Confident Persistent Humble

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to adopt an attitude in our relationship to God that maintains our faith in seeking and receiving the most loving response to our needs.

Persist for Our Needs

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah presents the people’s return from captivity as a second exodus

* [31:2–3] Jeremiah describes the exiles of the Northern Kingdom on their way home from the nations where the Assyrians had resettled them (722/721 B.C.). The favor they discover in the wilderness is the appearance of the Lord (v. 3) coming to guide them to Jerusalem. Implicit in these verses is the presentation of the people’s return from captivity as a second exodus, a unifying theme in Second Isaiah (chaps. 40–55). (Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB, n.d.)

The response is also from Jeremiah 31.

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 heals in response to The Canaanite Woman’s Faith.

* [15:21–28] See note on Mt 8:5–13.

* [15:24] See note on Mt 10:5–6.

* [15:26] The children: the people of Israel. Dogs: see note on Mt 7:6.

* [15:28] As in the case of the cure of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:10), Matthew ascribes Jesus’ granting the request to the woman’s great faith, a point not made equally explicit in the Marcan parallel (Mk 7:24–30). (Matthew, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Mother of the Gentiles,” by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century).

"After our Lord departed from the Jews, he came into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. He left the Jews behind and came to the Gentiles. Those whom he had left behind remained in ruin; those to whom he came obtained salvation in their alienation. And a woman came out of that territory and cried, saying to him, 'Have pity on me, O Lord, Son of David!' O great mystery! The Lord came out from the Jews, and the woman came out from her Gentile territory. He left the Jews behind, and the woman left behind idolatry and an impious lifestyle. What they had lost, she found. The one whom they had denied in the law, she professed through her faith. This woman is the mother of the Gentiles, and she knew Christ through faith. Thus on behalf of her daughter (the Gentile people) she entreated the Lord. The daughter had been led astray by idolatry and sin and was severely possessed by a demon." (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 58) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler shares that the Prophet Jeremiah presents passages that are mostly a condemnation of the ways of the people of Judah. Today the theme is the opposite: God will restore the people even on the mountains of the North. This is during the Babylonial Exile and the northern region has been separated for centuries. The response of God is not vindictiveness not forgetting evil but inviting them to live in His love. A Canaanite woman petitions Jesus to heal her daughter. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has primarily come for the lost sheep of Israel even as Jesus hints of reaching out to the Gentiles. She is clever in her response to Him after comparing her to the dogs and her cleverness moved Jesus to recognize her faith. Friar Jude recommends insistence when we pray to push and be clever to receive what we truly need.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 15:21-28 challenges us to assume that Jesus was testing this woman. How did she respond? And what can we learn from her?

Seeing this woman’s humility, persistence, and confidence, Jesus replied, “Great is your faith!” and healed her daughter on the spot (Matthew 15:28).

If you ever feel God is testing you, take this Canaanite woman as your model. Persist in your prayers. Hold onto your confidence in Jesus’ love. And remain humble and open to whatever answer you receive. Jesus knows exactly what you need.

“Lord, help me to place all my trust in you!” (Meditation on Matthew 15:21-28, n.d.)

The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major is commemorated today.

Basilica of Saint Mary Major

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces one question which really matters: why do bad things happen to good people?

Rabbi Harold Kushner, through his classic exploration of the book of Job, (1935–2023) questions the common belief that God is all-powerful. Kushner describes the divine intimacy we can experience when we are released from the belief that God is responsible for our suffering:

We will be able to turn to God for things He can do to help us, instead of holding on to unrealistic expectations of Him which will never come about….

We can maintain our own self-respect and sense of goodness without having to feel that God has judged us and condemned us. We can be angry at what has happened to us, without feeling that we are angry at God. More than that, we can recognize our anger at life’s unfairness, our instinctive compassion at seeing people suffer, as coming from God who teaches us to be angry at injustice and to feel compassion for the afflicted. Instead of feeling that we are opposed to God, we can feel that our indignation is God’s anger at unfairness working through us, that when we cry out, we are still on God’s side, and He is still on ours.

Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People (Schocken Books, 1981), (Rohr, 2025)

We celebrate the love and compassion of Christ and the truth that God offers care to all humanity as we persist in our petitions and desires to be spiritually open to the understanding that God is inviting us to Fullness of Life.

References

Jeremiah, CHAPTER 31 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/31?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 15 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/15?21 

Meditation on Matthew 15:21-28. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved Aug 5, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/08/05/1639922/ 

Rohr, R. (2025, September 11). Is God All Powerful? Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/is-god-all-powerful/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Great Is Your Faith! Be It Done for You as You Desire. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 5, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Deciding to Love and protect

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the decision to Love and Protect.

Guiding and protecting

The Prophet Jeremiah proclaims the Love and protection of God for the exiles in Babylon as they will be restored to their homeland.

* [23:1–8] With the false rulers (shepherds) who have governed his people the Lord contrasts himself, the true shepherd, who will in the times of restoration appoint worthy rulers (vv. 1–4). He will provide a new king from David’s line who will rule justly, fulfilling royal ideals (vv. 5, 6). “The Lord our justice” is an ironic wordplay on the name of the weak King Zedekiah (“The Lord is justice”). Unlike Zedekiah, the future king will be true to the name he bears. Verses 7–8 may have been added during the exile.1

In Psalm 72 the Lord is proclaimed as the Source of justice and peace for the poor and oppressed.

Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

The Gospel of Matthew details the insight received by Joseph and his decision to love and protect Mary who is pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

* [1:18–25] This first story of the infancy narrative spells out what is summarily indicated in Mt 1:16. The virginal conception of Jesus is the work of the Spirit of God. Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary is overcome by the heavenly command that he take her into his home and accept the child as his own. The natural genealogical line is broken but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph’s adoption the child belongs to the family of David. Matthew sees the virginal conception as the fulfillment of Is 7:14.3

Cindy Murphy McMahon finds in the Gospel a simple story of a man who had a huge dilemma, and how God sent an angel to speak to him in a dream, calming his fears and making his path forward clear to him.

That’s what God does. He calms our fears, if we let him. If we don’t insist on drowning him out with hand-wringing and doomsday-ing, we will hear God speak to our spirit and lead us forward. Not usually in a dream, although that is entirely possible, but somehow – through a person, a song, a thought, a memory, a prayer – God will get through the clutter and we will recognize his small, still voice, if we are open to it.4

Don Schwager quotes “The righteous branch of David is Christ, “ by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.

"There was only one remedy in the secret of the divine plan that could help the fallen living in the general ruin of the entire human race (Jeremiah 23:5-8). This remedy was that one of the sons of Adam should be born free and innocent of original transgression, to prevail for the rest by his example and by his merits. This was not permitted by natural generation. There could be no clean offspring from our faulty stock by this seed. The Scripture says, 'Who can make a clean thing conceived of an unclean seed? Isn't it you alone?' (Job 14:4) David's Lord was made David's Son, and from the fruit of the promised branch sprang. He is one without fault, the twofold nature coming together into one person. By this one and the same conception and birth sprung our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom was present both true Godhead for the performance of mighty works and true manhood for the endurance of sufferings." (excerpt from Sermon 28.3)5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 1:18-25 suggests we often look at saints like Joseph and think we could never be like them. On one level, this may be true. Joseph played a key role in salvation history, and he did it heroically. But if we boil it down, all Joseph really did was act on what he understood God wanted from him. It wasn’t always easy, but Joseph tried his best to push through.

Today, you will have many opportunities to imitate Joseph’s simple, trusting obedience. Maybe as you’re ready to criticize someone behind his back, your conscience gives you a warning, and you decide to keep quiet. That’s God telling you to push through the negativity. Or maybe you have avoided calling a friend to apologize for something you did, but something in your heart urges you to make that call. That’s God asking you to push through your reluctance. Perhaps you are in the middle of Mass, and you get the sense that God wants you to devote a little more time to prayer. That’s God asking you to push through to a deeper prayer life.6

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the change of theme of Jeremiah from punishment to restoration of the people. The episode in Joseph’s life in the Gospel is an example of how “God writes straight with crooked lines”. Friar Jude touches on how ambiguity in translation of the Sacred Texts allows for Christian denominations to hold different interpretations.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, connects with contemplatives like Parker Palmer, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Keating, and  Augustine of Hippo to emphasize that all forms of contemplation share the same goal: to help us see through the deceptions of self and world in order to get in touch with what Howard Thurman called “the sound of the genuine” within us and around us. Contemplation does not need to be defined in terms of particular practices, such as meditation, yoga, tai chi, or lectio divina. Instead, it can be defined by its function: contemplation is any way one has of penetrating illusion and touching reality.

The world desperately needs people, free of cultural illusions, who are undertaking a dedicated exploration of true reality, not just to know the material nature of things, but also to know the very Source of everything that exists. An unfolding contemplative practice eventually becomes total receptivity. In that receptivity, one is aware of a silence that is becoming an irresistible attraction. Silence leads to stillness; stillness leads to surrender. While this doesn’t happen every time we sit down to pray, interior silence gradually opens to an inner spaciousness that is alive. In this context, if we speak of emptiness, we are not speaking of just emptiness, but of emptiness that is beginning to be filled with a Presence. Perhaps we could say that contemplation occurs when interior silence morphs into Presence.7

The Word Among Us meditation reminds us we can’t always know how things will turn out once we decide to push through and follow God’s lead. Life doesn’t always go the way we expect. Our times of contemplative contact with the Presence will reassure us that we are recipients of Love and protection.

References

1	(n.d.). Jeremiah chapter 23 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/23
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 72 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/72
3	(n.d.). Matthew chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved December 18, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 3rd Week of Advent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations .... Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
7	(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 18, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Anticipate greater good times

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to pause and contemplate the goodness we will find in the people around us who also are created in the image of God.

Hills are leveled

The Prophet Baruch describes people returning to the desolate Jerusalem led by the graciousness of the Lord.

The great love of Paul for the people of Philippi is evident in the prayer from the Letter to the Philippians.

* [1:3–11] As in Rom 1:8–15 and all the Pauline letters except Galatians, a thanksgiving follows, including a direct prayer for the Philippians (Phil 1:9–11); see note on Rom 1:8. On their partnership for the gospel (Phil 1:5), cf. Phil 1:29–30; 4:10–20. Their devotion to the faith and to Paul made them his pride and joy (Phil 4:1). The characteristics thus manifested are evidence of the community’s continuing preparation for the Lord’s parousia (Phil 1:6, 10). Paul’s especially warm relationship with the Philippians is suggested here (Phil 1:7–8) as elsewhere in the letter. The eschatology serves to underscore a concern for ethical growth (Eph 1:9–11), which appears throughout the letter.

In Psalm 126 we respond “The Lord has done great things for us we are filled with joy.”

In the Gospel from Luke, John the Baptist, becomes the messenger for the Messiah coming to return Israel to intimate relationship with God as prophesied by Isaiah.

* [3:4] The Essenes from Qumran used the same passage to explain why their community was in the desert studying and observing the law and the prophets (1QS 8:12–15).

Steve Scholer comments that maybe Paul gives us a clue about how to let the Holy Spirit enter more deeply into our lives, one that is consistent with our daily Examen of Conscience, when he prays that we learn to “discern what is of value” from a heart that is filled with love instead of animosity.

When we are engaged with someone, whether through business or personal interactions, we should try and view them and our conversation with an open heart, not one closed off by presupposed feelings or prejudices. And this is doubly true with spouses and family.
All too often we pick the smallest of “hills to die on” because our hearts are closed off and we have not let the Holy Spirit take control. Through the daily practice of discernment, we can grow closer to God, so we can learn to take notice when our actions and personal motives are interfering with our freedom to live our lives in faith, hope and love.

Don Schwager quotes “Touching Jesus by faith,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

"Consider the text 'And all flesh shall see the salvation of God' (Luke 3:6). There is no difficulty at all in taking this to mean 'And all flesh shall see the Christ of God.' After all, Christ was seen in the body and will be seen in the body when he comes again to judge the living and the dead. Scripture has many texts showing that he is the 'salvation of God,' particularly the words of the venerable old man, Simeon, who took the child in his arms and said, 'Now let your servant go in peace, O Lord, according to your word, because my eyes have seen your salvation' (Luke 2:29-30)." (excerpt from CITY OF GOD 22.29)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Baruch 5:1-9 asks When was the last time you saw Jesus in another person? Not just in a vague “I suppose so” way, but in a specific inspiring “Hey! I just felt the Lord!” way?

What Baruch told the Israelites the Holy Spirit wants to tell you: If you want to see Jesus, don’t just look up to heaven. Look out at the people around you as well.

Friar Jude Winkler notes how the lamentations of Baruch give way to celebration of the return of the exiles in a Second Exodus. Paul exhorts the Philippians to be found blameless on the Day of the Lord. Friar Jude notes that as Luke is connecting his audience to understand Christians as good Roman citizens, the Evangelist identifies John the Baptist as announcing a Third Exodus for which he urges seeking forgiveness of sins.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Thomas Keating  to present that prayer is the opening of mind and heart—our whole being—to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. Through grace we open our awareness to God whom we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than choosing—closer than consciousness itself.

Contemplation is an exercise in openness, in keeping all three spaces open long enough for you to notice other hidden material. When you can do that, you are content with the present moment and can then wait upon futures you know will be given by grace. This is “full-access knowing”—not irrational, but intuitive, rational, and trans-rational all at once.

In the recognition of the Presence of God we are invited to contemplate the changes to which we are called during this Advent season.

References

1	(n.d.). Baruch, chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/baruch/5
2	(n.d.). Philippians, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/philippians/1
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke3:123
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved December 9, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
7	(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 9, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/

Called to joy, service and restoration

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today call us to joy in our service and the restoration of our intimacy with God.

Seeing the way

The passage from the Book of Jeremiah describes the Second Exodus nature of the return to Jerusalem of the exiles in Assyria.

* [31:2–3] Jeremiah describes the exiles of the Northern Kingdom on their way home from the nations where the Assyrians had resettled them (722/721 B.C.). The favor they discover in the wilderness is the appearance of the Lord (v. 3) coming to guide them to Jerusalem. Implicit in these verses is the presentation of the people’s return from captivity as a second exodus, a unifying theme in Second Isaiah (chaps. 40–55).

The Letter to the Hebrews establishes the nature and uniqueness of Jesus role as High Priest in His Covenant.

* [5:1–10] The true humanity of Jesus (see note on Heb 2:5–18) makes him a more rather than a less effective high priest to the Christian community. In Old Testament tradition, the high priest was identified with the people, guilty of personal sin just as they were (Heb 5:1–3). Even so, the office was of divine appointment (Heb 5:4), as was also the case with the sinless Christ (Heb 5:5). For Heb 5:6, see note on Ps 110:4. Although Jesus was Son of God, he was destined as a human being to learn obedience by accepting the suffering he had to endure (Heb 5:8). Because of his perfection through this experience of human suffering, he is the cause of salvation for all (Heb 5:9), a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:10; cf. Heb 5:6 and Heb 7:3).

In the Gospel from Mark, the blind Bartimaeus recognizes Jesus as Son of David and lives his faith following Him on the Way.

(Mark 10:52) Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

Maureen McCann Waldron pauses to face her own daily blindness and wonders if she really wants to ask Jesus to see.  Do we want to be healed?

I see families in division, government policies that hurt the poor, refugees that beg an unwilling world for help and people betrayed by their own church.  If I see all this clearly, then what will I have to do? If I see where I can make a difference, what new challenges does that put in my life? Please, Jesus. Give me the courage to call out to you.  I feel Jesus standing in front of me, loving me and asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”
And then I know that I want Jesus to give me sight and take my hand and lead me. I have the words now: “Lord, I want to see.”

Don Schwager quotes “Your Word will enlighten and save me”, by Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.

"The commandment of the Lord shines clearly, enlightening the eyes. Receive Christ, receive power to see, receive your light, that you may plainly recognize both God and man. More delightful than gold and precious stones, more desirable than honey and the honeycomb is the Word that has enlightened us (Psalm 19:10). How could he not be desirable, who illumined minds buried in darkness, and endowed with clear vision 'the light-bearing eyes' of the soul? ... Sing his praises, then, Lord, and make known to me your Father, who is God. Your Word will save me, your song instruct me. I have gone astray in my search for God; but now that you light my path, Lord, I find God through you, and receive the Father from you, I become co-heir with you, since you were not ashamed to own me as your brother. Let us, then, shake off forgetfulness of truth, shake off the mist of ignorance and darkness that dims our eyes, and contemplate the true God, after first raising this song of praise to him: 'All hail, O light!' For upon us buried in darkness, imprisoned in the shadow of death, a heavenly light has shone, a light of a clarity surpassing the sun's, and of a sweetness exceeding any this earthly life can offer." (excerpt from EXHORTATION TO THE GREEKS 11.8)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 10:46-52 observes that the problem is, what the world offers can leave us restless, unfulfilled, always searching, always looking for the next best thing to make us happy. All too often, our desires for God’s peace and love become fleeting moments that get shouted down by the influence of the crowd.

Remember this as well: while the crowds of the world want to keep you from Jesus, there are also crowds of disciples who want to follow him. They can help you grow in your faith. Find people who pray together. Find a Bible study. Join people who serve the poor. Surround yourself with people who share your desire for Jesus. Join them as you follow Jesus “on the way” (Mark 10:52).

Friar Jude Winkler underlines some important details in accounts of Jeremiah and the Letter to the Hebrews. The blind Bartimaeus is the first, in Mark, to see Jesus as the Son of David who will be proclaimed king in Jerusalem. Friar Jude reminds us of the New Testament code of declaring”saved”, those who are healed both in body and soul.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, recalls Paul (1 Corinthians 13:13) in declaring the most powerful, most needed, and most essential teaching is always Love.

We must all overcome the illusion of separateness. It is the primary task of religion to communicate not worthiness but union, to reconnect people to their original identity “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). The Bible calls the state of separateness “sin.” God’s job description is to draw us back into primal and intimate relationship. “My dear people, we are already children of God; what we will be in the future has not yet been fully revealed, and all I do know is that we shall be like God” (1 John 3:2).

The response today to Psalm 126 is our declaration of thanksgiving for all that God has done for us in our journey of return to intimacy and clearer vision in our relationship with the Divine.

References

(n.d.). Jeremiah chapter 31 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/jeremiah/31
(n.d.). Hebrews chapter 5 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/5
(n.d.). Mark, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/10
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 28, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass Readings and Catholic .... Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/