Fullness and Firm Faith

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to assess our motivation to be included in Christian community and how we show Christ to the people in our life.

Faith and Full Life

The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah presents Accusation and Appeal to Judah.

* [7:1] Days of Ahaz: who ruled from 735 to 715 B.C. This attack against Jerusalem by the kings of Aram (Syria) and Israel in 735 B.C. was occasioned by the refusal of Ahaz to enter with them into an anti-Assyrian alliance; cf. 2 Kgs 16.

* [7:3] Shear-jashub: this name means “a remnant will return” (cf. 10:20–22).

* [7:5] Planned: the plans of those who plot against Ahaz shall not be accomplished (v. 7). What the Lord plans will unfailingly come to pass, whereas human plans contrary to those of the Lord are doomed to frustration; cf. 8:10; 14:24–27; 19:11–14; 29:15; 30:1. See further the note on 14:24–27.

* [7:6] Son of Tabeel: a puppet of Jerusalem’s enemies. His appointment would interrupt the lawful succession from David.

* [7:8–9] God had chosen and made a commitment to David’s dynasty and his capital city Jerusalem, not to Rezin and his capital Damascus, nor to the son of Remaliah and his capital Samaria (2 Sm 7:12–16; Ps 2:6; 78:68–72; 132:11–18). Within sixty-five years…nation: this text occurs at the end of v. 8 in the Hebrew. Ahaz would not have been reassured by so distant a promise; the phrase is probably a later addition. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 48 describes the victory by the Divine Warrior over hostile kings (Ps 48:4–8).

* [Psalm 48] A Zion hymn, praising the holy city as the invincible dwelling place of God. Unconquerable, it is an apt symbol of God who has defeated all enemies. After seven epithets describing the city (Ps 48:2–3), the Psalm describes the victory by the Divine Warrior over hostile kings (Ps 48:4–8). The second half proclaims the dominion of the God of Zion over all the earth (Ps 48:9–12) and invites pilgrims to announce that God is eternally invincible like Zion itself (Ps 48:13–14). (Psalms, PSALM 48 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus reproaches to the Unrepentant Towns.

* [11:21] Tyre and Sidon were pagan cities denounced for their wickedness in the Old Testament; cf. Jl 4:4–7.

* [11:23] Capernaum’s pride and punishment are described in language taken from the taunt song against the king of Babylon (Is 14:13–15). (Matthew, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

A Member of the Creighton University Community recognizes that the feeling of being corrected (or called out, or challenged) for something we have done (or not done) is not a good feeling. Rather than focusing on the one doing the reproaching, what does our response reveal about ourselves?

Understanding that someone’s correction does not, in itself, prove our wrongdoing (indeed, maybe it is our very righteousness that has elicited reproach), our conscience does have a way of cutting through that brush, clearing the way for us to honestly evaluate our words and deeds. Our conscience is quick to catch up to us and the hardest to outrun. When this occurs, whatever our emotions in the moment, we owe it to ourselves to step back and reflect on what has happened and what elicited the correction. This can be a humbling exercise, but Jesus calls us to just this humility. He calls us to union with him. That is our end and we have been equipped with the means to seek it and, with the grace of God, achieve it. (Creighton University Community, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Even after miracles they did not repent,” by Jerome (347-420 AD)

"Our Savior laments Chorazin and Bethsaida, cities of Galilee, because after such great miracles and acts of goodness they did not repent. Even Tyre and Sidon, cities that surrendered to idolatry and other vices, are preferred to them. Tyre and Sidon are preferred for the reason that although they trampled down the law, still Chorazin and Bethsaida, after they transgressed natural and written law, cared little for the miracles that were performed among them." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 2.11.22.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the time of Isaiah in the history of Judah, Assyria was the great power. Israel was one of the vassal states of the Assyrian Empire. The kings of the northern kingdom, Israel, conspired to rebel and they had to seek help from Egypt. But the armies have to pass through Judah, a weak state, and King Ahaz of Judah will not join Syria and Israel. The conduit to the upper pool is crucial in a siege. If the water runs out they will have to surrender. Isaiah proclaims the kings of Syria and Israel will fall. God will protect Judah. In the Gospel, Jesus condemns towns in Galilee; they knew him as a home town boy. Matthew, the Gospel addressed to the Jews, says that pagans will more readily accept the Gospel than the Jewish people.  Friar Jude comments that we can become too familiar and only go through the motions of our faith. When we see and contemplate our worship, it should change our hearts.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Isaiah 7:1-9 describes the kind of faith that God wanted from Ahaz—and from us as well. A faith willing to take measured risks because you trust that God will be with you. Willing to stare down uncertainty because you know that the Lord is bigger than your worries. Willing to deny yourself some pleasure that risks leading you into sin. Willing to take decisive action that you believe will bring someone closer to experiencing the Lord—and willing to learn from your mistakes.

This is what firm faith looks like. It’s firm, not because you are strong, but because you know that God is strong. It’s firm, not because you’ve been having a good day, but because you know that whatever kind of day you’re having, the Lord is always faithful to his promises. It’s firm because the One you believe in is the solid Rock of salvation.

King Ahaz had to decide if he would make his faith firm or if he would give in to fear and intimidation. What will you decide today?

“Jesus, help me to place my trust in you!” (Meditation on Isaiah 7:1-9, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, explores Jesus' metaphor, connecting the eyes and the heart. He introduces author and spiritual director Carl McColman who reflects on what Jesus might have meant by “purity of heart,” calling it “the beatitude that points toward the goal of every restless heart—to see God”.

Jesus knows that no human being has a perfectly clean (pure) heart. But in his wisdom, he’s asking, “Are you willing to show up? Are you willing to do the work? Are you willing to clean up your mess?” To answer yes to these questions is to commit to the path…. There’s the cleansing right there. Are we willing to begin to let go of gratuitous cynicism, nursed resentments, dispiriting bitterness, and the kind of negativity that leaches away our energy and gives us nothing in return? Letting go of those kinds of afflictive thoughts launches us on the journey of catharsis, of inner cleansing, that prepares us to receive the presence of the One who is already there. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit to lead us to purity of heart and our revelation of the Presence of God in the lives and work of the people we encounter daily in our journey.

References

Creighton University Community. (2026, July 14). Daily Reflection July 14, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-july-14-2026 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/7? 

Matthew, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/11?20 

Meditation on Isaiah 7:1-9. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/07/14/1622964/ 

Psalms, PSALM 48 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/48?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). What Is Purity of Heart? Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/what-is-purity-of-heart/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Will You Be Exalted to Heaven? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 14, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Attend to Our Mission

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the truth that our fullness of life is achieved to the extent that we attend to the Mission of love and mercy presented to us by the Prince of Peace.

Our Mission

The Reading from the Prophet Baruch declares a Confession of Guilt for the returned exiles.

* [1:15–2:10] This confession of sin is similar to Dn 9:7–14, and echoes ideas from Deuteronomy and Jeremiah; cf. also Neh 9. (Baruch, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 79 is a communal lament following the destruction of Jerusalem.

* [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11). (Psalms, PSALM 79, n.d.)

In the Gospel of  Luke, Jesus declares Reproaches to Unrepentant Towns.

* [10:13–16] The call to repentance that is a part of the proclamation of the kingdom brings with it a severe judgment for those who hear it and reject it.

* [10:15] The netherworld: the underworld, the place of the dead (Acts 2:27, 31) here contrasted with heaven; see also note on Mt 11:23. (Luke, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)

Carol Zuegner comments that like the people in the towns that Jesus speaks of, we aren’t paying attention. That attention can spread beyond the formal prayers we say. One of my favorite Jesuit charisms is to find God in all things. That means in the beauty of nature, the sorrow of a friend fighting cancer, the chance to help someone, or offer a smile or a word of encouragement.

We don’t intend to ignore God in all things. We just get wrapped up in things and ourselves. We are tired, sometimes frustrated, worried, uncertain, and afraid. But we can start our day with intention, to pay attention to those small blessings that we all experience but sometimes barely notice. A sip of hot coffee. A friend who is glad to see us. The sunshine or the respite of a cloudy day. We can find God in all things. We just have to pay attention. (Baruch, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ speaks through the disciples,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Christ gives those who love instruction the assurance that whatever is said concerning him by the holy apostles or evangelists is to be received necessarily without any doubt and to be crowned with the words of truth. He who hears them, hears Christ. For the blessed Paul also said, 'You desire proof that Christ is speaking in me' (2 Corinthians 13:3). Christ himself somewhere also said to the holy disciples, 'For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you' (Matthew 10:20). Christ speaks in them by the consubstantial Spirit. If it is true, and plainly it is, that they speak by Christ, how can they err? He affirms that he who does not hear them, does not hear Christ, and that he who rejects them rejects Christ, and with him the Father."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 63) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Baruch 1:15-22 comments that we need to yield to the Spirit so that he can use these consequences to soften our hearts. Then we can cooperate with his grace as we cast off our selfish desires and our ways of thinking and acting that go against his word. With the Spirit’s help, we can choose to put away our pride and give the Lord authority over our lives. And when we do, we discover the Spirit’s power to transform us, fill us with his joy, and strengthen us to live in holiness.

I

t’s amazing, isn’t it? Not even our most tragic sins can stop the Lord from loving us. He’s just waiting for us to turn to him in repentance, as Baruch did, so that he can teach us, forgive us, and heal us.

“Jesus, give me a humble and contrite heart so that I can be set free!” (Meditation on Baruch 1:15-22, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler recalls Baruch was likely the secretary of Jeremiah. We hear the exiles recognizing their sinfulness with a penitential liturgy and acceptance that exile was their own fault. Psalm 51 asserts we can’t do it alone. We need the grace of conversion to recognize our needs. Jesus calls a mild curse on the Jewish cities that ignored Him. The pagan cities will be rewarded. Jesus asserts that to be superior they have to surrender. Friar Jude cites the great gifts given Christians and recalls “with great gifts comes great responsibility”, attributed to Uncle Ben as advice to the young Peter Parker, Spiderman. We have an obligation to use our great gifts.

Fr. Mike Schmitz reads from Nehemiah today and we hear about how the hearts of the people of Israel were moved as Ezra reads the book of the law of Moses to them. In our reading of Esther, we have the beginning of the crisis that will unfold throughout the book as Haman, backed by the king, seeks to destroy the Jews. Today’s readings are Nehemiah 8, Esther 3 and 13, and Proverbs 21:5-8.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, explores how Francis of Assisi understood the meaning of words like “sin” and “penance”.

Francis’ phrase, “left the world,” didn’t mean leaving creation. It meant leaving what we might call the “system.” Francis left business as usual, and he began an alternative lifestyle, which at that time was called “a life of penance” or abandoning the system. He decided to focus on alleviating the needs and the suffering of others instead of self-advancement. Most of our decisions are usually based on personal, egoic preference and choice. This is the life that we are called to “leave,” the self that Jesus says must “die” to fall into our Larger Life or True Self. Freedom for both Jesus and Francis was purely and simply freedom from the self, which is precisely freedom for the world. This is so utterly different than our Western notion of freedom. In order to be free for a full and authentic life, we must quite simply be free from our smaller selves. 

Francis knew that Jesus was not at all interested in the usual “sin management” task that many clergy seem to think is their job. He saw that Jesus was neither surprised nor upset at what we usually call sin. Jesus was upset at human pain and suffering. What else do all the healing stories mean? They are half of the Gospels! Jesus did not focus on sin. Jesus went where the pain was. Wherever he found human pain, there he went, there he touched, and there he healed.  (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the guidance of the Spirit as we contemplate the action that aligns us with the Mission we acquire in our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Baruch, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/baruch/1?15 

Luke, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?13 

Meditation on Baruch 1:15-22. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/10/03/1399938/ 

Psalms, PSALM 79. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Freedom for a Fuller Life. CAC.org. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/freedom-for-a-fuller-life/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). He Who Hears You Hears Me. Daily Scripture Net. Retrieved October 3, 2028, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=oct3 

Zuegner, C. (2025, October 3). Daily Reflection October 3, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved October 3, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-october-3-2025 

Reality and Repentance

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, challenge us to openness to the prompting of the Spirit that invites us to a deeper relationship with Christ and the people and places we encounter on our journey.

Reflection on our Way

In the reading from the Book of Job, The Lord Answers Job

* [38:1] Now the Lord enters the debate and addresses two discourses (chaps. 38–39 and 40–41) to Job, speaking of divine wisdom and power. Such things are altogether beyond the capacity of Job. Out of the storm: frequently the background of the appearances of the Lord in the Old Testament; cf. Ps 18; 50; Na 1:3; Hb 3:2–15.

* [38:3] Gird up your loins: prepare for combat—figuratively, be ready to defend yourself in debate.

* [38:7] Sons of God: see note on 1:6.

* [38:21] Ironic, but not a harsh rebuke. (Job, CHAPTER 38 | USCCB, n.d.)

* [40:4–5] Job’s first reaction is humble, but also seemingly cautious. (Job, CHAPTER 40 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 139 praises the Inescapable God

* [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). (Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus expresses woes to Unrepentant Cities.

* [10:13–16] The call to repentance that is a part of the proclamation of the kingdom brings with it a severe judgment for those who hear it and reject it.

* [10:15] The netherworld: the underworld, the place of the dead (Acts 2:27, 31) here contrasted with heaven; see also note on Mt 11:23. (Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that Jesus sends them and us to speak about is not personal reconstruction so we can feel better about ourselves as we advance. Fr Gillick worries that writers and preachers and those who hear and read the Gospels are tempted to promote “personal behavior” adjustments and so read and listen to the Good News as instructive and indicting about our personal and daily activities. Well that can sound pretty good, Jesus came as a Behaviorist, change your actions and you’ll look a lot like Jesus. That can sound pretty good too.

As a young Jesuit I worked a long time on just such a plan and it depressed me, because it was all about my getting better in my own eyes, my own sense which I then projected onto Jesus. Now I had Jesus over there pointing out my faults and misbehaviors and I assumed He was as disappointed in me as I was about the same “poor me”. I called that, Ignatian Dis-spiritualization. It was and I did never improve by trying to improve. What changed? Jesus’ finger changed from pointing to inviting, “And that has made all the difference.”

I am almost at the end, hang on!  Jesus is sending these men whom we assume have not perfectly self-improved, to live and speak the words of comfort of the loving-creative God Who has sent this comfort into the world in the human flesh of Jesus, Who invites rather than indicts. In short, we change our behaviors from within! The Word is a seed that grows in time and inside and does not constantly self-examines to see if the growth is enough.

The great works of Francis and so many others flow outwards from our spirits, and those outwirdlies are more personal inviting than condemning words of logic and force. (Gillick, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ speaks through the disciples,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Christ gives those who love instruction the assurance that whatever is said concerning him by the holy apostles or evangelists is to be received necessarily without any doubt and to be crowned with the words of truth. He who hears them, hears Christ. For the blessed Paul also said, 'You desire proof that Christ is speaking in me' (2 Corinthians 13:3). Christ himself somewhere also said to the holy disciples, 'For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you' (Matthew 10:20). Christ speaks in them by the consubstantial Spirit. If it is true, and plainly it is, that they speak by Christ, how can they err? He affirms that he who does not hear them, does not hear Christ, and that he who rejects them rejects Christ, and with him the Father."(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 63) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 10:13-16 comments that Jesus wanted the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum to experience God’s goodness and mercy. He invited them to repent so that they could be relieved of their guilt and rediscover the beauty that lay within them. Every one of the miracles he performed in their midst was meant as a sign of the new life he was offering them. If only they would repent and receive that new life!

Your heavenly Father is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness (Psalm 103:8). Jesus has come to save, not to condemn (John 3:17). Take these truths with you the next time you celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. And watch to see how your inner beauty shines forth!

“Thank you, Lord, for your love! Teach me the joy and freedom of repentance.” (Meditation on Luke 10:13-16, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the passage in the Book of Job where God comes to question Job after he has been challenged by his friends and invites surrender to the One who has arranged the universe. The villages near Capernaum allowed familiarity with Jesus to create an attitude of “What have you done for me lately?” Friar Jude reminds us that Luke aimed his teaching at Gentiles to extend the Promise beyond the limits of Israel.

Dan Horan reflects on how the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi resonates with his decision, after a substantial period of prayerful discernment, that he is no longer called to remain a friar minor. He shares this news publicly, with the support of his religious superiors, on an important and symbolically significant day for the Franciscan family.

Throughout this journey I have been renewed in my Catholic faith and love of the church. My departure from religious life and retirement from sacramental ministry is in no way a sign of a lack of faith or belief. Instead, it is an affirmation of the dynamic and often surprising direction of the Holy Spirit, whom the psalmist describes as the one sent to "renew the face of the earth" (Psalms 104:30). I feel renewed in my baptismal calling as part of the Body of Christ, willing to serve the church and world in new ways. My state of life, as the church often refers to it, may have changed, but my faith in God has not. (Horan, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, names the passing on of love as the great gift of Francis of Assisi. Contemplative minds and hearts such as those of Francis and Clare are alone prepared to hand on the Great Mystery from age to age and from person to person. The utilitarian and calculating mind distorts the message at its core. The contemplative, nondual mind inherently creates a great “communion of saints,” which is so obviously scattered, hidden, and amorphous that no one can say, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” but instead it is always “among you” (Luke 17:21)—invisible and uninteresting to most, but obvious and ecstatic to those who seek (see Matthew 22:14).

From the Trinity to Jesus, the energetic movement of receiving and giving Love begins. Then, from Jesus to many—Francis and Clare, Bonaventure and Scotus, Thérèse of Lisieux, Teilhard de Chardin, Mother Teresa, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Pope Francis, and now we ourselves—we are all part of this one great parade, “partners in God’s triumphal procession,” as Paul calls it, “spreading the knowledge of God like a sweet smell everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14), much more a transmission of authentic life and love than of mere ideas or doctrines.  

It is remarkable to know that findings about mirror neurons almost prove that this energetic movement is the case, even physiologically and interpersonally. [1] It is not just pious poetry. If we have never received a gaze of love, we do not even have the neural ability to hand it on. We cannot really imagine love, much less pass it on, until we have accepted that someone—God, another person, or even an animal—could fully accept us as we are. (Rohr, n.d.)

We ponder the power of Love to reveal truth, beauty, and goodness and to shape our actions as disciples of Christ.

References

Gillick, L. (2024, October 4). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/100424.html 

Horan, D. (n.d.). Always a Franciscan in spirit, but no longer a friar. National Catholic Reporter | The Independent News Source. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/always-franciscan-spirit-no-longer-friar 

Job, CHAPTER 38 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/38 

Job, CHAPTER 40 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/job/40 

Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?13 

Meditation on Luke 10:13-16. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/10/04/1096816/ 

Psalms, PSALM 139 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/139?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Contemplation and Love. Richard Rohr. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/contemplation-and-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). He Who Hears You Hears Me. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=oct4