Forgiving and Giving

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to put our faith into action so that our anointing as people of grace, forgiveness, and love is visible to our community.

Assess Our Need for Forgiveness

The Reading from the Book of Ezekiel presents Acts of the Prophet, Symbolic of the Exile.

* [12:3–10] An exile’s bag contains bare necessities, probably no more than a bowl, a mat, and a waterskin. The prophet’s action foreshadows the fate of ruler and people (vv. 11–14).

* [12:5] Through the wall: mud-brick outer wall of a private home. In this symbolic action, Ezekiel represents the enemy forces, and the house wall, the city wall of Jerusalem breached by the Babylonian army.

* [12:13] Though he shall not see it: according to a Targum, an allusion to Nebuchadnezzar having Zedekiah blinded before deporting him to Babylonia (cf. 2 Kgs 25:7); according to the Septuagint, the king is ashamed of his flight from the city and disguises himself so others will not recognize him.

* [12:16] Both exiles and nations shall know that the exile is divine punishment for Israel’s betrayal of the Lord and the covenant, not evidence that the Lord is too weak to fight off the Babylonian deity. (Ezekiel, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 78 presents a recital of history to show that past generations did not respond to God’s gracious deeds and were punished by God making the gift into a punishment.

* [78:58] Provoked him: lit., “made him jealous.”

* [78:60] Shiloh: an important shrine in the north prior to Jerusalem. Despite its holy status, it was destroyed (Ps 78:60–64; cf. Jer 7:12, 14). (Psalm 78, PSALMS | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.

* [18:21–35] The final section of the discourse deals with the forgiveness that the disciples are to give to their fellow disciples who sin against them. To the question of Peter how often forgiveness is to be granted (Mt 18:21), Jesus answers that it is to be given without limit (Mt 18:22) and illustrates this with the parable of the unmerciful servant (Mt 18:23–34), warning that his heavenly Father will give those who do not forgive the same treatment as that given to the unmerciful servant (Mt 18:35). Mt 18:21–22 correspond to Lk 17:4; the parable and the final warning are peculiar to Matthew. That the parable did not originally belong to this context is suggested by the fact that it really does not deal with repeated forgiveness, which is the point of Peter’s question and Jesus’ reply.

* [18:22] Seventy-seven times: the Greek corresponds exactly to the LXX of Gn 4:24. There is probably an allusion, by contrast, to the limitless vengeance of Lamech in the Genesis text. In any case, what is demanded of the disciples is limitless forgiveness.

* [18:24] A huge amount: literally, “ten thousand talents.” The talent was a unit of coinage of high but varying value depending on its metal (gold, silver, copper) and its place of origin. It is mentioned in the New Testament only here and in Mt 25:14–30.

* [18:26] Pay you back in full: an empty promise, given the size of the debt.

* [18:28] A much smaller amount: literally, “a hundred denarii.” A denarius was the normal daily wage of a laborer. The difference between the two debts is enormous and brings out the absurdity of the conduct of the Christian who has received the great forgiveness of God and yet refuses to forgive the relatively minor offenses done to him.

* [18:34] Since the debt is so great as to be unpayable, the punishment will be endless.

* [18:35] The Father’s forgiveness, already given, will be withdrawn at the final judgment for those who have not imitated his forgiveness by their own. (Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [19:1] When Jesus finished these words: see note on Mt 7:28–29. The district of Judea across the Jordan: an inexact designation of the territory. Judea did not extend across the Jordan; the territory east of the river was Perea. The route to Jerusalem by way of Perea avoided passage through Samaria. (Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

David Crawford comments that our perception may cause us to think we are in the right, allowing us to justify our words and actions; and then, failing to consider their side, we get angrier because they won’t apologize or show remorse. (I am reminded that no one is a villain in their own story.) If we are not careful, bitterness and resentment build. The thought of forgiveness may not even occur to us even as our relationships are damaged.

So when Peter asked his question, Jesus understood how much had built up over the years. He understood how keeping a list of grievances makes the list keeper miserable and promotes disharmony and division. How many times? Jesus told him (and us): Stop keeping track and just forgive. Jesus, through parable, reminded Peter (and us) that God has forgiven us more times than we can count, certainly more than we deserve. God loves us in spite of our shortcomings. Extend that same grace, mercy and love to those close to you. (Crawford, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “How often shall I forgive?” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"When Peter asked him whether he should forgive his brother sinning against him up to seven times, the Lord replied, 'Not up to seven times but up to seventy times seven times'" In every way he teaches us to be like him in humility and goodness. In weakening and breaking the impulses of our rampant passions he strengthens us by the example of his leniency, by granting us in faith pardon of all our sins. For the vices of our nature did not merit pardon. Therefore all pardon comes from him. In fact, he pardons even those sins that remain in one after confession. The penalty to be paid through Cain was established at sevenfold, but that sin was against a man, against his brother Abel, to the point of murder (Genesis 4:8). But in Lamech the penalty was established at seventy times seven times (Genesis 4:24), and, as we believe, the penalty was established on those responsible for the Lord's Passion. But the Lord through the confession of believers grants pardon for this crime. By the gift of baptism he grants the grace of salvation to his revilers and persecutors. How much more is it necessary, he shows, that pardon be returned by us without measure or number. And we should not think how many times we forgive, but we should cease to be angry with those who sin against us, as often as the occasion for anger exists. Pardon's frequency shows us that in our case there is never a time for anger, since God pardons us for all sins in their entirety by his gift rather than by our merit. Nor should we be excused from the requirement of giving pardon that number of times [i.e., seventy times seven], since through the grace of the gospel God has granted us pardon without measure." (excerpt from ON MATTHEW 18.10) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Prophet Ezekiel makes a symbolic gesture and about being taken into exile in the time between his exile and when the Temple is destroyed in the later exile of his people. Ezekiel makes his point as he pretends to be fleeing from an enemy. In the Gospel the disciples ask how many times they must forgive? They suggest 7 times 7, an extension of the perfect number. but Jesus' number is infinity. The parable of the unforgiving servant means that God has forgiven us many things. We may reply “I am not as bad as some”. We don't know the extent of grace given to all. The person who is less forgiving may be missed, if my heart is already closed. Friar Jude comments that it is not that God won’t forgive me, but we need to consider my willingness to accept forgiveness.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 18:21–19:1 comments that the character in the parable who answers Peter’s question is the master. He forgives his servant “a huge amount” (Matthew 18:24) and expects that servant to be just as forgiving toward a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller amount.

Jesus is telling Peter, and telling each of us, You have already been forgiven a huge debt; you cannot put a limit on how much you are willing to forgive. You need to be as forgiving toward one another as I have been toward you.

Jesus looks on you with so much mercy that he has forgiven all your sins. He wants you to live in joy and freedom—and to joyfully and freely extend that forgiveness to everyone around you.

“Lord, help me to grasp the depth of your mercy and to be just as merciful toward those who sin against me!” (Meditation on Matthew 18:21–19:1, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, comments Franciscan mysticism is at heart incarnational mysticism. Theologian Ilia Delio highlights how Francis of Assisi was transformed by the radical implications of the Incarnation, including his powerful experience meeting a leper.

The leper experience was a turning point in Francis’ life. As his life deepened in God, he made a constant effort to spend himself in love by giving himself to the other…. Following the footprints of Jesus, Francis found the God of humble love not among the popular and the proud, the arrogant and the rich or those who “stand out” in society, but among the ordinary, the forgotten, the poor and sick and marginalized….

 

The simplest way to describe God’s poverty and humility is in terms of love. Love gives itself away—this is God’s poverty. Love turns toward the other so it can give itself to the other—this is God’s humility. In the Incarnation, God turns toward us through the Son/Word and gives [God’s] self to us as love. We call this gift of God’s love to us, this gift of total self-emptying love, “kenosis.” The poverty of God is the kenosis or self-emptying of the Word, the descent of the Word, from the riches of divine glory into our fragile human nature. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)

The Spirit reveals the extent of the “self emptying” love that we have experienced and nudges us to be agents of forgiveness and love to the people we have been given to develop our unconditional love.

References

Crawford, D. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-13-2026 

Ezekiel, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/12? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18?21 

Matthew, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19 

Meditation on Matthew 18:21–19:1. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/13/1644835/ 

Psalm 78, PSALMS | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/78?56 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Incarnation: The Humility of God. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/incarnation-the-humility-of-god/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, How Often Shall I Forgive My Brother? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 13, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Gifted and Anointed for Service

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate our blessings and our surrender to the call to serve others with our talents and skills.

Healing for Life

The Reading from the Prophet Amos presents his strong reaction to Amaziah’s attempt to classify him as a “prophet-for-hire”.

* [7:14] I am not a prophet: Amos reacts strongly to Amaziah’s attempt to classify him as a “prophet-for-hire” who “earns [his] bread” by giving oracles in exchange for payment (cf. 1 Sm 9:3–10; Mi 3:5). To disassociate himself from this kind of “professional” prophet, Amos rejects outright the title of nabi’ (“prophet”). By profession he is a herdsman/sheepbreeder and a dresser of sycamore trees, but God’s call has commissioned him to prophesy to Israel. (Amos, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 19 declares the creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law.

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

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents the Healing of a Paralytic.

* [9:1] His own town: Capernaum; see Mt 4:13.

* [9:3] Scribes: see note on Mk 2:6. Matthew omits the reason given in the Marcan story for the charge of blasphemy: “Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (Mk 2:7).

* [9:6] It is not clear whether But that you may know…to forgive sins is intended to be a continuation of the words of Jesus or a parenthetical comment of the evangelist to those who would hear or read this gospel. In any case, Matthew here follows the Marcan text.

* [9:8] Who had given such authority to human beings: a significant difference from Mk 2:12 (“They…glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this’”). Matthew’s extension to human beings of the authority to forgive sins points to the belief that such authority was being claimed by Matthew’s church. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth comments on a visit to a brilliant friend suffering from severe dementia. She delights in simple things like the flowers in her garden and the tang of my homemade lemon bars. As we slow down to her pace, we absorb her sense of wonder at things like a smiling child. She heals all of us in a way.

Still meditating on today’s gospel, I left Connie’s house determined to stop missing the miracles I’ve been too busy to notice, like the one I experienced that weekend at a Methodist church pantry program food distribution that St. John’s supports.   

To me the miracle wasn’t that our churches had collected and distributed food but that we volunteers were hit hard by Jesus’ admonitions to welcome the stranger and feed the hungry.  We even talked about this. The experience connected us with our refugee brothers and sisters whom we don’t often encounter in daily life and brought the gospel to life. 

 

Heading back to my comfortable home, I thought about how we all need healing whether we are suffering physically like the paralytic or spiritually like the authorities. We need to let the small miracles of goodness that we experience in daily life transform us. So I’m going to try to notice and live the healing miracles happening all around me. (Wirth, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Healing of soul and body,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).

"Now in the narrative of the paralytic a number of people are brought forward for healing. Jesus' words of healing are worthy of reflection. The paralytic is not told, 'Be healed.' He is not told, 'Rise and walk.' But he is told, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven you.' The paralytic is a descendant of the original man, Adam. In one person, Christ, all the sins of Adam are forgiven. In this case the person to be healed is brought forward by ministering angels. In this case, too, he is called a son, because he is God's first work. The sins of his soul are forgiven him, and pardon of the first transgression is granted. We do not believe the paralytic committed any sin [that resulted in his illness], especially since the Lord said elsewhere that blindness from birth had not been contracted from someone's sin or that of his parents" [John 9:1-3]. (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 8.5) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Amos 7:10-17 comments that no one grows in holiness if they are surrounded by people who only affirm them. We all need people in our lives who are willing to help us see our blind spots and challenge us when necessary.

The better response is to examine your heart to see if there is any truth to what you’ve heard. Ask the Lord for the grace to correct any area in your life where you may be falling short of his will. And then trust that he will show you the way forward. Remember: God never convicts us of sin without also giving us a sense of hope and a willingness to make amends. If you follow this conviction, repent of any sin you see, and decide to make a change, he will honor your humility and sincerity of heart.

“Jesus, help me to be open to those who will speak a truth that can set me free!” (Meditation on Amos 7:10-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Amos actually came from Judah but preached in the northern kingdom with a region with unstable leaders who could be overthrown by words from a prophet. When Amos is told to be quiet, he declares himself not a prophet and not a member of the community of prophets. What is he saying as a herdsman and dresser of sycamore trees he would split the fruit as a poor man. When called by the Lord, Amos curses the priest for attempting to keep him from speaking.  Amos' language is that of one who speaks like a farmer. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus heals a Paralytic, the first words out of Jesus’ mouth are that the sins of the Paralytic are forgiven, as Jesus heals the greater hurt first. The Pharisees are scandalized because forgiving sins is the exclusive prerogative of GOD. Friar Jude comments that Jesus heals and the people are struck with awe which is the proper response of those willing to see and anger to those who refuse to see what He is doing.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, writes about the transformative power of accepting our own belovedness. The lives of saints and mystics never point to themselves, but always and forever beyond themselves to the One who chooses them, uses them, and loves them. They become models for us. [1]

To allow ourselves to be God’s beloved is to be God’s beloved. To allow ourselves to be chosen is to be chosen. To allow ourselves to be blessed is to be blessed. It is so hard to accept being accepted, especially from God. It takes a certain kind of humility to surrender to it, and even more to persist in believing it. Any persons used by God know this to be true: God chooses and then uses whom God chooses, and their usability comes from their willingness to allow themselves to be chosen in the first place. What a paradox!  

God’s love is constant and irrevocable; our part is to be open to it and let it transform us. There is absolutely nothing we can do to make God love us more than God already does, and there is absolutely nothing we can do to make God love us less. We are stuck with it! The only difference is between those who allow it and those who don’t. They are both equally and objectively the beloved, but one just enjoys it and draws ever-new life from that realization. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to alert us to the gifts with which we are blessed and inspire us to join Jesus and apply our time and talent to work producing fruit in the vineyard of the Lord.

References

Amos, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/amos/7?10 

Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9?1 

Meditation on Amos 7:10-17. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/01/1606059/ 

Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Loved to Love Others. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/loved-to-love-others/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Take Heart - Your Sins Are Forgiven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Wirth, E. (2026, July 2). Daily Reflection July 2, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 2, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-2-2026 

Signs of Love in Forgiveness

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present forgiveness as an essential sign of the love we strive to express as followers of Christ.

A Path of Love in Forgiveness

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles concludes with Stephen’s Martyrdom.

* [7:55] He…saw…Jesus standing at the right hand of God: Stephen affirms to the Sanhedrin that the prophecy Jesus made before them has been fulfilled (Mk 14:62).

* [7:57] Covered their ears: Stephen’s declaration, like that of Jesus, is a scandal to the court, which regards it as blasphemy.

* [7:59] Compare Lk 23:34, 46. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [8:1] All were scattered…except the apostles: this observation leads some modern scholars to conclude that the persecution was limited to the Hellenist Christians and that the Hebrew Christians were not molested, perhaps because their attitude toward the law and temple was still more in line with that of their fellow Jews (see the charge leveled against the Hellenist Stephen in Acts 6:13–14). Whatever the facts, it appears that the Twelve took no public stand regarding Stephen’s position, choosing, instead, to await the development of events. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 31 declares a strong emphasis on trust in God.

* [Psalm 31] A lament (Ps 31:2–19) with a strong emphasis on trust (Ps 31:4, 6, 15–16), ending with an anticipatory thanksgiving (Ps 31:20–24). As is usual in laments, the affliction is couched in general terms. The psalmist feels overwhelmed by evil people but trusts in the “God of truth” (Ps 31:6). (Psalms, PSALM 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents Bread from heaven.

* [6:31] Bread from heaven: cf. Ex 16:4, 15, 32–34 and the notes there; Ps 78:24. The manna, thought to have been hidden by Jeremiah (2 Mc 2:5–8), was expected to reappear miraculously at Passover, in the last days. (John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Colette O’Meara-McKinney comments that in today’s reading, Stephen the Martyr models something remarkable: he found peace in the middle of chaos. He spoke truth with confidence and accepted the consequences with courage.

I’ve been fortunate. Close family and trusted friends have challenged me at pivotal moments. I clearly remember a dear friend who called me out for lacking clear priorities and neglecting my responsibilities to the people I cared about. It was hard to hear. It was even harder not to respond defensively. But it was accurate — and it changed me.

This Lenten season, I’m challenging myself to cultivate an interior freedom — a quiet, centered place from which I can act with calm, clarity, and conviction. A place from which I can say the hard words, take meaningful action, and listen with genuine care.

That interior freedom — the freedom to choose courage — is an anchor. My prayer is that we each find our anchors in times of struggle and in seasons of abundance. May we find clarity in our convictions, and the will to live them out in honest, wholehearted action. (O'Meara-McKinney, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes Trusting in the Lord, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"If you put your trust in money, you are paying futile regard to vain things; if you put your trust in high office or some exalted rank in human government, you are paying futile regard to vain things... When you put your trust in all these, either you expire and leave them all behind, or they will crumble while you are still alive, and what you trusted will have let you down... For my part, I do not put my trust in empty things as they do or pay futile regard to them; I have put my trust in the Lord." (excerpt from Exposition on the Psalms 31,12) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 7:51–8:1 comments that forgiveness is not optional for believers. God actually commands us to forgive those who have sinned against us. He expects us to forgive minor offenses, such as someone who snubs us, ignores us, or directs a sarcastic remark at us. Even though it can be very difficult and can take time, he also wants us to forgive family members or friends who have hurt us, betrayed us, or failed to help us when we most needed it.

If you are struggling to forgive someone, know that the grace of Jesus’ resurrection is available to you. If the offense is so serious that you don’t see how you could possibly forgive, just take the first step and ask God to forgive that person for you. Then, day by day, ask him to help you extend the same forgiveness. Ask your pastor or a close friend or counselor for help if you need to. It might be hard at first, but over time you will experience not only freedom from anger but also the joy of the risen Lord.

“Lord, help me to forgive anyone who has wronged me!” (Meditation on Acts 7:51–8:1, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that, in the Acts passage, Stephen is arrested and suffers mob justice and recites a history of the rejection of God of the Jews and He sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God. As he is being stoned he forgives and implores God to receive his spirit. When someone is martyred Jesus is with them. Paul, who is Saul in Aramaic, is at their side. He is consenting to this action. Luke uses foreshadowing in his writing. Saul will become a main character. In the Gospel of John, Jesus accuses the people of ignoring signs. What are you going to perform after the loaves and fishes feed thousands. Jesus will satisfy as the true bread from heaven. Friar Jude presents the sign that He will satisfy the greatest hunger of their hearts.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that the healing focus of the gospel became corrupted when we made it about securing a “ticket” for the next world, rather than experiencing aliveness in this one. Many of us are tempted to seek an escape from this moment instead of trusting that God’s healing is possible for us now — that even this moment can be good. We have treated “repentance” as the price of our heavenly ticket, when it actually means “a change of mind” — a transformation for the better. Geri, a Daily Meditations reader, shares her own story of healing with us:

I had my world fractured last year after my husband passed away from cancer. I have been grieving his loss and at the same time grieving what’s been going on in our country. Sometimes the sadness and anger I feel are overwhelming. But every day, I pray for healing for myself and the world around me. I want to be an instrument of Christ’s peace, whatever that entails. Thank you, Father Richard Rohr, and staff of CAC, for helping me through these uncertain and painful times! (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the inspiration of the Spirit to act in the realization that forgiveness is a gift to those we feel have wronged us that shines a light on our source of fullness of life in Jesus.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/7 

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/8? 

John, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/6?22 

Meditation on Acts 7:51–8:1. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/21/1547603/ 

O'Meara-McKinney, C. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-21-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 31 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/31? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Healing for a Hurting World. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-special-note-from-father-richard-healing-for-a-hurting-world/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Am the Bread of Life. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 21, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/