God never gives up on us. St. Ignatius noted that God’s help always remains available even if we do not perceive it clearly. He goes on to add that even in deep desolations, God still provides sufficient grace for our salvation. We know that God’s grace of repentance is always available despite our infinite folly. His will for us is to return to Him without measure.

Repentance is God’s infinite love, through which we can always begin. This, to me, is the priceless treasure that God provides without measure to help us do His Will. It is from this gift of repentance that we find the strength to do His will more and more each day. (Meze, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The house falls if Christ is not the rock and foundation,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

"'For neither death nor life nor angels nor other things can separate us from the love of Christ' (Romans 8:38-39). Neither can the flooding of rivers, as in the lands of Egypt and Assyria [symbolize worldly wisdom opposed to God], do harm. Only those are harmed who build on sand, who practice the wisdom of the world. The winds that blow are like the false prophets. All these, coming together in one place, 'beat upon' the house. If it is founded on rock, they do no harm. 'The way of a snake upon a rock' is not to be found (Proverbs 30:19). But in the form of temptations and persecutions, which may mount into a flood, they beat upon even the one who seems to be well-founded. The house falls if it does not have Christ as its basis and foundation. But the truly wise person builds one's house 'upon a rock.' This is the way the Lord builds his church - upon the rock, with steadfastness and strength. This is why 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matthew 16:18). All the persecutions that fall upon that house accomplish nothing. The house is founded upon the rock. (excerpt from FRAGMENT 153) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:21-29 comments that for the past three chapters of his Gospel, Matthew has been giving us Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7): Be poor in spirit. Hunger and thirst for righteousness. Stop judging. Turn the other cheek. Treat everyone as you want to be treated. Pray, fast, and give alms—but do it in secret. Seek first the kingdom of God.

Consider taking time today to slowly read over these words of Jesus a few times. As you do, see if the Holy Spirit highlights a verse or two that seems to speak directly to you.

If something sticks out, sit with it for a few moments. Is there something that God is asking you to focus on? Is there some action he is asking you to take? Some sin to confess? Some change he wants you to make? Write down whatever comes to mind and see how you can live it out more fully. Know that as you do, you’ll be taking that next step of building on the solid, reliable foundation of Jesus’ words.

“Lord, help me to build my life on you alone!” (Meditation on Matthew 7:21-29, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in 2 Kings the defeat of King Jehoiakim by the Babylonians  and the nobles deported to Babylon in 597 BCE is the first exile. Zedekiah ruled until 587 BCE and the second exile continued until 539 BCE and Cyrus the Great freed the Jews in 538 BC primarily as a strategic political maneuver to ensure loyalty across his newly conquered territories. In the first exile, Ezekiel is taken and he becomes a prophet outside of Israel raising questions about a true prophet existing outside of Israel. Everyone who proclaims “Lord, Lord” as a superficial act of worship is going through the motions but our faith must be totally grounded. Friar Jude notes the faithful will stand firm in difficult situations and reject the feeling of failure in an attitude of surrender to the Lord.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces organizer and activist Mariame Kaba who reflects on hope as a discipline. Kaba describes how short-term thinking prevents us from accessing hope.

I take a long view, understanding full well that I’m just a tiny, little part of a story that already has a huge antecedent and has something that is going to come after that. I’m definitely not going to be even close to around for seeing the end of it. That also puts me in the right frame of mind: that … [what] I’m doing is actually pretty insignificant in world history, but if it’s significant to one or two people, I feel good about that….

I talk to a lot of young organizers.… I’m always telling them—“Your timeline is not the timeline on which movements occur. Your timeline is incidental. Your timeline is only for yourself to mark your growth and your living.” But that’s a fraction of the living that’s going to be done by the universe and that has already been done by the universe. When you understand that you’re really insignificant in the grand scheme of things, then it’s a freedom, in my opinion, to actually be able to do the work that’s necessary as you see it and to contribute in the ways that you see fit. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to enlighten our contemplation of Jesus instruction in the Sermon on the Mount and inspire our faith and hope to act as disciples of Christ in our environment. 

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7? 

Meditation on Matthew 7:21-29. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/25/1600045/ 

Meze, G. (2026, June 25). Daily Reflection June 25, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-25-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 79 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Hope Is a Discipline. CAC.org. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/hope-is-a-discipline/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Wise Who Built Their House upon the Rock. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/24? 

Judgement, Persecution and Destruction

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today recall the Destruction and Disaster of Biblical Wars in contrast with Jesus' love and compassion.

Upend notions of retributive justice

The Reading from the Book of Daniel describes The Seventy Weeks of Years.

* [9:2] Seventy years: Jeremiah was understood to prophesy a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation (Jer 25:11; 29:10). On this view Jeremiah’s prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (Dn 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to encompass the period of Seleucid persecution. (Daniel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 79 laments the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C.

* [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, PSALM 79 | USCCB, n.d.)

The “Sermon on the Plain” in the Gospel of Luke exhorts us to avoid Judging Others.

* [6:20–49] Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” is the counterpart to Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5:1–7:27). It is addressed to the disciples of Jesus, and, like the sermon in Matthew, it begins with beatitudes (Lk 6:20–22) and ends with the parable of the two houses (Lk 6:46–49). Almost all the words of Jesus reported by Luke are found in Matthew’s version, but because Matthew includes sayings that were related to specifically Jewish Christian problems (e.g., Mt 5:17–20; 6:1–8, 16–18) that Luke did not find appropriate for his predominantly Gentile Christian audience, the “Sermon on the Mount” is considerably longer. Luke’s sermon may be outlined as follows: an introduction consisting of blessings and woes (Lk 6:20–26); the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36); the demands of loving one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42); good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (Lk 6:43–45); a parable illustrating the result of listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (Lk 6:46–49). At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity. (Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Elvin Cardoso, SJ, comments that forgiving small hurts may seem manageable, like a harsh word from a spouse, an embarrassing moment at work, or a misunderstanding among friends. But what about deeper wounds?

“Stop judging… stop condemning… forgive and you will be forgiven” (Lk 6:37). These words feel counterintuitive in a world driven by retaliation and fear. But spiritually, we know the truth: we all miss the mark. We all depend daily on forgiveness. And God never withholds it. Divine love always precedes our efforts; it is the source from which our mercy flows. The mercy we receive is universal, constant, and unconditional. If we are created in God’s likeness, then such mercy is deeply rooted within us to be shown to others as well.

The message of the readings today, then, is this revelation: we are loved beyond measure. From that overflowing love, we are empowered to love and forgive beyond what seems humanly possible. To be merciful as the Father is merciful is our challenge, our calling, and our hope—not just for today or during Lent, but to be practiced every day. (Cardoso, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes The Practice of Mercy, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The practice of mercy is twofold: when vengeance is sacrificed and when compassion is shown. The Lord included both of these in his brief sentence: 'Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you.' This work has the effect of purifying the heart, so that, even under the limitations of this life, we are enabled with pure mind to see the immutable reality of God. There is something holding us back, which has to be loosed so that our sight may break through to the light. In connection with this the Lord said, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.' Therefore the next and sixth step is that cleansing of the heart." (excerpt from Letter 171A.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Daniel offers a penitential prayer for the suffering of those who have sinned but now he seeks “hesed”, covenant love and “emet” faithfulness as characteristics of God in Hebrew faith. Punishment is meant to be therapeutic, calling us back and we can't do it on our own. Rejecting judging means we cannot judge people as evil but as broken. We can give of ourselves in forgiveness and we are free of the burden of rancour on our hearts. Friar Jude notes that God fills our heart with the overflowing love and our ability to accept or reject God's Love increases or decreases with our choice to act with love or retribution.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 6:36-38 comments that Jesus warns us, “The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” (Luke 6:38). He would much rather have us treat one another with mercy, even to the point where he promises, “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (6:37).

Above all, think about the way he forgave those who condemned him to death, those who nailed his hands and feet to the cross, and those who stood by and jeered and taunted him while he hung there (Luke 23:34). Jesus’ persecutors were acting cruelly, no doubt, but they were blinded by their ignorance and their inability to see in Jesus the mercy that could set them free. And so many times, this is true of us—we condemn because we cannot see. We cannot see the whole person we are condemning, and we cannot see the image of God in them. May the Lord open our eyes and teach us to see through his eyes of mercy!

“Jesus, teach me to be merciful as you are merciful!” (Meditation on Luke 6:36-38, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers how God used the prophets to upend notions of retributive justice, which prevail in most cultures to this day.

By his final verses, Amos sees God as more merciful and more compassionate, even as he continues to lament Israel’s foolishness and failures:

That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David,

Make good the gaps in it,

Restore the ancient ruins,

And rebuild its ancient ruins (Amos 9:11).

Amos is inaugurating a revolution in our understanding of how divine love operates among us. This is no longer retribution or punishment, but a full reordering. It is such divine extravagance, a philosophy of “love them into loving me back”, that sets the pattern for all the prophets to follow. He represents a strong and clear movement away from retribution and punishment to what will become a new covenant of restorative justice that we see worked out in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and, of course, in the life of Jesus. This changes everything, or at least it should. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit, in a world driven by retaliation and fear, to guide us in expressing a philosophy of “love them into loving me back” as we advocate for peace and reconciliation for all people through our observance of Lent and Ramadan.

References

Cardoso, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-2-2026 

Daniel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/9?4 

Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/6?36 

Meditation on Luke 6:36-38. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/02/1511131/ 

Psalms, PSALM 79 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. A Prophet’s Call for Justice. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-prophets-call-for-justice/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Be Merciful as Your Father Is Merciful. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/