Paradox and Pain

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, guide us to contemplate the sorrow and pain of our journey and how it informs our faith.

Michelangelo's Pietà is a famous Renaissance marble sculpture housed in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, that shows the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus

The Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews reflects on our experience of the trials and weakness of human nature, especially fear of death.

* [5:6–8] The author of Hebrews is the only New Testament writer to cite Ps 110:4, here and in Heb 7:17, 21, to show that Jesus has been called by God to his role as priest. Heb 5:7–8 deal with his ability to sympathize with sinners, because of his own experience of the trials and weakness of human nature, especially fear of death. In his present exalted state, weakness is foreign to him, but he understands what we suffer because of his previous earthly experience.

* [5:7] He offered prayers…to the one who was able to save him from death: at Gethsemane (cf. Mk 14:35), though some see a broader reference (see note on Jn 12:27).

* [5:8] Son though he was: two different though not incompatible views of Jesus’ sonship coexist in Hebrews, one associating it with his exaltation, the other with his preexistence. The former view is the older one (cf. Rom 1:4). (Hebrews, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 31 presents a lament with a strong emphasis on trust.

* [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).

* [31:6] Into your hands I commend my spirit: in Lk 23:46 Jesus breathes his last with this Psalm verse. Stephen in Acts 7:59 alludes to these words as he is attacked by enemies. The verse is used as an antiphon in the Divine Office at Compline, the last prayer of the day. (Psalms, PSALM 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents Mary considering the various reactions to the role of Jesus.

* [2:35] (And you yourself a sword will pierce): Mary herself will not be untouched by the various reactions to the role of Jesus (Lk 2:34). Her blessedness as mother of the Lord will be challenged by her son who describes true blessedness as “hearing the word of God and observing it” (Lk 11:27–28 and Lk 8:20–21). (Luke, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

 This scene in the Gospel of John has been interpreted literally and symbolically.

* [19:25] It is not clear whether four women are meant, or three (i.e., Mary the wife of Cl[e]opas [cf. Lk 24:18] is in apposition with his mother’s sister) or two (his mother and his mother’s sister, i.e., Mary of Cl[e]opas and Mary of Magdala). Only John mentions the mother of Jesus here. The synoptics have a group of women looking on from a distance at the cross (Mk 15:40).

* [19:26–27] This scene has been interpreted literally, of Jesus’ concern for his mother; and symbolically, e.g., in the light of the Cana story in Jn 2 (the presence of the mother of Jesus, the address woman, and the mention of the hour) and of the upper room in Jn 13 (the presence of the beloved disciple; the hour). Now that the hour has come (Jn 19:28), Mary (a symbol of the church?) is given a role as the mother of Christians (personified by the beloved disciple); or, as a representative of those seeking salvation, she is supported by the disciple who interprets Jesus’ revelation; or Jewish and Gentile Christianity (or Israel and the Christian community) are reconciled. (John, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

Michele Bogard comments that today we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Today’s Gospel from John is short but impactful. Jesus, despite his suffering, turns to his mother and plans for her future. A new family is formed as He asks the disciple to care for his mother post his death.

As I prayed with today’s readings, my mind wandered. How horrific would it be to have to bury your child and live beyond that day? What a human guttural reaction that is. My mind then wandered to a magnet on my refrigerator of Michelangelo’s Pieta, the sixth sorrow of Mary, as she prepares Jesus for burial. I bought that magnet years ago in the Vatican, as I was in Rome visiting our students studying abroad. There were so many feasts for the eye touring the Vatican, but this statue took my breath away. It’s a depiction of Mary’s grief but also her acceptance of God’s will. Some say her hand turned upward depicts hope as it is raised towards heaven. (Bogard, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Mary stood at the cross with her Son Jesus,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.

"Mary, the mother of the Lord, stood by her Son's cross. No one has taught me this but the holy Evangelist John. Others have related how the earth was shaken at the Lord's passion, the sky was covered with darkness, the sun withdrew itself (Matthew 27:45) and how the thief was, after a faithful confession, received into paradise (Luke 23:43). John tells us what the others have not told, how the Lord while fixed on the cross called to his mother. He thought it was more important that, victorious over his sufferings, Jesus gave her the offices of piety than that he gave her a heavenly kingdom. For if it is the mark of religion to grant pardon to the thief, it is a mark of much greater piety that a mother is honored with such affection by her Son. 'Behold,' he says, 'your son.' ...'Behold your mother.' Christ testified from the cross and divided the offices of piety between the mother and the disciple...

"Nor was Mary below what was becoming the mother of Christ. When the apostles fled, she stood at the cross and with pious eyes beheld her Son's wounds. For she did not look to the death of her offspring but to the salvation of the world. Or perhaps, because that 'royal hall' [Mary as bearer of the divine King] knew that the redemption of the world would be through the death of her Son, she thought that by her death she also might add something to that universal gift. But Jesus did not need a helper for the redemption of all, who saved all without a helper. This is why he says, 'I am counted among those who go down to the pit. I am like those who have no help' (Psalm 88:4-5). He received indeed the affection of his mother but sought not anothers help. Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son set forth so great an example of maternal virtue. For neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son." (excerpt from LETTER 63.109-11) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the text from the First Letter to the Corinthians as Paul present that the Body of Christ functions with gifts that are different and at the end the gift of speaking in tongues, not as experienced bt the Apostles at Pentecost but in glossolia, an unintelligible audible expression of human words that are gifts which should respect religious services and avoid attraction to ourselves. Jesus on the cross addresses the beloved as son of Mary to take care of her on the personal level. The matrimonial symbolism connects to Jewish custom where the brother marries the widow and raises sons with his name. A figure with a title in the Gospel of John often has a symbolic role. We are the beloved to espouse the Church to produce children with Christ’s name who will be known as Christians. Jesus will become a crisis of acceptance or rejection. A Sword of Sorrow will pierce Mary’s heart, on one level. Friar Jude comments that the understanding in ancient times when the heart was thought to be the locale of thought and intelligence points to Mary’s understanding being pierced by the belief beyond possibility. Through accepting her role in the Birth and Resurrection of Jesus, Mary believed two things she could not understand as a Jewish woman.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 19:25-27 comments that Mary can remind us that our heavenly Father is trustworthy. Her own life is a testament to that truth. In today’s Gospel, for instance, Jesus said to John from the cross, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:27). He made his mother, Mary, the mother of the whole Church. What an honor and a privilege this was for her—and what a grace for all of us!

Like any good mother, your heavenly mother, Mary, has compassion on you. Just as she stood by Jesus on the cross, she will stand by you as you carry your own crosses. So seek her comfort—and her prayers—every time your heart is sorrowful. Let her assure you, as Jesus did with his disciples, that one day your sorrow will turn to joy (John 16:20)!

“Our Lady of Sorrows, pray that I might always trust in my Father and his plan for my life.” (Meditation on John 19:25-27, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, considers how the apostle Paul identified within himself the many paradoxes that he taught.

It’s almost as if human consciousness was not ready to see this creative tension up to now. Churches have mostly quoted Paul’s letters on the side of structure, unwilling to see his clearly anti-structure opinions, many of which are quite dangerous to a religion that is primarily trying to create order in a disordered world. But neither Jesus nor Paul is especially concerned about order, niceness, or social control. They are concerned about transformation of persons and history and about using the very disorder of people’s lives to bring them to God. That is why both of them called it good news, and why it is a surprising and joyful discovery for any of us who are honest about our state.  

What we largely have in Western religion today is bad news, an attempt to superimpose an impossible order on a world that God allows to be disordered, and in which God even uses the disorder to bring us all to Love. How could we miss or avoid such utter good news? (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek understanding with the inspiration of the Spirit of the role of faith and trust in the plan of God as we navigate the paradox and pain of the sacrifice and sorrow we experience in our life.

References

Bogard, M. (2026, September 15). Daily Reflection September 15, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-15-2026 

Hebrews, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/5? 

John, CHAPTER 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/19? 

Luke, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/2?33 

Meditation on John 19:25-27. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/15/1669365/ 

Psalms, PSALM 31 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/31? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Man Who Lived and Loved Paradox. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-man-who-lived-and-loved-paradox/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Standing by the Cross of Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 15, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Paradox and Preparation

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, challenge us to ponder paradox and preparation as principles that are part of our journey to fullness of life.

Preparing the Journey

The Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians presents the Paradox of the Cross.

* [1:17b] Not with the wisdom of human eloquence: both of the nouns employed here involve several levels of meaning, on which Paul deliberately plays as his thought unfolds. Wisdom (sophia) may be philosophical and speculative, but in biblical usage the term primarily denotes practical knowledge such as is demonstrated in the choice and effective application of means to achieve an end. The same term can designate the arts of building (cf. 1 Cor 3:10) or of persuasive speaking (cf. 1 Cor 2:4) or effectiveness in achieving salvation. Eloquence (logos): this translation emphasizes one possible meaning of the term logos (cf. the references to rhetorical style and persuasiveness in 1 Cor 2:1, 4). But the term itself may denote an internal reasoning process, plan, or intention, as well as an external word, speech, or message. So by his expression “ouk en sophia logou" in the context of gospel preaching, Paul may intend to exclude both human ways of reasoning or thinking about things and human rhetorical technique. Human: this adjective does not stand in the Greek text but is supplied from the context. Paul will begin immediately to distinguish between sophia and logos from their divine counterparts and play them off against each other.

* [1:21–25] True wisdom and power are to be found paradoxically where one would least expect them, in the place of their apparent negation. To human eyes the crucified Christ symbolizes impotence and absurdity. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 invites the Just to praise God.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents The Parable of the Ten Virgins.

* [25:1–13] Peculiar to Matthew.

* [25:1] Then: at the time of the parousia. Kingdom…will be like: see note on Mt 13:24–30.

* [25:2–4] Foolish…wise: cf. the contrasted “wise man” and “fool” of Mt 7:24, 26 where the two are distinguished by good deeds and lack of them, and such deeds may be signified by the oil of this parable.

* [25:11–12] Lord, Lord: cf. Mt 7:21. I do not know you: cf. Mt 7:23 where the Greek verb is different but synonymous.

* [25:13] Stay awake: some scholars see this command as an addition to the original parable of Matthew’s traditional material, since in Mt 25:5 all the virgins, wise and foolish, fall asleep. But the wise virgins are adequately equipped for their task, and stay awake may mean no more than to be prepared; cf. Mt 24:42, 44. (Matthew, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB, n.d.)

Edward Morse comments that Father James Schall, S.J., was particularly fond of Saint Augustine, for whom we celebrate this feast day. 

Father Schall wrote that Augustine’s City of God contemplates a human existence based, “not upon the ‘survival’ of future generations but on the quality of the spiritual choices of persons within the context of their histories and lives that will normally and necessarily be lived in very imperfect states and human conditions.” Our messy world will survive. We should do our best to clean up the messes, especially those of our own making. But we must start with the cross, or those efforts will be in vain. (Morse, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Kingdom of God compared with ten maidens,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)

"The whole story is about the great day of the Lord, when those things concealed from the human mind will be revealed through our understanding of divine judgment. Then the faith true to the Lord's coming will win the just reward for unwavering hope. For in the five wise and five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:2), a complete separation between the faithful and unfaithful is established... The wise virgins are those who, embracing the time available to them, were prepared at the first onset of the coming of the Lord. But the foolish were those who were lax and unmindful. They troubled themselves only over present matters and, forgetting what God said, did not direct their efforts toward hope for resurrection." (excerpt from the commentary ON MATTHEW 27.3,5) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts today. In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul is preaching the good news of the Cross. He is proclaiming the Good News, the message about Jesus born, died, raised from the dead. In Athens, Paul tried to preach to the philosophers who accepted an invisible Creator and the idea of One body. However the Greeks believe the body is part of the fallen material world and receiving the body back in resurrection is not sensible. The parable of the ten virgins in the Gospel of Matthew presents the rendering at the end of time. The wise brought extra oil but the foolish have run out. The wise were prepared. The idea of the parable is to be ready for the accounting and store up good deeds. The wise are not actually selfish. Friar Jude notes this is not the point of the parable, but it is to remind us that we should always be prepared.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13 comments that we can stay close to Him by building a regular daily prayer time into our schedule rather than simply hoping that we will find time to pray when we get a spare moment. In our quiet times with God, we can ask him for the grace and strength we need to do his will throughout our day, whether that’s helping someone in need or caring for our family.

We can also make sure that we are never too busy to worship the Lord and receive his Body and Blood each week at Mass. And when we stray, we can get right with the Lord by confessing our sins and receiving his mercy as soon as possible.

When you do these things as part of your regular routine, you can be at peace. You will be ready to enter the great heavenly wedding feast with enough “oil” to burn brightly before the Lord!

“Jesus, help me to see what I need to do to be ready to joyfully greet you when you come again!” (Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr teaches that true religion leads us to an experience of our true self and undermines our false self. The false self is characterized by separateness. Jewish and Christian traditions call this state of disconnectedness “sin.” When we’re separated from our deepest being, we are in a state of sin or alienation. When we are disconnected from our true self in God, we look for various false and addictive ways to fill our emptiness. The small or false self is who we think we are, but our thinking does not make it so. It is our identity created through culture, education, class, race, friends, gender, clothes, and money.

The true self is characterized by communion and deep contentment. It’s okay, right here, right now. The true self is the realigned self; and religion’s main purpose is to lead us to experience this self, which is who we are in God and who God is in us. It has to do with participating in a Universal Being that is beyond our being. Ultimately, our lives are not about us. We are about life! That doesn’t mean we stay in the true self twenty-four hours a day. Life is three steps forward and two steps backward. Yet once we know the big picture, we will never be satisfied with the little picture. (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the enlightenment of the Spirit as we live in the paradox of life in death and the perception of preparation sometimes being in tension with our mission to address the needs of people living today.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 25 | USCCB. (n.d.). Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/25?1 

Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/28/1655837/ 

Morse, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministry. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-august-28-2026 

1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1?17 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Realigned with the True Self. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/realigned-with-the-true-self/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Foolish Will Miss Heaven's Wedding Feast. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 28, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

From Cults to Care

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to ponder the motivation of our life as Christians in the context of how open we are to connection to communities outside our Church and Culture.

Care for Community

The Reading from the Prophet Hosea presents Destruction of Idolatrous Cultic Objects.

* [10:3] No king: the instability of the monarchy (7:3–7) and its vassalage to foreign kings (7:8–16) render the monarchy ineffective. The kings do the opposite of what they are supposed to do (10:4).

* [10:8] Aven: wickedness, first of all at Bethel (v. 5), but also at all the high places. (Hosea, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 105 invites Israel to praise and seek the presence of God.

* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants. (Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaims the Mission of the Twelve and their Commissioning. 

* [10:1–11:1] After an introductory narrative (Mt 10:1–4), the second of the discourses of the gospel. It deals with the mission now to be undertaken by the disciples (Mt 10:5–15), but the perspective broadens and includes the missionary activity of the church between the time of the resurrection and the parousia.

* [10:1] His twelve disciples: although, unlike Mark (Mk 3:13–14) and Luke (Lk 6:12–16), Matthew has no story of Jesus’ choosing the Twelve, he assumes that the group is known to the reader. The earliest New Testament text to speak of it is 1 Cor 15:5. The number probably is meant to recall the twelve tribes of Israel and implies Jesus’ authority to call all Israel into the kingdom. While Luke (Lk 6:13) and probably Mark (Mk 4:10, 34) distinguish between the Twelve and a larger group also termed disciples, Matthew tends to identify the disciples and the Twelve. Authority…every illness: activities the same as those of Jesus; see Mt 4:23; Mt 9:35; 10:8. The Twelve also share in his proclamation of the kingdom (Mt 10:7). But although he teaches (Mt 4:23; 7:28; 9:35), they do not. Their commission to teach comes only after Jesus’ resurrection, after they have been fully instructed by him (Mt 28:20).

* [10:2–4] Here, for the only time in Matthew, the Twelve are designated apostles. The word “apostle” means “one who is sent,” and therefore fits the situation here described. In the Pauline letters, the place where the term occurs most frequently in the New Testament, it means primarily one who has seen the risen Lord and has been commissioned to proclaim the resurrection. With slight variants in Luke and Acts, the names of those who belong to this group are the same in the four lists given in the New Testament (see note on Mt 9:9). Cananean: this represents an Aramaic word meaning “zealot.” The meaning of that designation is unclear (see note on Lk 6:15).

* [10:5–6] Like Jesus (Mt 15:24), the Twelve are sent only to Israel. This saying may reflect an original Jewish Christian refusal of the mission to the Gentiles, but for Matthew it expresses rather the limitation that Jesus himself observed during his ministry. (Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Vivian Amu comments that we have all been “lost sheep” at some point—wandering through seasons of doubt, loneliness, or numbness, carrying more questions than answers, wondering if anyone even notices our absence. But the call of Jesus is gentle and steady, “Come back home…..and as you come home, invite others.” 

 

Hosea chapter 10 reminds us that in order to do the outward work that Jesus is asking us to do, we need to start with an inward check. We need to check our “luxuriant vines”—our hearts. We do not need to have it all figured out to respond to this call. The apostles didn’t either. They went out tired, flawed, and unsure at times, but what mattered was their “yes.” The same is true for us. God is asking for availability. God is asking us to show up—imperfect, busy, tired—because it is God’s strength and love that makes the difference. God’s kingdom is breaking into the world through everyday people willing to reflect God’s love in simple, tangible ways. So, let us start where we are—being open, being kind. Let God use us, and as we step out, even in small ways, we will find that God’s kingdom is often closer than we think—it is already at work, through us.

 

Lord, keep our eyes and hearts open to find those who are lost, and remind us that You are always near. Amen. (Amu, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus empowers his disciples to act in his name,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

" If the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified, how then did the disciples cast out the unclean spirits? They did this by his own command, by the Son's authority.2 Note the careful timing of their mission. They were not sent out at the beginning of their walk with him. They were not sent out until they had sufficiently benefited by following him daily. It was only after they had seen the dead raised, the sea rebuked, devils expelled, the legs of a paralytic brought to life, sins remitted, lepers cleansed, and had received a sufficient proof of his power both by deeds and words - only then did he send them out. And he did not send them out unprepared to do dangerous deeds, for as yet there was no danger in Palestine. They had only to stand against verbal abuse. However, Jesus still warned them of larger perils to come, preparing them for what was future." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 32.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Hosea was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom before it was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.. Hosea asserts that their worship of other gods brought on the invasion. Their shrines are sometimes referred both to Baal and Yahweh, often called by the title “Adonai” or Lord. This may have caused confusion with social justice and reform to the treatment of the poor. The twelve Apostles are commissioned in the Gospel of Matthew. Friar comments that the final editor of Matthew’s Gospel was likely a converted Pharisee and used the phrase “The Kingdom of Heaven” to avoid the name of God when the time of Love and Law are fully lived.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 10:1-7 comments that the disciples did as Jesus had commanded them. They preached the gospel. They cured the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. People’s lives were changed, and the kingdom began to spread.

Don’t ever think you’re insignificant. Every one of us is a part of God’s plan! So seek to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading today. Just by doing what the Lord asks of you, even the smallest thing, you are bringing the kingdom closer.

“Lord, let your heavenly kingdom reign in me and through me today!” (Meditation on Matthew 10:1-7, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, explains why the third beatitude would have been simultaneously shocking and comforting to Jesus’s listeners. Author Micha Boyett considers how Jesus’s listeners would have understood the paradox of the meek “inheriting the land”:  

“Makarioi [Greek for “happy”] are the powerless ones,” Jesus says. “They shall have the earth as an inheritance.” They will recognize that the earth has always been theirs. He is getting at something essential to the spiritual life: our ownership is temporal. According to the psalmist, human beings are like the leaves of grass, here for a moment and then, poof, gone. We’re all stewards here, and the land remains long after we’ve become the dust we came from. Only the divine one possesses it. In God’s dream for the world, possession is an illusion. When we humble ourselves, when we release our hands from all that we have tried to control and cling to, we discover that those who possess the land are the ones living under the illusion. But the ones who release their power and the ones who never had power to begin with inherit the really real…. (Rohr, n.d.)

We continue to need the help of the Spirit to focus on the mission we have been anointed by our Baptism to be priest, prophet, and leader in the journey to the “Kingdom of Heaven” that Jesus intends us to begin here and now for all people.

References

Amu, V. (2026, July 8). Daily Reflection July 8, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 8, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-8-2026 

Hosea, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved July 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hosea/10?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10? 

Meditation on Matthew 10:1-7. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 8, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/08/1610528/ 

Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 8, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Land for the Humble. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 8, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/land-for-the-humble/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Gives His Disciples Authority to Heal and Set Free. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 8, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/