Open to Receive Growth

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Feast of Saint Sharbel Makhlūf, Priest, challenge us to ponder the soil that we seek to prepare through our relationship with the Sower, that will produce a yield of love, hope, and faith in our environment.

Seeds of Faith, Hope and Love

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah proclaims a remnant of Israel will reunite with Judah.

* [3:14–18] A remnant of Israel (v. 14) will reunite with Judah (v. 18). The former Israelite community, represented by the ark of the covenant, will be replaced by a universal alliance, symbolized by Jerusalem, the Lord’s throne, to which all nations will be gathered (v. 17). (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB, n.d.) (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from Jeremiah Chapter 31 is a presentation of the people’s return from captivity

h. [31:11] Is 44:23; 48:20.

i. [31:12] Is 58:11.(Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower.

* [13:18–23] See Mk 4:14–20; Lk 8:11–15. In this explanation of the parable the emphasis is on the various types of soil on which the seed falls, i.e., on the dispositions with which the preaching of Jesus is received. The second and third types particularly are explained in such a way as to support the view held by many scholars that the explanation derives not from Jesus but from early Christian reflection upon apostasy from the faith that was the consequence of persecution and worldliness, respectively. Others, however, hold that the explanation may come basically from Jesus even though it was developed in the light of later Christian experience. The four types of persons envisaged are (1) those who never accept the word of the kingdom (Mt 13:19); (2) those who believe for a while but fall away because of persecution (Mt 13:20–21); (3) those who believe, but in whom the word is choked by worldly anxiety and the seduction of riches (Mt 13:22); (4) those who respond to the word and produce fruit abundantly (Mt 13:23). (Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. George Meze, SJ, comments that St. Ignatius teaches that the purpose of life is “to praise, revere, and serve God.” 

I have often wondered what it truly means to praise God and to be at His service…

Is not the purpose of our lives to become what God desires us to be? To love as Jesus loved; to forgive as He forgives; to take up our crosses and overcome them as He conquered suffering on Calvary; to have hope and to share that hope with others, just as He did with the blind, the sick, and those in despair.

 

God has given us life as a seed meant to grow in Him. He is the good soil, continually inviting us to remain rooted in His love. Perhaps it is in striving to love as Jesus loved that we plant ourselves in him, the good soil. (Meze, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “God's word is like good seed sown in the heart,” by Jerome (347-420 AD)

"'And the one sown upon good ground is he who hears the word, understands it and bears fruit.' Even as on bad ground there were three diverse situations (by the path, upon rocky ground and among thorns), so too on good ground the diversity is of three types: fruit of one hundredfold, sixtyfold and thirtyfold. Both in one and the other there is a change that takes place in the will, not in the nature itself. In both the unbelievers and believers it is the heart that receives the seed. 'The wicked one comes,' he says, 'and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.' In the second and third cases, he says, 'That is he who hears the word.' In the explanation of the good ground, he is the one who hears the word. First we must listen, then understand; after understanding, we must bear the fruits of good teaching and yield fruit either one hundredfold, sixtyfold or thirtyfold." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 2.13.23) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler reflects that Jeremiah speaks about how God will bring one from here, two from there, as a remnant that will form a faithful people and will not search out the Ark of the Covenant that was worshipped as a superstitious totem. The day will come when all of Jerusalem is a sacred people. Jesus presents the sower and the path, as a parable that explains the Great Commandment. Those who don’t love God with the mind are like the path when they don’t try to fully understand. The rocky ground are those who do not love with their soul and in times of persecution, fall away. A martyrdom of pin pricks may fall on those who don’t love with the strength which is their physical possessions. Friar Jude notes those who are prepared and self examined will produce greatly when the seed is planted.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 13:18-23 comments that  Jesus tells his disciples that the seed is his word that he sows into the heart of each person. The different types of soil represent some typical responses that people can have to his word. So his parable can inspire us to examine how prepared we are to receive and understand what Jesus says to us, and to ask how we can improve the quality of our “soil.”

Even when you feel like rocky soil, you can trust Jesus, the Sower who won’t stop sowing. Even when you worry about the loved ones you’re praying for, know that Jesus never gets tired of scattering seed. He will not give up—he will keep spreading the seed until it finds its proper soil.

“Thank you, Jesus, for your relentless love that never stops reaching out to me!” (Meditation on Matthew 13:18-23, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, presents publisher and author Robert Ellsberg who introduces Sister Thea Bowman (1937–1990). As a Franciscan Sister, she managed to integrate the resources of her Catholic faith with her identity as an African American woman.

When you come into my community, my town, my world, will you see God’s glory revealed? When you go to my brothers and sisters, in beautiful Hawaii, will you see his glory? When you experience, when you share the hungers of Ethiopia, the blood flow of Guatemala and Nicaragua, will you see his glory revealed?…

If you believe that you, like Jesus, are called by the spirit to share the spirit in the world to call forth the giftedness of God’s people, say Amen. If you believe that God is able to work in all the brothers and the sisters, in the ones you customarily write off because they don’t read right, they don’t write right, they drink too much, they smoke the wrong thing, they don’t walk right, they don’t talk right, their sexual preferences are not in agreement with the ones you claim. If you believe that God is able to transform the water of my reality into purest wine, if you believe there’s nothing God can’t do, let me hear you say Amen. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We invoke the Spirit to guide our preparation of the good soil for our reception to learn, persevere, and use our strength to work with Jesus to bring in a harvest of fullness of life.

References

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/31 

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/3?14 

Matthew, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/13? 

Meditation on Matthew 13:18-23. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/23/1629640/ 

Meze, G. (2026, July 24). Daily Reflection July 24, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-24-2026 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Thea Bowman: Champion of Black Catholic Identity. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/thea-bowman-champion-of-black-catholic-identity/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Whoever Hears the Word and Understands It. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 24, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Proclaim Our Blessing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the gifts we have received and what action we can take to celebrate and share our blessings with others.

Share our Blessings

In the Reading from the First Book of Samuel, Hannah Presents Samuel to the Lord.

 [1:24] Ephah: see note on Is 5:10. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response from 1 Samuel proclaims Hannah’s appeal to  God.

* [2:1–10] Hannah appeals to a God who maintains order by keeping human affairs in balance, reversing the fortunes of the arrogant, who, like Peninnah, boast of their good fortune (vv. 1, 3, 9) at the expense of those like Hannah who receive less from the Lord. Hannah’s admission places her among the faithful who trust that God will execute justice on their behalf. The reference “his king ... his anointed” (v. 10) recalls the final sentence of the Book of Judges and introduces the kingship theme that dominates the Books of Samuel. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents The Canticle of Mary.

* [1:46–55] Although Mary is praised for being the mother of the Lord and because of her belief, she reacts as the servant in a psalm of praise, the Magnificat. Because there is no specific connection of the canticle to the context of Mary’s pregnancy and her visit to Elizabeth, the Magnificat (with the possible exception of v. 48) may have been a Jewish Christian hymn that Luke found appropriate at this point in his story. Even if not composed by Luke, it fits in well with themes found elsewhere in Luke: joy and exultation in the Lord; the lowly being singled out for God’s favor; the reversal of human fortunes; the fulfillment of Old Testament promises. The loose connection between the hymn and the context is further seen in the fact that a few Old Latin manuscripts identify the speaker of the hymn as Elizabeth, even though the overwhelming textual evidence makes Mary the speaker. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer comments that there can be only one Annunciation, but that does not mean that God does not talk to us each and every day. Again, maybe not as dramatic as the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, but the voice is there, urging, consoling, and inspiring us. The problem is, we are often too busy to take the time to listen to what God has planned for us. For God truly sees great things in each of us.

So, as we near the end of this wonderful season of Advent, let each of us try to slow down our all-too-hectic lives. And, with purpose, let us create more time to spend with God in prayer and meditation so we can hear God’s voice and all the wonderful things he has planned for us. Let us hear again and again of God’s endless love for us and then demonstrate that love by the lives we live in service to God and others.

Maybe, just maybe, by doing less we can become more. More Christ-like in how we live our lives in thanksgiving for the wonderful gifts we have received. (Scholer, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Mary preaches the new kingdom,” by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD).

"[Mary] revealed to Elizabeth what the angel spoke to her in secret, and that he called her blessed because she believed in the realization of the prophecy and the teaching that she heard (Luke 146-55). Then Mary gently brought forth the fruit of what she heard from the angel and Elizabeth: 'My soul bless the Lord.' Elizabeth had said, 'Blessed is she who has believed,' and Mary replied, 'From henceforth all generations will call me blessed.' It was then that Mary began to preach the new kingdom. 'She returned home after three months,' so that the Lord whom she was carrying would not begin service before his servant. She returned to her husband to clarify the matter, for if she had become pregnant through human fruit, it would have been appropriate for her to flee from her husband." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 1.28) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:24-28 comments that when it comes to our adult children, we may have expectations that they follow a certain path for their lives. So maybe we can acknowledge that God might have a different plan for them.

You can take a similar approach to other aspects of your life. For example, you might acknowledge that your money, like everything else in this world, belongs to God, so you can decide to listen for his guidance on where and how to spend it. Or you can look at the way you spend your free time. Especially during this season, you could offer more time to loved ones or someone you know who is lonely. 

None of us will give to God exactly the same gift that others will. But like Hannah, each of us can offer him a gift that comes from the heart.

“Here I am, Father! I offer back to you every good gift you have given me!” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:24-28, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments were not available at publication time.

Fr. Mike Schmitz reminds us that God created us out of love, for love. Fr. Mike also points out where the Catholic Church draws her doctrine on the difference between mortal and venial sin, as well as what St. Paul means when he teaches that there is only "one mediator" between God and man. Today's readings are 1 John 4-5, 1 Timothy 1-3, and Proverbs 30: 24-28.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites the twentieth-century English mystic Caryll Houselander who said, “Christ is everywhere; in Him every kind of life has a meaning and has an influence on every other kind of life.” [1]  

In our time, however, this deep mode of seeing must be approached as something of a reclamation project. After the Western and Eastern Churches separated in the Great Schism of 1054, we in the West gradually lost this profound understanding of how God has been liberating and loving all that is. Instead, we gradually limited the Divine Presence to the single body of Jesus, when perhaps it is as ubiquitous as light itself—and uncircumscribable by human boundaries.    

If my own experience is any indication, discovering Christ as the transcendent within of every “thing” in the universe can transform the way we perceive and the way we live in our everyday world. It can offer us the deep and universal meaning that Western civilization seems to lack and long for today. It has the potential to reground Christianity as a natural religion and not one based on a special revelation, available only to a few lucky enlightened people.   

As G. K. Chesterton expressed, our religion is not the church we belong to, but the cosmos we live inside of. [2] Once we know that the entire physical world around us, all creation, is both the hiding place and the revelation place for God, this world becomes home, safe, enchanted, offering grace to any who look deeply. I call that kind of deep and calm seeing “contemplation.”   (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Wisdom of the Spirit to reveal how our soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord as we journey through our time in the physical world.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1? 

Meditation on 1 Samuel 1:24-28. (n.d.). Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/12/22/1449475/ 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/1?24 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/2?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/christ-in-every-thing/ 

Scholer, S. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-december-22-2025 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Joyful Expectation of the Messiah. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

God and Wealth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today underline the connection between our community and our call to use our gifts as followers of Christ.

God and Wealth

The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans contains greetings to and a final Doxology.

* [16:1–23] Some authorities regard these verses as a later addition to the letter, but in general the evidence favors the view that they were included in the original. Paul endeavors through the long list of greetings (Rom 16:3–16, 21–23) to establish strong personal contact with congregations that he has not personally encountered before. The combination of Jewish and Gentile names dramatically attests the unity in the gospel that transcends previous barriers of nationality, religious ceremony, or racial status.

* [16:25–27] This doxology is assigned variously to the end of Rom 14; 15; 16 in the manuscript tradition. Some manuscripts omit it entirely. Whether written by Paul or not, it forms an admirable conclusion to the letter at this point.

* [16:25] Paul’s gospel reveals the mystery kept secret for long ages: justification and salvation through faith, with all the implications for Jews and Gentiles that Paul has developed in the letter. (Romans, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)

Psalm 145 praises the Greatness and the Goodness of God.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity. (Psalms, PSALM 145, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shares the application of the Parable of the Dishonest Steward and teaches about the Law and the Kingdom of God.

* [16:9] Dishonest wealth: literally, “mammon of iniquity.” Mammon is the Greek transliteration of a Hebrew or Aramaic word that is usually explained as meaning “that in which one trusts.” The characterization of this wealth as dishonest expresses a tendency of wealth to lead one to dishonesty. Eternal dwellings: or, “eternal tents,” i.e., heaven.

* [16:10–12] The second conclusion recommends constant fidelity to those in positions of responsibility.

* [16:13] The third conclusion is a general statement about the incompatibility of serving God and being a slave to riches. To be dependent upon wealth is opposed to the teachings of Jesus who counseled complete dependence on the Father as one of the characteristics of the Christian disciple (Lk 12:22–39). God and mammon: see note on Lk 16:9. Mammon is used here as if it were itself a god. (Luke, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)

Andy Alexander, S.J. (2011) comments that we can't have it both ways. There is an incompatibility between these two types of service. Serving God is irreconcilable with worldly wealth. We can't have two masters.

The message of Jesus is incredibly strong and clear about the dangers of wealth - the very thing we seem to want to pursue with such passion and energy. Jesus doesn't teach us about this way of life to make us miserable, but to reveal to us that placing him at the center of our lives is the way to happiness. We can't serve two masters. Today, each of us can ask ourselves if the Lord is the center of our lives. What possession, possessions, honors, status, future security, dream is standing in the way of my choice to completely live as he has taught us? What things, what ways of living, what dependencies, what desires have some mastery over my life? What freedom can I ask for today? Who around me is in greater need than I am? What changes do all of us need to make - what cultural change is necessary - for us all to make this world the place that Jesus desires for us, for everyone?

Dear Jesus, thank you for these challenging words today. Thank you for inviting me to make a fundamental choice in my life - a choice to let you be the center of my life and to be freer from what's holding on to my heart and freer for love and service of others. May your Word continue to free us all until your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Alexander, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus recommends the foresight, prudence, and ingenuity of the steward,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Mammon is the Hebrew word for 'riches,' just as in Punic the word for 'profit' is mammon. What are we to do? What did the Lord command? 'Make yourselves friends with the mammon of iniquity, so that they too, when you begin to fail, may receive you into eternal shelters.' It is easy, of course, to understand that we must give alms and a helping hand to the needy, because Christ receives it in them... We can understand that we have to give alms and that we must not really pick and choose to whom we give them, because we are unable to sift through people's hearts. When you give alms to all different types of people, then you will reach a few who deserve them. You are hospitable, and you keep your house ready for strangers. Let in the unworthy, in case the worthy might be excluded. You cannot be a judge and sifter of hearts." (excerpt from Sermon 359A.11-12) (Schwager, 2021)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27 comments that in this long list of names, we hear Paul the brother more than Paul the preacher. We hear a pastor conveying heartfelt affection for his companions in the faith. Behind these names are countless stories of shared meals, late-night conversations, laughter, tears, celebrations, and common hardships. Each name represents a unique story of someone who has met the risen Christ and has been baptized into his new life.

Today is a good day to praise the Lord for those who have shaped your life and opened your heart to Jesus. Praise him for those ancestors who have passed down the gift of faith and for those in your church community who have prayed for you and with you. Let your gratitude pour forth for all of them—members of the family of faith!

“Jesus, thank you for the brothers and sisters who journey with me on the way of discipleship.” (Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the last chapter of the letter to the Romans, Paul is writing to a community he has never visited. The practice of sending copies of the Letters to many communities may explain how this text may be the letter copied for Ephesus. Friar Jude reminds us of the exhortation in the Gospel that we cannot sit on the fence, the Gospel must be the centre of our lives. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a practice of embodied gratitude from meditation teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo.

Let yourself bring to mind other things you feel grateful for. How your body is still functioning right now, your heart still beating, your lungs expanding and retracting, your skin protecting your flesh.  

Let yourself connect with gratitude for the presence of beloved people or pets in your life, or someone who has been supportive of you in the past. Connect with the ways they were present for you and how they made a difference in your life…. 

Now let yourself open to gratitude for the world around you, the Earth that is supporting you right now, the sun that shows up each day, the air that sustains all life, water, the stars, the oceans. Feel the gift of life that is pulsing through your veins now and let yourself feel thankful for it. Feel the gift of life that surrounds you every moment, everywhere you go.  

Feel this gratitude in your body. Let yourself be nurtured, strengthened by it. (Rohr, 2023)

We pause in gratitude for the community that strengthens us and express our thanksgiving for the guidance of the Spirit in our daily choices that move us to serve the Will of God.

References

Alexander, A. (2023, November 11). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/111123.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/16?9 

Meditation on Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/11/825256/ 

Psalms, PSALM 145. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/145?2 

Rohr, R. (2023, November 11). Gratitude and Grace: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/gratitude-and-grace-weekly-summary/ 

Romans, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/16?3 

Schwager, D. (2021, September 22). Who Will Entrust to You the True Riches? Daily Scripture net. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov11