Photo: Two Hundred Years in Operation

 

Spirituality: from Climbing the Blue Mountain by Eknath Easwaran

My mind is still; my ego has been set at rest. The peace in my heart matches the peace at the heart of nature... No longer am I a feverish fragment of life; I am indivisible from the Whole. I live completely in the present, released from the prison of the past with its haunting memories and vain regrets; released from the prison of the future with its tantalizing hopes and tormenting fears. All the enormous capacities formerly trapped in past and future flow to me here and now, concentrated in the hollow of my palm. No longer driven by the desire for personal pleasure or profit, I am free to use all these capacities to alleviate the suffering of those around me. In living for others I come to life. 

Photo: Quaking

 

Poem: rom It was on Fire when I lay down on it by Robert Fulghum

When from our better selves we have too long

Been parted by the hurrying world, and droop,
Sick of its business, of its pleasures tired,
How gracious, how benign, is Solitude...
There is really nothing you must be.
And there is nothing you must do.
There is really nothing you must have.
And there is nothing you must know.
There is really nothing you must become.
However. It helps to understand that the fire burns,
and when it rains, the earth gets wet...

The God of Being: The Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026

The God of Being:

The Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 

August 23, 2026

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Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

 

 

Who do you say that I am? Peter gets it right, while the other disciples give some good, plausible answers. Notice that each person has a different answer and distinct experience of Jesus. Peter answers “The Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Those are almost two answers. Let us start with the first one – The Christ. 

 

Who is the Christ? We know the title means Messiah, so what do we expect the Messiah to do for us? Most would answer, “To save us.” From what? Sin and guilt. That has not happened. It kind of presupposes that we are problems to be fixed. That is a difficult starting point for theology. Is it possible that Jesus did not come to fix us, but to be in communion with us?

 

We sometimes project Jesus Christ to be the new powerful Goliath instead of the resilient underdog, David. The Church is a manifestation of Christ. In our perceptions, the Church is supposed to be huge, important players on the national stage, the acknowledged voice of the people, all the things Goliath was, and all the things that David was not. The irony is that David became the inflated, bullying Goliath he sought to defeat. Many want the Church today wants to be Goliath, while it is turning back into the smaller David, the one who was full of hope, confidence, and not needing any power or bombastic big talk. 

 

Jesus was the disarmed young David who faced the Goliath of empire and death and remains that young armor-less David, armed only with trust in God. Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” because he wants to make certain they do not turn him into the King David of power, politics, and conquest. We may turn Jesus into Goliath in our imaginations, our politics, our rhetoric, and even in our worship, but Jesus never became Goliath. He remains the little guy. 

 

The second part of the answer, the Son of the Living God, provides a fuller portrait. The role of Jesus was to be the utter embodiment in time of God’s purpose to be with us forever. We do not need to be fixed. Christ comes into communion with us as a conversation partner. The purpose of Christ’s incarnation was so that we would perpetually be in a relationship with the Triune God. God, through Jesus, showed us that “being with” us is what is important. It is what God wants most of all. The heart of our faith is that the mystery of the living God, revealed in Jesus Christ, is love itself expressed by sharing communion. If Jesus Christ were to ask me today, “Who do you say that I am?” I would have to answer, “You are God’s love and essence shared with each of us. You call us into communion and relationship with one another. You are the one who wants to be “with us.” You help us to become completely free, open to others, people who can build healthy and beautiful relationships, and you call us to embrace others as God does.” Who are you? You are God “being with” us. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass 

Monday: (Revelation 21) The angel spoke to me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

 

Tuesday: (2 Thessalonians 2) To this end he has also called you through our Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.

 

Wednesday: (2 Thessalonians 3) For you know how one must imitate us. For we did not act in a disorderly way among you, nor did we eat food received free from anyone. On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you.

 

Thursday (1 Corinthians 1) I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Friday (1 Corinthians 1) Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 

 

Saturday (1 Corinthians 1) Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (John 1) Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from 

Nazareth." But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 23) Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.

 

Wednesday (Matthew 23) Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.

 

Thursday (Matthew 24) Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.

 

Friday (Matthew 25) The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 

 

Saturday (Mark 6) Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

 

Saints of the Week

 

August 23: Rose of Lima (1586-1617) was the first canonized saint of the New World. She had Spanish immigrant parents in Lima. Rose joined the Dominicans and lived in her parents' garden to support them while she took care of the sick and the poor. As a girl, she had many mystical experiences as she practiced an austere life. She also had many periods of darkness and desolation.

 

August 24: Bartholomew (First Century), according to the Acts of the Apostles, is listed as one of the Twelve Disciples though no one for sure knows who he is. Some associate him with Philip, though other Gospel accounts contradict this point. John's Gospel refers to him as Nathaniel - a Israelite without guile.

 

August 25: Louis of France (1214-1270) became king at age 12, but did not take over leadership until ten years later. He had eleven children with his wife, Marguerite, and his kingship reigned for 44 years. His rule ushered in a longstanding peace and prosperity for the nation.  He is held up as a paragon of medieval Christian kings.

 

August 25: Joseph Calasanz, priest (1556-1648), was a Spaniard who studied canon law and theology. He resigned his post as diocesan vicar-general to go to Rome to live as a pilgrim and serve the sick and the dying. He used his inheritance to set up free schools for poor families with children. He founded an order to administer the schools, but dissension and power struggles led to its dissolution.

 

August 27: Monica (332-387) was born a Christian in North Africa and was married to a non-Christian, Patricius, with whom she had three children, the most famous being Augustine. Her husband became a Christian at her urging and she prayed for Augustine's conversion as well from his newly adopted Manichaeism. Monica met Augustine in Milan where he was baptized by Bishop Ambrose. She died on the return trip as her work was complete.

 

August 28: Augustine, bishop and doctor (354-430),  was the author of his Confessions, his spiritual autobiography, and The City of God, which described the life of faith in relation to the life of the temporal world. Many other writings, sermons, and treatises earned him the title Doctor of the church. In his formative years, he followed Mani, a Persian prophet who tried to explain the problem of evil in the world. His mother’s prayers and Ambrose’s preaching helped him convert to Christianity. Baptized in 387, Monica died a year later. He was ordained and five years later named bishop of Hippo and defended the church against three major heresies:Manichaeism, Donatism, and Pelagianism.

 

August 29: The Martyrdom of John the Baptist recalls the sad events of John's beheading by Herod the tetrarch when John called him out for his incestuous and adulterous marriage to Herodias, who was his niece and brother's wife. At a birthday party, Herodias' daughter Salome danced well earning the favor of Herod who told her he would give her almost anything she wanted. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• August 23, 1558: In the First General Congregation, the question was discussed about the General's office being triennial, and the introduction of Choir, as proposed by Pope Paul IV, and it was decreed that the Constitutions ought to remain unaltered. 
• August 24, 1544: Peter Faber arrived in Lisbon. 
• August 25, 1666: At Beijing, the death of Fr. John Adam Schall. By his profound knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, he attained such fame that the Emperor entrusted to him the reform of the Chinese calendar. 
• August 26, 1562: The return of Fr. Diego Laynez from France to Trent, the Fathers of the Council desiring to hear him speak on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 
• August 27, 1679: The martyrdom at Usk, England, of St. David Lewis, apostle to the poor in his native Wales for three decades before he was caught and hanged. 
• August 28, 1628: The martyrdom in Lancashire, England, of St. Edmund Arrowsmith. 
• August 29, 1541: At Rome the death of Fr. John Codure, a Savoyard, one of the first 10 companions of St. Ignatius.

 

El Dios del Ser: Vigésimo primer domingo del tiempo ordinario de 2026

                                                              El Dios del Ser:

Vigésimo primer domingo del tiempo ordinario de 2026

23 de agosto de 2026

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Isaías 22:19-23; Salmo 138; Romanos 11:33-36; Mateo 16:13-20

 

 

¿Quién decís que soy yo? Pedro acierta, mientras que los demás discípulos dan respuestas buenas y plausibles. Nótese que cada uno tiene una respuesta diferente y una experiencia distinta de Jesús. Pedro responde: «El Cristo, el Hijo del Dios viviente». Son casi dos respuestas distintas. Empecemos con la primera: El Cristo.

 

¿Quién es Cristo? Sabemos que el título significa Mesías, así que ¿qué esperamos que haga el Mesías por nosotros? La mayoría respondería: «Salvarnos». ¿De qué? Del pecado y la culpa. Eso no ha sucedido. De alguna manera, presupone que somos problemas que deben ser solucionados. Ese es un punto de partida difícil para la teología. ¿Es posible que Jesús no haya venido a arreglarnos, sino a estar en comunión con nosotros?

 

A veces proyectamos a Jesucristo como el nuevo y poderoso Goliat en lugar del resiliente y humilde David. La Iglesia es una manifestación de Cristo. En nuestra percepción, se supone que la Iglesia debe ser un actor enorme e importante en el ámbito nacional, la voz reconocida del pueblo, todo lo que fue Goliat y todo lo que David no fue. La ironía es que David se convirtió en el Goliat arrogante y prepotente que buscaba derrotar. Muchos quieren que la Iglesia hoy sea Goliat, mientras que en realidad está volviendo a ser el pequeño David, aquel que estaba lleno de esperanza y confianza, y que no necesitaba poder ni discursos grandilocuentes.

 

Jesús fue el joven David desarmado que se enfrentó al Goliat del imperio y la muerte, y sigue siendo ese joven David sin armadura, armado únicamente con la fe en Dios. Jesús pregunta a sus discípulos: «¿Quién decís que soy yo?», porque quiere asegurarse de que no lo conviertan en el rey David del poder, la política y la conquista. Podemos convertir a Jesús en Goliat en nuestra imaginación, nuestra política, nuestra retórica e incluso en nuestra adoración, pero Jesús nunca se convirtió en Goliat. Sigue siendo el hombre pequeño.

 

La segunda parte de la respuesta, el Hijo del Dios Viviente, ofrece una visión más completa. El papel de Jesús fue ser la encarnación absoluta en el tiempo del propósito de Dios de estar con nosotros para siempre. No necesitamos ser fijos. Cristo entra en comunión con nosotros como un interlocutor. El propósito de la encarnación de Cristo fue que estuviéramos perpetuamente en relación con el Dios Trino. Dios, a través de Jesús, nos mostró que lo importante es «estar con» nosotros. Es lo que Dios más desea. El corazón de nuestra fe es que el misterio del Dios vivo, revelado en Jesucristo, es el amor mismo expresado al compartir la comunión. Si Jesucristo me preguntara hoy: «¿Quién decís que soy yo?», tendría que responder: «Tú eres el amor y la esencia de Dios compartidos con cada uno de nosotros. Tú nos llamas a la comunión y a la relación unos con otros. Tú eres quien quiere estar “con nosotros”». Tú nos ayudas a ser completamente libres, abiertos a los demás, personas que pueden construir relaciones sanas y hermosas, y nos llamas a acoger a los demás como Dios lo hace. ¿Quién eres? Eres Dios “estando” con nosotros.

 

Lecturas bíblicas para la Misa diaria

Lunes: (Apocalipsis 21) El ángel me habló y me dijo: «Ven aquí. Te mostraré a la novia, la esposa del Cordero». Me llevó en espíritu a una gran montaña y me mostró la ciudad santa de Jerusalén, que descendía del cielo, de Dios.

 

Martes: (2 Tesalonicenses 2) Para esto también los llamó por medio de nuestro Evangelio, para que participen de la gloria de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Por lo tanto, hermanos, manténganse firmes y aférrense a las tradiciones que les fueron enseñadas, ya sea de palabra o por carta nuestra.

 

Miércoles: (2 Tesalonicenses 3 ) Porque ustedes saben cómo deben imitarnos. No nos comportamos desordenadamente entre ustedes, ni comimos comida que nadie nos ofreció gratuitamente. Al contrario, trabajamos arduamente día y noche, para no ser una carga para ninguno de ustedes.

 

Jueves (1 Corintios 1) Doy gracias a mi Dios siempre por ustedes, por la gracia de Dios que les fue otorgada en Cristo Jesús, que en él fueron enriquecidos en todo sentido, en toda palabra y en todo conocimiento, conforme al testimonio de Cristo que fue confirmado entre ustedes, de manera que no les falta ningún don espiritual mientras esperan la revelación de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.

 

Viernes (1 Corintios 1) Cristo no me envió a bautizar, sino a predicar el Evangelio, no con la sabiduría de la elocuencia humana, para que la cruz de Cristo no perdiera su significado. El mensaje de la cruz es locura para los que se pierden, pero para nosotros, los que nos salvamos, es poder de Dios.

 

 

Sábado (1 Corintios 1) Hermanos, consideren su propia vocación. No muchos de ustedes eran sabios según los criterios humanos, ni muchos poderosos, ni muchos de noble cuna. Más bien, Dios escogió a los necios del mundo para avergonzar a los sabios, y a los débiles del mundo para avergonzar a los fuertes.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: (Juan 1 ) Felipe encontró a Natanael y le dijo: «Hemos hallado a aquel de quien escribieron Moisés en la ley y también los profetas, Jesús hijo de José, de

Nazaret." Pero Natanael le dijo: "¿Acaso puede salir algo bueno de Nazaret?" Felipe le dijo: "Ven y verás."

 

Martes: (Mateo 23) Jesús dijo: «¡Ay de vosotros, escribas y fariseos, hipócritas! Pagáis el diezmo de la menta, del eneldo y del comino, pero habéis descuidado lo más importante de la ley: la justicia, la misericordia y la fidelidad. Esto debíais haber hecho, sin dejar de hacer aquello.

 

Miércoles (Mateo 23 ) Jesús dijo: “¡Ay de vosotros, escribas y fariseos, hipócritas! 
Sois como sepulcros blanqueados, que por fuera parecen hermosos, pero por dentro están llenos de huesos de muertos y de toda clase de inmundicia.

 

Jueves (Mateo 24 ) ¡Manténganse despiertos! Porque no saben en qué día vendrá su Señor. Tengan esto por seguro: si el dueño de la casa hubiera sabido a qué hora de la noche venía el ladrón, se habría mantenido despierto y no habría permitido que entraran a robar en su casa.

 

Viernes (Mateo 25) El reino de los cielos será semejante a diez vírgenes que tomaron sus lámparas y salieron a recibir al novio. Cinco de ellas eran insensatas y cinco prudentes. Las insensatas, al tomar sus lámparas, no llevaron aceite consigo; pero las prudentes llevaron frascos de aceite con sus lámparas.

 

El sábado (Marcos 6), Herodes mandó arrestar y encarcelar a Juan el Bautista por causa de Herodías, la esposa de su hermano Felipe, con quien se había casado. 
Juan le había dicho a Herodes: «No te es lícito tener a la mujer de tu hermano».

 

Santos de la semana

 

23 de agosto: Rosa de Lima (1586-1617) fue la primera santa canonizada del Nuevo Mundo. Sus padres eran inmigrantes españoles en Lima. Rosa ingresó en la orden dominicana y vivió en el jardín de sus padres para mantenerlos, mientras cuidaba de los enfermos y los pobres. De niña, tuvo muchas experiencias místicas y llevó una vida austera. También experimentó muchos periodos de oscuridad y desolación.

 

24 de agosto : Bartolomé (siglo I) , según los Hechos de los Apóstoles, figura entre los Doce Discípulos, aunque se desconoce su identidad con certeza. Algunos lo asocian con Felipe, si bien otros Evangelios contradicen este punto. El Evangelio de Juan se refiere a él como Natanael, un israelita sin engaño.

 

25 de agosto: Luis de Francia (1214-1270) se convirtió en rey a los 12 años, pero no asumió el poder hasta diez años después. Tuvo once hijos con su esposa, Margarita, y reinó durante 44 años. Su reinado trajo consigo una larga paz y prosperidad para la nación. Se le considera un ejemplo a seguir entre los reyes cristianos medievales.

 

25 de agosto: José Calasanz, sacerdote (1556-1648), fue un español que estudió derecho canónico y teología. Renunció a su cargo de vicario general diocesano para ir a Roma a vivir como peregrino y servir a los enfermos y moribundos. Con su herencia fundó escuelas gratuitas para familias pobres con hijos. Creó una orden para administrar las escuelas, pero las disensiones y las luchas de poder llevaron a su disolución.

 

27 de agosto: Mónica (332-387) nació cristiana en el norte de África y se casó con Patricio, un no cristiano, con quien tuvo tres hijos, siendo Agustín el más famoso. Su esposo se convirtió al cristianismo por insistencia de ella, y Mónica también oró por la conversión de Agustín, quien había abandonado el maniqueísmo. Mónica conoció a Agustín en Milán, donde fue bautizado por el obispo Ambrosio. Falleció en el viaje de regreso, una vez concluida su labor.

 

28 de agosto: Agustín, obispo y doctor (354-430 ), Fue autor de sus Confesiones, su autobiografía espiritual, y de La Ciudad de Dios, que describía la vida de fe en relación con la vida del mundo terrenal. Numerosos escritos, sermones y tratados le valieron el título de Doctor de la Iglesia. En su juventud, siguió a Mani, un profeta persa que intentó explicar el problema del mal en el mundo. Las oraciones de su madre y la predicación de Ambrosio lo ayudaron a convertirse al cristianismo. Bautizado en 387, Mónica falleció un año después. Fue ordenado sacerdote y cinco años más tarde nombrado obispo de Hipona, defendiendo a la Iglesia contra tres grandes herejías: el maniqueísmo, el donatismo y el pelagianismo.

 

29 de agosto: El martirio de Juan el Bautista rememora los tristes sucesos de la decapitación de Juan por Herodes el tetrarca, cuando Juan lo acusó de matrimonio incestuoso y adúltero con Herodías, su sobrina y esposa de su hermano. En una fiesta de cumpleaños, Salomé, hija de Herodías, bailó con destreza, ganándose el favor de Herodes, quien le prometió concederle casi cualquier deseo.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 23 de agosto de 1558: En la Primera Congregación General se debatió la cuestión de que el cargo de General fuera trienal y la introducción del coro, tal como lo propuso el Papa Pablo IV, y se decretó que las Constituciones debían permanecer inalteradas.
• 24 de agosto de 1544: Peter Faber llegó a Lisboa.
• 25 de agosto de 1666: Fallece en Pekín el padre John Adam Schall. Gracias a su profundo conocimiento de las matemáticas y la astronomía, alcanzó tal fama que el emperador le encomendó la reforma del calendario chino.
• 26 de agosto de 1562: Regreso del padre Diego Laynez de Francia a Trento, pues los Padres del Concilio deseaban oírle hablar sobre el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa.
• 27 de agosto de 1679: Martirio en Usk , Inglaterra, de San David Lewis, apóstol de los pobres en su Gales natal durante tres décadas antes de ser capturado y ahorcado.
• 28 de agosto de 1628: Martirio en Lancashire, Inglaterra, de San Edmundo Arrowsmith.
• 29 de agosto de 1541: Fallece en Roma el padre Juan Codure, un saboyano, uno de los diez primeros compañeros de San Ignacio.

Photo: The Theater

 

Spirituality: Laden with Messages, by Marjorie J. Thompson

The circumstances of our lives are another medium of God’s communication with us. God opens some doors and closes others.... Through the wisdom of our bodies, God tells us to slow down or reorder our priorities. The happy coincidences and frustrating impasses of daily life are laden with messages. Patient listening and the grace of the Spirit are the decoding devices of prayer. It is a good habit to ask, What is God saying to me in this situation? Listening to our lives is part of prayer.

Photo: Cart of Vegetables

 

Spirituality: from "Fighting for Enlightenment" by John Welwood in NEW AGE, August 1996

Someone who loves us can often see our soul potential more clearly than we can ourselves. When this happens, it has a catalytic effect; it invites and encourages dormant, undeveloped parts of us to come forth and find expression. Indeed, we are often most strongly attracted to those who we sense "will make us live—and die—most intensely... the experience of soul always contains this double yearning: to feel the meaning and beauty of our individual life, and to connect with the larger, universal currents of life flowing through us.

Spirituality: Thich Nhat Hanh in The Art of Power

Stopping is an essential part of the spiritual life. If we cannot stop, we cannot see our True Nature. When we stop, we begin to see clearly, and we can appreciate the wonders of life. We can see that there is no separation between ourselves and the world, and we can marvel at the oneness of all things. To be fully present in the moment, we need to stop letting our mind race ahead to the future or dwell in the past. We need to let go of our distractions, our worries, and our busyness.

Poem: "Each Human Hand," "Magnificat" by Christina Hutchins

 What shall I do

with this quiet joy?
It calls forth the expanse
of my soul, calls
it forth to go singing
through the world...
to collect the rain
in my hands
and spill it
like laughter...
to bear into this world
a place where light will glisten
the edge of every wing
and blade of grass,
shine along every hair on every head,
gleam among the turnings of every wave,
glorify
the turning open of each life,
each human hand.

Photo: Cape Cod morning

 

Poem: Howard Thurman, in Meditations of the Heart

The earth beneath my feet is the great womb

out of which the life upon which my body depends
comes in utter abundance.
There is at work in the soil a mystery
by which the death of one seed
is reborn a thousandfold in newness of life.

Photo: Vintage Truck

 

The Justice of God: The Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026

The Justice of God:

The Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 

August 16, 2026

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Isaiah 56:1-7; Psalm 67; Romans 11:13-32; Matthew 15:21-28

 

 

Observe what is right, do what is just. This is a great maxim to live by. We heard it in the first reading when foreigners wanted to worship the God of Isaiah. Anyone, Jew or foreigner, who called upon the name of the Lord was welcomed to the faith because God’s justice includes the dignity of all people, not only one’s particular tribe. The Gospel puts this into action when a foreign woman begs Jesus for help. At first, he dismisses her, and then she expands the consciousness of Jesus and deepens his sense of compassion. She observes what is right and demands what is just. She asserts that she too is a beloved one of God too and is known and remembered. She demands equality and equity.

 

As a church, we are asked to expand our consciousness, just like Jesus had to do. He evolved and so must we. We are not faithful to God if we only stay within our comfortable zones and care for those within our circles. That’s what the ungodly do. God demands more. Our social justice proclaims the fundamental dignity of every person and this dignity does not have to be justified, acquired, or earned. This dignity is infinite because the love of God who calls us into friendship is infinite and the love of God is absolutely unconditional. We are raised up to be like God.

 

Consider the plight of the Canaanite woman. She was probably at her wits end to tirelessly advocate and care for her daughter without relief. No one paid her any mind. She and her daughter had two strikes against them – being women and foreigners. The mother had the courage to ask for what she needed – and it paid off. As a Christian society, we have to observe what is right, do what is just. Many people suffer because of social inequities, and we have it in our power to bring justice and equity to those for whom we are responsible for putting on the margins. We cannot be the ones who perpetuate the status quo or deprive people of their rights.

 

We still act tribally and are concerned mostly for those around us. Over time, the church and society have advocated for the rights of minorities. We have a long way to go especially with regards to women so that their rights are equally and genuinely guaranteed throughout the world. At many levels of society, women continue to endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment, and violence. We often do not listen to their voices. Globally, and even locally, women are less able to defend their rights because of the existing systems. We cannot simply state that we are for gender equality and rights, as I am doing now. These rights have to become embedded in our concrete decisions, in legal practices, access to employment, education, and social and political responsibilities. Society and the church have to hear, respect, and value women’s thoughts, ideas, and contributions. As long as this gap persists, we cannot say that we truly and fully recognize that women have the same dignity as men. Women have to tell us when it is achieved. The same for minorities, like immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ communities, those with disability and mental health issues. We have to observe what is right, do what is just.

 

Jesus learned through his dialogue with the Canaanite woman that God demands more of us. Jesus listened to that woman’s suffering. Listening and dialogue and then acting rightly will create a more just society. We have great work to do. It is exciting, and there are so many people along to way who have been trying to tell us that our work is unfinished. Let’s listen and do what is just.

 

Scripture for Daily Mass 

Monday: (Ezekiel 24) The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, by a sudden blow I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes, but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears. Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead, bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet, do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.

 

Tuesday: (Ezekiel 28) Because you are haughty of heart, you say, “A god am I! I occupy a godly throne in the heart of the sea!”— And yet you are a man, and not a god, however you may think yourself like a god.

 

Wednesday: (Ezekiel 34) Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?

 

Thursday (Ezekiel 36) I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, in whose midst you have profaned it. Thus, the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.

 

Friday (Ezekiel 37) The hand of the LORD came upon me and led me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the center of the plain, which was now filled with bones. He made me walk among the bones in every direction so that I saw how many they were on the surface of the plain.

 

Saturday (Ezekiel 43) The angel led me to the gate which faces the east, and there I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. I heard a sound like the roaring of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. The vision was like that which I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and like that which I had seen by the river Chebar.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 19) A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?
There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
He asked him, “Which ones?”

 

Tuesday: (Matthew 19) When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?”

 

Wednesday (Matthew 20) "The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.'

 

Thursday (Matthew 22) The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet.

 

Friday (Matthew 22) “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Saturday (Luke 11) “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

 

Saints of the Week

 

August 16: Stephen of Hungary (975-1038) tried to unite the Magyar families and was able to establish the church in Hungary through Pope Sylvester II's support. Rome crowed Stephen as the first king in 1001 and he instituted many reforms in religious and civil practices. He built churches and trained local clergy.

 

August 18: Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, S.J., priest (1901-1952), was a Chilean Jesuit priest, lawyer, writer and social worker who was born in the Basque region in Spain. He established Hogar de Cristo, that housed at-risk children, whether orphaned or not, and provided them food and shelter. Hurtado also supported the rise of labor union and labor rights in Chile.

 

August 19: John Eudes, priest (1601-1680) preached missions, heard confessions, and assisted the sick and dying. He founded a new religious order for women, which includes Our Lady of Charity and the Good Shepherd Sisters. He eventually left the Oratorians to found the Congregation of Jesus and Mary.  

 

August 20: Bernard, Abbot and Doctor (1090-1153) became a Benedictine abbey in Citeaux because of its strict observance. He was sent to set up a new monastery in Clairvaux with 12 other monks. He wrote theological treatises, sermons, letters, and commentaries that dominated the thought of Europe. His writings had a tremendous influence of Catholic spirituality.

 

August 21: Pius X, pope (1835-1914), was an Italian parish priest for 17 years before he became bishop of Mantua, the cardinal patriarch of Venice, and eventually pope. He urged frequent communion for adults, sacramental catechesis for children, and continued education for everyone. He is known for rigid political policies that put him at odds with a dynamically changing world that led to World War I.

 

August 22: The Queenship of Mary concludes the octave of the principal feast of Mary as she celebrates her installation as queen and mother of all creation. This feast was placed on our calendar in 1954 following the dogmatic proclamation of the Assumption. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• August 16, 1649: At Drogheda, Cromwell's soldiers shot Fr. John Bath and his brother, a secular priest, in the marketplace. 
• August 17, 1823: Fr. Van Quickenborne and a small band of missionaries descended the Missouri River to evangelize the Indians at the request of the bishop of St. Louis. On this date in 1829, the College of St. Louis opened. 
• August 18, 1952: The death of Alberto Hurtado, writer, retreat director, trade unionist and founder of "El Hogar de Christo," a movement to help the homeless in Chile. 
• August 19, 1846: At Melgar, near Burgos, the birth of Fr. Luis Martin, 24th General of the Society. 
• August 20, 1891: At Santiago, Chile, the government of Balmaceda ordered the Jesuit College to be closed. 
• August 21, 1616: At Pont a Mousson in Lorraine died Fr. William Murdoch, a Scotchman, who when only 10 years of age was imprisoned seven months for the faith and cruelly beaten by the order of a Protestant bishop. St. Ignatius is said to have appeared to him and encouraged him to bear the cross bravely. 
• August 22, 1872: Jesuits were expelled from Germany during the Bismarckian Kulturkampf.