Strength Disguised in Weakness

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to meet the challenges of being diminished in status, wealth, or influence as an opportunity to grow even while planted in a difficult field.

Strong and True

The Reading from the Book of Nahum declares Nineveh’s Inescapable Fate

a. [3:1] Is 10:13–14; Hb 2:12. (Nahum, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from the Book of Deuteronomy is a poetic sermon, having for its theme the Lord’s benefits to Israel.

* [32:1–43] The whole song is a poetic sermon, having for its theme the Lord’s benefits to Israel (vv. 1–14) and Israel’s ingratitude and idolatry in turning to the gods of the nations; these sins will be punished by the nations themselves (vv. 15–29); in turn, the foolish pride of the nations will be punished, and the Lord’s honor will be vindicated (vv. 30–43).

* [32:36] Neither bond nor free: an all-inclusive expression; cf. 1 Kgs 14:10; 2 Kgs 9:8. (Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims to deny someone is to disown him (see Mt 10:33; 26:34–35) and to deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence.

* [16:24] Deny himself: to deny someone is to disown him (see Mt 10:33; 26:34–35) and to deny oneself is to disown oneself as the center of one’s existence.

* [16:25] See notes on Mt 10:38, 39.

* [16:27] The parousia and final judgment are described in Mt 25:31 in terms almost identical with these.

* [16:28] Coming in his kingdom: since the kingdom of the Son of Man has been described as “the world” and Jesus’ sovereignty precedes his final coming in glory (Mt 13:38, 41), the coming in this verse is not the parousia as in the preceding but the manifestation of Jesus’ rule after his resurrection; see notes on Mt 13:38, 41. (Matthew, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Becky Nickerson reflects there is often a temptation to focus on achievement, recognition, or control. Yet Jesus’ invitation to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me” reminds me that true leadership and discipleship begin with humility, trust, and a willingness to let faith guide my actions.

The call to take up my cross is not necessarily about dramatic acts of sacrifice but about the daily choices I make. As a professional, it may mean putting people before projects and leading with integrity rather than seeking personal success. As a family member and friend, it may mean being patient, present, and supportive even when it requires setting aside my own ideas or timeline. In every role I hold, following Christ pushes me to look beyond my own preferences and priorities, choosing instead to lead, serve, and love in ways that place others at the center. Through these daily acts of selflessness, I am continually shaped by God’s grace and grow in my faith. (Nickerson, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Walk as Christ has walked,” by Caesarius of Arles (470-543 AD).

"When the Lord tells us in the Gospel that anyone who wants to be his follower must renounce himself, the injunction seems harsh; we think he is imposing a burden on us. But an order is no burden when it is given by one who helps in carrying it out. To what place are we to follow Christ if not where he has already gone? We know that he has risen and ascended into heaven; there, then, we must follow him. There is no cause for despair - by ourselves we can do nothing, but we have Christ's promise... One who claims to abide in Christ ought to walk as he walked. Would you follow Christ? Then be humble as he was humble. Do not scorn his lowliness if you want to reach his exaltation. Human sin made the road rough. Christ's resurrection leveled it. By passing over it himself, he transformed the narrowest of tracks into a royal highway. Two feet are needed to run along this highway; they are humility and charity. Everyone wants to get to the top - well, the first step to take is humility. Why take strides that are too big for you - do you want to fall instead of going up? Begin with the first step, humility, and you will already be climbing." (excerpt from SERMONS 159, 1.4-6) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler shares a reflection on today's Mass readings. Nathum is a prophet who tends to be vindictive against the Assyrians who were infamous for crimes against humanity. It is one way in which the Hebrew Testament differs from Jesus' Testament. We have to follow Christ in the martyrdom of pinpricks. The Son Of Man will repay each for transgressions and there will be a time of reckoning. Friar Jude invites us to ponder the declaration in the Gospel of Matthew declares that some will not taste death until they will see the transcendent reality of Jesus and the defeat of evil.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 16:24-28 comments Jesus is asking us to follow in his footsteps—not to embrace martyrdom, unless that is the Lord’s will, but to “deny” ourselves and to “lose” our lives as we follow him (Matthew 16:24, 25). Let’s look at a common everyday situation that can help us see how the Lord might be calling us to do this.

As you do, the Holy Spirit enables you to step back from your strong reaction and viewpoint, and you begin to see things differently. Maybe you realize that you have a very different personality and way to approach life’s circumstances than the other person. Your upbringing and life experience—both positive and negative—are different from the other person’s. And the opportunities that you’ve been given—whether many or few—have given you a lens through which you view many situations, including this one.

This perspective helps you. Now you see that the best approach to the conflict is to choose humility. You resolve in your heart to “deny” yourself and “lose” your life a little bit. You decide to deny the drive to defend yourself and you lose the urge to be proven right at all costs. You decide to apologize, if necessary, and to see the good in the other person. Being right isn’t the point; following Jesus is.

How is Jesus leading you to follow in his footsteps of humility? (Meditation on Matthew 16:24-28, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects on Job’s story as a source of wisdom about the path of transformation. Every movement toward union with God will feel like a loss of self-importance and self-control. We are realigned with truth when the real person meets the real God—which is exactly the stuff of spirituality, good theology, and transformation.

The book of Job ultimately assures us that faith can forever be found, like the hill of Calvary, “outside the walls.” In fact, that is where it finds its most ready soil—at the bottom, the broken, the edges of things.

If no meaning can be given to human suffering, if our wounds are not capable of becoming sacred wounds, the human project is surely doomed to a blaming war of all against all. The future, like the past, will be full of scapegoats and victims. This is no peripheral question the book of Job pursues.

Without the response from God in the whirlwind—what we might call today the sacred or transcendent dimension—life will surely be “nasty, brutish, and short” for most people in the twenty-first century. There will be no place to go to make our wounds sacred, but they will still be wounds, sore and bleeding. If there is no voice from the whirlwind, no calming eyes in the heart of the tempest, humanity can only “sit on its dung heap picking at its sores.” But in Job and in Jesus, we have heard a story that is always true, a story that makes all our wounds sacred. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the inspiration of the Spirit to accept that true leadership and discipleship begin with humility, trust, and a willingness to let faith guide our actions as we seek to demonstrate that strength can be disguised in weakness.

References

Deuteronomy, CHAPTER 32 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/32?35 

Matthew, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/16?24 

Meditation on Matthew 16:24-28. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/07/1640975/ 

Nahum, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/nahum/0 

Nickerson, B. (n.d.). Daily Reflection August 7, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-7-2026 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). From Suffering to Sacred Wounds. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/from-suffering-to-sacred-wounds/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Whoever Loses His Life for My Sake Will Find It. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 7, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Betrayal Glory and Liberation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the challenge to address betrayal of love in our environment by living Jesus' Way of liberation and love for all.

Liberation and Love

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah presents the second Servant of the Lord oracle.

* [49:1–7] The second of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4).

* [49:1] Gave me my name: designated me for a special task or mission (cf. Jer 1:5).

* [49:3] Israel: the servant is identified with the people of Israel as their ideal representative; however, vv. 5–6 seem to distinguish the servant from Israel.

* [49:6] The servant’s vocation extends beyond the restoration of Israel in order to bring the knowledge of Israel’s God to the rest of the earth; cf. Lk 2:32. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 49 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 71 pleads for help and hope from God.

* [Psalm 71] A lament of an old person (Ps 71:9, 18) whose afflictions are interpreted by enemies as a divine judgment (Ps 71:11). The first part of the Psalm pleads for help (Ps 71:1–4) on the basis of a hope learned from a lifetime’s experience of God; the second part describes the menace (Ps 71:9–13) yet remains buoyant (Ps 71:14–16); the third develops the theme of hope and praise. (Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John presents the announcement of Judas’s Betrayal and prediction of Peter’s Denial.

* [13:23] The one whom Jesus loved: also mentioned in Jn 19:26; 20:2; 21:7. A disciple, called “another disciple” or “the other disciple,” is mentioned in Jn 18:15 and Jn 20:2; in the latter reference he is identified with the disciple whom Jesus loved. There is also an unnamed disciple in Jn 1:35–40; see note on Jn 1:37.

* [13:26] Morsel: probably the bitter herb dipped in salt water.

* [13:31–38] Introduction: departure and return. Terms of coming and going predominate. These verses form an introduction to the last discourse of Jesus, which extends through Jn 14–17. In it John has collected Jesus’ words to his own (Jn 13:1). There are indications that several speeches have been fused together, e.g., in Jn 14:31 and Jn 17:1. (John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kathy Kemler comments that Jesus tells the apostles that he must go, and they cannot follow now. Peter begs the question, why, and then claims that he will lay down his life for Jesus. But Jesus knows better, and he tells Peter so.

The drama begins with the apostles believing that their dedication, their loyalty, their willingness to follow and lay down their life will be lived out. It’s much like the beginning of each of my days: “I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day….” And then like the apostles, life happens. I encounter people, situations, my own emotions, and even though I committed just that morning to stay with Jesus, I move away and search for safety, convenience, or worse yet, act out of my emotions of frustration, anger, overwhelmed etc. Each of the apostles and ultimately each of us must make a choice between staying with Jesus with our hearts, minds, and words, or turning away. It’s hard. We don’t mean to turn away, but habits, emotions, and reactions can so easily take center stage in our lives. (Kemler, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Fight sin and put up with trials,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 59,5) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Book of Isaiah presents the second of the songs of the suffering servant, who suffers, dies, and is raised as a weapon for God of justice and ministry. Even in defeat he will conquer as a light to all the nations. In the Gospel of John, Jesus begins the meal with the prediction of one, Judas, who will betray Him. When Judas leaves it is night. In the time of day and the choice of the dark by Judas, Jesus predicts His cross, the hour of glory in John’s Gospel. Friar Jude notes the contrast between Judas' darkness and Jesus' light. We have to live in the light and choose what is good and holy.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 49:1-6 comments that Holy Week is not about simply recounting events from long ago. God’s plan—his surprising, fanfare-free strategy of salvation—is still being revealed today. What began centuries ago with the promise of a restored Israel being “gathered” into one continues as all “the nations” gradually come together to receive the free gift of salvation (Isaiah 49:5, 6).

So make the way of humility—the surprising tactic of the mighty God—your Way of the Cross this week. Open yourself to the Lord’s mercy in Confession. Make time for a friend or neighbor or coworker who needs encouragement. Serve people in a way that mirrors Jesus’ heart of self-sacrificial love. Lean on him, your “secret weapon,” to withstand temptation. You can be confident that the Lord’s grace and mercy are constantly at work in you and around you, even in hidden and unexpected ways.

“Jesus, make me—like you—a polished arrow hidden by your side!” (Meditation on Isaiah 49:1-6, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Biblical scholar Jennifer Garcia Bashaw who considers ancient religious practices of scapegoating. From our places of comfort, we are challenged to reverse the all-too-common scapegoating that takes place in our culture.

And so, it is together that we must follow in Jesus’s footsteps, conforming our lives and our churches to the values Jesus modeled…. We must call for and participate in the same kind of reversal that Jesus did. We must lift up the poor, the oppressed, and the outcasts and bring down the people, powers, and systems that create poverty, that marginalize the weak, and that scapegoat the outsiders. We must gather together at the communion table to remember the scapegoat’s death—and what it revealed—so that we might trade the needless cycle of fear, blame, and violence for the liberating cycle of confession, inclusion, and imitation of Christ. The reversal of powers, this movement from being a community that scapegoats to a community that liberates, is how we can participate fully in the divine reign of God that is remaking the world. It is how we will finally follow Jesus, in his life and his death, toward a world without scapegoats. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

As we journey through Holy Week we implore the Spirit to awaken our awareness and inspire our action to address betrayal that threatens liberation, life and love in our communities.

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 49 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/49?1 

John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/13?21 

Kemler, K. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-31-2026 

Meditation on Isaiah 49:1-6. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/31/1529858/ 

Psalms, PSALM 71 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/71?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Scapegoating Today. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/scapegoating-today/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Betrayal and Faltering Loyalty to Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Mission Betrayal Denial

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to focus on our Mission as disciples of Christ even as we struggle to accept surrender, forgiveness, and Love as the path of our journey.

Faithful to our Mission

The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah proclaims the Servant’s Mission.

* [49:1–7] The second of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4).

* [49:1] Gave me my name: designated me for a special task or mission (cf. Jer 1:5).

* [49:3] Israel: the servant is identified with the people of Israel as their ideal representative; however, vv. 5–6 seem to distinguish the servant from Israel.

* [49:6] The servant’s vocation extends beyond the restoration of Israel in order to bring the knowledge of Israel’s God to the rest of the earth; cf. Lk 2:32. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 49, n.d.)

Psalm 71 is a prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help.

* [Psalm 71] A lament of an old person (Ps 71:9, 18) whose afflictions are interpreted by enemies as a divine judgment (Ps 71:11). The first part of the Psalm pleads for help (Ps 71:1–4) on the basis of a hope learned from a lifetime’s experience of God; the second part describes the menace (Ps 71:9–13) yet remains buoyant (Ps 71:14–16); the third develops the theme of hope and praise. (Psalms, PSALM 71, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus foretells His Betrayal and Peter’s Denial.

* [13:31–17:26] Two farewell discourses and a prayer. These seem to be Johannine compositions, including sayings of Jesus at the Last Supper and on other occasions, modeled on similar farewell discourses in Greek literature and the Old Testament (of Moses, Joshua, David).

* [13:31–38] Introduction: departure and return. Terms of coming and going predominate. These verses form an introduction to the last discourse of Jesus, which extends through Jn 14–17. In it John has collected Jesus’ words to his own (Jn 13:1). There are indications that several speeches have been fused together, e.g., in Jn 14:31 and Jn 17:1. (John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Nancy Shirley comments that we are all beloved children of Christ yet none among us are without sin/betrayal.  So many times the ways of the world tempt us into a betrayal of our beliefs. Our true remorse and asking for forgiveness is heard over and over again.  Our prayers are answered although not always in the way that we want or expect.

What is our purpose and how do we live it?  What hope is there for us in this blighted world?

PRAY!  Our greatest weapon against evil is prayer. Our humble acknowledgement of our own shortcomings and prayers for strength and understanding are key.  The following quote has been attributed to St Augustine and sums it up nicely:

       Pray as though everything depended on God.  

       Work as though everything depended on you (Shirley, 2025)

Don Schwager quotes “Fight sin and put up with trials,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the midst of these things." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 59,5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 13:21-33, 36-38 asks “What could possibly be glorious about a tale of betrayal, rejection, suffering, and death?”

The glory that Jesus talked about at the Last Supper is not limited to the glory that awaits us in heaven. It was made manifest when his scattered disciples returned and received the Holy Spirit. It shone forth as they became bold, powerful witnesses to his death and resurrection. It was evident as the very people who had rejected Jesus received the grace of redemption and found their way back to the Lord. It radiated beyond Jerusalem as the Gentiles received the good news of salvation and became full members of the body of Christ.

Isn’t it amazing that all this happened because of the suffering and death of the Son of God? May we never forget that the glory of God is always shining—even in the times that look the bleakest.

“All praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!” (Meditation on John 13:21-33, 36-38, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler introduces the second song of the Suffering Servant in Deutero-Isaiah as a chosen one of God with the forceful weapon of love bringing glory for all the nations, the Gentiles. The one who betrays Jesus is less ambiguous in John’s Gospel as He hands the morsel of food to Judas who has chosen darkness over light as he leaves at night. Friar Jude notes that Jesus' hour of glory in the Gospel of John is marked by the outpouring of Love on the Cross.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Episcopal priest and CAC faculty emeritus Cynthia Bourgeault describes how we can follow the path of descent Jesus models. She observes that in Jesus everything hangs together around a single center of gravity…. In Greek the verb kenosein means “to let go,” or “to empty oneself,” and this is the word Paul chooses at the key moment in his celebrated teaching in Philippians 2:5–11 in order to describe what “the mind of Christ” is all about.

Thus he came and thus he went, giving himself fully into life and death, losing himself, squandering himself, “gambling away every gift God bestows.” It was not love stored up but love utterly poured out that opened the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven.  

Over and over, Jesus lays this path before us. There is nothing to be renounced or resisted. Everything can be embraced, but the catch is to cling to nothing. You let it go. You go through life like a knife goes through a done cake, picking up nothing, clinging to nothing, sticking to nothing. And grounded in that fundamental chastity of your being, you can then throw yourself out, pour yourself out, being able to give it all back, even giving back life itself. That’s the kenotic path in a nutshell. Very, very simple. It only costs everything. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the events of Jesus' Passover in Jerusalem and seek the support of the Spirit as we participate in the “re-presenting” of the love, passion, and glory of Christ in surrender to the Will of the Father.

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 49. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 15, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/49?1 

John, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 15, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/13?21 

Meditation on John 13:21-33, 36-38. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 15, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/15/1248000/ 

Psalms, PSALM 71. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 15, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/71?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Surrendering All. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 15, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/surrendering-all/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Betrayal and Faltering Loyalty to Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 15, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr15 

Shirley, N. (2025, April 15). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 15, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/041525.html