Seeing Full Life in Service

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today contrasts the folly of our pursuit of power that may lead to corruption with our call to service which brings fullness of life.

Opportunities to Serve

The Reading from the Second Book of Kings presents the Death of Athaliah.

* [11:2] According to 2 Chr 22:11, Jehosheba was the wife of Jehoiada, the high priest. If this is historical, it would explain her access to the Temple’s residential precincts.

* [11:4] Carians: foreign mercenaries serving as the royal bodyguard. Compare “Cherethites and Pelethites” in 1 Kgs 1:38.

* [11:12] Testimony: that is, the two tablets of the law preserved in the ark in the Temple. Presumably they were placed upon the king during his installation ceremony as a reminder of the law he was to uphold.

* [11:14] By the column: the king’s special place in the Temple court; cf. 23:3; 2 Chr 23:13. People of the land: in this period, the phrase referred to the important citizenry, whose influence sometimes extended to the selection of royal successors (cf. 2 Kgs 11:14–20; 15:5; 16:15; 21:24; 23:6, 30–35; 24:14; 25:3, 19). In postexilic times, by contrast, the phrase was used of the poor.

* [11:17] There are two covenants. One is between the Lord as one party and the people, headed by the king, as the other. The second covenant, between king and people, is comparable to that made between David and the elders of Israel at Hebron (2 Sm 5:3). (2 Kings, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 132 is a song for a liturgical ceremony in procession to the Temple.

* [Psalm 132] A song for a liturgical ceremony in which the ark, the throne of Israel’s God, was carried in procession to the Temple. The singer asks that David’s care for the proper housing of the ark be regarded with favor (Ps 132:1–5), and tells how it was brought to Jerusalem (Ps 132:6–10). There follows God’s promise of favor to the Davidic dynasty (Ps 132:11–12) and to Zion (Ps 132:13–17). The transfer of the ark to the tent in Jerusalem is described in 2 Sm 6. (Psalms, CHAPTER 132 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew exhorts us to seek Treasure in Heaven and presents The Light of the Body.*

* [6:19–34] The remaining material of this chapter is taken almost entirely from Q. It deals principally with worldly possessions, and the controlling thought is summed up in Mt 6:24: the disciple can serve only one master and must choose between God and wealth (mammon). See further the note on Lk 16:9.

* [6:22–23] In this context the parable probably points to the need for the disciple to be enlightened by Jesus’ teaching on the transitory nature of earthly riches. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Steve Scholer comments that some biblical scholars have focused on what it meant to have “good eye” and in ancient Hebrew, that meant the person was generous with others. When paired with Jesus’ message about storing our treasures on earth vs. in heaven, this interpretation has validity.

But if we are to dig deeper, what we gaze on, and how we respond to what we are seeing, might be what Jesus wants us to focus on. Through what lens do we see the world? Some see the downtrodden and think, Why don’t they get a job? Others see the same person and ask, What can I do to help alleviate their suffering? The same image, but a completely different response. From spiritual blindness to love and compassion.

Unfortunately, our world is still filled with much darkness, and it is all too easy to let it inundate our thoughts and skew our view of humanity and of God’s wonderful world. We need to keep in mind the cumulative effect of seeing with a “bad eye,” for over time, it can diminish our ability to focus on what God has called us to do. Seeing with a bad eye can negatively impact how we interact with our neighbors and how we serve God. It can diminish the values God wants us to radiate like a bright light for others to see and follow. 

So, during our Daily Examen, let’s pray that our eyes can be Windows to the Soul, Watchful Guardians, and Mirrors of Reflection that clearly see the opportunities God presents to us each day, to love and serve and make our world one filled with light. (Scholer, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Seeking the right intention,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

"We know that all our works are pure and pleasing in the sight of God if they are performed with a single heart. This means that they are performed out of charity and with an intention that is fixed on heaven. For 'love is the fulfillment of the law'(Romans 13:10). Therefore in this passage we ought to understand the eye as the intention with which we perform all our actions. If this intention is pure and upright and directing its gaze where it ought to be directed, then unfailingly all our works are good works, because they are performed in accordance with that intention. And by the expression 'whole body,' Christ designated all those works that he reproves and that he commands us to put to death. For the apostle also designates certain works as our 'members.' 'Therefore,' Paul writes, 'mortify your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness' (Colossians 3:5), and all other such things." (excerpt from SERMON ON THE MOUNT 2.13.45) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23 comments that Jesus has prepared a place for us in the beautiful new Jerusalem, where there is no darkness, sickness, or pain. He will reign there as Lord, and we will see him face-to-face! What a day of rejoicing that will be! The second aspect of heavenly treasure is what we can experience here and now.

For those who follow Christ, life on earth is filled with glimpses of heaven. Freedom from guilt. Power over persistent sin. A dynamic, personal relationship with the Creator of the universe. Clarity and purpose for living. Deep friendships with brothers and sisters in the Lord. Conviction of the truth and clarity about right and wrong. The ability to forgive. Strength in weakness. Peace in times of trial. Joy in the knowledge of salvation. Hope for the future. Divine wisdom for everyday situations. Healing and miracles. When you stop to think about it, no luxury car or mansion can possibly compare!

“Jesus, thank you for filling me with the good gifts of your kingdom!” (Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in 2 Kings involves a palace coup. Athaliah desires to reign alone but the hidden heir is proclaimed as king and the pagan things are done away with but the victory does not last. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents two wisdom sayings that exhort us not to have many material things but to have a goal but to serve and view reality with light. Friar Jude advises us to look for the good and we will be able to see it and the Kingdom already dawning, even in the midst of all the chaos.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces turns to the apostle Paul’s advice to the first churches to envision church renewal today. Most people today, in fact, understand church to mean a building, rather than “where two or three gather in my name,” where the Divine Presence is promised just as certainly as it is promised in the bread, in the Bible, in the Sacraments, or in any anointed leadership: “There I am in your midst” (Matthew 18:20).

While Christian churches today do much good, they are still largely aligned, especially in the West, with cultural and political power. To recover the early church’s emphasis on faith as a loving and communal way of life, we clearly need to support good and compassionate pastoral and healing practices. We must begin to validate Paul’s original teaching on “many gifts and many ministries” (1 Corinthians 12:4–11) that together “make a unity in the work of service” (Ephesians 4:12–13). We need Christian people who are trained in, validated for, and encouraged to make home and hospital visits; do hospice work and jail ministry; support immigrants and refugees; help with soup kitchens; counsel couples before, during, and after marriage; teach classes in parenting; offer ministries of emotional, sexual, and relational healing; help with financial counseling; build low-cost housing; take care of the elderly; run thrift centers—all of which put Christian people in immediate touch with other people. Remember, healing was most of the work Jesus appeared to do. It is almost too obvious. Either we see Christ in everyone, or we hardly see Christ in anyone. Either we are Christ to everyone, or we cannot be Christ to anyone.

My vision of any future church needs to be much flatter and much more inclusive. It is much less “churchy,” surely less patriarchal, and more concerned with fulfilling its mission statement than with endlessly reciting its heavenly vision and philosophy statement—the Nicene Creed—every Sunday. Simply put, any notion of a future church must be a fully practical church that is concerned about getting the job of love done—and done better and better. Centuries of emphasis on art and architecture, songs, liturgy, and prescribed roles have their place, but their overemphasis has made us a very top-heavy, decorative church that is largely, and constantly, concerned with its own in-house salvation. (Rohr, n.d.)

We trust in the Spirit to guide our path through the chaos of the world as we serve our community with the “good eye” that sees the needs and responds with love and compassion.

References

Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6? 

Meditation on Matthew 6:19-23. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/06/18/1594230/ 

Psalms, CHAPTER 132 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/132?11 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Re-Enlivening Ministries. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/re-enlivening-ministries/ 

Scholer, S. (2026, June 18). Daily Reflection June 19, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-19-2026  

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lay up Treasure in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

2 Kings, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Retrieved June 19, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2kings/11?1 

Restored to Joy

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the need of faith in times when Jesus’ promise of renewal of our society seems to be distant and we are distracted by wars and self aggrandizement. 

Joy and Restoration

The Reading from the Prophet Isaiah envisions A World Renewed.

* [65:17–18] The new creation (cf. 66:22) is described with apocalyptic exuberance: long life, material prosperity, and so forth. As the former events in 43:18 are to be forgotten, so also the new creation wipes out memory of the first creation. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 65 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 30 is an individual thanksgiving in four parts.

* [Psalm 30] An individual thanksgiving in four parts: praise and thanks for deliverance and restoration (Ps 30:2–4); an invitation to others to join in (Ps 30:5–6); a flashback to the time before deliverance (Ps 30:7–11); a return to praise and thanks (Ps 30:12). Two sets of images recur: 1) going down, death, silence; 2) coming up, life, praising. God has delivered the psalmist from one state to the other. (Psalms, PSALM 30 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John proclaims Jesus’ Return to Galilee and a Second Sign at Cana.

* [4:43–54] Jesus’ arrival in Cana in Galilee; the second sign. This section introduces another theme, that of the life-giving word of Jesus. It is explicitly linked to the first sign (Jn 2:11). The royal official believes (Jn 4:50). The natural life given his son is a sign of eternal life.

* [4:44] Probably a reminiscence of a tradition as in Mk 6:4. Cf. Gospel of Thomas 4:31: “No prophet is acceptable in his village, no physician heals those who know him.”

* [4:46–54] The story of the cure of the royal official’s son may be a third version of the cure of the centurion’s son (Mt 8:5–13) or servant (Lk 7:1–10). Cf. also Mt 15:21–28; Mk 7:24–30. (John, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Anish Kochanichottil, SJ, comments that perhaps we can reflect on our own response to suffering. It is often easier to respond to the needs of someone standing right in front of us than to the struggles of people who live far away or whose pain seems distant from our daily lives. In many ways, today’s readings encourage us to recognize that God’s healing is not limited to the distant future.

While the ultimate promise of restoration lies in God’s eternal kingdom, signs of God’s healing love are already present in our world. Prayers of our loved ones and friends for us, the resilience of the human body, supportive communities, and the countless small blessings that sustain daily life can all be seen as gifts that reflect God’s care for humanity. 

The readings also invite us to ask a deeper question: how strong would our faith remain if these blessings were taken away? Many people around the world face suffering, unrest, poverty, and illness despite their prayers. The season of Lent challenges us to examine our faith in light of these realities. It calls us not only to gratitude for the blessings we enjoy but also to solidarity with those who struggle. (Kochanichottil, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ our physician,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God sent the human race a physician, a savior, One Who healed without charging a fee. Christ also came to reward those who would be healed by Him. Christ heals the sick, and He makes a gift to those whom He heals. And the gift that He makes is Himself!" (excerpt from Sermon 102,2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler was not available at publication time.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 4:43-54 comments that Jesus wants us to bring our needs to him. But he wants us to go beyond thinking of him only as a last resort when our back is against a wall. He wants us to find ongoing healing and transformation in his friendship.

So go deeper with your faith today. Perhaps you are concerned about a strained relationship, a dead-end job, or a health issue. Bring your need before Jesus. If you feel as if your faith is being tested, imitate the royal official and persist. Take a concrete step of faith, and let Jesus draw you closer to himself. Then add your story of deepening faith to Jesus’ ever-expanding list of marvels and wonders.

“Jesus, as I come to you in my need, lead me to deeper faith and a growing friendship with you.” (Meditation on John 4:43-54, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, describes how the early church followed Jesus’s practice of honoring universal human dignity. In New Testament times, shame and honor were in fact moral values that people felt compelled to follow. If a situation called for retaliation, one must retaliate. Not to retaliate would have been considered immoral, because it would have meant abandoning the honor of the individual, their family, and maybe their entire village. For Jesus to say, “Do not retaliate,” was to subvert the whole honor-and-shame system. It is one of the strongest arguments people can make that Jesus taught nonviolence.

Once challenged to live outside their cultural systems, Jesus’s listeners were given a new place to find their identity: in God. Who we are in God is who we are. That’s the end of ups and downs. Our value no longer depends upon whether our family or village likes us, whether we’re good-looking, wealthy, or obedient to the laws. Jesus’s message is incredibly subversive in an honor-and-shame society. Yet, as he takes away their old foundations, he offers a new, more solid one: neither shame-based nor guilt-based, but based in who they—and we—are in God. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We rely on the Wisdom of the Spirit to guide our understanding of joy as followers of Christ who are called to restore love and dignity based on our essence as children of God and not as advocates for a world view that restores inequality and persecution.

References

Isaiah, CHAPTER 65 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/65?17 

John, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/4?43 

Kochanichottil, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflections. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-16-2026 

Meditation on John 4:43-54. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/16/1519759/ 

Psalms, PSALM 30 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/30? 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Divine Identity. CAC.org. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-divine-identity/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus - the Divine Physician. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 16, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Love and Truth

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge us to radical Love as the path to fullness of life.

Places of Revelation

The reading from the First Letter of John exhorts us to Love One Another.

* [3:11–18] Love, even to the point of self-sacrifice, is the point of the commandment. The story of Cain and Abel (1 Jn 3:12–15; Gn 4:1–16) presents the rivalry of two brothers, in a contrast of evil and righteousness, where envy led to murder. For Christians, proof of deliverance is love toward others, after the example of Christ. This includes concrete acts of charity, out of our material abundance.

* [3:19–24] Living a life of faith in Jesus and of Christian love assures us of abiding in God no matter what our feelings may at times tell us. Our obedience gives us confidence in prayer and trust in God’s judgment. This obedience includes our belief in Christ and love for one another. (1 John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

In Psalm 100, all lands are summoned to Praise God.

* [Psalm 100] A hymn inviting the people to enter the Temple courts with thank offerings for the God who created them.

* [100:3] Although the people call on all the nations of the world to join in their hymn, they are conscious of being the chosen people of God. (Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus calls Philip and Nathaniel.

* [1:43] He: grammatically, could be Peter, but logically is probably Jesus.

* [1:47] A true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him: Jacob was the first to bear the name “Israel” (Gn 32:29), but Jacob was a man of duplicity (Gn 27:35–36).

* [1:48] Under the fig tree: a symbol of messianic peace (cf. Mi 4:4; Zec 3:10).

* [1:49] Son of God: this title is used in the Old Testament, among other ways, as a title of adoption for the Davidic king (2 Sm 7:14; Ps 2:7; 89:27), and thus here, with King of Israel, in a messianic sense. For the evangelist, Son of God also points to Jesus’ divinity (cf. Jn 20:28).

* [1:50] Possibly a statement: “You [singular] believe because I saw you under the fig tree.”

* [1:51] The double “Amen” is characteristic of John. You is plural in Greek. The allusion is to Jacob’s ladder (Gn 28:12). (John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Angela Maynard comments God created us and when he calls us, he knows exactly who he is calling and why. It takes faith and patience for us to understand how God works.

I distinctly recall an interaction I had with an undergraduate student who aspired to be a physician. Despite doing everything right, they were not accepted into medical school on their first application. They were really hurting. You see this student really prepared to have a stellar application—successfully dealt with academic rigor, volunteered, shadowed physicians, and is really an outstanding human dedicated to caring for others. Besides a big hug and a safe place to be emotional, I reminded them that this did not mean that they would not become a physician, but the path might look a bit different. Fast forward, this person is now a physician and can attest that the path looked different but acknowledges gratitude for the experiences that were encountered on the detour. God knew that this person’s gifts were needed elsewhere for a bit. So, this was a personal calling. As I mentioned, I have learned this personally too. I firmly believe that God calls us to be where we are supposed to be at the right time. Our faith and the word of God will guide us along the path. (Maynard, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of Angels,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

"Do you see how he [Jesus] leads him [Nathanael] up little by little from the earth and causes him no longer to imagine him as merely a man? For one to whom angels minister and on whom angels ascend and descend, how could he be a man? This is why he said, 'You shall see greater things than these.' And to prove this, he introduces the ministry of angels. What he means is something like this: Does this, O Nathanael, seem to you a great matter, and have you for this confessed me to be King of Israel? What then will you say when you see 'angels ascending and descending on me'? He persuades him by these words to receive him as Lord also of the angels. For on him as on the king's own son, the royal ministers ascended and descended, once at the season of the crucifixion, again at the time of the resurrection and the ascension, and before this also, when they 'came and ministered to him' (Matthew 4:11). They also ascended and descended when they proclaimed the good news of his birth and cried, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace' (Luke 2:14), when they came to Mary and also when they came to Joseph... Our Lord made the present a proof of the future. After the powers he had already shown, Nathanael would readily believe that much more would follow." (excerpt from the Homilies On the Gospel of John 21.1) (Schwager, 2021)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 John 3:11-21 comments that holding on to hatred can sometimes feel like the easiest option. That’s because hatred is deceptive. It convinces us to avoid addressing whatever is prompting our negative emotions. It tells us that we have every right to hate someone and that we don’t need to consider their perspective or their situation. Better to remain locked in this dark abyss rather than work our way out. But St. John is asking us to put aside these extreme feelings and replace our hatred with the love and compassion of the Lord.

That’s not to say letting go of hatred is easy. It can be very hard! But there is one way we can begin to chip away at it, and it involves both prayer and action. First, make it a point to pray for the person—and for yourself. Ask the Spirit to help you bless that person and to see them as Jesus sees them. Then follow up your prayer with action. Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Ask the Lord to forgive you for harboring hatred and for the grace to forgive the person who has hurt you.

“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another” (1 John 3:11). Through the persistent practice of prayer and reconciliation, we can find the freedom we all long for: the freedom to love.

“Lord, teach me to put aside all hatred so that I can love every one of my brothers and sisters.” (Meditation on 1 John 3:11-21, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes the exhortation in 1 John to reject our evil ways and to love willing to die for others. The Love of God is expressed in the forgiveness of our sins. Friar Jude reminds us of the challenges of Jacob before he was honest with God and received the name Israel as Jesus is recognized by Nathanel as the Son of God.

Barbara Holmes introduces Steven Charleston who writes about the Paiute prophet Wovoka (c. 1856–1932) who received a spiritual vision of the earth’s renewal. That the vision of a renewal and reconciliation for all life—remained at the center of what motivated hope in the hearts of Native people from across the wide spectrum of languages and cultures. The essence of the vision was hope, not fear.

Wovoka’s dance reminds me that there are times in life when we must have the willingness to go beyond what we think is possible. We have never encountered a world like this before; how will we survive it, much less transform it? The silent drum forces me to recognize that in this dance we are moving into uncharted territory. We are stepping off the familiar into the unknown. We are creating a dance ground where none has existed before. The willingness, the faith, to take such a step is the haunting silence of the Ghost Dance. (Holmes, 2024)

We implore the Spirit of God to fill us with hope as we struggle to make Love our action towards all people in our environment.

References

Holmes, B. (2024, January 5). The Dance of Hope — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 5, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-dance-of-hope/ 

John, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 5, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/1? 

Maynard, A. (2024, January 5). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 5, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/010524.html 

Meditation on 1 John 3:11-21. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 5, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/01/05/867369/ 

1 John, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 5, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/3?11 

Psalms, PSALM 100 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 5, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/100?1 

Schwager, D. (2021, September 22). Come and See. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved January 5, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jan5