The Word of Healing

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to retrieve from our lamentation over our losses the call to be a word of hope to fellow travelers both grand and little.

Healing and Hope

The Reading from the Book of Lamentations presents The Lord’s Wrath and Zion’s Ruin.

* [2:11] My eyes are spent with tears, my stomach churns: the poet appropriates the emotional language used by Zion in 1:16 and 1:20 to express a progressively stronger commitment to her cause. After describing the systematic dismantling of the city in vv. 5–9, the poet turns to the plight of the inhabitants in vv. 10–12. It is the description of children dying in the streets that finally brings about the poet’s emotional breakdown, even as it did for Zion in 1:16.

* [2:13] To what can I compare you…?: the author calls attention to the poetic task: to find language that speaks adequately of the atrocities and incomparable suffering experienced by Zion, and thus to attempt to offer comfort. (Lamentations, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

 Psalm 74 is a lament sung when the enemy invaded the Temple.

* [Psalm 74] A communal lament sung when the enemy invaded the Temple; it would be especially appropriate at the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Israel’s God is urged to look upon the ruined sanctuary and remember the congregation who worshiped there (Ps 74:1–11). People and sanctuary are bound together; an attack on Zion is an attack on Israel. In the second half of the poem, the community brings before God the story of their origins—their creation (Ps 74:12–17)—in order to move God to reenact that deed of creation now. Will God allow a lesser power to destroy the divine project (Ps 74:18–23)? (Psalms, PSALM 74 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents Healing of a Centurion’s Servant and Cure of Peter’s Mother-in-Law.

* [8:5] A centurion: a military officer commanding a hundred men. He was probably in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee; see note on Mt 14:1.

* [8:8–9] Acquainted by his position with the force of a command, the centurion expresses faith in the power of Jesus’ mere word.

* [8:10] In no one in Israel: there is good textual attestation (e.g., Codex Sinaiticus) for a reading identical with that of Lk 7:9, “not even in Israel.” But that seems to be due to a harmonization of Matthew with Luke.

* [8:11–12] Matthew inserts into the story a Q saying (see Lk 13:28–29) about the entrance of Gentiles into the kingdom and the exclusion of those Israelites who, though descended from the patriarchs and members of the chosen nation (the children of the kingdom), refused to believe in Jesus. There will be wailing and grinding of teeth: the first occurrence of a phrase used frequently in this gospel to describe final condemnation (Mt 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). It is found elsewhere in the New Testament only in Lk 13:28.

* [8:14–15] Cf. Mk 1:29–31. Unlike Mark, Matthew has no implied request by others for the woman’s cure. Jesus acts on his own initiative, and the cured woman rises and waits not on “them” (Mk 1:31) but on him.

* [8:16] By a word: a Matthean addition to Mk 1:34; cf. 8:8.

* [8:17] This fulfillment citation from Is 53:4 follows the MT, not the LXX. The prophet speaks of the Servant of the Lord who suffers vicariously for the sins (“infirmities”) of others; Matthew takes the infirmities as physical afflictions. (Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Rashmi Fernando, SJ, comments that the Gospel today is a reminder that Christ’s mission is always to heal, restore, and give life. He enters our fears, our wounds, our anxieties, our disappointments, and our brokenness. He still bears our infirmities and carries our burdens.

Perhaps the Lord is inviting us today to become like the centurion: humble enough to admit our need, compassionate enough to care for others, and trusting enough to believe that one word from Christ can change everything.

 

Three questions to ponder:

1.    In what areas of my life have I limited God’s power to my own expectations, assumptions, or understanding?

2.    In what areas of my life do I feel called to approach Jesus with the humility, trust, and faith of the centurion, recognizing my deep need for His grace and healing?

3.    Who is the “servant” in my life today—a family member, friend, colleague, stranger, or even an enemy—for whom I am called to intercede, care, and pray with humility, compassion, and faith? (Fernando, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Welcoming the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and humility,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When the Lord promised to go to the centurion's house to heal his servant, the centurion answered, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.' By viewing himself as unworthy, he showed himself worthy for Christ to come not merely into his house but also into his heart. He would not have said this with such great faith and humility if he had not already welcomed in his heart the One who came into his house. It would have been no great joy for the Lord Jesus to enter into his house and not to enter his heart. For the Master of humility both by word and example sat down also in the house of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon, and though he sat down in his house, there was no place in his heart. For in his heart the Son of Man could not lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). (excerpt from SERMON 62.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 8:5-17 comments that the faith of this Gentile amazed Jesus! It was simple and sure, just the kind of faith that God was looking for. And it’s a great example for us. We don’t have to prove our worthiness in order to come to Jesus with our needs.

So let’s bring our needs before Jesus today with the kind of faith that the centurion showed—a faith that amazed and pleased Jesus. Let’s approach the Lord in humility, knowing that we can’t come to him on our own merit. But let’s also come with the confidence that a mere word from Jesus has the power to move mountains.

“Lord, though I am not worthy, I trust in your power and your love. Say the word, and heal me and those for whom I pray.” (Meditation on Matthew 8:5-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today In Lamentations, a section that laments the destruction of Jerusalem and the sufferings the people undergo. We don’t have to hide our emotions but like the Jews we want God to be part of our sufferings . Our devotion to the Sacred is God seeing that our hearts are broken. The centurion does not have to require Jesus to come to his home This is a gracious act as Jesus would be considered unclean. The Centurion knows the word will heal that servant. The passage from the Gospel of Matthew becomes a taunt and Matthew cites Isaiah to show how Jesus took away our infirmities and bore our diseases. The belief in One God means God has to be the God of all nations and Jesus fulfills this proclamation in His healing of the centurion’s servant.

Richard Rohr introduces Dr. Luther E. Smith Jr. who describes how singing as a spiritual practice can enable us to embody hope. Dr. Smith comments that Howard Thurman’s meditation “I Will Sing a New Song” builds on the Psalm 40 phrase “He [God] put a new song in my mouth,” which describes the creative response persons “must” make when previous understandings and efforts have proven deficient. In part it reads:

I will sing a new song

I must learn the new song for the new needs.

I must fashion new words born of all the new growth

            of my life—of my mind—of my spirit. [1]

The meditation names a faithful response to hope—a response that births faithful hopefulness. Singing a new song is both a means to and a sign of personal transformation. Transformation to God-centered hopefulness and beloved community is hope’s enlivening purpose…. (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the richness of human culture through which the Spirit is invoked to join our lamentation in the songs and music that help carry us through hope to faith and love.

References

Fernando, R. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-27-2026 

Lamentations, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/lamentations/2? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?5 

Meditation on Matthew 8:5-17. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/27/1601158/ 

Psalms, PSALM 74 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/74?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/hope-in-hard-times-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Say the Word and My Servant Will Be Healed. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

 

Hearing and Doing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be people who demonstrate the words we proclaim through the actions in which we are involved.

From Word to Action

The Reading from the Prophet Joel presents The Lord’s Case Against the Nations.

* [4:2] Valley of Jehoshaphat: one of the symbolic names of the place of punishment for Judah’s enemies; the other is “Valley of Decision” (v. 14). The name Jehoshaphat means “the Lord judges.” If the popular identification of this place as the Kidron Valley is accurate, Joel may imagine the Lord seated above the valley on Mount Zion directing his troops in the destruction of nations in the valley below.

* [4:4–8] This prose material may be a later addition to the book. It illustrates a common biblical theme (cf. Ps 7:16; 9:16; 35:8; 37:14–15; 57:7), having one’s evil deed (selling Judahites into slavery) turned into one’s own punishment (being sold into slavery by the Judahites).

* [4:8] Sabeans: traders from the southwestern tip of the Arabian peninsula, present-day Yemen (cf. 1 Kgs 10:1–2; Ps 72:10; Jer 6:20).

* [4:10] The Lord directs the troops to forge military weapons out of the agricultural tools necessary for life during peacetime. In Is 2:4 and Mi 4:3, both in contexts presuming the defeat of Israel’s enemies, this imagery is reversed.

* [4:13] Their crimes are numerous: the nations are ripe for punishment. Joel uses the vocabulary of the autumn grape harvest to describe the assault of the Lord’s army against these nations. In Is 63:1–6, grape harvest imagery also controls the description of the Lord’s return from Edom with blood-spattered clothing after having trod his enemies into the ground as if they were grapes (cf. Jer 25:30).

* [4:17] Then you will know: this verse further develops the motif of knowledge introduced in 2:27. The Judahites will learn that the Lord is present in their economic prosperity and political autonomy, even though they did not associate God’s presence with their crop failure.

* [4:18] Images of agricultural abundance illustrate the harmony and order Joel expects the Lord to establish in Judah; like 2:18–27, this section reverses the deprivation and drought of chap. 1. A spring…house of the LORD: streams of water flowing from the Temple of an ideal Jerusalem also appear in Ez 47:1. The Valley of Shittim: or “the ravine of the acacia trees”; while there is a Shittim east of the Jordan, the reference here is probably to that rocky part of the Kidron Valley southeast of Jerusalem, an arid region where acacia trees flourished. (Joel, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)

Psalm 97 rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers.

* [Psalm 97] The hymn begins with God appearing in a storm, a traditional picture of some ancient Near Eastern gods (Ps 97:1–6); cf. Ps 18:8–16; Mi 1:3–4; Heb 3:3–15. Israel rejoices in the overthrowing of idol worshipers and their gods (Ps 97:7–9) and the rewarding of the faithful righteous (Ps 97:10–12). (Psalms, PSALM 97, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus exhorts us to True Blessedness

* [11:27–28] The beatitude in Lk 11:28 should not be interpreted as a rebuke of the mother of Jesus; see note on Lk 8:21. Rather, it emphasizes (like Lk 2:35) that attentiveness to God’s word is more important than biological relationship to Jesus. (Luke, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)

Margo Minnich comments that we hear Jesus say, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” These words focus the listener on the deep reality of discipleship. Intimacy with God is not about proximity to Him, but about participation in His work. This is a personal call to be not just a listener but a doer of the Word.

We can connect these seemingly disparate readings by considering how our lives dedicated to the Word of God allow us to dwell in His refuge. God’s protection comes in our relationship sustained by faith and fidelity to God’s teachings. Saint Ignatius reminds us that love is shown more in our actions than in words.

To “observe” God’s word is to let it challenge us to act in ways that preference God’s glory over our own comfort, and to align our daily actions with His teaching. Today’s readings present God as both our refuge and our mission. 

We can begin our prayer today in gratitude, recalling a time when God has been a refuge to us personally. We can then listen for Jesus’ invitation to live his word by asking ourselves, “Where is God calling me to act today? How can I serve as His refuge for others today?” (Minnich, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Blessings for hearing and keeping the Word,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ. To someone who said, 'Blessed is the womb that bore you,' he replied, 'Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.' Finally, for his brothers, his relatives according to the flesh who did not believe in him, of what advantage was that relationship? Even her maternal relationship would have done Mary no good unless she had borne Christ more happily in her heart than in her flesh." (excerpt from HOLY VIRGINITY 3.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:27-28 invites us to join the company of saints and angels in heaven every time you say no to temptation and yes to Jesus. Francis of Assisi, Thérèse of Lisieux, Augustine, Mother Teresa, and all the rest rejoice. So does Mary, our mother!

But what’s even more amazing is that your yes to God, offered with faith and acceptance, is no less valuable in God’s eyes than the yes offered by every saint. It’s no less valuable than Mary’s own yes to the angel. That’s how much he loves you.

“Lord, help me to stay focused on listening to your word and keeping it with all my heart!” (Meditation on Luke 11:27-28, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the reading from Joel about the Day of the Lord that declares people will receive what they deserve. God will take care of Zion while the enemies are punished. The remnant of the exile will live in God’s peace. Blessed womb and breast and blessed are those who hear the Word and obey it. In Luke, Mary, the perfect disciple, is one who did hear the Word and obeyed it through her trust in God’s promise. Friar Jude notes that when we live as Catholics we commit ourselves to trust in God in the events of our lives.

Fr. Mike Schmitz points out how advice from books like Proverbs and Sirach may not apply perfectly to every situation, but are meant to help guide us towards wisdom. He also highlights a piece from Sirach that encourages us to avoid "deserted places"—calling us not only to stay away from sin, but to stay away from what leads us to sin. The readings are 1 Maccabees 3, Sirach 7-9, and Proverbs 22:5-8.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, who critiques the “grind culture” engendered by capitalism and reminds us of our divine right to rest in body and mind.

Our bodies and Spirits do not belong to capitalism, no matter how it is theorized and presented. Our divinity secures this, and it is our right to claim this boldly. I’m not grinding ever. I trust the Creator and my Ancestors to always make space for my gifts and talents without needing to work myself into exhaustion…. [1]  

Rest is as natural as breathing and waking up. Rest is part of our nature. Resting is about getting people back to their truest selves. To what they were before capitalism robbed you of your ability to just be. Rest is anything that slows you down enough to allow your body and mind to connect in the deepest way. We must be focused on knowing that our bodies and our worth are not connected to how many things we can check off a list. You can begin to create a “Not-To-Do-List” as you gain the energy to maintain healthy boundaries. Our opportunity to rest and reimagine rest is endless. There is always time to rest when we reimagine. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Spirit to inspire our action to transform the Good News we hear into love, compassion and care for people and the environment.

References

Joel, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/joel/4?12 

Luke, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?27 

Meditation on Luke 11:27-28. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/11/1405165/ 

Minnich, M. (2025, October 11). Daily Reflection October 11, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-11-2025 

Psalms, PSALM 97. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/97?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/from-accumulation-to-abundance-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Hear the Word of God and Keep It. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved October 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/