Response with Patience and Peace

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to rethink and rework those situations in which we sense a negative response rising toward others with patience and peace.

Act with Peace and Patience 

The Reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes Paul and Silas' Deliverance from Prison.

* [16:11–40] The church at Philippi became a flourishing community to which Paul addressed one of his letters (see Introduction to the Letter to the Philippians). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 138 is a thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist.

* [Psalm 138] A thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. Divine rescue was not the result of the psalmist’s virtues but of God’s loving fidelity (Ps 138:1–3). The act is not a private transaction but a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people (Ps 138:4–6). The psalmist, having experienced salvation, trusts that God will always be there in moments of danger (Ps 138:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 138 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of John proclaims Jesus’ Departure and the Coming of the Advocate.

* [16:5] Not one of you asks me: the difficulty of reconciling this with Simon Peter’s question in Jn 13:36 and Thomas’ words in Jn 14:5 strengthens the supposition that the last discourse has been made up of several collections of Johannine material.

* [16:8–11] These verses illustrate the forensic character of the Paraclete’s role: in the forum of the disciples’ conscience he prosecutes the world. He leads believers to see (a) that the basic sin was and is refusal to believe in Jesus; (b) that, although Jesus was found guilty and apparently died in disgrace, in reality righteousness has triumphed, for Jesus has returned to his Father; (c) finally, that it is the ruler of this world, Satan, who has been condemned through Jesus’ death (Jn 12:32). (John, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

David Crawford asks if we did think of the jailer, would our first impulse be to save him or would we think, “Not my problem.” Or, “He had it coming. Payback!” Maybe we would lump him in with the larger group of Philippians who were responsible for the suffering and imprisonment: “This will teach them to mess with us and our God!” In other words, how many of us would adopt a “me first, them last” attitude?

Christ calls us to love our neighbors and our enemies, in times of crisis – such as Paul and Silas experienced – and in everyday life. As Christians, we often may not be aware of how easily we succumb to the temptation NOT to love those before us. Think of times when we are in a store, frustrated that staff won’t make an exception to a policy in our favor. When we think of those individuals first, we realize that they are not the ones who made the policy, that they would probably lose their job for making the exception, and that berating them makes us hateful and them miserable. The temptations to unlovingness pop up in the political arena, the workplace, at sporting events, in social media, even at church. The temptations may be greater when we are frightened or threatened. Yet it is in those moments that Paul and Silas prayed, praised God, and extended God’s love to others. In those moments of temptation, may the Holy Spirit move in us to color all we do with love and mercy so that others are drawn to Christ, so that God is glorified. 

They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love (Crawford, 2026)

 Don Schwager quotes “Whatever is not of faith is sin,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When the Lord said of the Holy Spirit, 'He shall convict the world of sin,' he meant unbelief. For this is what he meant when he said, 'Of sin because they believed not on me.' And he means the same when he says, 'If I had not come and spoken to them, they should not have sin.' (John 15:22). He was not talking about [a time] before they had no sin. Rather, he wanted to indicate that very lack of faith by which they did not believe him even when he was present to them and speaking to them. These were the people who belonged to 'the prince of the power of the air, who now works in the children of unbelief' (Ephesians 2:2). Therefore those in whom there is no faith are the children of the devil because they have nothing in their inner being that would cause them to be forgiven for whatever is committed either by human infirmity, ignorance or any evil will whatever. But the children of God are those who certainly, if they should 'say that they have no sin, deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them,' but immediately (as it continues) 'when they confess their sins' (which the children of the devil do not do, or do not do according to the faith which is peculiar to the children of God), 'he is faithful and just to forgive them their sins and to cleanse them from all unrighteousness'" (1 John 1:9). (excerpt from AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS 3.4) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 16:22-34 comments that today’s reading shows us that suffering can be redeemed, even in the hardest of times. It can become fertile ground where virtues like patience, hope, and even joy can grow. If we try to stay close to the Lord during these times, our sufferings won’t just strengthen our own faith; they’ll also draw other people to deepen their relationship with the Lord.

This is easier said than done, but every time we take just one step closer to Jesus in the midst of hardships, he takes a thousand steps closer to us. He not only comforts and strengthens us, but he finds a way to bring good from it. So never doubt the goodness of the Lord, even in the hardest times!

“Jesus, reach out to all who are suffering right now. Help them and their loved ones to find you today.” (Meditation on Acts 16:22-34, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts, Paul and Silas made a mistake healing a slave who had been a source of income to an influential family. The next morning, Paul, as a Roman Citizen, had rights to be heard in court. Paul and Silas remain in the cell after the earthquake. The jailer takes them to his home and is received with baptism. God uses all circumstances for good. The discourse in the Gospel of John identifies the “world” as that part of reality that has rejected the Gospel message. The “sin” is to not believe in the Son of God, in John. Jesus shows His righteousness going to Father. Condemnation is by Jesus death of the ruler of this “world”. Friar Jude notes Satan has been convicted by an act of love not violence. This demonstrates how much Jesus loves us.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, recounts the work of Theologian Matthew Fox who describes Julian of Norwich as a mystic for our times. He highlighted her writings during the COVID-19 pandemic, living as she did through the Black Death (bubonic plague). He writes:

What is remarkable about her life and teaching is that instead of yielding to despair or blame, she sought out in depth the goodness of life and creation. Indeed, she established her entire worldview on this sense of goodness and the sacred marriage of grace and nature, a sense of God-in-nature. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

Julian’s teachings are encouragement for our time:

Our sister and ancestor Julian is eager not only to speak to us today but to shout at us—albeit in a gentle way—to wake up and to go deep, to face the darkness and to dig down and find goodness, joy and awe. And to go to work to defend Mother Earth and all her creatures, stripping ourselves of racism, sexism, nationalisms, anthropocentrism, sectarianism—anything that interferes with our greatness as human beings. And to connect anew to the sacredness of life. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek the Spirit of Peace to guide our response from anger and dramatic overreaction to peace, understanding, and gratitude for the opportunity to transform relationships.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/16 

Crawford, D. (2026, May 12). Daily Reflection May 12, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-may-12-2026 

John, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/16 

Meditation on Acts 16:22-34. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/05/12/1562666/ 

Psalms, PSALM 138 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). A Mystic Who Suffered. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-mystic-who-suffered/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Will Send the Counselor to You. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 12, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Faith and Wonder

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the effect of our faith in being “fearfully and wonderfully” made as children of God.

Wonderfully Made

The Reading from the Book of Wisdom is an Exhortation to Righteousness, the Key to Life.

* [1:1–6:21] The reward is the gift of immortality, to the righteous (1:15; 3:1–3), but not to the wicked (5:1–13). Contrasts between these two groups dominate chaps. 1–5. The philosophy of the wicked and their persecution of the righteous are dramatically presented in 1:16–2:24. New light is shed on the suffering of the righteous (3:1–9), childlessness (3:13–15), and premature death (4:7–16)—in contrast to the fate of the wicked (3:10–12, 16–19; 4:3–6, 17–20).

* [1:1] Righteousness: not merely the cardinal virtue of justice (cf. 8:7), but the universal moral quality which is the application of wisdom to moral conduct. You who judge: “judges” and “kings” (cf. 6:1) are addressed in accordance with the literary customs of the times and with the putative Solomonic authorship, but the real audience is the Jewish community.

* [1:4] In these verses personified Wisdom is identified with the spirit of the Lord; so also in 9:17.

* [1:5] Discipline: here and elsewhere, another name for Wisdom. (Wisdom, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 139 is a hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience.

* [Psalm 139] A hymnic meditation on God’s omnipresence and omniscience. The psalmist is keenly aware of God’s all-knowing gaze (Ps 139:1–6), of God’s presence in every part of the universe (Ps 139:7–12), and of God’s control over the psalmist’s very self (Ps 139:13–16). Summing up Ps 139:1–16, 17–18 express wonder. There is only one place hostile to God’s rule—wicked people. The psalmist prays to be removed from their company (Ps 139:19–24).

* [139:2] When I sit and stand: in all my physical movement.

* [139:9] Take the wings of dawn: go to the extremities of the east. Beyond the sea: uttermost bounds of the west; the sea is the Mediterranean. (Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke warns against temptations to Sin and presents a Saying of Faith.

* [17:3] Be on your guard: the translation takes Lk 17:3a as the conclusion to the saying on scandal in Lk 17:1–2. It is not impossible that it should be taken as the beginning of the saying on forgiveness in Lk 17:3b–4. (Luke, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)

Barbara Dilly comments that while being without sin is impossible for us, choosing a life of seeking wisdom is not so difficult to do. While sin inevitably occurs, and we are in bondage to it by human nature, we do not have to live under its power. Through our faith, we can take the high road.

These words of hope are the most central to my faith as I tend to be a person of action. A lot of people of little faith feel safer just judging others. But that is not how we increase our faith. It happens through real interaction with the world and through daily discernment of the sort we read in Psalm 139. Rather than judging others, let us let God examine us at the end of the day. Where do we sit and where do we stand in the everlasting way? I pray that today we will read Psalm 139 as a prayer of discernment. And we can pray often throughout the day, “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way!” (Dilly, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “To increase faith is to strengthen it by the Holy Spirit,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"They ask, 'Add faith to us.' They do not ask simply for faith, for perhaps you might imagine them to be without faith. They rather ask Christ for an addition to their faith and to be strengthened in faith. Faith partly depends on us and partly is the gift of the divine grace. The beginning of faith depends on us and our maintaining confidence and faith in God with all our power. The confirmation and strength necessary for this comes from the divine grace. For that reason, since all things are possible with God, the Lord says that all things are possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23). The power that comes to us through faith is of God. Knowing this, blessed Paul also says in the first epistle to the Corinthians, 'For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, and to another faith in the same Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12:8). You see that he has placed faith also in the catalogue of spiritual graces. The disciples requested that they might receive this from the Savior, contributing also what was of themselves. By the descent upon them of the Holy Spirit, he granted it to them after the fulfillment of the dispensation. Before the resurrection, their faith was so feeble that they were liable even to the charge of being 'little of faith'." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILIES 113-16) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Wisdom 1:1-7 considers an unsettling thought! God sees into our “inmost self” and is the “sure observer” of even the deepest secrets of our hearts (Wisdom 1:6).

“Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee? (Psalm 139:7). Lord, you have been with me, through all my best days and worst days. Even when I feel most alone, you are still with me, offering me your unfailing help! Lord, I can’t begin to comprehend your greatness! All I can do is stop and ponder, speechless with wonder and awe!”

“Lord, thank you for your amazing ever-present love!” (Meditation on Wisdom 1:1-7, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that the Book of Wisdom presents the understanding of Israel as more profound than Greek philosophy that was dominant at the time. Lady Wisdom leads us to a knowledge of God to make a choice between Wisdom and Folly that causes us to do wrong things. In Luke, three sayings today warn against causing  a little one, or the anawim, those with no power, to sin. We need to care about our example. We are called to forgive the “perfect number” of times with no limit. We want to heal the brokenness. Friar Jude reminds us of the Faith that we have received and when we respond, it will change our hearts and the world.

Fr. Mike draws our attention to Mary. He clarifies the difference between Zechariah's response and Mary's response to the angel Gabriel, and also explains why Mary is the Ark of the new Covenant. We learn that through Mary, God begins to fulfill his promises to the people of Israel. Today's readings are Luke 1-2, and Proverbs 25:24-26.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces contemplative author and artist Christine Valters Paintner who expands how we understand sacramentality—not only as something we experience in church rituals, but also a way of perceiving the divine presence in all things. A sense of sacramentality, rooted in the Incarnation, extends our vision out to the world so that everything can be a sacrament, meaning every person, creature, plant, and object can be an opportunity to encounter something of the Divine Presence in the world. Sacramentality is a quality present in creation that opens us up to the Sacred Presence in all things. Sacraments reveal grace. 

This discovery that every creature and every created thing can be a window of revelation into the divine nature is an invitation to fall more and more in love with the world. To see that teachers of grace exist everywhere means to bring a sense of reverence to the way we walk in the world. When we encounter nature as sacrament, we can no longer objectify it. We can instead create the circumstances that nurture and nourish this kind of vision…. Sacramental vision means not only that we grow in our love of God’s ways in the world but also that we grow in our sense of kinship with creation….  (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the insight of the Spirit to understand our response to the Love of omnipresent and omniscient God, since our time in the womb.

References

Dilly, B. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-november-10-2025 

Luke, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/17?1 

Meditation on Wisdom 1:1-7. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/11/10/1426569/ 

Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC.org. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/recognizing-grace/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord Jesus Increase Our Faith. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Wisdom, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved November 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/1?1