Faith and Inclusion

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate our role as “apostles” of inclusion in the Body of Christ and how our actions can support our mission.

A Path of Inclusion

The Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians declares we are One in Christ.

The Gentiles are now included in God’s household (Eph 2:19) as it arises upon the foundation of apostles assisted by those endowed with the prophetic gift (Eph 3:5), the preachers of Christ (Eph 2:20; cf. 1 Cor 12:28). With Christ as the capstone (Eph 2:20; cf. Is 28:16; Mt 21:42), they are being built into the holy temple of God’s people where the divine presence dwells (Eph 2:21–22) (Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

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Psalm 19 proclaims how the heavenly elements of the world bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator.

* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem.

* [19:4] No speech, no words: the regular functioning of the heavens and the alternation of day and night inform human beings without words of the creator’s power and wisdom.

* [19:5] The sun: in other religious literature the sun is a judge and lawgiver since it sees all in its daily course; Ps 19:5b–7 form a transition to the law in Ps 19:8–11. The six synonyms for God’s revelation (Ps 19:8–11) are applied to the sun in comparable literature. (Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus identifies apostles for The Mission.

* [6:13] He chose Twelve: the identification of this group as the Twelve is a part of early Christian tradition (see 1 Cor 15:5), and in Matthew and Luke, the Twelve are associated with the twelve tribes of Israel (Lk 22:29–30; Mt 19:28). After the fall of Judas from his position among the Twelve, the need is felt on the part of the early community to reconstitute this group before the Christian mission begins at Pentecost (Acts 1:15–26). From Luke’s perspective, they are an important group who because of their association with Jesus from the time of his baptism to his ascension (Acts 1:21–22) provide the continuity between the historical Jesus and the church of Luke’s day and who as the original eyewitnesses guarantee the fidelity of the church’s beliefs and practices to the teachings of Jesus (Lk 1:1–4). Whom he also named apostles: only Luke among the gospel writers attributes to Jesus the bestowal of the name apostles upon the Twelve. See note on Mt 10:2–4. “Apostle” becomes a technical term in early Christianity for a missionary sent out to preach the word of God. Although Luke seems to want to restrict the title to the Twelve (only in Acts 4:4, 14 are Paul and Barnabas termed apostles), other places in the New Testament show an awareness that the term was more widely applied (1 Cor 15:5–7; Gal 1:19; 1 Cor 1:1; 9:1; Rom 16:7). (Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Jim Caime, SJ, comments that sometimes, even the Church, which should be home, can feel unfamiliar. At times, it even feels hostile — not a refuge, but a place where silence or judgment stings.

That’s why today’s reading from Ephesians doesn’t comfort me. It strikes a painful spot I’ve tried to numb: “You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but members of the household of God.” I want those words to be true. I want to feel at home in that household again. But lately, they touch a wound.

Maybe that’s what faith looks like when we’re honest — not the absence of doubt or hurt, but the willingness to stay open, even while wounded. Simon and Jude, quiet apostles whose names we barely remember, seemed to know that belonging isn’t something we earn or always feel. They belonged because they were called — because Jesus wanted them close. And maybe that’s where my hope rests, too: that even when I don’t feel at home, even in the Church, even in my country, I still belong to the One who calls me by name. (Caime, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus chose fishermen and tax collectors to be apostles,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"It says, 'He called his disciples, and he chose twelve of them,' whom he appointed sowers of the faith, to spread the help of human salvation throughout the world. At the same time, observe the heavenly counsel. He chose not wise men, nor rich men, nor nobles, but fishermen and tax collectors, whom he would direct, lest they seem to have seduced some by wisdom, or bought them with riches, or attracted them to their own grace with the authority of power and nobility. He did this so that the reasoning of truth, not the grace of disputation, should prevail."(excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.44) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 6:12-16 comments that Simon and Jude tell us that the Church is made up of many different individuals and ministries. We don’t always agree on everything. And sometimes we hardly agree on anything other than the fact that we love the Lord and his Church! But something amazing and beautiful happens when we come together as believers, whether to serve the needy, to witness to our faith, or to worship at Mass. We experience a unity that can only come from Jesus, the “capstone” of our faith (Ephesians 2:20).

Today, reflect on your view of believers who are different from you. How can you better respect their convictions and their love for Jesus? Maybe try to reach out to someone new after Mass this Sunday and strike up a conversation. Get to know them a bit. Ask the Spirit to help you see Christ in that person.

“Thank you, Lord, for the unity in diversity that is the hallmark of your Church!” (Meditation on Luke 6:12-16, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Ephesians the author uses the example of being built into a structure. We together have become the dwelling place of the Spirit. Gentiles are told they are as sacred as the Jews. The call of the Twelve in Luke is preceded by Jesus praying (11 times in Luke’s Gospel ) to discern the Will of the Father and observe it. Friar Jude reminds us of apostles who turned from a political solution to Jesus, according to Father’s will following the Way we will be saved.

Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on our reading from Sirach and what we have already learned on this journey through the Bible. He emphasizes that Scripture encourages us to rise again from our sin and return to God, because our God always picks us up again with his mercy. Today’s readings are 2 Maccabees 4, Sirach 47-49, and Proverbs 24:13-16.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces priest and poet Ernesto Cardenal shares the insights of a small Christian community in Nicaragua, where everyday people reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ transfiguration, especially his conversation with Moses and Elijah.

They asked me [the priest] why Moses and Elijah appeared, and I said that Moses was the great liberator of the people, that he brought them out of Egyptian slavery, and Elijah was a great prophet, a defender of the poor and the oppressed, when Israel again fell into slavery, with social classes. Both of them were closely identified with the Messiah, for it had been said that the Messiah would be a second Moses and that Elijah would come back to earth to denounce injustices as a precursor of the Messiah (and Jesus said that Elijah had already arrived in the person of John the Baptist). 

We acknowledge the Mission of Jesus to bring life to all people and implore the inspiration of the Spirit to fulfill our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Caime, J. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-28-2025 

Ephesians, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/2?19 

Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/6?12 

Meditation on Luke 6:12-16. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/28/1416017/ 

Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jesus-ancestors/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Chose Twelve Apostles. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=oct28a 

Learning Life and Love

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles, invite us to consider the indications that we are learning and living love in our relationships with the people we encounter daily.

Learning Love

The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians centers the Gospel Teaching in the Life of Christ.

* [15:1–11] Paul recalls the tradition (1 Cor 15:3–7), which he can presuppose as common ground and which provides a starting point for his argument. This is the fundamental content of all Christian preaching and belief (1 Cor 15:1–2, 11).

* [15:3–7] The language by which Paul expresses the essence of the “gospel” (1 Cor 15:1) is not his own but is drawn from older credal formulas. This credo highlights Jesus’ death for our sins (confirmed by his burial) and Jesus’ resurrection (confirmed by his appearances) and presents both of them as fulfillment of prophecy. In accordance with the scriptures: conformity of Jesus’ passion with the scriptures is asserted in Mt 16:1; Lk 24:25–27, 32, 44–46. Application of some Old Testament texts (Ps 2:7; 16:8–11) to his resurrection is illustrated by Acts 2:27–31; 13:29–39; and Is 52:13–53:12 and Hos 6:2 may also have been envisaged.

* [15:9–11] A persecutor may have appeared disqualified (ouk…hikanos) from apostleship, but in fact God’s grace has qualified him. Cf. the remarks in 2 Corinthians about his qualifications (2 Cor 2:16; 3:5) and his greater labors (2 Cor 11:23). These verses are parenthetical, but a nerve has been touched (the references to his abnormal birth and his activity as a persecutor may echo taunts from Paul’s opponents), and he is instinctively moved to self-defense. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 19 bespeaks the power and wisdom of the Creator.

* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem.

* [19:4] No speech, no words: the regular functioning of the heavens and the alternation of day and night inform human beings without words of the creator’s power and wisdom. (Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, the Last Supper Discourses proclaim the Father as revealed in the works and person of Jesus.

* [14:6] The truth: in John, the divinely revealed reality of the Father manifested in the person and works of Jesus. The possession of truth confers knowledge and liberation from sin (Jn 8:32).

* [14:7] An alternative reading, “If you knew me, then you would have known my Father also,” would be a rebuke, as in Jn 8:19.

* [14:8] Show us the Father: Philip is pictured asking for a theophany like Ex 24:9–10; 33:18. (John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock comments that so much truth lies in the readings for this feast, truth that could be used as a perfect summary of all Christian teaching.

What is our relationship to this Christ, this resurrected Jesus? Is he someone “out there”, someone we look up to in the  sky in hopes of having our prayers heard? Or is he as close as the air we breathe? The neighbor in need? The migrant, the suffering. The beggar on the street.

“And whatever you ask in my name, I will do.”

“I am The Way and the Truth and the Life.”

Let us pray for the Holy Father and fullness of grace as we elect a successor to Peter and Francis. (Braddock, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “All nature serves for our instruction,” by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.

"All nature serves the Word of God for our instruction. Through all the turning points of the year, as if through the four Gospels, we learn from the unceasing trumpet both what we should preach and what we should do... What is there through which the truth does not speak to us? Its voice is heard in the day, it is heard in the night, and the beauty of all things, established by the work of one God, does not cease to put into the ears of our hearts a ruling order, to let us see the 'invisible things of God through those which have been made intelligible to us,' and it is subject not to the creatures but to the Creator of all things." (excerpt from Sermon 19,2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 comments that along with the other apostles, Philip and James devoted themselves to passing on what they had witnessed firsthand and what the Holy Spirit had written on their hearts: Jesus’ teaching, his miracles, the power of his love, and, ultimately, his death and resurrection. And that’s what they gave to Paul and members of the Church’s next generation.

The “backstories” of apostles like Philip and James may be lesser known, but their legacy—the gospel message, the Scriptures, the Church, the very faith that you profess—is far from obscure. And thank God for that!

“Jesus, thank you for setting us on the foundation of Philip and James—and all the other apostles!” (Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler identifies the kerygma in the letter to the Corinthians and how it resonates with the Songs of the Suffering Servant, Micah, and Jonah. Paul was very gutsy in proclaiming the revelation of Jesus' Resurrection was witnessed by 500 people. Friar Jude notes that Jesus' relationship with the Father is the model of our understanding of God as a loving parent who gives what we truly need.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a practice from his years of leading retreats in wilderness settings.

Beholding happens when we stop trying to “hold” and allow ourselves to “be held” by the other. We are completely enchanted by something outside and beyond ourselves. Maybe we should speak of “behelding” because, in that moment, we are being held more than really holding, explaining, or understanding anything by ourselves. We feel ourselves being addressed more than addressing something else. This radically changes our situation and perspective.  

I invite you to “behold” some things! We will seldom be disappointed. Look at a tree, for example, until you see it in its “absolute truth” as one instance of the eternal self-emptying of God into creation. When we behold the tree in this way, we move beyond its mere “relative truth” as either a beech or an elm, big or small, useful or useless, healthy or dying, ours or not ours, hardwood or soft wood, etc. We are allowing the tree to reveal its inherent dignity, as it is, without our interference. It becomes an epiphany and the walls of our world begin to expand. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the gratitude we have for the relationship we have with those close to us and request the help of the Spirit to maintain and strengthen the Love that sustains Life.

References

Braddock, S. (2025, May 3). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/050325.html 

John, CHAPTER 14 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/14?6 

Meditation on 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/05/03/1266455/ 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/15?1 

Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Nature Through New Eyes: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/nature-through-new-eyes-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, Show Us the Father. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 3, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=may3a