Open to Being Reformed

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to assess our journey with openness to accept the need for some modification of our path to better shape our faith, hope, and love.

Shaped by the Potter

The Reading from the Prophet Jeremiah presents The Potter’s Vessel.

* [18:1–12] The lesson of the potter is that God has the power to destroy or restore, changing his plans accordingly as these nations disobey him or fulfill his will. Cf. Jon 3:10. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 146 declares there is no other source of strength except the merciful God.

* [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal human beings (Ps 146:3–4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Ps 146:5–9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter. (Psalms, PSALM 146 |USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus offers More Parables that assess Treasures New and Old.

* [13:51] Matthew typically speaks of the understanding of the disciples.

* [13:52] Since Matthew tends to identify the disciples and the Twelve (see note on Mt 10:1), this saying about the Christian scribe cannot be taken as applicable to all who accept the message of Jesus. While the Twelve are in many ways representative of all who believe in him, they are also distinguished from them in certain respects. The church of Matthew has leaders among whom are a group designated as “scribes” (Mt 23:34). Like the scribes of Israel, they are teachers. It is the Twelve and these their later counterparts to whom this verse applies. The scribe…instructed in the kingdom of heaven knows both the teaching of Jesus (the new) and the law and prophets (the old) and provides in his own teaching both the new and the old as interpreted and fulfilled by the new. On the translation head of a household (for the same Greek word translated householder in Mt 13:27), see note on Mt 24:45–51. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Tamora Whitney comments that, in the Gospel, Jesus says at the end times the good will be separated from the bad.

There is no salvation in trusting in princes. Men cannot give salvation, and bad men will lead others astray. Faith and hope in the Lord is the road to salvation. The bad fish are cast aside like the bad pots, and the bad people will be cast into hell. But the good fish are kept like the good pots and the good people will see the wonders of heaven. “Put not your trust in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation…Blessed he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God.”

The world seems like a mess now, like a mixed pile of fish from the net, but it will all be sorted out in the end, good and bad in the next world. (Whitney, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes "A scribe who is trained for the kingdom of heaven,” by Cyril of Alexandria (375-444 AD).

"A scribe is one who, through continual reading of the Old and New Testaments, has laid up for himself a storehouse of knowledge. Thus Christ blesses those who have gathered in themselves the education both of the law and of the gospel, so as to 'bring forth from their treasure things both new and old.' And Christ compares such people with a scribe, just as in another place he says, 'I will send you wise men and scribes' (Matthew 23:34) (excerpt from Fragment 172) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects that Jeremiah uses a symbolic action at the house of the potter where the pots are smashed and reformed if they are not turning out to the satisfaction of the potter. God is a Potter. Those who turn out poorly will be smashed. In the Gospel of Matthew, one of the parables of the Kingdom presents the idea that trash fish are thrown out and good fish kept. God is very merciful, but Matthew asserts the reality of a final accounting. Friar Jude urges us to use whatever is useful and learn from other religious communities about mission and hospitality in related faiths. We can learn from both old and new and use almost anything for the sake of the Kingdom.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Jeremiah 18:1-6 comments that through Jeremiah, God tells us that he has both the power and the desire to shape us according to his will. Whether through situations in our lives or through the voice of our consciences, he is constantly working to take whatever is misshapen in us and form it into something new and beautiful.

So today, imagine yourself as soft clay. Let God stretch you and shape you. Trust the hands that hold you. The potter is patient, and his vision for your life is more beautiful than anything you could form alone.

“Lord, help me to keep my heart soft so that it can become something beautiful in your hands.” (Meditation on Jeremiah 18:1-6, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Indigenous theologian Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley who considers Jesus’s criticism of certain religious leaders in his day and how they interpreted Scripture. Anytime we use our sacred writings to justify acts of exclusion, rejection, and hegemony we are neglecting justice, mercy, and love. By doing so, we deploy our holy scriptures to do more harm than good, causing us to fall into the same hypocrisy that Jesus condemned….

I understand the dilemma well. Growing up evangelical, I was indoctrinated to accept every single word of the Bible as literal truth, no matter how troubling or contradictory it seemed…. What strikes me as deeply ironic is that most Jewish communities—the very people whose ancestors wrote much of these texts—don’t embrace this rigid fundamentalism that many Christians do. In Jewish tradition, questioning and wrestling with multiple interpretations through midrash isn’t just permitted—it’s essential. They understand what many Christians miss, that sacred texts demand thoughtful engagement, not naïve acceptance. (Rohr, n.d.)

The reforming of our lives by the fire of the Love of the Spirit is our invitation to be more fully alive in our environment as living vessels of faith, hope, and love for all.

References

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/18? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13?47 

Meditation on Jeremiah 18:1-6. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/30/1635280/ 

Psalms, PSALM 146 |USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/146?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Reading for Justice, Mercy, and Love. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/reading-for-justice-mercy-and-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Trained for the Kingdom of Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Whitney, T. (2026, July 30). Daily Reflection July 30, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-30-2026 

Parables People and Purpose

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine the distractions that lead us away from the fullness of life that our relationship with Christ sustains.

Full Life Beyond Distractions

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah portrays Israel as the wife of the Lord.

* [2:1–3:5] These chapters may contain some of Jeremiah’s early preaching. He portrays Israel as the wife of the Lord, faithful only in the beginning, when she walked behind him (2:2–3, 5; 3:1). Consistent with the marriage metaphor, he describes her present unfaithfulness as adultery (2:20; 3:2–3); now she walks behind the Baals.

* [2:2] Devotion: Heb. hesed; Israel’s gratitude, fidelity, and love for God.

* [2:3] First fruits: the first yield of a harvest offered as a sign of dependence on and gratitude toward the Lord of the land, thus divine property. Israel, then, is a gift made to God, set apart for his use; cf. Ex 23:19.

* [2:8] Experts in the law: the priests. The shepherds: the kings and nobles. (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 36 proclaims the rule of divine love and mercy over God’s friends,

* [Psalm 36] A Psalm with elements of wisdom (Ps 36:2–5), the hymn (Ps 36:6–10), and the lament (Ps 36:11–13). The rule of sin over the wicked (Ps 36:2–5) is contrasted with the rule of divine love and mercy over God’s friends (Ps 36:6–10). The Psalm ends with a prayer that God’s guidance never cease (Ps 36:11–12). (Psalms, PSALM 36 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims the Purpose of Parables and the Privilege of Discipleship.

* [13:1–53] The discourse in parables is the third great discourse of Jesus in Matthew and constitutes the second part of the third book of the gospel. Matthew follows the Marcan outline (Mk 4:1–35) but has only two of Mark’s parables, the five others being from Q and M. In addition to the seven parables, the discourse gives the reason why Jesus uses this type of speech (Mt 13:10–15), declares the blessedness of those who understand his teaching (Mt 13:16–17), explains the parable of the sower (Mt 13:18–23) and of the weeds (Mt 13:36–43), and ends with a concluding statement to the disciples (Mt 13:51–52).

* [13:11] Since a parable is figurative speech that demands reflection for understanding, only those who are prepared to explore its meaning can come to know it. To understand is a gift of God, granted to the disciples but not to the crowds. In Semitic fashion, both the disciples’ understanding and the crowd’s obtuseness are attributed to God. The question of human responsibility for the obtuseness is not dealt with, although it is asserted in Mt 13:13. The mysteries: as in Lk 8:10; Mk 4:11 has “the mystery.” The word is used in Dn 2:18, 19, 27 and in the Qumran literature (1QpHab 7:8; 1QS 3:23; 1QM 3:9) to designate a divine plan or decree affecting the course of history that can be known only when revealed. Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven means recognition that the kingdom has become present in the ministry of Jesus.

* [13:12] In the New Testament use of this axiom of practical “wisdom” (see Mt 25:29; Mk 4:25; Lk 8:18; 19:26), the reference transcends the original level. God gives further understanding to one who accepts the revealed mystery; from the one who does not, he will take it away (note the “theological passive,” more will be given, what he has will be taken away).

* [13:13] Because ‘they look…or understand’: Matthew softens his Marcan source, which states that Jesus speaks in parables so that the crowds may not understand (Mk 4:12), and makes such speaking a punishment given because they have not accepted his previous clear teaching. However, his citation of Is 6:9–10 in Mt 13:14 supports the harsher Marcan view.

* [13:16–17] Unlike the unbelieving crowds, the disciples have seen that which the prophets and the righteous of the Old Testament longed to see without having their longing fulfilled. (Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kimberly Grassmeyer comments that Jesus admits that he speaks in Parables to the people, as they are unable to “see or hear” the mysteries that the disciples have absorbed.  Much of the passage relies on Isaiah’s prophesy that the people can look but not truly see, and hear but not truly understand, and as such  have “gross” hearts.

Reading that passage, I wonder if anyone else shares my suspicion that I fall into this group?  There is so much that I don’t truly comprehend from Christ’s teaching, so much of God’s word that is difficult to absorb.  Am I the person who doesn’t truly see, understand, and love God with my whole heart?  Am I among those who will have everything taken away?  Jesus told the disciples that many prophets and faithful people had fallen short in their attempts to do so - who am I to hope that I’m better than they?

Ahhh, but I’m a New Testament Christian, eager to believe in God’s Grace.  So I’ll cling to the closing phrase from Isaiah’s prophesy:

“lest they see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts and be converted

and I heal them.”

My prayer today is to ask that God continue, always, to open wide my heart, my eyes, and my ears, that I may be truly converted and healed.  That I may one day know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.  And as importantly for this Christian, that I would live them out in my daily life on earth, sharing light and love with all people.  Amen. (Grassmeyer, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Ears that refuse to hear,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"Faith perceives the mysteries of the kingdom. A person will make progress in those things he has been immersed in and will abound with an increase in that progress. But in those things he has not been immersed in, even that which he has shall be taken away from him. In other words, he suffers the loss of the law from the loss of his faith. Lacking faith, the people of the law lost even the efficacy of the law. Therefore, gospel faith receives a perfect gift, because it enriches with new fruit those things that have been undertaken. But once it is rejected, even the help of one's former means of support is taken away. (excerpt from a commentary ON MATTHEW 13.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on Jeremiah who speaks about the Lord bringing the people from the desert and then they abandoned the Lord by being self-sufficient no longer dependent on the Lord for water and food. The Lord enacts a lawsuit to show the things they have chosen are not life giving. We choose food, acceptance, and these become central to our self satisfaction but Christ’s Love is the only Way to satisfy the deepest desires of our heart. Friar Jude notes Jesus quotes Isaiah today, typical in Matthew’s Gospel, written for a Jewish audience, to underline if the people reject his message in the simplest form they have rejected Him because they refuse to see. Jesus praises those who have opened eyes and ears to see and understand.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 13:10-17 comments that we can read this passage only as a condemnation of those whose hearts have become “gross,” but that would be too limiting. There is also an invitation here. 

So listen closely and look carefully when you are praying and reading Scripture. Welcome Jesus into your heart and ask him to let you sense his presence with you personally. Don’t let guilt or sin or boredom get in the way. Slow down and take your time; don’t rush through your prayer. Tell yourself that the words you are reading can speak to you and your situation. And trust that the God who loves you wants to speak to you!

“Lord, open my eyes and my ears to you!” (Meditation on Matthew 13:10-17, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, has long drawn comfort and wisdom from the writings of the young Jewish woman Etty Hillesum (1914–1943), believing her to be someone whose contemplative practice and mystical experience led to greater compassion and action in a hurting world. Shortly before her departure for internment at the Westerbork transit camp, Hillesum wrote in her journal. Hillesum fully accepted the brokenness of reality and chose to love ever more consciously.

Something has crystallised. I have looked our destruction, our miserable end which has already begun in so many small ways in our daily life, straight in the eye and accepted it into my life, and my love of life has not been diminished. I am not bitter or rebellious, or in any way discouraged. I continue to grow from day to day, even with the likelihood of destruction staring me in the face. I shall no longer flirt with words, for words merely evoke misunderstandings: I have come to terms with life.…

By “coming to terms with life” I mean: the reality of death has become a definite part of my life; my life has, so to speak, been extended by death, by my looking death in the eye and accepting it, by accepting destruction as part of life and no longer wasting my energies on fear of death or the refusal to acknowledge its inevitability. It sounds paradoxical: by excluding death from our life we cannot live a full life, and by admitting death into our life we enlarge and enrich [life]. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to reveal if our development of a sophisticated understanding and practice of our Christian faith is to serve our desire for moral and intellectual justification of our self aggrandizement rather than the faith, hope and love of Jesus Way. 

References

Grassmeyer, K. (2026, July 23). Daily Reflection July 23, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-23-2026 

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/2? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13? 

Meditation on Matthew 13:10-17. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/23/1629640/ 

Psalms, PSALM 36 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/36? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Etty Hillesum: A Commitment to Life. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/etty-hillesum-a-commitment-to-life/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Many Longed to Hear What You Hear. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Kings and Conflict

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the meaning of “The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath” to our action as followers of Christ.

Ordained to Serve

The Reading from the First Letter of Samuel presents that Samuel Is Sent to Bethlehem to Anoint David.

* [16:1] David is anointed two more times after Saul’s death (2 Sm 2:4; 5:3). In 17:28, his brother Eliab is not aware of David’s selection. These repetitions and inconsistencies reflect the final editor’s use of multiple sources. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 89 proclaims a divine title, which is here extended to David.

* [89:28] Most High: a divine title, which is here extended to David as God’s own king, cf. Ps 2:7–9; Is 9:5. As God rules over the members of the heavenly council (Ps 89:6–9), so David, God’s surrogate, rules over earthly kings. (Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark addresses the relationship between The Disciples and the Sabbath.

* [2:23–28] This conflict regarding the sabbath follows the same pattern as in Mk 2:18–22.

* [2:25–26] Have you never read what David did?: Jesus defends the action of his disciples on the basis of 1 Sm 21:2–7 in which an exception is made to the regulation of Lv 24:9 because of the extreme hunger of David and his men. According to 1 Samuel, the priest who gave the bread to David was Ahimelech, father of Abiathar.

* [2:27] The sabbath was made for man: a reaffirmation of the divine intent of the sabbath to benefit Israel as contrasted with the restrictive Pharisaic tradition added to the law.

* [2:28] The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath: Mark’s comment on the theological meaning of the incident is to benefit his Christian readers; see note on Mk 2:10. (Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kimberly Grassmeyer asks “Are we able to trust and know that our God sees past all of those external manifestations, and into our hearts?  Can we remember God’s promise to us that we were made - and are - perfect in God’s sight?  That we are enough?  That we are worthy?  ?

If you’re like me, we don’t know how to hold these truths in our consciousness every day.  We forget them when we doubt, when we fear, when we’re weak.  So, I for one am happy to be reminded anew of the image of a young boy having been chosen by his God (when many others were available) to lead his people — and that in this choosing, he went on to slay the defiant, boisterous, name-calling bully giant.  We, too, were each chosen by God, for good; we are all capable, worthy, and enough.  We can all remember the example of David.  Amen. (Grassmeyer, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of the Sabbath”, by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"Doubtless he speaks of himself when he mentions the 'Lord of the sabbath' (Mark 2:28, Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5). Mark relates a complementary saying about our common human nature, that "the sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). Why then should someone who gathered sticks on the sabbath be censured? The law that was established earlier could not be scorned without jeopardizing the law to be given later.

"The sabbath did confer many benefits, great blessings in the earlier dispensation. It made people more gentle toward those close to them. It guided them toward being more sympathetic. It located them temporally within God's creation and providence, as Ezekiel knew (Ezekiel 20:19-20). The sabbath trained Israel by degrees to abstain from evil and disposed them to listen to the things of the Spirit.

"They would have stretched the law out of shape if, when he was giving the law of the sabbath, Jesus had said, 'You can work on the sabbath, but just do good works, do nothing evil.' This would have brought out the worst in them. So he restrained them from doing any works at all on the sabbath. And even this stricter prohibition did not keep them in line. But he himself, in the very act of giving the law of the sabbath, gave them a veiled sign of things to come. For by saying, 'You must do no work, except what shall be done for your life' (Exodus 12:16), he indicated that the intent of the law was to have them refrain from evil works only, not all works. Even in the temple, much went on during the sabbath, and with great diligence and double toil. Thus even by this very shadowy saying Jesus was secretly opening the truth to them. Did Christ then attempt to repeal a law so beneficial as the sabbath law? Far from it. Rather, he greatly magnified the sabbath. For with Christ came the time for everyone to be trained by a higher requirement."(excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 39.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 comments that God has chosen each of us to be his disciple and follow him. In Baptism, he gave us the greatest honor we could ever imagine: he made us his sons and daughters. But each person’s path is different. The Lord knows our gifts and our weaknesses, and he has a particular calling for each of us.

The sons of Jesse may have had to fight the temptation to compare themselves to their royal brother. But then again, maybe not. Maybe they trusted in God’s choice, both for themselves and for David, because they knew that God loved them and had the best in mind for them. May we always trust in the Lord’s desires for us!

“Lord, thank you for your perfect plan for my life.” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 16:1-13, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Saul was originally chosen to be king but Saul did things against the will of God. In Disobedience Saul is rejected. Samuel goes to Bethlehem and the older sons of Jesse are rejected. Then, the youngest son, David, is anointed to be the next King of Israel. In ancient times the Spirit of the Lord is described as possessing people. The Gospel of Mark presents the episode where disciples break off heads of grain to snack when hungry and are accused of harvesting grain on the Sabbath by the Pharisees. Jesus responds there are times when you have to do it and Jesus cites the show bread given to the men of David. When the high priest was named as Abiathar did Jesus make a factual error? Friar Jude comments that Jesus surrendered His Divine Prerogative that includes making errors. Mark, the first Gospel written, has little correction that  may be in later Gospel accounts. The power to “loose and bind” what to follow or not to follow is claimed by Jesus.

Father Richard Rohr introduces womanist theologian Delores Williams (1937–2022) who connects the call Hagar experienced in the wilderness to the experiences of African American women. 

As the result of these hard-time experiences and the encounters with God, Hagar and many African-American women manifested a risk-taking faith. Though she obeyed God’s mandate for her life, Hagar dared to give a name to the God she met in the wilderness. In a sense, this God is her God, and possibly not the God of her slave holders Abram and Sarai. No other person in the Bible names God. Many African-American women (slave and free) have taken serious risks in the black community’s liberation struggle. For example, in the midst of the violence and brutality that accompanied slavery in America, Harriet Tubman, with a price on her head, dared to liberate over three hundred slaves. She served as a spy and a general in the Civil War. She is said to have relied solely upon God for help and strength; she had no one else to look to. Thus we can speak of Hagar and many African-American women as sisters in the wilderness struggling for life, and by the help of their God coming to terms with situations that have destructive potential. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We have the gift of Sabbath time to ponder with gratitude our relationship with the Divine through our baptism as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Grassmeyer, K. (2026, January 20). Daily Reflection January 20, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-january-20-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/2?23 

Meditation on 1 Samuel 16:1-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/20/1483524/ 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/16?1 

Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89?20 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). God Calls Those on the Margins. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/god-calls-those-on-the-margins/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/