Photo: A Fourth of July Tree

 

Photo: Good Morning

 

Spirituality: from Walking on Water by Madeleine L'Engle

Unless we are creators, we are not fully alive . . . Remember, the root word of humble and human is the same: humus: earth. We are dust. We are created; it is God who made us and not we ourselves. But we were made to be co-creators with our maker.

A National Examen: The Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026

                                        A National Examen:

The Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 

July 5, 2026

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145; Romans 8:9-13; Matthew 11:25-30

 

 

As Christians, we straddle two worlds – the city of God and the city of humanity, and we are missioned to build the city of God on earth. Christians are asked to perform an examination of conscience and consciousness each day, and as the Body of Christ, we need to also do it nationally. The first reading from Zechariah writes about a humble king who proclaims peace to the nations, while the Gospel praises gentleness and humility in a spirit of gratitude to God. It is within this context that we can reflect upon the USA’s commemoration of its Declaration of Independence.

 

The Gospel proclaims, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest,” which sets the framework for Emman Lazarus’s poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” How are we doing with our hospitality and sense of belonging? What is our response to those who suffer? The way we care for one another reveals how well we know God. It is something upon which we can reflect.

 

Our Declaration of Independence lists out our core values. What are they? 1. We have natural rights that cannot be taken away. Each person should have the opportunity for unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We may have to come back to this in a discussion of equality and equity. 2. We need government by consent. Our governments derive their power from the consent of the governed, meaning that authority is granted by us, the people, and we have the right to alter or abolish a government that fails to protect our rights. 3. We need equality, meaning that each of us is created equal and is entitled to equal treatment and opportunities. We need to examine our practices and policies more closely. 4. We have a right to revolt. We have the right to revolt against oppressive governments, asserting that it is our right and duty to do so when faced with tyranny. 

 

Layered upon these principles are the Four Freedoms outlined by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and symbolized by Norman Rockwell in paintings. As part of Christian dignity, we have the Freedom of Speech without censorship, the Freedom of worship and the practice of religion, the Freedom from Want to assure that every person has the basic access to necessities and economic security, and the Freedom from Fear and protection from violence and oppression. This applies to citizens and our guests. How are we doing to make sure that each person is guaranteed these inalienable rights? Are there people or groups who are excluded from these Four Freedoms?

 

We also make distinctions between equality and equity. Equality means providing the same resources and opportunities to everyone, regardless of individual circumstances or needs. It assumes we all start from the same place and have the same level of support. Equity is quite distinct and is based on dignity of the individual. It involves distributing resources based on individual needs and circumstances. It recognizes that people face different barriers and seeks to provide the needed support to achieve fair outcomes. Equality means sameness; Equity focuses on fairness. Equality may not lead to fair outcomes due to the varying starting points, whereas equity aims to provide for each according to one’s needs.

 

            A crucial part of the Gospel message is gratitude. It is in thanking God for the blessings and wisdom given to the people of belief and hiding it from the strong and powerful. This gratitude allows us to grow in wisdom, gentleness, and humility, and to take the heart of God and bring it to our place on earth. As Christians, we constantly renew our personal and national self-examination and ask where we need to grow in God’s wisdom and our care for one another. Let us do our very best in reflecting upon who we are and where we are going so that we practice our faith in integrity. Then, we will have rest for our souls, and yet, we remain restless until each person has fundamental dignity, equity, and freedom. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass 

Monday: (Hosea 2) Thus says the LORD: I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert
and speak to her heart. She shall respond there as in the days of her youth, when she came up from the land of Egypt.

 

Tuesday: (Hosea 8) Thus says the LORD: They made kings in Israel, but not by my authority; they established princes, but without my approval. With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves, to their own destruction. Cast away your calf, O Samaria!

 

Wednesday: (Hosea 10) Israel is a luxuriant vine whose fruit matches its growth. The more abundant his fruit, the more altars he built; The more productive his land, the more sacred pillars he set up.

 

Thursday (Hosea 11) When Israel was a child I loved him, out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the farther they went from me, Sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk.

 

Friday (Hosea 14) Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words and return to the LORD; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.

 

Saturday (Isaiah 6) In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 9) While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 9) A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

 

Wednesday (Matthew 10) Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew.

 

Thursday (Matthew 10) Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.

 

Friday (Matthew 10) Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, 
for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.

 

Saturday (Matthew 10) Jesus said to his Apostles: “No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master.

 

Saints of the Week

 

July 5: Elizabeth of Portugal, (1271-1336), was from the kingdom of Aragon begore she married Denis, king of Portugal, at age 12. Her son twice rebelled against the king and Elizabeth helped them reconcile. After he husband's death, she gave up her rank and joined the Poor Clares for a life of simplicity. 

 

July 5: Anthony Mary Zaccaria, priest (1502-1539) was a medical doctor who founded the Barnabites because of his devotion to Paul and Barnabas and the Angelics of St. Paul, a woman's cloistered order. He encouraged the laity to work alongside the clergy to care for the poor. 

 

July 6: Maria Goretti, martyr (1890-1902) was a poor farm worker who was threatened by Alessandro, a 20-year-old neighbor. When she rebuffed his further advances, he killed her, but on her deathbed, she forgave him. He later testified on her behalf during her beatification process, which occurred in 1950.

 

July 9: Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and companions, Chinese martyrs (1648-1930) were 120 Chinese martyrs that included priests, children, parents, catechists and common laborers. Christians were persecuted throughout Chinese history. Augustine Zhao Rong was a diocesan priest who was brought to the faith after the example of the French missionary bishop Dufresse. Zhao Rong was arrested in 1815 and died in prison. 

 

July 9: Leo Mangan, S.J., martyr of the Boxer rebellion in China. In 1900 he was stationed at Zhujiahe, a small town with 400 inhabitants but whose number soon grew to 3000 by incoming refugees because the Boxers, a secret Chinese society whose members extolled physical prowess and engaged in rigorous gymnastic exercises, were attacking the neighboring areas. Fr Mangin was aware that the Boxers would one day invade his village wisely fortified it as best as he could including stocking up with a supply of food provisions.

 

July 11: Benedict, Abbot (480-547), was educated in Rome, but left after a few years to take on a life of solitude. He became a monk at Subiaco and lived alone, but his lifestyle developed followers so he built 12 monasteries for them. He left to found a monastery at Monte Cassino where he wrote his Rule that became a standard for Western monasticism. He adopted the practices of the austere Desert Fathers for community life and emphasized moderation, humility, obedience, prayer, and manual labor.  

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• July 5, 1592. The arrest of Fr. Robert Southwell at Uxenden Manor, the house of Mr Bellamy. Tortured and then transferred to the Tower, he remained there for two and a half years. 
• July 6, 1758. The election to the papacy of Clement XIII who would defend the Society against the Jansenists and the Bourbon Courts of Europe. 
• July 7, 1867. The beatification of the 205 Japanese Martyrs, 33 of them members of the Society of Jesus. 
• July 8, 1767. D'Aubeterre wrote to De Choiseul: "It is impossible to obtain the Suppression from the Pope [Clement XIII]; it must be wrested from him by occupying papal territory." 
• July 9, 1763. The Society is expelled from New Orleans and Louisiana at the bidding of the French government. 
• July 10, 1881. Fr. Frederick Garesche' wrote from Sequin, Texas, to his Superior: "The cowboys who had not deigned at first to lift their hat to the priest or missionary; who had come to the mission as to a camp meeting, for the fun of the thing, gave in, and their smiles and awkward salutes showed that they had hearts under their rude exterior." 
• July 11, 1809. After Pius VII had been dragged into exile by General Radet, Fr. Alphonsus Muzzarrelli SJ, his confessor, was arrested in Rome and imprisoned at Civita Vecchia.

Un examen nacional: Decimocuarto domingo del tiempo ordinario de 2026

                                                   Un examen nacional:

Decimocuarto domingo del tiempo ordinario de 2026

5 de julio de 2026

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Zacarías 9:9-10; Salmo 145; Romanos 8:9-13; Mateo 11:25-30

 

 

Como cristianos, vivimos entre dos mundos: la ciudad de Dios y la ciudad de la humanidad, y nuestra misión es construir la ciudad de Dios en la tierra. Se nos pide a los cristianos que realicemos un examen de conciencia cada día, y como Cuerpo de Cristo, también debemos hacerlo a nivel nacional. La primera lectura de Zacarías habla de un rey humilde que proclama la paz a las naciones, mientras que el Evangelio exalta la mansedumbre y la humildad en un espíritu de gratitud a Dios. Es en este contexto que podemos reflexionar sobre la conmemoración de la Declaración de Independencia de los Estados Unidos.

 

El Evangelio proclama: «Vengan a mí todos los que están cansados y agobiados, 
y yo les daré descanso », lo que sienta las bases del poema de Emman Lazarus al pie de la Estatua de la Libertad: «Denme a sus cansados, a sus pobres, a sus multitudes hacinadas que anhelan respirar libres, a los miserables desechos de sus costas. Envíenme a estos, los sin hogar, azotados por la tempestad , ¡yo alzo mi lámpara junto a la puerta dorada!». ¿Cómo nos va con nuestra hospitalidad y sentido de pertenencia? ¿Cuál es nuestra respuesta a quienes sufren? La forma en que nos cuidamos unos a otros revela cuán bien conocemos a Dios. Es algo sobre lo que podemos reflexionar.

 

Nuestra Declaración de Independencia enumera nuestros valores fundamentales. ¿Cuáles son? 1. Tenemos derechos naturales que no se pueden quitar. Toda persona debe tener la oportunidad de ejercer derechos inalienables, incluyendo la vida, la libertad y la búsqueda de la felicidad. Es posible que tengamos que volver a este tema en una discusión sobre igualdad y equidad. 2. Necesitamos un gobierno por consentimiento. Nuestros gobiernos derivan su poder del consentimiento de los gobernados, lo que significa que la autoridad es otorgada por nosotros, el pueblo, y tenemos el derecho de alterar o abolir un gobierno que no proteja nuestros derechos. 3. Necesitamos igualdad, lo que significa que todos somos creados iguales y tenemos derecho a la igualdad de trato y oportunidades. Necesitamos examinar nuestras prácticas y políticas más detenidamente. 4. Tenemos derecho a rebelarnos. Tenemos derecho a rebelarnos contra los gobiernos opresores, afirmando que es nuestro derecho y deber hacerlo cuando nos enfrentamos a la tiranía.

 

Sobre estos principios se asientan las Cuatro Libertades, enunciadas por Franklin Delano Roosevelt y simbolizadas por Norman Rockwell en sus pinturas. Como parte de la dignidad cristiana, contamos con la libertad de expresión sin censura, la libertad de culto y de práctica religiosa, la libertad de vivir sin privaciones para garantizar que toda persona tenga acceso a lo básico y seguridad económica, y la libertad de vivir sin miedo y protección contra la violencia y la opresión. Esto se aplica tanto a los ciudadanos como a nuestros visitantes. ¿Cómo estamos trabajando para asegurar que cada persona disfrute de estos derechos inalienables? ¿Existen personas o grupos excluidos de estas Cuatro Libertades?

 

También distinguimos entre igualdad y equidad. La igualdad implica brindar los mismos recursos y oportunidades a todos, independientemente de sus circunstancias o necesidades individuales. Presupone que todos partimos del mismo punto y recibimos el mismo nivel de apoyo. La equidad, en cambio, es muy distinta y se basa en la dignidad de la persona. Consiste en distribuir los recursos según las necesidades y circunstancias individuales. Reconoce que las personas enfrentan diferentes obstáculos y busca brindar el apoyo necesario para lograr resultados justos. Igualdad significa uniformidad; equidad se centra en la justicia. La igualdad puede no conducir a resultados justos debido a las diferentes circunstancias iniciales, mientras que la equidad busca atender las necesidades de cada persona.

 

            Una parte crucial del mensaje del Evangelio es la gratitud. Consiste en agradecer a Dios por las bendiciones y la sabiduría otorgadas a los creyentes y en protegerlas de los poderosos. Esta gratitud nos permite crecer en sabiduría, mansedumbre y humildad, y llevar el corazón de Dios a nuestra vida terrenal. Como cristianos, renovamos constantemente nuestro autoexamen personal y colectivo, preguntándonos en qué aspectos debemos crecer en la sabiduría de Dios y en el cuidado mutuo. Esforcémonos por reflexionar sobre quiénes somos y hacia dónde vamos, para así practicar nuestra fe con integridad. Entonces, encontraremos descanso para nuestras almas, pero seguiremos inquietos hasta que cada persona goce de dignidad, equidad y libertad fundamentales.

 

Lecturas bíblicas para la Misa diaria

Lunes: (Oseas 2) Así dice el SEÑOR: Yo la seduciré; la llevaré al desierto 
y le hablaré al corazón. Allí responderá como en los días de su juventud, cuando salió de la tierra de Egipto.

 

Martes: ( Oseas 8) Así dice el SEÑOR: Hicieron reyes en Israel, pero no con mi autoridad; establecieron príncipes, pero sin mi aprobación. Con su plata y oro se hicieron ídolos para su propia destrucción. ¡Desecha tu becerro, Samaria!

 

Miércoles: (Oseas 10 ) Israel es como una vid frondosa cuyo fruto acompaña su crecimiento. Cuanto más abundante es su fruto, más altares construye; cuanto más productiva es su tierra, más pilares sagrados erige.

 

Jueves (Oseas 11) Cuando Israel era niño , lo amé; de Egipto llamé a mi hijo. Cuanto más los llamaba, más se alejaban de mí, ofreciendo sacrificios a los Baales y quemando incienso a los ídolos. Sin embargo, fui yo quien enseñó a Efraín a caminar.

 

Viernes (Oseas 14) Vuelve, Israel, al SEÑOR, tu Dios; has caído por tu culpa. Lleva contigo palabras y vuelve al SEÑOR; dile: «Perdona toda iniquidad, y recibe lo bueno, para que podamos ofrecer en sacrificio los novillos de nuestros establos.

 

Sábado (Isaías 6) En el año en que murió el rey Uzías, vi al Señor sentado en un trono alto y sublime, y el borde de su manto llenaba el templo. Los serafines estaban apostados sobre él; cada uno tenía seis alas: con dos se cubrían el rostro, con dos los pies y con dos se elevaban en el aire.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: (Mateo 9) Mientras Jesús hablaba, un funcionario se acercó, se arrodilló ante él y le dijo: «Mi hija acaba de morir. Pero ven, pon tu mano sobre ella, y vivirá». Jesús se levantó y lo siguió, y también sus discípulos.

 

Martes: (Mateo 9) Le trajeron a Jesús un endemoniado que no podía hablar, y cuando el demonio fue expulsado, el mudo habló. La multitud quedó asombrada y dijo: 
«Jamás se ha visto algo así en Israel».

 

El miércoles (Mateo 10), Jesús llamó a sus doce discípulos y les dio autoridad sobre los espíritus inmundos para expulsarlos y curar toda enfermedad y dolencia. Los nombres de los doce apóstoles son: primero, Simón, llamado Pedro, y su hermano Andrés.

 

Jueves ( Mateo 10) Jesús dijo a sus apóstoles: «Mientras van, proclamen: 
“El reino de los cielos se ha acercado”. Sanen a los enfermos, resuciten a los muertos, limpien a los leprosos, expulsen a los demonios. Gratuitamente han recibido; gratuamente deben dar.

 

El viernes (Mateo 10), Jesús dijo a sus apóstoles: «Mirad, yo os envío como ovejas en medio de lobos; sed, pues, astutos como serpientes y sencillos como palomas. Pero guardaos de los hombres, 
porque os entregarán a los tribunales y os azotarán en sus sinagogas, y seréis llevados ante gobernadores y reyes por mi causa, como testigos ante ellos y los paganos.

 

El sábado (Mateo 10) Jesús dijo a sus apóstoles: «Ningún discípulo es superior a su maestro, ni ningún siervo a su amo. Basta con que el discípulo sea como su maestro, y el siervo como su amo.

 

Santos de la semana

 

5 de julio: Isabel de Portugal (1271-1336), originaria del reino de Aragón, se casó con Dionisio, rey de Portugal, a los doce años. Su hijo se rebeló dos veces contra el rey, y Isabel los ayudó a reconciliarse. Tras la muerte de su esposo, renunció a su título y se unió a las Hermanas Clarisas para llevar una vida de sencillez.

 

5 de julio: Anthony Mary Zaccaria, sacerdote (1502-1539), fue un médico que fundó la orden de los Bernabés debido a su devoción a Pablo y Bernabé, y la orden de las Angélicas de San Pablo, una orden religiosa femenina de clausura. Animó a los laicos a trabajar junto con el clero en el cuidado de los pobres.

 

6 de julio: María Goretti, mártir (1890-1902), era una humilde campesina que fue amenazada por Alessandro, un vecino de 20 años. Al rechazar sus insinuaciones, él la asesinó, pero en su lecho de muerte, ella lo perdonó. Posteriormente, él testificó en su favor durante su proceso de beatificación, que tuvo lugar en 1950.

 

9 de julio: Agustín Zhao Rong, sacerdote y sus compañeros, mártires chinos (1648-1930), fueron 120 mártires chinos, entre ellos sacerdotes, niños, padres, catequistas y trabajadores comunes. Los cristianos fueron perseguidos a lo largo de la historia de China. Agustín Zhao Rong fue un sacerdote diocesano que se convirtió al cristianismo siguiendo el ejemplo del obispo misionero francés Dufresse. Zhao Rong fue arrestado en 1815 y murió en prisión.

 

9 de julio: Leo Mangan, SJ, mártir de la rebelión de los bóxers en China. En 1900, estaba destinado en Zhujiahe , un pequeño pueblo de 400 habitantes que pronto creció hasta alcanzar los 3000 debido a la llegada de refugiados, ya que los bóxers, una sociedad secreta china cuyos miembros ensalzaban la destreza física y practicaban rigurosos ejercicios gimnásticos, atacaban las zonas vecinas. El padre Mangan era consciente de que los bóxers algún día invadirían su pueblo, por lo que, con prudencia, lo fortificó lo mejor que pudo, incluyendo el almacenamiento de provisiones.

 

11 de julio: Benito, abad (480-547), se educó en Roma, pero la abandonó tras unos años para dedicarse a la vida solitaria. Se hizo monje en Subiaco y vivió solo, pero su estilo de vida atrajo a muchos seguidores, por lo que construyó doce monasterios para ellos. Posteriormente, fundó un monasterio en Monte Cassino, donde escribió su Regla, que se convirtió en un referente del monacato occidental. Adoptó las prácticas de los austeros Padres del Desierto para la vida comunitaria y enfatizó la moderación, la humildad, la obediencia, la oración y el trabajo manual.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 5 de julio de 1592. El arresto del padre Robert Southwell en Uxenden Manor, la casa del señor Bellamy. Torturado y luego trasladado a la Torre de Londres, permaneció allí durante dos años y medio.
• 6 de julio de 1758. Elección al papado de Clemente XIII, quien defendería a la Compañía de Jesús contra los jansenistas y las cortes borbónicas de Europa.
• 7 de julio de 1867. Beatificación de los 205 mártires japoneses, 33 de ellos miembros de la Compañía de Jesús.
• 8 de julio de 1767. D'Aubeterre escribió a De Choiseul: "Es imposible obtener la Supresión del Papa [Clemente XIII]; hay que arrebatársela ocupando territorio papal".
• 9 de julio de 1763. La Sociedad es expulsada de Nueva Orleans y Luisiana por orden del gobierno francés.
• 10 de julio de 1881. El padre Frederick Garesche' escribió desde Sequin, Texas, a su superior: "Los vaqueros que al principio no se habían dignado a quitarse el sombrero ante el sacerdote o el misionero, que habían venido a la misión como a una reunión campestre, por diversión, cedieron, y sus sonrisas y saludos torpes demostraron que tenían buen corazón bajo su rudo exterior."
• 11 de julio de 1809. Después de que Pío VII fuera arrastrado al exilio por el general Radet, el p. Alfonso Muzzarelli SJ, su confesor, fue arrestado en Roma y encarcelado en Civita Vecchia .

Photo: On Fire

 

Spirituality: Thomas Merton in CONJECTURES OF A GUILTY BYSTANDER

 In a time of drastic change one can be too preoccupied with what is ending or too obsessed with what seems to be beginning. In either case one loses touch with the present and with its obscure but dynamic possibilities. What really matters is openness, readiness, attention, courage to face risk. You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope. In such an event, courage is the authentic form taken by love.

Photo: Majestic Clouds

 

Spirituality: Henri Nouwen

When you are interiorly free you call others to freedom, whether you know it or not. Freedom attracts wherever it appears. A free man or a free woman creates a space where others feel safe and want to dwell. Our world is so full of conditions, demands, requirements, and obligations that we often wonder what is expected of us. But when we meet a truly free person there are no expectations, only an invitation to reach into ourselves and discover there our own freedom. Where true inner freedom is, there God is. And where God is, there we want to be.

Photo: My Newest Painting

 

Spirituality: Macrina Weiderkehr in A Tree Full of Angels

Sabbath time is a time when we turn our attention to what is holy, to what is sacred, to what is important. It's a time when we allow the clamor of the world to fall away and we listen for the still, small voice of God. It's a time when we allow ourselves to be embraced by the love of God, to rest in that love, and to be renewed and refreshed by it.

Spirituality: Joanna Macy in RILKE'S BOOK OF HOURS

That your world is in agony is no reason to turn your back on it, or to try to escape into private “spiritual" pursuits. Rilke reminded me that I had the strength and courage to walk out into the world as into my own heart, and to “love the things / as no one has thought to love them."

Photo: A chorus of color

 

Spirituality: Rumi

 Hope is the source and spring of all the alchemies of transformation, the greatest treasure of the heart and mind, the philosopher’s stone that transmutes agony and tragedy into new life. Never abandon hope, or you abandon your closest and most helpful guide, the Friend.

Spirituality: David Suzuki in The Sacred Balance

Every breath is a sacrament, an affirmation of our connection with all other living things, a renewal of our link with our ancestors and a contribution to generations yet to come. Our breath is a part of life's breath, the ocean of air that envelopes the earth.

Photo: Beach Huts

 

Poem: Waken in Me A Gratitude for My Life

 O God, complete the work you have begun in me.

Release me through

a flow of mercy and gentleness that will bring 

water where there is desert,

healing where there is hurt,

peace where there is violence,

beauty where there is ugliness,

justice where there is brokenness,

beginnings where there are dead-ends.

Waken in me

gratitude for my life,

love for every living thing,

joy in what is human and holy,

praise for you.

Renew my faith that you are God

beyond my grasp

but within my reach;

past my knowing

but within my searching;

disturber of the assured,

assurer of the disturbed;

destroyer of illusions,

creator of dreams;

source of silence and music,

sex and solitude,

light and darkness,

death and life.

 

O Keeper of Promises,

composer of grace,

grant me

glee in my blood,

prayer in my heart,

trust at my core,

songs for my journey,

and a sense of your kingdom.

 

From Guerillas of Grace by Ted Loder

Making Space for Grace: The Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026

                                                Making Space for Grace:

The Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 

June 28, 2026

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

2 Kings 4:8-16; Psalm 89; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 10:37-42

 

 

Matthew’s Gospel presents hard sayings of Jesus. We are told that we must take up our crosses and put the welfare of our families subservient to God’s commands. They are difficult thoughts to understand. We have domesticated these sayings and have taken the shocking energy out of them. He ties love of God to hospitality. We are to go out of our way to make people feel welcome and to make space for God. The story of Elisha the prophet shows the life-sustaining value of hospitality.

 

The City of Boston experienced fun hospitality when people from Scotland, Iraq, and Norway converged on the city and brought vitality and joy. It raised our spirits and the ushered in an atmosphere of discovery and curiosity so much so that we want to build stronger relationships with them. Their visits changed us and made us light-hearted.

 

In the Book of Kings, the prophet Elisha visits a nameless woman of influence who extends hospitality to him. Elisha never asks for anything and the woman does not expect anything in return. Her generosity opens the door of an unexpected blessing – the birth of a son she never imagined she would have. The blessing may not come in the way we expect, but hospitality always changes the host as much as the guest. The moral of the story is: Whenever we make room for others, God quietly enlarges our life. 

 

          This previews the life of Jesus. Whenever he taught, he was dependent upon the hospitality of others. We know he stayed at the houses of Peter, Mary and Martha, and Zaccheus, and he gave instructions of proper visitor etiquette to his disciples. The hosts who welcomed Jesus and his friends discovered that they received far more than they gave. Is this not like the Eucharist? When we are host to Jesus in our lives, we carry our weariness, failure, hope, and gratitude, and Christ prepares a table for us to be nourished. He makes room for us with divine hospitality. 

 

In our Old Testament story, we see the progression of hospitality. It is not about entertaining guests or putting on a good meal. It is about seeing the dignity of a person of God and making room in our lives for them. It is about knowing that every person bears the presence of God. With Elisha and the woman of influence, hospitality progressed from a simple meal, to greeting him in passing, to building a room just for him. It grows from a single meal to a permanent place of welcome. 

 

The challenge for us today is to figure out what hospitality, what making room for God, means. We rush from one activity to another, and we care of those closest to us well. Still there is more. Hospitality means to offer rest to someone, to invite someone in for a conversation and social nourishment, to provide a place for someone to sit, to think, and to prayer, and to offer hope. We have to make room in our hearts before we make room in our homes. Our challenge today may be: For whom am I making room? We may discover that as we prepare our hearts to receive another person, God has already made room for us. God provides unexpected, unsolicited blessings. By making space for others, God quietly enlarges our own lives.

 

Scripture for Daily Mass 

Monday: (Acts 12) In those days, King Herod laid hands upon some members of the Church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, killed by the sword, and when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. –It was the feast of Unleavened Bread. –

 

Tuesday: (Amos 3) Hear this word, O children of Israel, that the Lord pronounces over you, over the whole family that I brought up from the land of Egypt: You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth; Therefore, I will punish you for all your crimes.

 

Wednesday: (Amos 5) Seek good and not evil, that you may live; Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts, be with you as you claim! Hate evil and love good and let justice prevail at the gate.

 

Thursday (Amos 7) Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam, king of Israel:
"Amos has conspired against you here within Israel; the country cannot endure all his words. For this is what Amos says: Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land."

 

Friday (Ephesians 2) You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

 

Saturday (Amos 9) On that day I will raise up the fallen hut of David; I will wall up its breaches, raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, That they may conquer what is left of Edom and all the nations that shall bear my name.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 16) When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 8) As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”

 

Wednesday (Matthew 8) When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”

 

Thursday (Matthew 9) After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.” At that, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." 

 

Friday (John 20) Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But Thomas said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

 

Saturday (Matthew 8) When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”  He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”

 

Saints of the Week

 

June 28: Irenaeus, bishop and martyr (130-200) was sent to Lyons as a missionary to combat the persecution the church faced in Lyons. He was born in Asia Minor and became a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of the Apostle John. Irenaeus asserted that the creation was not sinful by nature but merely distorted by sin. As God created us, God redeemed us. Therefore, our fallen nature can only be saved by Christ who took on our form in the Incarnation. Irenaeus refutation of heresies laid the foundations of Christian theology.

 

June 29: Peter and Paul, apostles (first century) are lumped together for a feast day because of their extreme importance to the early and contemporary church. Upon Peter's faith was the church built; Paul's efforts to bring Gentiles into the faith and to lay out a moral code was important for successive generations. It is right that they are joined together as their work is one, but with two prongs. For Jesuits, this is a day that Ignatius began to recover from his illness after the wounds he sustained at Pamplona. It marked a turning point in his recovery.

 

June 30: The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (c. 64) were martyrs under Nero's persecution in 64. Nero reacted to the great fire in Rome by falsely accusing Christians of setting it. While no one believed Nero's assertions, Christians were humiliated and condemned to death in horrible ways. This day always follows the feast of the martyrs, Sts. Peter and Paul.

 

July 1: Junipero Serra, priest, was a Franciscan missionary who founded missions in Baja and traveled north to California starting in 1768. The Franciscans established the missions during the suppression of the Jesuits. San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara are among the most famous. Serra’s statue is in the U.S. Capitol to represent California.

 

July 2: Bernard Realino, John Francis Regis, Francis Jerome, S.J. are known for their preaching skills that drew many to the faith, including many French Huguenots. Regis and his companions preached Catholic doctrine to children and assisted many struck by the plague in Frances. Regis University in Denver, Colorado is named after John Regis. 

 

July 3: Thomas, apostle, is thought to have been an apostle to India and Pakistan and he is best remembered as the one who “doubted” the resurrection of Jesus. The Gospels, however, testify to his faithfulness to Jesus during his ministry. The name, Thomas, stands for “twin,” but no mention is made of his twin’s identity.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• June 28, 1591. Fr. Leonard Lessius's teaching on grace and predestination caused a great deal of excitement and agitation against the Society in Louvain and Douai. The Papal Nuncio and Pope Gregory XIV both declared that his teaching was perfectly orthodox. 
• June 29, 1880. In France the law of spoliation, which was passed at the end of March, came into effect and all the Jesuit Houses and Colleges were suppressed. 
• June 30, 1829. The opening of the Twenty-first General Congregation of the order, which elected Fr. John Roothan as General. 
• July 1, 1556. The beginning of St Ignatius's last illness. He saw his three great desires fulfilled: confirmation of the Institute, papal approval of the Spiritual Exercises, and acceptance of the Constitutions by the whole Society. 
• July 2, 1928. The Missouri Province was divided into the Missouri Province and the Chicago Province. In 1955 there would be a further subdivision: Missouri divided into Missouri and Wisconsin; Chicago divided into Chicago and Detroit. 
• July 3, 1580. Queen Elizabeth I issued a statute forbidding all Jesuits to enter England. 

July 4, 1648. The martyrdom in Canada of Anthony Daniel who was shot with