In this e-weekly:
- Catechism of the Catholic Church online with search engine (Catholic Website of the week-by the laptop computer)- He Ran Across the US to Support Pregnant Women; Now He is Off to Become a Monk (Diocesan News and BEYOND)
- PRAY First Thing Every Morning (Helpful Hints for Life)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church online with search engine (Catholic Website of the week-by the laptop computer)- He Ran Across the US to Support Pregnant Women; Now He is Off to Become a Monk (Diocesan News and BEYOND)
- PRAY First Thing Every Morning (Helpful Hints for Life)
Scenes from the Life of Christ wrapped around their culmination: His Death on the Cross.
Catholic Good News
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
Obedience
"Does the LORD so delight in holocausts and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the LORD?
Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams.”
I Samual 15:22
Receiving the Gospel, Serving God and Neighbor
Obedience
"Does the LORD so delight in holocausts and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the LORD?
Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams.”
I Samual 15:22
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Obedience (see Catholic Term section) is a word you do not hear often today, but it may be more important for us Roman Catholics in America than ever before. Jesus was obedient to the Father so that sins could be forgiven and death be destroyed. Jesus is obedient to you and me in the Holy Eucharist as He comes in so vulnerable a form that He risks sacrilege and dishonor. When priests are ordained they place their hands into the hands of their Bishop and take a solemn promise of obedience and respect to their Bishop.
All this is done so that God’s goodness and mercy may come into the world. Remember, sin and death entered the world through the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, and continue to spread through any disobedience we commit today. Remember Christ was obedient to the Father, even unto Death, and because He was we can all be saved from sin, and saved for Heaven.
From now one, let you and I be obedient to legitimate authority, Mom and Dad, and ultimately to Christ and His Bride, the Church, when He speaks through her. Then God's Love and Mercy can reach us and indeed the whole world!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. This coming Sunday is the Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080226.cfm
P.S.S. Readings and questions for reflection on them at the end of the email.
Obedience (see Catholic Term section) is a word you do not hear often today, but it may be more important for us Roman Catholics in America than ever before. Jesus was obedient to the Father so that sins could be forgiven and death be destroyed. Jesus is obedient to you and me in the Holy Eucharist as He comes in so vulnerable a form that He risks sacrilege and dishonor. When priests are ordained they place their hands into the hands of their Bishop and take a solemn promise of obedience and respect to their Bishop.
All this is done so that God’s goodness and mercy may come into the world. Remember, sin and death entered the world through the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, and continue to spread through any disobedience we commit today. Remember Christ was obedient to the Father, even unto Death, and because He was we can all be saved from sin, and saved for Heaven.
From now one, let you and I be obedient to legitimate authority, Mom and Dad, and ultimately to Christ and His Bride, the Church, when He speaks through her. Then God's Love and Mercy can reach us and indeed the whole world!
Peace and prayers in Jesus through Mary, loved by Saint Joseph,
Father Robert
P.S. This coming Sunday is the Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The readings can be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080226.cfm
P.S.S. Readings and questions for reflection on them at the end of the email.
Catholic Term
obedience (from Latin oboedire “to hear, to obey” )
- the moral virtue that inclines the will to comply with the will of another who has God-given authority
[We listen to our parents, legitimate civil authority (when it does not contradict the laws of God), and to the Church because God has given them their authority.]
obedience (from Latin oboedire “to hear, to obey” )
- the moral virtue that inclines the will to comply with the will of another who has God-given authority
[We listen to our parents, legitimate civil authority (when it does not contradict the laws of God), and to the Church because God has given them their authority.]
"Jesus' obedience to his mother and legal father fulfills the fourth commandment perfectly and was the temporal image of his filial obedience to his Father in heaven. The everyday obedience of Jesus to Joseph and Mary both announced and anticipated the obedience of Holy Thursday: "Not my will. . ." The obedience of Christ in the daily routine of his hidden life was already inaugurating his work of restoring what the disobedience of Adam had destroyed." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #532
Catholic Website of the Week
Catechism of the Catholic Church
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
See what the Church teaches by reading here. There is also a very good search engine to search the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
See what the Church teaches by reading here. There is also a very good search engine to search the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be found every week in green throughout the Catholic Good News e-weekly.
[For those traveling and needing to get to the Holy Mass.]
MASS TIMES AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES throughout the US
http://www.masstimes.org/
When traveling this Summer maybe add some religion to your trip. Perhaps stop at a monastery or Cathedral you come across. There are many Catholic historical sites. Or visit http://www.catholicshrines.net/ for a shrine near your vacation destination.
Before he enters a monastery, a 23-year-old ran across the country to raise money for his local pregnancy help center and to pray for women, babies, and the people he met along the way.
Jared Plasberg points to the heavens at the end of his run across the country in the Atlantic Ocean on June 12, 2026. The phrase “to the heights” inspires 23-year-old Plasberg; it’s a phrase that not only refers to the summit of a mountain but also to the heights of heaven. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jared Plasberg
“The loneliness was one of the hardest parts,” said Jared Plasberg, a 23-year-old who ran across the country from February to June to raise money for pregnant women in crisis.
The trek took 114 days, about four months, and spanned thousands of miles.
The whole time, Plasberg pushed an 80-pound stroller. It held his supplies but symbolized something more: a reference to mothers who need support. By the end of the 3,000 miles — beginning in San Diego on Feb. 19 and ending in St. Augustine, Florida, on June 13 — Plasberg raised $20,000 for a local pregnancy help center.
“Every day required making many decisions: where to sleep, where to find food, how to navigate the route, and how to stay safe,” Plasberg said. “There were many days when I felt discouraged, exhausted, or overwhelmed.”
“Throughout the journey, I often thought about how many mothers face challenges and sacrifices that are far greater than anything I was experiencing on the road,” he said.
Plasberg donated the money to Front Royal Pregnancy Center, a group local to the college he graduated from, Christendom College in Virginia.
“The run became a way for me to raise awareness and support for a ministry that walks alongside and supports these mothers,” he said.
The trek took 114 days, about four months, and spanned thousands of miles.
The whole time, Plasberg pushed an 80-pound stroller. It held his supplies but symbolized something more: a reference to mothers who need support. By the end of the 3,000 miles — beginning in San Diego on Feb. 19 and ending in St. Augustine, Florida, on June 13 — Plasberg raised $20,000 for a local pregnancy help center.
“Every day required making many decisions: where to sleep, where to find food, how to navigate the route, and how to stay safe,” Plasberg said. “There were many days when I felt discouraged, exhausted, or overwhelmed.”
“Throughout the journey, I often thought about how many mothers face challenges and sacrifices that are far greater than anything I was experiencing on the road,” he said.
Plasberg donated the money to Front Royal Pregnancy Center, a group local to the college he graduated from, Christendom College in Virginia.
“The run became a way for me to raise awareness and support for a ministry that walks alongside and supports these mothers,” he said.
Jared Plasberg runs past the Dry Gallinas Canyon near the Black Range Mountains in New Mexico on his way from California to Florida on March 20, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jared Plasberg
The run was also a spiritual journey for Plasberg; it gave him time to think about his calling to become a monk. He is currently discerning a vocation to the Carthusian order, a contemplative order of monks founded by St. Bruno in 1084.
“The run continually reminded me that I depend on him [God] for everything,” Plasberg said.
He took inspiration from the Camino de Santiago, a famous pilgrimage in Spain and France. Many people journey along the Camino, whether walking or biking, Catholic or not.
The most famous Camino path runs from France to Spain. Plasberg’s run was from San Diego to Florida, but it was a prayerful pilgrimage of its own.
“I carried many intentions throughout the journey,” Plasberg said. “I prayed for mothers facing unexpected pregnancies, for the unborn, for the supporters and staff of the Front Royal Pregnancy Center, for my family and friends, and for all the people who entrusted me with their intentions along the way.”
When he was a college student, Plasberg would pray the rosary outside abortion clinics on Saturdays with other students.
“The pro-life cause is something dear to my heart because every human life has inherent dignity and worth,” he said.
“During my years in college, I often pondered the saying of Pope Benedict XVI: ‘The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness,’” Plasberg said. “Also, St. Pier Giorgio Frassatiʼs phrase ‘Verso lʼalto’ inspired me to pursue true greatness.”
“Verso lʼalto,” meaning “to the heights,” is an Italian phrase coined by Frassati, who loved mountain climbing, which carries a deeper spiritual meaning.
“The run continually reminded me that I depend on him [God] for everything,” Plasberg said.
He took inspiration from the Camino de Santiago, a famous pilgrimage in Spain and France. Many people journey along the Camino, whether walking or biking, Catholic or not.
The most famous Camino path runs from France to Spain. Plasberg’s run was from San Diego to Florida, but it was a prayerful pilgrimage of its own.
“I carried many intentions throughout the journey,” Plasberg said. “I prayed for mothers facing unexpected pregnancies, for the unborn, for the supporters and staff of the Front Royal Pregnancy Center, for my family and friends, and for all the people who entrusted me with their intentions along the way.”
When he was a college student, Plasberg would pray the rosary outside abortion clinics on Saturdays with other students.
“The pro-life cause is something dear to my heart because every human life has inherent dignity and worth,” he said.
“During my years in college, I often pondered the saying of Pope Benedict XVI: ‘The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness,’” Plasberg said. “Also, St. Pier Giorgio Frassatiʼs phrase ‘Verso lʼalto’ inspired me to pursue true greatness.”
“Verso lʼalto,” meaning “to the heights,” is an Italian phrase coined by Frassati, who loved mountain climbing, which carries a deeper spiritual meaning.
Jared Plasberg points to the heavens at the end of his run across the country in the Atlantic Ocean on June 12, 2026. The phrase “to the heights” inspires 23-year-old Plasberg; it’s a phrase that not only refers to the summit of a mountain but also to the heights of heaven. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jared Plasberg
“As the journey continued, I also found myself praying more for the people I encountered every day,” Plasberg explained.
The stroller was “a conversation starter.”
“People would stop and ask what I was doing, and those conversations often led to opportunities to share the mission of the pregnancy center,” he said.
The stroller was “a conversation starter.”
“People would stop and ask what I was doing, and those conversations often led to opportunities to share the mission of the pregnancy center,” he said.
“The stroller became my constant companion,” says 23-year-old Jared Plasberg. The stroller sits on the Dauphin Island bridge in Alabama on May 23, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jared Plasberg
Carried by God
“The run taught me gratitude for my family, appreciation for the kindness of strangers, and a deeper awareness of God’s providence,” Plasberg said. “It taught me that strength is not the absence of weakness but the willingness to keep moving forward despite it.”
Though Plasberg generally stayed in motels, he sometimes stayed with families along the road.
“One of the greatest gifts of the journey was meeting people whose lives reflected extraordinary generosity and faith,” he said. “I stayed with families who welcomed a complete stranger into their homes, fed me, prayed with me, and treated me like family.”
“The run taught me gratitude for my family, appreciation for the kindness of strangers, and a deeper awareness of God’s providence,” Plasberg said. “It taught me that strength is not the absence of weakness but the willingness to keep moving forward despite it.”
Though Plasberg generally stayed in motels, he sometimes stayed with families along the road.
“One of the greatest gifts of the journey was meeting people whose lives reflected extraordinary generosity and faith,” he said. “I stayed with families who welcomed a complete stranger into their homes, fed me, prayed with me, and treated me like family.”
Jared Plasberg met many people along the road, including the Guenther family in Del Rio, Texas, in April 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jared Plasberg
“I met widows who showed remarkable hospitality despite carrying their own crosses,” Plasberg said. “I met religious communities, priests, cyclists crossing the country, and countless ordinary people who quietly lived lives of virtue.”
“Maybe the greatest lesson I learned from [my] journey is that we are not meant to carry our lives by ourselves,” he said. “Rather, we are meant to let ourselves be carried by God, and sometimes it takes 3,000 miles to learn that.”
Discerning monastic life: ‘I was brought to tears’
His next journey is to France, where he plans to join a Carthusian monastery.
“In many ways, this journey became a preparation for that discernment,” Plasberg said.
Along his run, he met a hermitess — a woman continuing an old practice in a modern world. A priest connected Plasberg with her after a Mass he attended in New Mexico.
“I spent about an hour speaking with Amma Chiara, but that hour left a profound impression on me,” Plasberg said. “She radiated joy, peace, and holiness in a way that immediately drew my attention to God.”
Plasberg had a unique connection to Chiara — she had walked across the United States.
“She shared her own story with me and explained that, before becoming a religious sister, she had actually walked across the United States herself about 30 years earlier.”
“Even now, months later, I still think about that encounter,” he said. “Her example showed me that a life completely dedicated to God is not restricted or empty but deeply joyful and fulfilling.”
“Without many of the distractions of ordinary life, I became more aware of both my weaknesses and my need for God,” he said.
Plasberg has another connection to the hermitess — the order he might join involves living like a hermit.
The Carthusians “are one of the most secluded and prayer-focused religious orders in the Church,” he explained.
“Their vocation combines elements of both the solitary life of a hermit and the communal life of a monk,” Plasberg said. “Most of the day is spent in silence, prayer, spiritual reading, and work within an individual hermitage, while the monks also come together for certain liturgical prayers and community observances.”
“Maybe the greatest lesson I learned from [my] journey is that we are not meant to carry our lives by ourselves,” he said. “Rather, we are meant to let ourselves be carried by God, and sometimes it takes 3,000 miles to learn that.”
Discerning monastic life: ‘I was brought to tears’
His next journey is to France, where he plans to join a Carthusian monastery.
“In many ways, this journey became a preparation for that discernment,” Plasberg said.
Along his run, he met a hermitess — a woman continuing an old practice in a modern world. A priest connected Plasberg with her after a Mass he attended in New Mexico.
“I spent about an hour speaking with Amma Chiara, but that hour left a profound impression on me,” Plasberg said. “She radiated joy, peace, and holiness in a way that immediately drew my attention to God.”
Plasberg had a unique connection to Chiara — she had walked across the United States.
“She shared her own story with me and explained that, before becoming a religious sister, she had actually walked across the United States herself about 30 years earlier.”
“Even now, months later, I still think about that encounter,” he said. “Her example showed me that a life completely dedicated to God is not restricted or empty but deeply joyful and fulfilling.”
“Without many of the distractions of ordinary life, I became more aware of both my weaknesses and my need for God,” he said.
Plasberg has another connection to the hermitess — the order he might join involves living like a hermit.
The Carthusians “are one of the most secluded and prayer-focused religious orders in the Church,” he explained.
“Their vocation combines elements of both the solitary life of a hermit and the communal life of a monk,” Plasberg said. “Most of the day is spent in silence, prayer, spiritual reading, and work within an individual hermitage, while the monks also come together for certain liturgical prayers and community observances.”
A monk from Santo Domingo de Silos Monastery in Spain. | Credit: Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos
“Unlike many religious communities, their lives are largely hidden from the world,” Plasberg explained. “Each monk lives in a small hermitage with a garden and spends much of his day alone with God.”
The monks don’t see themselves as retreating from the world; rather they pray for everyone who needs prayers and are brothers and fathers to one another.
“The silence and solitude are not meant as an escape from the world but as a way of dedicating oneself entirely to prayer for the Church and the salvation of souls,” Plasberg said.
After spending time at the monastery of the Grand Chartreuse in discernment, the monks welcomed Plasberg to be a postulant, the first formal stage in joining a religious order. He will go there after he obtains a long-stay French visa.
The run was formative for his discernment, he said.
“In some ways, this run across America became part of that discernment. Spending nearly four months alone on the road gave me plenty of opportunities for silence, prayer, and reflection,” Plasberg said. “It exposed many of my weaknesses, attachments, and limitations, but it also helped me experience more deeply my dependence on God. I think I realized the importance of humility, gratitude, and trust as a result of this journey.”
The monks don’t see themselves as retreating from the world; rather they pray for everyone who needs prayers and are brothers and fathers to one another.
“The silence and solitude are not meant as an escape from the world but as a way of dedicating oneself entirely to prayer for the Church and the salvation of souls,” Plasberg said.
After spending time at the monastery of the Grand Chartreuse in discernment, the monks welcomed Plasberg to be a postulant, the first formal stage in joining a religious order. He will go there after he obtains a long-stay French visa.
The run was formative for his discernment, he said.
“In some ways, this run across America became part of that discernment. Spending nearly four months alone on the road gave me plenty of opportunities for silence, prayer, and reflection,” Plasberg said. “It exposed many of my weaknesses, attachments, and limitations, but it also helped me experience more deeply my dependence on God. I think I realized the importance of humility, gratitude, and trust as a result of this journey.”
Jared Plasberg runs along a road in the Arizona desert near the Yuma Proving Grounds in February 2026. “Many roads had little or no shoulder, so I often had to push the stroller through grass, mud, gravel, and ditches while traffic rushed past,” said Plasberg, who pushed a stroller across the country to fundraise for women in need. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jared Plasberg
“While I still have discernment ahead of me, the journey confirmed my attraction to a contemplative vocation and my desire to give my life completely to God,” Plasberg said.
“Perhaps the most important lesson was learning that holiness is not something we achieve through our own strength,” he said. “Rather, it comes from allowing God to work through our weakness. Holiness starts with allowing God to love us as we are in this present moment, even in our brokenness.
“Perhaps the most important lesson was learning that holiness is not something we achieve through our own strength,” he said. “Rather, it comes from allowing God to work through our weakness. Holiness starts with allowing God to love us as we are in this present moment, even in our brokenness.
Vatican City (EWTN News/CNA) - One of Europe's best pediatric hospitals, Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital in Rome, can now use the Vatican’s helicopter to transport patients, personnel and medical equipment in emergencies.
The agreement was announced July 17th by the hospital and the Governatorate of the Vatican City State, and is part of a bigger initiative to use the helicopter within a regional network for emergency management.
“We are grateful to the Holy See, the Secretary of State and the Governatorate in particular, in the person of the SCV's Secretary General, Bishop Fernando Vergez Alzaga, for this opportunity, which is given to the Bambino Gesù hospital, and especially to the many young patients from all over Italy, who unfortunately need urgently to reach our hospital,” Bambino Gesu President Mariella Enoc said Friday, according to Vatican Radio.
“It is an important gesture of charity that responds to a basic health need: the physical proximity between the Vatican City State and our seat on the Janiculum Hill, in fact, will significantly shorten transport times, contributing in many cases to saving the lives of children,” she added.
The helicopter, also known as the Vatican City Heliport, is kept on a small, rectangular landing pad in the Vatican Gardens and is sometimes used to transport the Pope and other heads of state on short trips away from the Vatican, and to Castle Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence. It was first used in 1976 by Pope Paul VI.
Bambino Gesu (which translates to the child Jesus) is the largest pediatric hospital and research center in Europe. It has a child-centered, welcoming approach and operates on the moral and ethical principles of the Catholic faith.
The hospital was built in 1869 and is the oldest pediatric hospital in Italy. Owned by the Holy See and known as the Pope’s hospital, Bambino Gesu also serves children from all over the world. The Holy
Father is a popular figure at the hospital, where children write him letters and know many details of his life, including words from his homilies and facts about his home country and favorite soccer team.
In December 2013, Pope Francis visited the hospital for Christmas, after receiving drawings from the children at the hospital asking for a visit. Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI were all known to visit the hospital. During his first visit in September 2005, during the first three months of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI said he came in order “to bear witness to the love of Jesus for children.”
In 2010, Bambino Gesu doctors performed the world’s first transplant of a permanent artificial heart into a 15-year old boy, and since 2013 has been conducting research on a rare heart condition known as Long QT syndrome.
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POPE FRANCIS WRITES LETTER TO FAMILIES
CWN - Pope Francis has written a letter to families asking them to pray for the upcoming Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be devoted to “pa...storal challenges to the family in the context of evangelization.”
“In our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family,” the Pope said in his four-paragraph letter, which was dated February 2 and released on February 25.
“This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church,” he continued. “I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task.”
“In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support,” Pope Francis added. “Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus.”
At a press conference presenting the document, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, noted that Christianity spread during the early centuries through families.
“The Pope calls on Christian families to feel the responsibility of their mission in our time, so confused and restless,” he said. “The Pope suggests that the beautiful testimony of believing families” can “deeply touch the hearts of many.”
Here is a translation of Pope Francis' letter to families released today by the Pontifical Council for the Families.
* * *
Dear families,
With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October. It is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is being convened to discuss the theme of "pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization". Indeed, in our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family.
This important meeting will involve all the People of God – bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful of the particular Churches of the entire world – all of whom are actively participating in preparations for the meeting through practical suggestions and the crucial support of prayer. Such support on your part, dear families, is especially significant and more necessary than ever. This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church. I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task. As you know, this Extraordinary Synodal Assembly will be followed a year later by the Ordinary Assembly, which will also have the family as its theme. In that context, there will also be the World Meeting of Families due to take place in Philadelphia in September 2015. May we all, then, pray together so that through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel.
I am writing this letter to you on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The evangelist Luke tells us that the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, in keeping with the Law of Moses, took the Baby Jesus to the temple to offer him to the Lord, and that an elderly man and woman, Simeon and Anna, moved by the Holy Spirit, went to meet them and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Lk 2:22-38). Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally "seen" salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigour and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.
Dear families, your prayer for the Synod of Bishops will be a precious treasure which enriches the Church. I thank you, and I ask you to pray also for me, so that I may serve the People of God in truth and in love. May the protection of the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph always accompany all of you and help you to walk united in love and in caring for one another. I willingly invoke on every family the blessing of the Lord.
From the Vatican, 2 February 2014
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
FRANCISCUS
POPE FRANCIS'S WORDS TO THE NEW CARDINALS AND YOU AND ME
“May all of us avoid, and help others to avoid, habits and ways of acting typical of a court: intrigue, gossip, cliques, favoritism, and partiality,” the Pope said as he calle...d upon all the faithful, and especially the cardinals, to be holy. “Christian holiness is not first and foremost our own work, but the fruit of docility-- willed and cultivated-- to the Spirit of God thrice holy.”
“My brother cardinals, Jesus did not come to teach us good manners, how to behave well at the table,” he continued. “To do that, he would not have had to come down from heaven and die on the Cross. Christ came to save us, to show us the way, the only way out of the quicksand of sin, and this way of holiness is mercy, that mercy which he has shown, and daily continues to show, to us. To be a saint is not a luxury. It is necessary for the salvation of the world. This is what the Lord is asking of us.”
“Whenever the least of our brothers and sisters finds a place in our hearts, it is God himself who finds a place there,” Pope Francis added. “When that brother or sister is shut out, it is God himself who is not being welcomed. A heart without love is like a deconsecrated church, a building withdrawn from God’s service and given over to another use.”
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"By his obedience to Mary and Joseph, as well as by his humble work during the long years in Nazareth, Jesus gives us the example of holiness in the daily life of family and work." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #564
The agreement was announced July 17th by the hospital and the Governatorate of the Vatican City State, and is part of a bigger initiative to use the helicopter within a regional network for emergency management.
“We are grateful to the Holy See, the Secretary of State and the Governatorate in particular, in the person of the SCV's Secretary General, Bishop Fernando Vergez Alzaga, for this opportunity, which is given to the Bambino Gesù hospital, and especially to the many young patients from all over Italy, who unfortunately need urgently to reach our hospital,” Bambino Gesu President Mariella Enoc said Friday, according to Vatican Radio.
“It is an important gesture of charity that responds to a basic health need: the physical proximity between the Vatican City State and our seat on the Janiculum Hill, in fact, will significantly shorten transport times, contributing in many cases to saving the lives of children,” she added.
The helicopter, also known as the Vatican City Heliport, is kept on a small, rectangular landing pad in the Vatican Gardens and is sometimes used to transport the Pope and other heads of state on short trips away from the Vatican, and to Castle Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence. It was first used in 1976 by Pope Paul VI.
Bambino Gesu (which translates to the child Jesus) is the largest pediatric hospital and research center in Europe. It has a child-centered, welcoming approach and operates on the moral and ethical principles of the Catholic faith.
The hospital was built in 1869 and is the oldest pediatric hospital in Italy. Owned by the Holy See and known as the Pope’s hospital, Bambino Gesu also serves children from all over the world. The Holy
Father is a popular figure at the hospital, where children write him letters and know many details of his life, including words from his homilies and facts about his home country and favorite soccer team.
In December 2013, Pope Francis visited the hospital for Christmas, after receiving drawings from the children at the hospital asking for a visit. Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI were all known to visit the hospital. During his first visit in September 2005, during the first three months of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI said he came in order “to bear witness to the love of Jesus for children.”
In 2010, Bambino Gesu doctors performed the world’s first transplant of a permanent artificial heart into a 15-year old boy, and since 2013 has been conducting research on a rare heart condition known as Long QT syndrome.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
POPE FRANCIS WRITES LETTER TO FAMILIES
CWN - Pope Francis has written a letter to families asking them to pray for the upcoming Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will be devoted to “pa...storal challenges to the family in the context of evangelization.”
“In our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family,” the Pope said in his four-paragraph letter, which was dated February 2 and released on February 25.
“This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church,” he continued. “I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task.”
“In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support,” Pope Francis added. “Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus.”
At a press conference presenting the document, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, noted that Christianity spread during the early centuries through families.
“The Pope calls on Christian families to feel the responsibility of their mission in our time, so confused and restless,” he said. “The Pope suggests that the beautiful testimony of believing families” can “deeply touch the hearts of many.”
Here is a translation of Pope Francis' letter to families released today by the Pontifical Council for the Families.
* * *
Dear families,
With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October. It is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is being convened to discuss the theme of "pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization". Indeed, in our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family.
This important meeting will involve all the People of God – bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful of the particular Churches of the entire world – all of whom are actively participating in preparations for the meeting through practical suggestions and the crucial support of prayer. Such support on your part, dear families, is especially significant and more necessary than ever. This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church. I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task. As you know, this Extraordinary Synodal Assembly will be followed a year later by the Ordinary Assembly, which will also have the family as its theme. In that context, there will also be the World Meeting of Families due to take place in Philadelphia in September 2015. May we all, then, pray together so that through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel.
I am writing this letter to you on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The evangelist Luke tells us that the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, in keeping with the Law of Moses, took the Baby Jesus to the temple to offer him to the Lord, and that an elderly man and woman, Simeon and Anna, moved by the Holy Spirit, went to meet them and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Lk 2:22-38). Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally "seen" salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigour and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.
Dear families, your prayer for the Synod of Bishops will be a precious treasure which enriches the Church. I thank you, and I ask you to pray also for me, so that I may serve the People of God in truth and in love. May the protection of the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph always accompany all of you and help you to walk united in love and in caring for one another. I willingly invoke on every family the blessing of the Lord.
From the Vatican, 2 February 2014
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
FRANCISCUS
POPE FRANCIS'S WORDS TO THE NEW CARDINALS AND YOU AND ME
“May all of us avoid, and help others to avoid, habits and ways of acting typical of a court: intrigue, gossip, cliques, favoritism, and partiality,” the Pope said as he calle...d upon all the faithful, and especially the cardinals, to be holy. “Christian holiness is not first and foremost our own work, but the fruit of docility-- willed and cultivated-- to the Spirit of God thrice holy.”
“My brother cardinals, Jesus did not come to teach us good manners, how to behave well at the table,” he continued. “To do that, he would not have had to come down from heaven and die on the Cross. Christ came to save us, to show us the way, the only way out of the quicksand of sin, and this way of holiness is mercy, that mercy which he has shown, and daily continues to show, to us. To be a saint is not a luxury. It is necessary for the salvation of the world. This is what the Lord is asking of us.”
“Whenever the least of our brothers and sisters finds a place in our hearts, it is God himself who finds a place there,” Pope Francis added. “When that brother or sister is shut out, it is God himself who is not being welcomed. A heart without love is like a deconsecrated church, a building withdrawn from God’s service and given over to another use.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"By his obedience to Mary and Joseph, as well as by his humble work during the long years in Nazareth, Jesus gives us the example of holiness in the daily life of family and work." -Catechism of the Catholic Church #564
A bit of humor…
A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "
========
People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the center of attention.
========
Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney.
'Did you see the paper?' asked Gallagher. 'They say I died!!'
'Yes, I saw it!' replied Finney. 'Where are ye callin' from?'
========
Susan was always cold and could never get warm. Finally, when she was called up yonder, she goes to the gates of heaven and meets St. Peter.
St. Peter starts apologizing, "You won't believe this and I am so sorry, but we do not have any rooms ready at this time."
Susan says, "What, how can this happen, this is heaven! First its cold up here, and now you do not have a rooms?!" St. Peter said, "Don't worry, I have someone who owes me a favor you can stay with for a few days, and we will have your room ready in no time."
Two weeks later St. Peter was walking around heaven and thought, O my, I forgot about Susan. So St. Peter went down to hell to get her. St. Peter opened the door, and Susan's voice calls from the inside, "Whoever just walked in, get in and close the door, and quit letting that cold draft in.
A Sunday School teacher began her lesson with a question, "Boys and girls, what do we know about God?"
A hand shot up in the air. "He is an artist!" said the kindergarten boy.
"Really? How do you know?" the teacher asked.
"You know - Our Father, who does art in Heaven... "
========
People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the center of attention.
========
Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney.
'Did you see the paper?' asked Gallagher. 'They say I died!!'
'Yes, I saw it!' replied Finney. 'Where are ye callin' from?'
========
Susan was always cold and could never get warm. Finally, when she was called up yonder, she goes to the gates of heaven and meets St. Peter.
St. Peter starts apologizing, "You won't believe this and I am so sorry, but we do not have any rooms ready at this time."
Susan says, "What, how can this happen, this is heaven! First its cold up here, and now you do not have a rooms?!" St. Peter said, "Don't worry, I have someone who owes me a favor you can stay with for a few days, and we will have your room ready in no time."
Two weeks later St. Peter was walking around heaven and thought, O my, I forgot about Susan. So St. Peter went down to hell to get her. St. Peter opened the door, and Susan's voice calls from the inside, "Whoever just walked in, get in and close the door, and quit letting that cold draft in.
+JMJ+
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time - August 2nd, 2026
The First Reading - Isaiah 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.
Reflection
Like many oracles in the Book of Isaiah, the prophetic author provides very little information about the time or place when this oracle will be fulfilled. In antiquity, the second half of Isaiah (chs. 40-66) seems to have been understood as a long description of the Messianic or Final Age (the “Latter Days,” cf. Isa 2:2). This oracle is an invitation to the thirsty, hungry poor to come to the LORD, who will simultaneously: (1) provide them with a satisfying meal, (2) grant them life, and (3) renew with them the Davidic covenant. Isaiah 55:1-3 foresees a coming age when the LORD will extend the privileges of the Davidic covenant to all the poor of the earth who come to him. Holy Mother Church pairs this OT text with this Sunday’s Gospel in order for us to make the connection between the promised covenant-bestowing meal and the Feeding of the 5,000; but the Feeding of the 5,000 is itself a pre-enactment of the Eucharist, the meal that bestows the New Covenant on its guests.
Adults - How often do you ask God for wisdom?
Teens - Ask God to give you wisdom every day this week.
Kids - In what ways does the Lord give you wisdom?
Responsorial- Psalm 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18
R.The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Reflection
This Psalm follows the theme of the Lord providing us with all we need. Choose a teaching of the Church that challenges you and do some research on it (from solid Catholic sources.)
The Second Reading- Romans 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Reflection - Suffering in life is inescapable, even for those who capitulate to every social and political bully in order to preserve their peace and comfort. Suffering is inescapable, but despair, loneliness, and hopelessness are not. As disciples of Christ, we can be assured of his love and presence in the middle of the most horrific sufferings, and his embrace in the world to come. As St. Paul says elsewhere, “we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” -What is a hard experience that you have been through that God has brought good out of?
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food ourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over— twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
Reflection Although the text is not explicit, we are probably correct to assume these crowds were made up of the common and poor people of the land, rather than the wealthy elite. We hear the themes from Isaiah 55: Jesus is providing a free, satisfying meal to the hungry and thirsty poor. But the language Matthew employs is intended to remind us of another incident in Jesus’ ministry, in which he also “takes loaves,” “blesses,” “breaks,” and “gives” them to the disciples. Of course, this is language from the narrative of the Institution of the Eucharist (Matt 26:26), which is indeed the covenant meal promised by Isaiah 55. Specifically, it is a meal which extends the covenant of the Son of David to those who participate in it. This account in Matthew stresses Jesus’ mission to restore the people of Israel, to whom the promise of a New Covenant was given by Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34). This is the point of the twelve baskets left over—it is a sign of God coming to collect the scattered people of the Twelve Tribes, gathering them up from all the places they had been scattered through various wars and exiles, gathering them back into the Kingdom of David reconstituted around the twelve apostles, who are twelve new patriarchs of the spiritual restoration of Israel. In the next chapter (Matt 15:29-39) Matthew will tell the account of a different feeding miracle that Jesus performed, that took place in Gentile territory and foreshadowed the Gospel going out to the Gentiles. There, 4,000 will be fed (possibly for the four cardinal directions of the compass) and seven baskets will be left over (a covenant number, and perhaps related to the traditional seventy Gentile nations in Israelite ethnography). But here, the focus is on the restoration of Israel.
The Feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew, as in the other Gospels as well, is an anticipation, foreshadowing, and type of the Eucharist, the meal which along truly satisfies and “answers all our needs,” as we sang in the Psalm. It is the meal by which we enter the Davidic Covenant, receiving the gift of Divine Sonship and kingship over the earth, as Isaiah predicted. Out of his loving concern to provide this meal for us, Jesus endured “anguish, distress, persecution, nakedness, peril,” and ultimately, death. In turn, this meal is one of the primary ways that he stays with us and loves us as we suffer our own “anguish, distress, persecution, etc.” This aspect of the Eucharist was foreshadowed in the Old Covenant by the “bread of the presence”—fresh loaves of bread continually set out in the Holy Place to represent God’s presence with his people. As we celebrate this Mass, let us thank Jesus for remaining with us in the Eucharist as we journey through this valley of tears, and pray for those who—because of the pandemic, imprisonment, or other impediment—lack the comfort of the tangible sacrament and must rely on the spiritual indwelling of Jesus in their souls alone.
Adults - The Church is open to all - does that make you uncomfortable in some ways? Talk to God about why that is!
Teens - How can you help new people feel welcome at your parish?
Kids - What does it say about God that He wants all people to be a part of His Kingdom?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - “Though invisible to mortal eyes, He is as truly present on our altars as He was that day in Galilee, when He miraculously fed the multitude. He is present under the form of bread and wine — so that we can partake of Him as spiritual nourishment during our earthly life. Could love go any further? He Himself said: "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends" (Jn. 15 :13). Yes, once a man has given his life he has given his all; there is nothing more he can give. But Christ was more than man. He was God as well, and, therefore, He was able not only to lay down His human life for us, but was able and willing to remain with us after death under the Eucharistic species: to be our strength and nourishment until we join Him in the promised land of heaven. When we compare our own unworthiness with this, almost incredible, love and thoughtfulness of Christ for us, all we can do is simply to say: "Lord, you know I am not worthy to receive you, but you say you want to come into my poor and untidy home, please make me less unworthy, forgive all my past sins and offenses, and give me the grace and strength to be better in the future." -Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
SUNDAY BIBLICAL MASS READINGS AND QUESTIONS
for Self-Reflection, Couples or Family Discussion
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time - August 2nd, 2026
The First Reading - Isaiah 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.
Reflection
Like many oracles in the Book of Isaiah, the prophetic author provides very little information about the time or place when this oracle will be fulfilled. In antiquity, the second half of Isaiah (chs. 40-66) seems to have been understood as a long description of the Messianic or Final Age (the “Latter Days,” cf. Isa 2:2). This oracle is an invitation to the thirsty, hungry poor to come to the LORD, who will simultaneously: (1) provide them with a satisfying meal, (2) grant them life, and (3) renew with them the Davidic covenant. Isaiah 55:1-3 foresees a coming age when the LORD will extend the privileges of the Davidic covenant to all the poor of the earth who come to him. Holy Mother Church pairs this OT text with this Sunday’s Gospel in order for us to make the connection between the promised covenant-bestowing meal and the Feeding of the 5,000; but the Feeding of the 5,000 is itself a pre-enactment of the Eucharist, the meal that bestows the New Covenant on its guests.
Adults - How often do you ask God for wisdom?
Teens - Ask God to give you wisdom every day this week.
Kids - In what ways does the Lord give you wisdom?
Responsorial- Psalm 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18
R.The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The eyes of all look hopefully to you,
and you give them their food in due season;
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs.
Reflection
This Psalm follows the theme of the Lord providing us with all we need. Choose a teaching of the Church that challenges you and do some research on it (from solid Catholic sources.)
The Second Reading- Romans 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Reflection - Suffering in life is inescapable, even for those who capitulate to every social and political bully in order to preserve their peace and comfort. Suffering is inescapable, but despair, loneliness, and hopelessness are not. As disciples of Christ, we can be assured of his love and presence in the middle of the most horrific sufferings, and his embrace in the world to come. As St. Paul says elsewhere, “we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” -What is a hard experience that you have been through that God has brought good out of?
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food ourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over— twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
Reflection Although the text is not explicit, we are probably correct to assume these crowds were made up of the common and poor people of the land, rather than the wealthy elite. We hear the themes from Isaiah 55: Jesus is providing a free, satisfying meal to the hungry and thirsty poor. But the language Matthew employs is intended to remind us of another incident in Jesus’ ministry, in which he also “takes loaves,” “blesses,” “breaks,” and “gives” them to the disciples. Of course, this is language from the narrative of the Institution of the Eucharist (Matt 26:26), which is indeed the covenant meal promised by Isaiah 55. Specifically, it is a meal which extends the covenant of the Son of David to those who participate in it. This account in Matthew stresses Jesus’ mission to restore the people of Israel, to whom the promise of a New Covenant was given by Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-34). This is the point of the twelve baskets left over—it is a sign of God coming to collect the scattered people of the Twelve Tribes, gathering them up from all the places they had been scattered through various wars and exiles, gathering them back into the Kingdom of David reconstituted around the twelve apostles, who are twelve new patriarchs of the spiritual restoration of Israel. In the next chapter (Matt 15:29-39) Matthew will tell the account of a different feeding miracle that Jesus performed, that took place in Gentile territory and foreshadowed the Gospel going out to the Gentiles. There, 4,000 will be fed (possibly for the four cardinal directions of the compass) and seven baskets will be left over (a covenant number, and perhaps related to the traditional seventy Gentile nations in Israelite ethnography). But here, the focus is on the restoration of Israel.
The Feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew, as in the other Gospels as well, is an anticipation, foreshadowing, and type of the Eucharist, the meal which along truly satisfies and “answers all our needs,” as we sang in the Psalm. It is the meal by which we enter the Davidic Covenant, receiving the gift of Divine Sonship and kingship over the earth, as Isaiah predicted. Out of his loving concern to provide this meal for us, Jesus endured “anguish, distress, persecution, nakedness, peril,” and ultimately, death. In turn, this meal is one of the primary ways that he stays with us and loves us as we suffer our own “anguish, distress, persecution, etc.” This aspect of the Eucharist was foreshadowed in the Old Covenant by the “bread of the presence”—fresh loaves of bread continually set out in the Holy Place to represent God’s presence with his people. As we celebrate this Mass, let us thank Jesus for remaining with us in the Eucharist as we journey through this valley of tears, and pray for those who—because of the pandemic, imprisonment, or other impediment—lack the comfort of the tangible sacrament and must rely on the spiritual indwelling of Jesus in their souls alone.
Adults - The Church is open to all - does that make you uncomfortable in some ways? Talk to God about why that is!
Teens - How can you help new people feel welcome at your parish?
Kids - What does it say about God that He wants all people to be a part of His Kingdom?
LIVING THE WORD OF GOD THIS WEEK! - “Though invisible to mortal eyes, He is as truly present on our altars as He was that day in Galilee, when He miraculously fed the multitude. He is present under the form of bread and wine — so that we can partake of Him as spiritual nourishment during our earthly life. Could love go any further? He Himself said: "A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends" (Jn. 15 :13). Yes, once a man has given his life he has given his all; there is nothing more he can give. But Christ was more than man. He was God as well, and, therefore, He was able not only to lay down His human life for us, but was able and willing to remain with us after death under the Eucharistic species: to be our strength and nourishment until we join Him in the promised land of heaven. When we compare our own unworthiness with this, almost incredible, love and thoughtfulness of Christ for us, all we can do is simply to say: "Lord, you know I am not worthy to receive you, but you say you want to come into my poor and untidy home, please make me less unworthy, forgive all my past sins and offenses, and give me the grace and strength to be better in the future." -Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
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