Daily Bread Archive The Lectionary provides a kind of spiritual script for the universal church that keeps us, literally, all on the same page as we journey through the liturgical seasons. These short reflections, written by four authors who meet weekly to share the readings, are intended to help daily preachers and others who pray from the assigned scriptures each day to orient themselves to the Living Word addressed to the church in the world. Authors are identified by their initials, with short bios provided. Daily Bread Authors Patricia Russell graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., with degrees in English and secondary education. Paige Byrne Shortal earned a bachelor’s degree in theology at Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in pastoral studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. Mary E. Waldron received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology from Marquette University in Milwaukee.  She later earned a doctorate in American studies from Saint Louis University. Elizabeth C. Williams has a bachelor’s degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology. ● For 36 years, Celebration, the homiletic resource of The National Catholic Reporter, has promoted worship and preaching tied to justice.  Celebration is now fully electronic. ● Click below to learn more. http://www.celebrationpublications.org/FreeOffer/

Daily Bread - July 2008

Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time (continued)

Tues., July 1: Amos 3:1-8–4:11-12; Matt 8:23-27

… and there was great calm. To worry or not to worry — that’s one question raised by the coincidence of today’s two readings. Amos says we’d better worry.  The Gospel message is: “Chill out! God’s in charge.” What keeps us awake at night? Unbecoming behavior and missed opportunities? What we have done and what we have failed to do? Do we require sleep-inducing drugs or alcohol by night and the background noise of radio or television by day? What are we afraid we’ll hear? God telling us to pay attention and be prophets? Maybe when we do all that we can do, we can turn the rest over to Jesus and sleep beside him in the back of the boat, confident and trusting even amid the storms of this life. Let us pray that lovely prayer attributed to Pope John XXIII: “O God, it’s your church. I’m going to bed.” Pbs

Wed., July 2: Amos 5:14-15, 21-24; Matt 8:28-34

Away with your noisy songs! Amos isn’t pleading for a “silent Mass.” It’s empty words and meaningless sacrifice we are to avoid. We all know the irony of saying (or singing) one thing and doing another. Who hasn’t committed a sin against charity within the same hour that we sing “Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est”?  There is another bit of irony in the Gospel: The demons correctly identify Jesus as the Son of God while the good folks, in their fear and confusion, fail to recognize him and send him away. That’s part of our problem. We sing the songs. We receive the Sacrament. But we forget that the Jesus we sing about and receive is shining through the faces of our brothers and sisters in the parking lot. Lord Jesus, help us to see your face in each person on our path today. Pbs

Thurs., July 3: Eph 2:19-22; John 20:24-29

You are … built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. We honor the apostles and tend to forget how ordinary they were. Ordinary, that is, until the Spirit filled them and they dedicated their lives to discipleship. Most of us like St. Thomas. I live in Missouri, the Show-Me State, and if states had patrons, ours would be Thomas, the Show-Me Apostle. We like him because we all know doubt. Even those who don’t live with doubt by day have the occasional middle-of-the-night qualm that maybe, just maybe, the Gospel is nothing but a fairy tale for children. That’s when we pray to St. Thomas, asking for his intercession so that we can make his prayer our own: “My Lord and my God!” pbs

Fri., July 4: Amos 8:4-6, 9-12; Matt 9:9-13

Independence Day (U.S.) (Lect. #882-886 or #887-891)

I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. The prophets speak to us today, just as in their own time. Are we living according to the commands of our just and merciful God? Do we use our freedom of speech and our freedom from want and fear to help make others free? Do we, as individuals and as a nation, support and pursue a lifestyle that will enable others to live in peace and partake in a just share of the bounty of creation? Or do we waste, hoard and in fact devise schemes to exploit even those who have little? Lord, make us grateful and teach us that your gifts are to be shared with justice for all. Mew

Sat., July 5: Amos 9:11-15, Matt 9:14-17

Anthony Mary Zaccaria, priest

New wine … old wineskins. The images in today’s Gospel are a bit obscure. We don’t use wineskins anymore; we use bottles. And few people mend their old cloaks, never mind whether the patch is “unshrunken.” What relevance are these metaphors for us? The wineskin and the old cloak are institutions. The new wine and the unshrunken cloth are new ideas. It’s about the conflict between order and charism. Order must be flexible or be rent asunder. Charism must seek to comply with order lest it be wasted, spilled out on the ground or remain merely a patch without a cloak to keep anyone warm. St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, you encouraged cooperation between clergy and laity. Pray that we may have the courage to follow you and the patience to build without destroying. Pbs

Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., July 7: Hos 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22; Matt 9:18-26

I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy.  Listen carefully to today’s scripture passages. Be comforted and encouraged. God’s great love for us, manifested in Jesus, is freely offered to all, even — and especially — the poor, the sinner, the outcast and the downcast. God’s plan for us is a loving and intimate union in which we can be healed and brought to the fullness of eternal life. All that is asked of us is that we accept the grace that God offers and turn away from sin toward the wholeness and peace that God alone can give. Lord, grant us the wisdom and humility to turn to you, our life, our hope and our salvation. Mew

Tues., July 8: Hos 8:4-7, 11-13; Matt 9:32-38

When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind. Scriptural warnings against idolatry may seem quaint and obsolete to us, living in what we would like to think of as a society of believers. Isn’t it ironic that it is on our money that we find the words “In God we trust”? We need to take seriously the warning that in our times we are surrounded by idols to which we offer at least some homage and in which we place some trust. Wealth, science, government, technology, politics, war, amusements and distractions — none of these can bring us healing, peace or salvation. Only fidelity and trust in God can bring us safely through the trials of this life. Lord, help us open our hearts to your love and peace. Mew

Wed., July 9: Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; Matt 10:1-7

The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Do I regard salvation as “earned,” something to which I am entitled? Or do I humbly thank Jesus for enfolding me into his family and making me a true daughter or son of God? We can’t pay God back except by “paying it forward” to others. “The kingdom of heaven is at hand!” is a call to action. We are commanded not only to proclaim the reign of God’s love on earth, but to be instrumental in making it present in the lives of others, by loving each person in our path as our brother or sister and by making their well-being our concern. Lord, open my eyes that I may see farther than my own needs and interests. Thy kingdom come!  Mew

Thurs., July 10: Hos 11:1-4, 8e-9; Matt 10:7-15

I drew them with human cords, with bands of love. How patient the Lord is! We can almost hear God saying, “Please listen: I. Love. You. Not because you are handsome, smart or powerful, or even generous, brave or self-sacrificing, but because I am Love, right through. You go off on your own, time after time, seeking salvation and security from other sources, which you make into gods. It is the very nature of those false gods to disappoint. Return to me and the life to which I call you. I will always welcome you, heal you and give you peace. Trust me. My grace is all you need for the work of spreading my kingdom on earth.” Lord, help me to look only to you for my peace and fulfillment. Mew

Fri., July 11: Hos 14:2-10; Matt 10:16-23

You will be given at that moment what you are to say. God, who so lovingly pleads for our return, forgives and renews us, then calls us to join in the mission of building the kingdom, which can be hazardous work indeed. We may be afraid when faced with a challenge to do what is right or take a firm stand on behalf of the helpless or oppressed.  But Jesus has promised that the Spirit will guide and strengthen us and bring us safely through any crisis, including one that threatens safety or even life. Saint Benedict reminds us, “What is not possible to us by nature, let us ask the Holy One to supply by the help of grace.” Lord, send forth your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Mew

Sat., July 12: Isa 6:1-8; Matt 10:24-33

Here I am; send me! I am eager to rejoice in the glory of God on earth, to proclaim it, and above all, to do all I can to bring it to the dark places in the human family where suffering and injustice still prevail. But … wait a minute. Jesus was killed for speaking the profound, disturbing truth of God’s universal love, mercy and peace, and we may well be signing up for a similar fate. Whether we are struggling with our own sin or fighting the sin of the world with Christ’s weapon of love-without-exception, we must always embrace the cross, but in so doing, we also embrace the Resurrection. Master, make me worthy to be truly your follower, in this life, in death, and in the life to come. Mew

Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., July 14: Isa 1:10-17; Matt 10:34–11:1

I have come to bring not peace but the sword. Jesus does not intentionally set us against the members of our own family.  Rather, he points out that no part of life is exempted from the demands of discipleship, least of all our homes and families. In fact, our commitment to Christ will affect all of our relationships, and the ripples will be felt first and most intensely by those closest to us. These folks are often our clearest mirror for searching out and rectifying discrepancies in our practice of faith. So let us cherish them — both for the support they offer and the challenges they present — and remember that they are first among those whom we are called to love and to serve as Christ. For peace within our families, we pray. Ecw

Tues., July 15: Isa 7:1-9; Matt 11:20-24

Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the church

Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. It is hard to hear Jesus pronounce woes upon Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum without sensing that the towns and cities we inhabit could also make that list. We live with freedom, peace and prosperity while many around the world suffer dire poverty and oppression, lacking even basic necessities.  This inequity is made all the more scandalous by our runaway consumption of the world’s goods. The Day of Judgment, it is said, will come as a surprise. Perhaps our surprise will be to learn that it is today, and every day that we fail to alleviate suffering while others live without hope.  For repentance and compassion, we pray. Ecw

Wed., July 16: Isa 10:5-7, 13b-16; Matt 11:25-27

I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. The wise and the learned have their place. We rightly value their judgment and advice. But we can rejoice with Jesus in the great irony of the Father’s will to include everyone in the kingdom and even to exalt the lowly. If the childlike have the keenest insight into the kingdom, it follows that we should pay closer attention to children. We should study them that we might remember and reconnect with attitudes we once held, too: humility, vulnerability, openness, trust, playfulness, curiosity. For childlike wonder over the goodness of our God … for hearts open to God’s mercy, we pray. Ecw

Thurs., July 17: Isa 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Matt 11:28-30

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. Jesus’ offer of rest is enticing. Our world — up and running 24/7 — leaves many of us exhausted and feeling off-balance.  What would our lives look like if we took Jesus’ yoke upon us and became like him, meek and humble? Would we get off the fast track and devote some time instead to serving others? Would we incorporate more prayer, solitude and rest into our days? As we became less stressed, would we become more kind? Would we live more simply? Let us pray about all of the possibilities of this lovely invitation. For balanced, holy lives centered in Christ, we pray. Ecw

Fri., July 18: Isa 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8; Matt 12:1-8

If you knew what this meant, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned these innocent men. Jesus’ disciples were only picking enough grain to satisfy their hunger. They were not actively laboring in the field, blatantly breaking the Sabbath. But it appeared that way to the overly scrupulous Pharisees. We find folks among us who are fastidious about practices of faith as well as those who are quite lax. We are called to be people of faith and reason, to avoid the imbalance of extreme views. As we strive also to be people of mercy, we might do well to recall the teaching of Blessed Pope John XXIII: “See everything; overlook a great deal; correct a little.” For all the faithful … for tolerance and mercy, we pray. Ecw

Sat., July 19: Mic 2:1-5; Matt 12:14-21

He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. Jesus, the enigmatic Servant of the Lord, need not vie with anyone for his position. He is not loud

or contentious. Rather, he is mild-mannered, kind, gentle and compelling. The crowds, drawn by his tenderness, his teaching and his mighty works, seek him out. The Pharisees, frustrated, don’t know what to do but plot his death.  May we learn from Jesus to walk away from those who oppose or threaten us. May our lives be always centered in him as we steadfastly continue to do the works of justice.  For justice founded on the peace of Christ … for kindness, compassion, mercy and love, we pray. Ecw

Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., July 21: Mic 6:1-4, 6-8; Matt 12:38-42

You have been told … what the Lord requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God. We are plainly told what the Lord wants us to do: three simple things. There’s nothing impossible or extraordinary on the list, at least at first glance. But we often have a way of messing up seemingly uncomplicated things like righteousness, goodness and humility. We forget that we live for the kingdom. We fail to lead others to Christ. We get selfish and sidetracked. And that’s exactly when we need to stop and recall how straightforward living for the Lord can be. For right judgment, integrity and holiness, we pray. PR

Tues., July 22: Mic 7:14-15, 18-20; John 20:1-2, 11-18

Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and what he told her. After the shock and fear of seeing the empty tomb, the other disciples dispersed.  Not Mary Magdalene. Lost and confused, she lingered and wept. The Risen Lord appeared, assuring her that his God and Father are hers as well. What comfort! She did not stray from the place where she expected the Lord to be.  She had seen too much of the Lord’s goodness to believe that he wasn’t somewhere near; she gained the glorious consolation that God is always near. We, too, need to be patient in our faith. We must persevere and wait for the Lord. If we have true faith, we cannot accept that anyone or anything can ever remove the Lord from our midst. That we may feel the consolation of the risen Christ, we pray. PR

Wed., July 23: Jer 1:1, 4-10; Matt 13:1-9

Bridget of Sweden, religious

… and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some failure is inevitable in the parable of the sower due to unavoidable threats —  scavengers, bad soil and unfavorable weather. Like the fragile seed, we face many challenges in our effort to produce fruit. Probably the greatest, however, is our inability to let the message of the kingdom take root within us. A shallow faith is vulnerable.  It cannot withstand inevitable challenges. Thankfully, the Lord is generous. He  continually plants even where no fruit previously appeared. Lucky us. Let us strive to become suitable ground. Plant your word deep within our hearts, Lord, we pray. PR

Thurs., July 24: Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; Matt 13:10-17

Why do you speak to them in parables? Good question. If we desire the wisdom to fathom the mysteries of the kingdom, we have to seek answers. Little children learn through questioning.  They constantly ask, “Why?” We know that Jesus uses parables to enable those who lack understanding of the kingdom to come to know it. We know God by asking about him. If we truly want to see, we need to delve deeper and invest time to reflect. If we truly want to hear, we have to be willing to take further steps. The mysteries of the glory of God are vast. Faith is wonderful, but curiosity and a desire to know God are just as important if we are going to comprehend what the Lord has to say to us. Grant us, Lord, the desire to know you and your ways, we pray. PR

Fri., July 25: 2 Cor 4:7-15; Matt 20:20-28

James, apostle

Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom. The mother seeks a place of prestige in the kingdom for her sons. Parents want the best for their children. God certainly wants the glory of the kingdom for us, but we must understand what it takes to gain it, which Jesus does, but the petitioner seemingly does not. We do not gain glory by asking for it or assuming we deserve it. We must live as Jesus did, following his example of humility and service. This is hard, and Jesus knows this. He is right to ask James and John, not their mother, if they can do this. This is a question we each have to answer honestly for ourselves. What are we willing to do for the kingdom? For the grace and humility to share in the cup of Christ, we pray. PR

Sat., July 26: Jer 7:1-11; Matt 13:24-30

Hear the word of the Lord. We have a rich heritage of ancestors in the faith, those who heard and followed what the Lord asked of them. Joachim and Anne, parents of the

Blessed Virgin Mary, were patient, humble and obedient.  They dedicated their long-desired child to God, and in their loving home and through their faithful example, they nurtured Mary to be obedient to God’s word and will. Through Mary, the word became flesh so that we all can hear and believe. May we, too, respond with great love and obedience to the word of the Lord. For faithful and loving parents who raise their children in the church, we pray. PR

Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Mon., July 28: Jer 13:1-11, Matt 13:31-35

But they did not listen. God is talking to us. God is talking through the scriptures, through the prophets, using whatever means might get the message across. And the message?  We are as close to God as a man is to his … underwear! The kingdom of God is as simple and as prevalent as growing seed or baking bread. O God, open our eyes, our ears, our hearts to your presence in every place, in every person, within

each one of us. Pbs

Tues., July 29: Jer 14:17-22; 1 John 4:7-16; John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42

Martha, memorial

There is need of only one thing. Immediately before we hear the story of busy Martha and contemplative Mary, there is the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan interrupts his journey to tend to the wounded man after a priest and a Levite pass him by. Sometimes we are called to service.  Sometimes we are called to contemplation. The wise disciple seeks balance. St. Martha, pray for us that we may be contemplatives in action, serving others while always attentive to the voice of God within. Pbs

Wed., July 30: Jer 15:1-, 16-21; Matt 3:44-46

I am with you. Today we remember Peter Chrysologus — so called because of his “golden speech.” He is remembered for his brilliant sermons. Brilliant and, it seems, also brief.  He could capture his congregation’s attention and cut to the chase before he lost them. Jeremiah is sick of his calling, tired of rejection and isolation brought on by the message God has given him to speak. And Jesus, also rejected for his true words, still speaks the truth simply so that the common person can understand.  Preachers, thank you!  Thank you for the time you spend preparing a few words that enlighten and encourage. And thank you, too, for the risks you take when you tell the truth simply so that all may understand. For preachers, we pray. Pbs

Thurs., July 31: Jer 18:1-6; Matt 13:47-53

Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, house of Israel. We might not care for the idea of being wet clay in the hands of a potter, but when the potter is the Lord, we are truly blessed. God knows exactly how to form us into a unique vessel for eternal joy. Ignatius of Loyola sought riches and glory until a war wound forced him to rest while his shattered leg mended. He was moved by the scriptures and the life of Jesus to surrender to the Lord, and by God’s grace he was remade into a great spiritual leader, mystic and the founder of the Society of Jesus. Take, Lord, receive all my liberty. Give me only your love and your grace. Mew 

Daily Bread Authors

• Patricia Russell graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., with degrees in English and secondary education.

• Paige Byrne Shortal earned a bachelor’s degree in theology at Saint Louis University and a master’s degree in pastoral studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis.

• Mary E. Waldron received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theology from Marquette University in Milwaukee.  She later earned a doctorate in American studies from Saint Louis University.

• Elizabeth C. Williams has a bachelor’s degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology.