Photo: The Cathedral Church in Old San Juan

 

Come. You Belong: The Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026

                                                        Come. You Belong:

The Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 

August 2, 2026

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Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm 145; Romans 8:35-39; Matthew 14:13-21

 

 

What a great invitation! Isaiah speaks directly to our hearts when he encourages us to come. Come as you are. Come without proving yourself. Come without feeling the need to pay. Just come! Again, what a great invitation. It reminds us that we belong to God and that we are going to be cared for as we need. The Gospel punctuates that belonging for us. Jesus feeds the people who gathered to hear him speak. He knew that he carried with him deep grief that his friend, John the Baptist, was just brutally killed. He knew he needed his own rest, but he could see the plight of the people and his heart was moved with compassion for them. He needed to tend to their needs.

 

How do you need to be nourished by Christ and the Church today? How can we be there for you? What do you need? We can administer the sacraments and build communion. We can give you homilies to inspire you and to move you to do greater good. Are we giving you enough? Do we show you that Christ is truly present to you, that it is Christ who feeds you through our actions? I want you to feel cared for.

 

I think of moments in my ministry when I visit someone who is hospitalized or aging or just visit someone for a cup of coffee or bake some cupcakes. Sometimes this ministry of accompaniment provides a communion with unanticipated results. People like to be remembered and known, and we have to learn how to remain human in a world of rapid change. We have to be builders of communion so that others will find a meaningful connection. 

 

Though it is difficult, I try to make personal visits or to send greeting cards just to retain a human connection. These efforts take time that I do not have, but I will do it because I want to see the beauty of humanity through shared time together. It is easy to think that sitting around for extended periods of time is wasteful and that one’s ministry is not being used to full capacity. Perhaps that is true. We tend to undervalue the importance of just being present – without the need to achieve anything. We are oriented to a ministry of achievement, and little value is given to the practice of just being present. Isaiah reminds us: Come. Come without cost. Come. Eat and drink. Waste time with one another because we are refreshingly wasting time with God. 

Jesus in the midst of deep grief sat with the crowds and ate together. I suspect he was consoled by gathering. How could he not be? We are always healed in some way when we sit down together, share a meal, and accompany another person whose life may be strained. Jesus experienced communion and he knew it was good, and he wants you to experience that as well. He knew the richness of coming together to listen and to dialogue to advance the common good. 

 

I ask this in all sincerity: What do you need? Tell us. Are we providing you a civilization where you can come to have your thirst quenched and your hunger fed? Are we building a communion in which you know deep in your soul that you belong?

 

Scripture for Daily Mass 

Monday: (Jeremiah 28) The prophet Jeremiah answered the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people assembled in the house of the LORD and said:
Amen! thus may the LORD do!

 

Tuesday: (Jeremiah 30) For thus says the LORD: Incurable is your wound, grievous your bruise; There is none to plead your cause, no remedy for your running sore, no healing for you. All your lovers have forgotten you, they do not seek you. 

 

Wednesday: (Jeremiah 31) At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel, and they shall be my people. Thus says the LORD: The people that escaped the sword have found favor in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given his rest, the LORD appears to him from afar.

 

Thursday (Daniel 7) Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat.

 

Friday (Nahum 2) See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, 
announcing peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah, fulfill your vows! For nevermore shall you be invaded by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed.

 

Saturday (Habakkuk 2) Are you not from eternity, O LORD, my holy God, immortal? O LORD, you have marked him for judgment, O Rock, you have readied him punishment!
Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil, and the sight of misery you cannot endure.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 14) Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the sea, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening, he was there alone.

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 14) Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side of the sea, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening, he was there alone.

 

Wednesday (Matthew 15) At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not say a word in answer to her.

 

Thursday (Matthew 17) Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them.

 

Friday (Matthew 16) What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct.

 

Saturday (Matthew 17) A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

 

Saints of the Week

 

August 2: Peter Faber, S.J., priest and founder (1506-1546), was one of the original companions of the Society of Jesus. He was a French theologian and the first Jesuit priest and was the presider over the first vows of the lay companions. He became known for directing the Spiritual Exercises very well. He was called to the Council of Trent but died as the participants were gathering.

 

August 2: Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop (d. 371), was ordained bishop after becoming a lector. He attended a council in Milan where he opposed the Arians. The emperor exiled him to Palestine because he contradicted secular influences. He returned to his diocese where the emperor died.

 

August 2: Peter Julian Eymard, priest (1811-1868) left the Oblates when he became ill. When his father died, he became a priest and soon transferred into the Marists but left them to found the Blessed Sacrament Fathers to promote the significance of the Eucharist.

 

August 4: John Vianney, priest (1786-1859) became the parish priest in Ars-en-Dombes where he spent the rest of his life preaching and hearing confessions. Hundreds of visitors and pilgrims visited him daily. He would hear confessions 12-16 hours per day. 

 

August 5: Dedication of the Basilica of Mary Major in Rome is celebrated because it is the largest and oldest of the churches in honor of Mary. The veneration began in 435 when the church was repaired after the Council of Ephesus in 431 when Mary was proclaimed the Mother of God. This is the church where Ignatius of Loyola said his first Mass and where Francis of Assisi assembled the first crèche. 

 

August 6: The Transfiguration of the Lord is an historical event captured by the Gospels when Jesus is singled out as God's Son - ranking higher than Moses or Elijah. In front of his disciples, Jesus becomes transfigured, thus revealing his true nature. Ironically, the anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb occurred at Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

 

August 7: Sixtus, II, pope and martyr with companions (d. 258), died during the Valerian persecutions in 258. They were killed in the catacombs where they celebrated Mass. Sixtus was beheaded while speaking in his presidential chair and six deacons were killed as well. Lawrence, the Deacon, is honored on August 10th. Sixtus is remembered during the 1st Eucharistic prayer at Mass. 

 

August 7: Cajetan, priest (1480-1547), was a civil and canon lawyer who worked in the papal chancery. He later joined the Roman Order of Divine Love and was ordained a priest. He became aware that the church needed reform and he teamed up with the bishop of Theate (Gian Pietro Carafa) and formed a society of priests called the Theatines who lived in community and took monastic vows. They owned no property. 

 

August 8: Dominic, priest (1170-1221), was a Spaniard who was sent to southern France to counter the heretical teachings of the Albigensians, who held that the material world was evil and only religious asceticism could combat those forces. Dominic begged and preached in an austere fashion and set the foundations for the new Order of Preachers for both men and women.

 

August 8: Mother Mary MacKillop, religious (1842-1909), who worked in Australia and New Zealand to assist the poor, needy, and immigrants to the country, was canonized on October 17^th 2010. August 8^th is chosen as the day in which she will be memorialized on the Roman calendar. I offer the following prayer:

 

Bountiful and loving God,

You have filled the heart of Mary MacKillop

with compassionate love for those

who are in need at the margins of our society.

Deepen that love within us

that we may embrace the mystery of the Cross

which leads us through death to life.

We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus

who having broken the bonds of death

leads us to everlasting life. Amen.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• August 2, 1981. The death of Gerald Kelly, moral theologian and author of "Modern Youth and Chastity." 
• August 3, 1553. Queen Mary Tudor made her solemn entrance into London. As she passed St Paul's School, Edmund Campion, then a boy of thirteen delivered an address. 
• August 4, 1871. King Victor Emmanuel signed the decree that sanctioned the seizure of all of the properties belonging to the Roman College and to S. Andrea. 
• August 5, 1762. The Parliament at Paris condemned the Society's Institute as opposed to natural law. It confiscated all Jesuit property and forbade the Jesuit habit and community life. 
• August 6, 1552. The death of Claude Jay, a French priest who was one of Ignatius' original companions at the University of Paris. 
• August 7, 1814. The universal restoration of the Society of Jesus. 
• August 8, 1604. St Peter Claver takes his first vows at Tarracona.

Ven. Aquí perteneces: Decimoctavo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario de 2026

                                                       Ven. Aquí perteneces:

Decimoctavo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario de 2026

2 de agosto de 2026

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Isaías 55:1-3; Salmo 145; Romanos 8:35-39; Mateo 14:13-21

 

 

¡Qué gran invitación! Isaías nos habla directamente al corazón cuando nos anima a venir. Ven tal como eres. Ven sin tener que demostrar nada. Ven sin sentir la necesidad de pagar. ¡Solo ven! De nuevo, ¡qué gran invitación! Nos recuerda que pertenecemos a Dios y que seremos cuidados según nuestras necesidades. El Evangelio subraya esa pertenencia. Jesús alimenta a la gente que se reunió para escucharlo. Sabía que llevaba consigo un profundo dolor por la brutal muerte de su amigo Juan el Bautista. Sabía que necesitaba descansar, pero podía ver la difícil situación de la gente y su corazón se conmovió de compasión por ellos. Necesitaba atender sus necesidades.

 

¿Cómo necesitas ser alimentado por Cristo y la Iglesia hoy? ¿Cómo podemos estar ahí para ti? ¿Qué necesitas? Podemos administrar los sacramentos y fomentar la comunión. Podemos ofrecerte homilías para inspirarte y motivarte a hacer el bien. ¿Te estamos dando lo suficiente? ¿Te mostramos que Cristo está verdaderamente presente para ti, que es Cristo quien te alimenta a través de nuestras acciones? Quiero que te sientas cuidado.

 

Recuerdo momentos de mi ministerio en los que visito a alguien hospitalizado o anciano, o simplemente a alguien para tomar un café o preparar unos pastelitos. A veces, este acompañamiento genera una comunión con resultados inesperados. A la gente le gusta sentirse recordada y conocida, y debemos aprender a mantener nuestra humanidad en un mundo de cambios vertiginosos. Debemos construir lazos de comunión para que otros encuentren una conexión significativa.

 

Aunque es difícil, intento hacer visitas personales o enviar tarjetas de felicitación para mantener el contacto humano. Estos esfuerzos me quitan tiempo del que no dispongo, pero lo hago porque quiero apreciar la belleza de la humanidad compartiendo momentos juntos. Es fácil pensar que estar sentado durante largos periodos de tiempo es una pérdida de tiempo y que el ministerio no se está aprovechando al máximo. Quizás sea cierto. Tendemos a subestimar la importancia de simplemente estar presentes, sin la necesidad de lograr nada. Nos orientamos hacia un ministerio de logros y le damos poco valor a la práctica de simplemente estar presentes. Isaías nos recuerda: Venid. Venid gratuitamente. Venid. Comed y bebed. Compartid tiempo juntos, porque estamos compartiendo tiempo con Dios de una manera refrescante.

Jesús, sumido en un profundo dolor, se sentó con la multitud y comió con ellos. Sospecho que la compañía le brindó consuelo. ¿Cómo no iba a ser así? Siempre nos sentimos reconfortados de alguna manera cuando nos sentamos juntos, compartimos una comida y acompañamos a alguien cuya vida puede estar marcada por dificultades. Jesús experimentó la comunión y sabía lo valiosa que era, y desea que tú también la experimentes. Conocía la riqueza de reunirse para escuchar y dialogar en pos del bien común.

 

Les pregunto con toda sinceridad: ¿Qué necesitan? Dígannos. ¿Les estamos brindando una civilización donde puedan saciar su sed y alimentar su hambre? ¿Estamos construyendo una comunidad a la que sientan, en lo más profundo de su ser, que pertenecen?

 

Lecturas bíblicas para la Misa diaria

Lunes: (Jeremías 28) El profeta Jeremías respondió al profeta Hananías en presencia de los sacerdotes y de todo el pueblo reunido en la casa del SEÑOR y dijo: ¡ 
Amén! ¡Así lo haga el SEÑOR!

 

Martes: (Jeremías 30) Porque así dice el SEÑOR: Incurable es tu herida, grave tu contusión; no hay quien abogue por ti, ni remedio para tu úlcera supurante, ni sanación para ti. Todos tus amantes te han olvidado, no te buscan.

 

Miércoles: (Jeremías 31 ) En aquel tiempo, dice el SEÑOR, yo seré el Dios de todas las tribus de Israel, y ellos serán mi pueblo. Así dice el SEÑOR: El pueblo que escapó de la espada halló favor en el desierto. Cuando Israel se acerca para descansar, el SEÑOR se le aparece desde lejos.

 

Jueves (Daniel 7) Se colocaron tronos y el Anciano tomó su trono. Su ropa era brillante como la nieve, y su cabello blanco como la lana; su trono era de llamas de fuego, con ruedas de fuego ardiente. Un torrente de fuego brotaba de donde estaba sentado.

 

Viernes (Nahúm 2) ¡Mira, sobre los montes avanza el portador de buenas nuevas, 
anunciando la paz! ¡Celebra tus fiestas, oh Judá, cumple tus votos! Porque nunca más serás invadido por el canalla; él ha sido completamente destruido .

 

Sábado (Habacuc 2) ¿No eres tú desde la eternidad, oh Jehová, mi Dios santo, inmortal? Oh Jehová, tú lo has marcado para juicio, oh Roca, tú le has preparado el castigo. 
Demasiado puros son tus ojos para contemplar el mal, y la visión de la miseria no puedes soportar.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: ( Mateo 14 ) Jesús hizo que los discípulos subieran a una barca y lo acompañaran al otro lado del mar, mientras él despedía a la multitud. Después de hacerlo, subió a la montaña a orar a solas. Al anochecer, estaba allí solo.

 

Martes: (Mateo 14) Jesús hizo que los discípulos subieran a una barca y lo acompañaran al otro lado del mar, mientras él despedía a la multitud. Después de hacerlo, subió a la montaña a orar a solas. Al anochecer, estaba allí solo.

 

Miércoles (Mateo 15) En aquel tiempo, Jesús se retiró a la región de Tiro y Sidón. Y he aquí que una mujer cananea de aquella región se acercó y clamó: «¡Ten compasión de mí, Señor, Hijo de David! Mi hija está atormentada por un demonio». Pero él no le respondió ni una palabra.

 

Jueves (Mateo 17) Jesús tomó a Pedro, a Santiago y a su hermano Juan, y los llevó aparte a un monte alto. Y se transfiguró delante de ellos: su rostro resplandeció como el sol y sus vestiduras se volvieron blancas como la luz. Y he aquí que se les aparecieron Moisés y Elías.

 

Viernes (Mateo 16) ¿De qué le sirve al hombre ganar el mundo entero si pierde su alma? ¿O qué podrá dar el hombre a cambio de su alma? Porque el Hijo del Hombre vendrá con sus ángeles en la gloria de su Padre, y entonces recompensará a cada uno según sus obras.

 

Sábado (Mateo 17) Un hombre se acercó a Jesús, se arrodilló ante él y le dijo: «Señor, ten compasión de mi hijo, que es lunático y sufre mucho; a menudo cae al fuego y a menudo al agua. Lo traje a tus discípulos, pero no pudieron curarlo».

 

Santos de la semana

 

2 de agosto: Pedro Faber, S.J., sacerdote y fundador (1506-1546), fue uno de los miembros fundadores de la Compañía de Jesús. Teólogo francés y primer sacerdote jesuita, presidió la ceremonia de los primeros votos de los compañeros laicos. Se destacó por su excelente dirección de los Ejercicios Espirituales. Fue convocado al Concilio de Trento, pero falleció mientras los participantes se reunían.

 

2 de agosto: Eusebio de Vercelli, obispo (m. 371) , fue ordenado obispo tras ejercer como lector. Asistió a un concilio en Milán donde se opuso a los arrianos. El emperador lo exilió a Palestina por contradecir las influencias seculares. Regresó a su diócesis, donde falleció el emperador.

 

2 de agosto: Peter Julian Eymard, sacerdote (1811-1868), dejó la orden de los Oblatos al enfermar. Tras la muerte de su padre, se ordenó sacerdote y pronto se unió a los Maristas, pero los abandonó para fundar los Padres del Santísimo Sacramento y promover la importancia de la Eucaristía.

 

4 de agosto: John Vianney, sacerdote (1786-1859), se convirtió en párroco de Ars -en - Dombes, donde dedicó el resto de su vida a predicar y confesar. Cientos de visitantes y peregrinos lo visitaban a diario. Confesaba entre 12 y 16 horas al día.

 

5 de agosto: Se celebra la dedicación de la Basílica de María la Mayor en Roma, ya que es la iglesia más grande y antigua dedicada a la Virgen María. Su veneración comenzó en el año 435, cuando la iglesia fue restaurada tras el Concilio de Éfeso de 431, en el que María fue proclamada Madre de Dios. En esta iglesia, Ignacio de Loyola celebró su primera misa y Francisco de Asís instaló el primer belén.

 

6 de agosto: La Transfiguración del Señor es un acontecimiento histórico narrado en los Evangelios, donde Jesús es presentado como el Hijo de Dios, con una posición superior a la de Moisés o Elías. Ante sus discípulos, Jesús se transfigura, revelando así su verdadera naturaleza. Irónicamente, el aniversario del lanzamiento de la primera bomba atómica en Hiroshima se conmemoró el 6 de agosto de 1945.

 

7 de agosto: Sixto II, papa y mártir junto a sus compañeros (fallecido en 258) , murió durante las persecuciones de Valeriano en 258. Fueron asesinados en las catacumbas donde celebraban la misa. Sixto fue decapitado mientras hablaba sentado en su cátedra presidencial, y seis diáconos también fueron asesinados. El diácono Lorenzo es honrado el 10 de agosto. Se recuerda a Sixto durante la primera plegaria eucarística de la misa.

 

7 de agosto: Cayetano, sacerdote (1480-1547) , fue abogado civil y canónico que trabajó en la cancillería papal. Posteriormente se unió a la Orden Romana del Amor Divino y fue ordenado sacerdote. Consciente de la necesidad de reformar la Iglesia, se unió al obispo de Teate (Gian Pietro Carafa) y fundó una comunidad de sacerdotes llamada los Teatinos, quienes vivían en comunidad y profesaban votos monásticos. No poseían propiedades.

 

8 de agosto: Domingo, sacerdote (1170-1221), fue un español enviado al sur de Francia para contrarrestar las enseñanzas heréticas de los albigenses, quienes sostenían que el mundo material era maligno y que solo el ascetismo religioso podía combatir esas fuerzas. Domingo mendigaba y predicaba con austeridad, sentando las bases de la nueva Orden de Predicadores, tanto para hombres como para mujeres.

 

8 de agosto: La Madre Mary MacKillop, religiosa (1842-1909), que trabajó en Australia y Nueva Zelanda para ayudar a los pobres, necesitados e inmigrantes del país, fue canonizada el 17 de octubre ^. 2010. ^El 8 de agosto se ha elegido como el día en que se la conmemorará según el calendario romano. Ofrezco la siguiente oración:

 

Dios generoso y amoroso,

Has llenado el corazón de Mary MacKillop.

con amor compasivo por aquellos

quienes se encuentran necesitados en los márgenes de nuestra sociedad.

Profundiza ese amor dentro de nosotros

para que podamos abrazar el misterio de la Cruz

que nos conduce a través de la muerte a la vida.

Te lo pedimos en el Espíritu de Jesús.

quienes, habiendo roto las ataduras de la muerte

Nos conduce a la vida eterna. Amén.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 2 de agosto de 1981. Fallece Gerald Kelly, teólogo moral y autor de "La juventud moderna y la castidad".
• 3 de agosto de 1553. La reina María Tudor hizo su entrada triunfal en Londres. Al pasar por la escuela de San Pablo, Edmund Campion, que entonces tenía trece años, pronunció un discurso.
• 4 de agosto de 1871. El rey Víctor Manuel firmó el decreto que sancionaba la confiscación de todas las propiedades pertenecientes al Colegio Romano y a San Andrés.
• 5 de agosto de 1762. El Parlamento de París condenó el Instituto de la Compañía de Jesús por considerarlo contrario a la ley natural. Confiscó todos los bienes de los jesuitas y prohibió el hábito y la vida en comunidad jesuita.
• 6 de agosto de 1552. Fallece Claude Jay, un sacerdote francés que fue uno de los compañeros originales de Ignacio de Loyola en la Universidad de París.
• 7 de agosto de 1814. Restauración universal de la Compañía de Jesús.
• 8 de agosto de 1604. San Pedro Claver toma sus primeros votos en Tarracona .

Photo: Saint with Broom, Dog, and Cat

 

Poem: "The Swimming Lesson” By: Mary Oliver

                         Feeling the icy kick, the endless waves

Reaching around my life, I moved my arms

And coughed, and in the end saw land.

    

Somebody, I suppose,

Remembering the medieval maxim,

Had tossed me in,

Had wanted me to learn to swim.

Not knowing that none of us, who ever came back

From that long, lonely fall and frenzied rising,

Ever learned anything at all

About swimming, but only

How to put off, one by one,

Dreams and pity, love and grace –

How to survive in any place.

Photo: Statue Chair in Old San Juan

 

Spirituality: Dacher Keltner in Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life.

Wonder, the mental state of openness, questioning, curiosity, and embracing mystery, arises out of experiences of awe. In our studies, people who find more everyday awe show evidence of living with wonder. They are more open to new ideas. To what is unknown. To what language can’t describe. To the absurd. To seeking new knowledge. To experience itself, for example of sound, or color, or bodily sensation, or the directions thought might take during dreams or meditation. To the strengths and virtues of other people. It should not surprise that people who feel even five minutes a day of everyday awe are more curious about art, music, poetry, new scientific discoveries, philosophy, and questions about life and death. They feel more comfortable with mysteries, with that which cannot be explained.

Photo: Cathedral Crucifix in San Juan

 

Spirituality: Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault

Contemplative prayer reflects a long and noble lineage of Christians who have attempted to "put on the mind of Christ" ... through a radical transformation of consciousness that produces the Kingdom as its fruit. Applying Jesus' teaching that "a house divided against itself cannot stand," they have striven to heal their own divided and warring consciousnesses and bring their lives into an inner alignment through which it becomes possible to actually follow the teachings of Christ (which are in fact pitched to a level of consciousness higher than the egoic) and to live them into reality with integrity and grace. Ever since that first great contemplative "experiment" in the deserts of Egypt and Syria, the goal has been radical transformation of the human person in service of the Kingdom. It doesn't require an "introverted temperament"--only honesty, commitment, and a good sense of humor. From these three raw ingredients, great saints can be fashioned.

Spirituality: The Soul of Animals, Gary Kowalski

For ancient peoples, the soul was located in the breath or the blood. For me, soul resides at the point where our lives intersect with the timeless, in our love of goodness, our passion for beauty, our quest for meaning and truth. In asking whether animals have souls, we are inquiring whether they share in the qualities that make life more than a mere struggle for survival, endowing existence with dignity and élan. […] 

Many people think of soul as the element of personality that survives bodily death, but for me it refers to something much more down-to-earth. Soul is the marrow of our existence as sentient, sensitive beings. It’s soul that’s revealed in great works of art, and soul that’s lifted up in awe when we stand in silence under a night sky burning with billions of stars. When we speak of a soulful piece of music, we mean one that comes out of infinite depths of feeling. When we speak of the soul of a nation, we mean its capacity for valor and visionary change… Soul is present wherever our lives intersect the dimension of the holy: in moments of intimacy, in flights of fancy, and in rituals that hallow the evanescent events of our lives with enduring significance. Soul is what makes each of our lives a microcosm — not merely a meaningless fragment of the universe, but at some level a reflection of the whole.