The Strength to be Meek

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to pursue our efforts to make our environment more just and fair not through power and privilege but through the Beatitude promise that the “meek shall inherit the earth”.

Meek inherit the Earth

The Reading from the Prophet Micah presents an indictment of those who take land from the less powerful.

* [2:1–5] The cry “Ah” (hoy) begins a typical prophetic speech that is usually continued, as here (vv. 1–2), by a description of the addressees in terms of their unrighteous activities. This description is an indictment which gives the reasons for punishment announced to a particular group of people (vv. 3–5). The prophet spells out the crimes; the Lord announces the punishment, which corresponds to the crime: those who take the land of others will have their own land taken.

Those who plot iniquity and have the power to do it are wealthy landowners. The evil which they do consists in coveting the fields and houses of others and taking them.

* [2:2] To covet the “house” and other property of the neighbor was a violation of the Decalogue (Ex 20:17; 34:24; Dt 5:21).

The Lord, as owner of the earth, allotted the land by tribes and families to the people of Israel (Jos 13–19). Losing one’s inheritance diminished one’s place in the community and threatened the family’s economic viability and existence. According to Micah, those who used their power to expand their estates at the expense of weaker Israelites took more than land from them: they were tampering with the divine order.

* [2:4] Those who take land from the less powerful will in turn have their land taken away by invaders. (Micah, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 10 proclaims arrogant scoundrels pursue the poor.

a. [10:2] Is 32:7.

b. [10:3] Ps 36:2.

c. [10:4] Ps 14:1; Jb 22:13; Is 29:15; Jer 5:12; Zep 1:12.

d. [10:7] Is 32:7; Rom 3:14.

e. [10:8] Ps 11:2; Jb 24:14.

f. [10:9] Ps 17:12; Prv 1:11; Jer 5:26.

g. [10:11] Ps 44:25; 64:6; 73:11; 94:7; Ez 9:9.

h. [10:14] Ps 31:8; 56:9; 2 Kgs 20:5; Is 25:8; Rev 7:17.

i. [10:14] Ex 22:21–22. (Psalms, PSALM 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew is emphasizing the meekness of Jesus, The Chosen Servant.

* [12:15–21] Matthew follows Mk 3:7–12 but summarizes his source in two verses (Mt 12:15, 16) that pick up the withdrawal, the healings, and the command for silence. To this he adds a fulfillment citation from the first Servant Song (Is 42:1–4) that does not correspond exactly to either the Hebrew or the LXX of that passage. It is the longest Old Testament citation in this gospel, emphasizing the meekness of Jesus, the Servant of the Lord, and foretelling the extension of his mission to the Gentiles.

* [12:15] Jesus’ knowledge of the Pharisees’ plot and his healing all are peculiar to Matthew.

* [12:19] The servant’s not contending is seen as fulfilled in Jesus’ withdrawal from the disputes narrated in Mt 12:1–14.

* [12:21] Except for a minor detail, Matthew here follows the LXX, although the meaning of the Hebrew (“the coastlands will wait for his teaching”) is similar. (Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Carol Zuegner comments that we too often decide the loudest voices are the ones we should listen to. There seems to be a shortage of compassion and empathy.

But in this loud and noisy world, I sometimes think that quietness will not prevail. Even now, writing this, I have to stop and take a deep breath. I remind myself there is good in the world, everywhere. You don’t even have to look very far to find it. We are so used to being bruised by the loudness and the response to be loud in return. Instead, let me look for goodness. Let me be the person who does good in the world in small ways and in big ways. 

In the Gospel, Jesus retreats, while still showing compassion to those who follow him. He cures people. He is there. 

 

Take a breath. There is good in the world. There is good in you and me. We have to remember to practice patience. To practice listening. To work on showing compassion even to ourselves when life becomes overwhelming. God is there. God is listening. 

 

My prayer today is that I remain steadfast with love and mercy. I pray for patience and empathy with those near and far from me. I pray with gratitude and one more deep breath. (Zuegher, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The Savior's meekness,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"The prophet celebrated in advance both the Savior's meekness right alongside his unspeakable power. Thereby he opened to the Gentiles a great and effective door. Isaiah also foretold the ills that were to overtake the Jews. He foreknew the Son's oneness with the Father: 'Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him; I have put my Spirit upon him' (Isaiah 42:1). For it is not as an adversary that Christ transcends the law, as if he were an enemy of the Lawgiver, but as though he were of one mind with the Lawgiver and held to the very same purposes. Then, proclaiming the Lord's meekness, Isaiah said, 'He shall not cry nor lift up his voice' (Isaiah 42:20). For his desire indeed was to enable healing in their presence. But since they pushed him away, he did not contend any further against their opposition." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 40.2.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Micah was a small town boy who hated big city values and the officials in his town who did evil to covet and steal land. He prophesied they would lose boundaries in the Hebrew sense of justice, “as the sin so the punishment”. It is based on letting us have the consequences of what we get when we sin. The Pharisees fulfill the passage of Isaiah 42 in their persecution of Jesus as the suffering servant. Matthew quotes Isaiah to show Jesus fulfills the prophecy. Jesus uses the Suffering Servant passages from Isaiah and the Son of Man titles from Daniel 7 to identify with His mission. Friar Jude notes the mysterious meek figure in Isaiah's suffering servant is fulfilled in Jesus.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 12:14-21 comments that we tend to equate meekness with gentleness, but it’s much more than that. Meekness involves the choice to do what is right, even when fear tempts us to cowardice or anger tells us to fight fire with fire. It’s the godly strength to persist, grounded in the knowledge that God is with us.

Jesus knew his mission, and he was confident enough in God’s presence with him to carry it out on his own terms. That mission was to preach, to heal, and to proclaim freedom for the oppressed. And that’s exactly what he did until the time had come for him to actively engage his opponents. And when he did, he did it not by crushing them but by offering his life for their salvation and the salvation of the world. He could have summoned legions of angels to save him from death, but in meekness, he endured death at the hands of sinners—out of love for them.

Jesus has given you the Spirit to help you fulfill your mission with the same meekness that he showed. How might he want you to grow in this virtue today?

“Lord, give me the strength to be meek.” (Meditation on Matthew 12:14-21, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces peace activist and Orthodox Christian Jim Forest (1941–2022) who urges Christians to take seriously Jesus’s exhortation to stay close to those who suffer. He offers reflection questions about how we are practicing the Beatitudes.

In the Orthodox church, reflection on the beatitudes is often recommended as a way of preparing for confession and communion. Such reflection provides a framework for an examination of conscience about steps not yet taken in our effort to follow Christ:

• Do I embrace poverty of spirit—or flee from it at the speed of light?
• For whom have I been in mourning?
• How meek am I in my response to the gospels?
• In what ways am I hungry for righteousness?
• How merciful am I regarding those who in some way have done me harm?
• How pure is my heart and what keeps it so impure?
• In what ways am I trying to purify my heart?
• What are the divisions that intersect my life and in what ways am I responding to these divisions as a peacemaker?
• What enemies do I love? For which enemies am I praying?
• Whose threatened life am I trying to safeguard?
• Do I accept persecution as a blessing—or do I avoid anything that might get me into trouble? [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek Knowledge and Fortitude of the Spirit to live our relationships in practice of the blessing that comes from action to show the strength of meekness in our efforts to help people inherit a world of faith, hope, and love.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/12? 

Meditation on Matthew 12:14-21. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/18/1625292/ 

Micah, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/2?1 

Psalms, PSALM 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/10?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Beatitudes: Week Two: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/beatitudes-week-two-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Until Jesus Brings Justice to Victory. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Zuegher, C. (2026, July 18). Daily Reflection July 18, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-18-2026 

Beyond Rational

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to reflect on the experience we have of love that transcends mourning and our understanding of the confusing behavior of our loved ones.

Experience of Transcendent Love 

 

In the reading from the Second Book of Samuel, David mourns for Saul and Jonathan.

They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.1

 

Psalm 80 is a prayer for Israel’s restoration.

* [Psalm 80] A community lament in time of military defeat. Using the familiar image of Israel as a vineyard, the people complain that God has broken down the wall protecting the once splendid vine brought from Egypt (Ps 80:9–14). They pray that God will again turn to them and use the Davidic king to lead them to victory (Ps 80:15–19).2

 

The Gospel of Mark tells of family Intervention in Jesus’ ministry.

* [3:20–35] Within the narrative of the coming of Jesus’ relatives (Mk 3:20–21) is inserted the account of the unbelieving scribes from Jerusalem who attributed Jesus’ power over demons to Beelzebul (Mk 3:22–30); see note on Mk 5:21–43. There were those even among the relatives of Jesus who disbelieved and regarded Jesus as out of his mind (Mk 3:21). Against this background, Jesus is informed of the arrival of his mother and brothers [and sisters] (Mk 3:32). He responds by showing that not family ties but doing God’s will (Mk 3:35) is decisive in the kingdom; cf. note on Mt 12:46–50.3 

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that in the days of Jesus, family relations, especially with parents, were sacred. Most things religious, according to the Law, were binding. These relatives show up right before the Jewish keepers of the Law, the Scribes. Jesus, early in His public life, is a Law-breaking threat. The good things early in Mark’s Gospel are mainly personal encounters of healing and inviting. His miracles are individual instances of His entire mission to turn it down-side up and be Himself the Divine Intervener in the lives of those who will let Him touch them. Those who were at a distance, who came to challenge or correct Him, were kept at a safe distance from His healing words and touch.

In my own Jesuit life, I have profited from many interventions by persons who loved me perhaps more than I loved myself. Their intrusions have created a me that is definitely God’s work. I needed incarnations of that Love to bring me to this life of mission and ministries. That took faith and courage and some fear of course that I might think they were out of their minds. Be assured, it was not always received with gratitude, joy and immediate change. I make a quite solemn declaration here. The good things which I do, which are many, are absolutely the result of God’s goodness lived out through those who took me by the shoulders, or kicked me in the butt, or hugged me into the humiliating and humbling acceptance of the good they saw and I was afraid to accept.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus' worried kinfolk,” by Jerome (347-420 AD).

"In the Gospel we read that even his kinsfolk desired to bind him as one of weak mind (Mark 3:21). His opponents also reviled him saying, 'You are a Samaritan and have a devil' (John 8:48)." (excerpt from LETTER 108, TO EUSTOCHIUM)5

 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 3:20-21 notes that today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 US Supreme Court decision that paved the way for legalized abortion. It’s a sad day, and many of us might feel a little like Jesus in today’s Gospel: misunderstood or even ridiculed for our commitment to pro-life causes.

The road to full recognition of the rights of the unborn is long, and we may feel as if we are just beginning. The hope for a culture of healing and mercy for those affected by abortions may appear dim. But Jesus faced an even longer road and dimmer hopes on his way to the cross. He didn’t let his detractors keep him from that road, and he never rejected them. Instead, he pressed on, filled with love for all people and trust in his heavenly Father. We can do the same. “Jesus, hasten the day when all unborn children are protected in law and welcomed in love!”6 

Friar Jude Winkler reflects on the mortal failure of Saul in battle compared to David’s success. David mourns Jonathan who he loved deeply and Saul, who was anointed by God. Friar Jude reminds us of the cognitive dissonance experienced by those seeking a Messiah who encounter Jesus as the Suffering Servant.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, notes that Francis of Assisi called animals “Sister” and “Brother” and viewed humans as one part of a wider family of creation. Franciscan writers Ilia Delio, Keith Douglass Warner, and Pamela Wood recommend adapting a historic Christian practice of “examination of conscience” to focus on how we have harmed or helped our relationships with the Earth.

To prepare to do an ecological examination of conscience, take a few minutes to quiet yourself and enter into a state of prayer. Going back over your day or week, ask yourself the following questions: Is my whole life centered on God’s overflowing love in my life, revealed through Jesus and through all of creation? . . . Do I accept with a grateful heart the gifts of God’s goodness and diversity in creation? . . . Do I pray for the forgiveness of sins between humans and the created world, and for the healing and reconciliation of our broken relationship with creation? . . .  Have I used my God-given gifts to honor and protect the diverse, interdependent, fragile nature of all life and to preserve it for all future beings? . . . Have I stolen from or damaged the habitat of other creatures by wasting or consuming more than I need? . . .  Do I seek to eliminate from the world whatever keeps all creatures from their full development intended by their Creator: pollution, greed, overconsumption, loss of habitat, disease, war, extinction of species, oppressive laws and structures? . . . Have I encouraged others to take care for creation seriously? . . . After spending time with these questions, hold in your mind and heart the ways in which you have lived in disharmony with creation. . . Offer these mistakes up to God and ask for the strength and the wisdom to learn to live with integrity within the web of creation.7

 

The Spirit calls us to trust our relationship with God as we live in experiences of love that are beyond the rational boundaries set by our culture.

 

References

 

1	(n.d.). 2 Samuel, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/1
2	(n.d.). Psalms, PSALM 80 | USCCB. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/80
3	(n.d.). Mark, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/3
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - Online Ministries. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/012222.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=jan22
6	(n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/01/22/297266/
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 22, 2022, from https://cac.org/a-connected-universe-weekly-summary-2022-01-22/