Help over Hypocrisy

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, invite us to contemplate the hypocrisy we may witness and counter it with a commitment to act with love and compassion in our journey.

Housing and Hypocrisy

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is a powerful indictment of religious hypocrisy.

* [1:10–17] A powerful indictment of the religious hypocrisy of rulers and others who neglect just judgment and oppress the weaker members, yet believe they can please God with sacrifices and other external forms of worship. The long list of observances suggests the Lord’s tedium with such attempts. Sodom…Gomorrah: the names are picked up from v. 9, but now to emphasize their wickedness rather than the good fortune of escaping total destruction.

* [1:15–16] Hands…blood: oppression of the poor is likened to violence that bloodies the hands, which explains why the hands spread out in prayer (v. 15) are not regarded by the Lord. This climax of the accusations is followed by positive admonitions for reversing the evil situation. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 50 proclaims the sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience.

* [Psalm 50] A covenant lawsuit stating that the sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience (cf. Mi 6:1–8). It begins with a theophany and the summoning of the court (Ps 50:1–6). Then in direct address God explains what is required of the faithful (Ps 50:7–15), rebukes the hypocritical worshiper (Ps 50:16–21), and concludes with a threat and a promise (Ps 50:22–23; cf. Is 1:19–20). (Psalm 50, PSALMS | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims Jesus as A Cause of Division and presents Conditions of Discipleship and Rewards.

* [10:38] The first mention of the cross in Matthew, explicitly that of the disciple, but implicitly that of Jesus (and follow after me). Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment used by the Romans for offenders who were not Roman citizens.

* [10:39] One who denies Jesus in order to save one’s earthly life will be condemned to everlasting destruction; loss of earthly life for Jesus’ sake will be rewarded by everlasting life in the kingdom.

* [10:40–42] All who receive the disciples of Jesus receive him, and God who sent him, and will be rewarded accordingly.

* [10:41] A prophet: one who speaks in the name of God; here, the Christian prophets who proclaim the gospel. Righteous man: since righteousness is demanded of all the disciples, it is difficult to take the righteous man of this verse and one of these little ones (Mt 10:42) as indicating different groups within the followers of Jesus. Probably all three designations are used here of Christian missionaries as such. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that justice, in Isaiah, is associated with learning to do good, setting right a wrong, and defending those without power. Yet, there are those who find passages in the Old Testament they cite to associate justice with violence and vengeance. Which approach glorifies God?

Beginning with Isaiah, God clearly calls us to do more than just recite statutes and profess the covenant. In the Psalm, God calls us to live our faith as praise to God. And living a life in the way of the Lord means living a life of receiving increasingly clear insights. It can also often mean living a life of persecution and conflict. But Jesus tells us that sacrificing our life for his sake will enable us to find it. To me, this means that following Jesus is the way to live a life in which justice is not only our aim, but also as a form of praise that glorifies God. Jesus shows us how to love each other, to defend the powerless, and to right wrongs without violence or revenge. My prayer today is that we will all make justice our aim as praise to God. I also pray we will open our hearts and minds to insights into how to bring about justice in God’s world. (Dilly, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “How peace requires a sword,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"What sort of peace is it that Jesus asks them to pronounce upon entering each house? And what kind of peace is it of which the angels sing, 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace'? And if Jesus came not to bring peace, why did all the prophets publish peace as good news? Because this more than anything is peace: when the disease is removed. This is peace: when the cancer is cut away. Only with such radical surgery is it possible for heaven to be reunited to earth. Only in this way does the physician preserve the healthy tissue of the body. The incurable part must be amputated. Only in this way does the military commander preserve the peace: by cutting off those in rebellion. Thus it was also in the case of the tower of Babel, that their evil peace was ended by their good discord. Peace therefore was accomplished. (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 35.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the passage from Isaiah, the prophet speaks and condemns them not for sacrifices but that in spite of sacrifice to God, they are exploiting the people around them. Our faith has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: love of God and love of our neighbour. We all called to defend the widow and protect the orphan as representatives of the most powerless in our society. Worship has to be balanced with care of those in need. Jesus speaks about persecution, even from our families. The division that Jesus brings is not a rational for violence but when we live in peace and kindness we will be ostracized. Even if we cannot personally evangelize, we can assist those who do. Friar Jude comments that we can proclaim the Kingdom in our support.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1 comments that relational difficulties, even the loss of relationships altogether, are among the troubles that most of us will likely encounter—or have already encountered—when we choose to pursue a life of discipleship.

So ask Jesus for the grace to share his love with the people in your life. He’ll help you to be patient and understanding. He’ll help you to be humble and kind in the midst of flawed relationships. And he’ll help you to have faith that he is powerful enough to work even when the conditions seem imperfect. Some of these relationships will still have cracks, but seeds of love may still fall into those cracks and take root. Take courage! His love has conquered the world!

“Lord, in a divided world, help me share your love and trust your power.” (Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, teaches that more than a description of something God does now and then, mercy is who God is.

According to Jesus, “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13; 12:7). The word mercy is hesed in Hebrew: “the steadfast, enduring love which is unbreakable.” Sometimes the word is translated as “lovingkindness” or “covenant love.” God has made a covenant with creation and will never break the divine side of the covenant. It’s only broken from our side. God’s love is steadfast. It is written in the divine image within us. We are the ones who instead clutch at our sins and punish ourselves instead of surrendering to the divine mercy. The refusal to be forgiven is a form of pride. It is saying, “I’m better than mercy. I’m only going to accept it when I’m worthy and can preserve my so-called self-esteem.” Only the humble person can live in and after mercy. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

Clarence Jordan (1912–1969), an activist for racial and economic justice, considers the economic outcome of being immersed in God’s mercy:

By “the merciful” he means those who have an attitude of such compassion toward all [people] that they want to share gladly all that they have with one another and with the world…. To them, [people] are no longer beggars to whom one gives a part, but brothers [and sisters] with whom one shares all. This concept of charity, or mercy, led some of the early Christians to a state of voluntary poverty in which “All the believers were together and held all things in common” (Acts 2:44). [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Wisdom and Consolation of the Spirit as we struggle with opposition to Jesus' Way that we may see as a selection of rules and restrictions that resonate with human objectives rather than the universal love of God.

References

Dilly, B. (2026, July 13). Daily Reflection July 13, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-13-2026 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/1? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10 

Meditation on Matthew 10:34–11:1. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/13/1617025/ 

Psalm 50, PSALMS | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). God’s Mercy Endures Forever. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/50?8 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Have Not Come to Bring Peace, but a Sword. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 13, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Relationships of Love

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to accept the nature of Love which is most available to all when it is activated by our relationship with Christ.

Love and Life

The Reading from the Second Book of Kings presents the connection between Elisha and the Shunammite’s Son.

b. [4:10] 1 Kgs 17:9.

c. [4:16] Gn 18:9–15. (2 Kings, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 89 laments the defeat of the Davidic king.

* [Psalm 89] The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). (Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB, n.d.)

 

The Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans connects Freedom from Sin and Life in God.

* [6:1–11] To defend the gospel against the charge that it promotes moral laxity (cf. Rom 3:5–8), Paul expresses himself in the typical style of spirited diatribe. God’s display of generosity or grace is not evoked by sin but, as stated in Rom 5:8 is the expression of God’s love, and this love pledges eternal life to all believers (Rom 5:21). Paul views the present conduct of the believers from the perspective of God’s completed salvation when the body is resurrected and directed totally by the holy Spirit. Through baptism believers share the death of Christ and thereby escape from the grip of sin. Through the resurrection of Christ the power to live anew becomes reality for them, but the fullness of participation in Christ’s resurrection still lies in the future. But life that is lived in dedication to God now is part and parcel of that future. Hence anyone who sincerely claims to be interested in that future will scarcely be able to say, “Let us sin so that grace may prosper” (cf. Rom 6:1). (Romans, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents some Conditions of Discipleship.

* [10:38] The first mention of the cross in Matthew, explicitly that of the disciple, but implicitly that of Jesus (and follow after me). Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment used by the Romans for offenders who were not Roman citizens.

* [10:39] One who denies Jesus in order to save one’s earthly life will be condemned to everlasting destruction; loss of earthly life for Jesus’ sake will be rewarded by everlasting life in the kingdom. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Amy Turbes shares her relationship with God is lived through others

 

As is the case with most of humanity, I live among people. If I focus all of my attention and love on one person or group of people, then I am forgetting that God is the love at the center. Jesus is inviting me to know and accept God’s unconditional love so nothing else is more important. That love can be witnessed in the relationships I have with others. If God’s love is the spring from which all my love flows then all of my thoughts, words, and actions can come from that love. Christ’s words are an invitation for me to put God first and to accept the patience, compassion and love while sharing it with others. (Turbes, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “A well-ordered love,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"See how great is the impairment to those who have an exaggerated love for their own life. And how great is the blessing to those who are ready to give up their lives for a well-ordered love! So he bids his disciples to be willing to give up parents, children, natural relationships, kinships, the world and even their own lives. How onerous are these injunctions! But then he immediately sets forth the greater blessings of rightly ordered love. Thus these instructions, Jesus says, are so far from harming that they in fact are of greatest benefit. It is their opposites that injure. He then counsels them, as he so often does, in accord with the very desires that they already possess. Why should you be willing to give up your life? Only because you love it inordinately. So for the very reason of loving it ordinately, you will scorn loving it inordinately, and so it will be to your advantage to the highest degree. You will then in the truest sense love your life. Jesus does not reason in this way only in the case of the love of parents or children. He teaches the same with regard to your very life, which is nearest to you of all." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 35.2) (Chrysostom & Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:37-42 comments that Jesus' disciples understood that Jesus was telling them to be willing to give up everything to follow him and witness to him—even their lives, if necessary. It’s not so different from what Jesus had said just before this: whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter more than him is not worthy of him (Matthew 10:37). Even important family ties must be second to our commitment to Jesus.

This is not an easy message. But consider who is asking it of us. Jesus is not merely a teacher or philosopher. He’s not simply a compassionate wonder-worker or dedicated advocate for the poor. He is God himself. Of course we should have nothing above God in our lives!

Consider also that the One who asks this of us lived out this command perfectly. He humbled himself and laid down his life to free us from sin and death and restore us to the Father. How could we respond with anything less?

Today, hear Jesus’ demanding call. Ask him for the grace to follow him wholeheartedly.

“Jesus, I embrace this hard saying. Help me to put you first in every area of my life.” (Meditation on Matthew 10:37-42, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for today. In the passage from 2 Kings, the story of Elisha, a disciple of Elijah, has a relationship with a woman of influence who cares for him. Elisha is grateful and he promises a child to the woman. This emphasizes the importance of hospitality and gratitude. The text of Romans 6 speaks of life and death in terms of keeping the commandments or dying in sin. We are called to die to sin and live to the commandments. We belong to Christ by living His life. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' disciples are instructed to leave everything to take up their crosses. Friar Jude compares the difference in language about leaving mother and father in Matthew and in Luke where “hate” your parents is a characteristic of the Aramaic language that expresses decisions in extreme forms. Our service of God has to be total even to separate us from the ones we love. Jesus knows many would be rejected by family. We have to have Christ at the centre of our life. Friar Jude notes that giving to those in need in His name is a form of prayer that is lifted to the heavens . When we serve the poor it is a form of prayer of action. We reach out and become instruments of God’s love.

 Father Richard Rohr invites us to accept with humility that we are chosen by God. Paul also says that "chosenness" is for the sake of experiencing mercy (see Romans 11:30–31). Ancient Israel’s "chosenness" is not so they can feel superior and saved, which is where immature religion always stops. Rather, Paul says very clearly that we experience "chosenness" so that we can know what it feels like to be God’s beloved and experience God’s mercy.

I think religion is the best thing and the worst thing. It can create the most narrow-minded, petty, self-protective, racist people who stop at that first stage of: “We’ve got it right. We’re elect. We’re chosen.” But their faith really hasn’t transformed them, so they don’t know how to communicate "chosenness" to anyone else. Without a love relationship with God, religion doesn’t keep us moving or growing. It doesn’t keep transforming. It becomes a sideshow for elitism, that’s all.

The biblical tradition begins with "chosenness" for a few, but it always moves toward egalitarian "chosenness" for everyone. And the only people who are equipped to communicate the inclusivity and the boundless abundance of God are people who first experience that boundless abundance in themselves. (Rohr, n.d.)

We are inspired by the Spirit to live in the depth of love and service in which we are invited to exercise our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Chrysostom, J., & Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Reading. He Who Loves Father and Mother More Than Me Is Not Worthy of Me. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?37 

Meditation on Matthew 10:37-42. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/28/1601859/ 

Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Called and Sent. CAC.org. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/https://cac.org/daily-meditations/called-and-sent/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/6? 

Turbes, A. (2026, June 28). Daily Reflection June 28, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-28-2026 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/4? 

Choice and Denial

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to make an informed choice about our action as followers of Christ that confirms our willingness to seek full life for all.

Ponder Our Choice

The Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy proclaims The Choice Before Israel.

j. [30:15] Dt 11:26–28; Jer 21:8.

k. [30:16] Dt 4:1; 8:1; 11:22.

l. [30:17–18] Dt 5:7; 6:4; 8:19–20.

m. [30:19] Dt 4:26; 11:26–28; 28:2, 15; 31:28.

n. [30:20] Dt 1:8; 4:1, 40. (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 30 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 1 is a preface to the whole Book of Psalms .

* [Psalm 1] A preface to the whole Book of Psalms, contrasting with striking similes the destiny of the good and the wicked. The Psalm views life as activity, as choosing either the good or the bad. Each “way” brings its inevitable consequences. The wise through their good actions will experience rootedness and life, and the wicked, rootlessness and death. (Psalms, PSALM 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus presents The Conditions of Discipleship.

* [9:23] Daily: this is a Lucan addition to a saying of Jesus, removing the saying from a context that envisioned the imminent suffering and death of the disciple of Jesus (as does the saying in Mk 8:34–35) to one that focuses on the demands of daily Christian existence. (Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Tom Kelly comments that today’s readings offer criteria about what a faithful life looks like. One is from the final book of Deuteronomy, while the other is from the Gospel of Luke.  Both offer thoughts on the temptation of short-term gains and encourage us to live for long-term goals.

As we know, he was persecuted because he threatened the religious leaders of his day by stating that all were loved by God—without conditions.  The people he revealed this to no longer allowed the religious leaders to determine their status before God.  Thus, Jesus threatened the power and authority of the religious leaders of his day and there were severe consequences.

In like manner, (2) those who follow Jesus must give themselves for the good of others (“Love one another as I have loved you.”)

This may be our children, our neighbor, our stranger, our “other” and when we love them, we must bear the consequences (the cross) of that action. If my first concern is me, I will truly die as I am finite and limited.  If my first concern is loving others, and I commit my life to that—I cannot die because this love, like God, is eternal. (Kelly, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “God calls us to conversion,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 AD.

"God calls us to correct ourselves and invites us to do penance. He calls us through the wonderful gifts of his creation, and he calls us by granting time for life. He calls us through the reader and through the preacher. He calls us with the innermost force of our thoughts. He calls us with the scourge of punishment, and he calls us with the mercy of his consolation." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 102, 16) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:22-25 implores us to take up the cross of loving someone even if they are hard to love. We seek help to take the first step toward that other person.

“Jesus, as you hung on the cross, you asked your Father why he had abandoned you. But your death opened the gates of heaven for me! Every barrier between me and your Father has been removed. When you offer me the cross of physical or emotional suffering, help me to embrace it. Help me to trust that even when I’m suffering or feel abandoned, you are always close to me, pouring your love into my heart. As I surrender to your will, let me know the freedom of relying on you. Let me know the freedom and joy that flow from knowing you are walking beside me.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for all you have done on the cross! Help me to take up my own cross and know the freedom you have won for me.” (Meditation on Luke 9:22-25, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the Deuteronomy reading, Moses puts two paths before the people, life observing the commandments, or death. In Lent, God presents a choice to us and we are not able to remain sitting on the fence. In Luke, Jesus, identifying as the Son of Man, declares He would suffer, die, and rise again. The disciples too have to take up their cross and give everything they have to be like Christ in the world. Friar Jude underlines our need to recognize conversion and rectification to be more Christ-like.

Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Trappist monk Thomas Merton (1915–1968) did much to recover the contemplative tradition within the Christian religion. 

Our time is in desperate need of this kind of simplicity. It needs to recapture something of the experience reflected in these lines. The word to emphasize is experience. The few short phrases collected in this volume have little or no value merely as information. It would be futile to skip through these [aphorisms] and lightly take note of the fact that the Fathers said this and this. What good will it do us to know merely that such things were once said? The important thing is that they were lived. That they flow from an experience of the deeper levels of life. [1] (Rohr, 2025)

Benedicta Ward, a scholar of the desert mystics, describes how the simple language of the desert abbas and ammas can mask the deep wisdom they contain. 

The essence of the spirituality of the desert is that it was not taught but caught; it was a whole way of life. It was not an esoteric doctrine or a predetermined plan of ascetic practice that would be learned and applied. The Father, or ‘abba,’ was not the equivalent of the Zen Buddhist ‘Master.’ 

Abba Agathon said, “Prayer is hard work and a great struggle to one’s last breath” and there is the story told about Abba Lot:

Abba Joseph came to Abba Lot and said to him: “Father, according to my strength I keep a moderate rule of prayer and fasting, quiet and meditation, and as far as I can I control my imagination; what more must I do?” And the old man rose and held his hands toward the sky so that his fingers became like flames of fire and he said, “If you will, you shall become all flame.” [2] (Rohr, 2025)

We invoke the guidance of the Spirit to deny the temptation of choices that are self-serving and seek contemplation that leads to action in prayer and service for people in need.

References

Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 30 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved February 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/30?15 

Kelly, T. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved February 19, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-19-2026 

Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?22 

Meditation on Luke 9:22-25. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 19, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/02/19/1505241/ 

Psalms, PSALM 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/1 

Rohr, R. (2025, March 13). Experience Over Knowledge. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 19, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/experience-over-knowledge/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Take up Your Cross Daily and Follow Christ. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 19, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/