For this week’s homily, please watch the video below.

JULY 12 Mon Weekday Ex 1:8-14, 22/Mt 10:34—11:1 

13 Tue Weekday [Saint Henry] Ex 2:1-15a/Mt 11:20-24

14 Wed USA: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin Memorial Ex 3:1-6, 9-12/Mt 11:25-27 

15 Thu Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Memorial

Ex 3:13-20/Mt 11:28-30 

16 Fri Weekday [Our Lady of Mount Carmel] Ex 11:10—12:14/Mt 12:1-8 

17 Sat Weekday [BVM] Ex 12:37-42/Mt 12:14-21 

18 SUN SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Jer 23:1-6/Eph 2:13-18/Mk 6:30-34 

We begin reading from the Book of Exodus on Monday of this week, and for almost three weeks we’ll be reading the story of one of our most important ancestors in faith– Moses.  God sends Moses to bring his people from Egypt to the Promised Land after “ A new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph.”

We continue reading from the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 10-12.

St. Bonaventure, whose feast is celebrated on Thursday, played an important role in the development of the Franciscan movement. He brought intellectual gifts to Francis’ tradition. 

The saints (and important figures) of any tradition bring new dimensions to the original charism of the founder.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, enriches the charism of so many great religious traditions in the church by her presence. Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16) enriches the Carmelite tradition.

For Morning and Evening Prayer  www.praydaybyday.org.  Week 3

For this week’s homily please watch the video below.

Stories of Jacob, his wives and his sons continue the story of the patriarchs from the Book of Genesis we’re reading in our lectionary these days. I notices some call it the story of our ancestors, instead of patriarchs, to give it a wider net of actors.

They/ve inherited God’s promise to Abraham, and they continue his search for a land of their own. It seems like a never-ending search; God occasionally appears on the way affirming them, but there’s famine to contend with, as we see in the illustration above, and human weakness is always part of their story.

But God will get them through.

Abraham is our “father in faith”. The ancestors, especially Abraham, are examples of faith and trust in God as they face an unknown future. Faith and trust kept them going;; faith and trust keeps all humanity going. Faith and trust keeps the Church going as she makes her pilgrim way.

We can learn from the humanity we find in the ancestors, the men and their wives, their children, their friends, their servants and their enemies. They’re far from perfect. They live in a world of cruel wars and famine, stubborn enemies, political instability and unpredictable events. There are family fights, jealous brothers and sisters and sneaky deals at every step.

We can learn some important human as well as spiritual lessons from them. For example, Joseph’s brothers entered Egypt at a time of widespread famine. “In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world.” (Genesis 41,57)

Egypt wisely opened its food supply to eveybody. Was it just kindness, or was it good politics too? I remember reading that the Byzantine Empire fell so quickly to the armies of Mohammed because the Byzantines neglected to care for the Bedouin tribes at their borders and along their trade routes.

US policy now is to cut foreign aide to poorer nations of the world, especially those experiencing climate related shortages of food. Inevitably, violence in those countries will spill over to ours. Ancient Egypt knew that if you take care of others in bad times you take care of yourself. We’re all bound together, whether we know it or not.

The early Christian writer Marcion wanted to do away with the Old Testament because it wasn’t spiritual enough. But there’s reality in these stories. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” He was made flesh and dwelt among sinful humanity. He didn’t come to save the saved.

Knowing our ancestors and their times helps us to know ourselves and our times. In them we see the hand of God at work.

For this week’s homily please watch the video below.

June 28 Mon Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr Memorial

Gn 18:16-33/Mt 8:18-22 

29 Tue SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES Solemnity

 Acts 12:1-11/2 Tm 4:6-8, 17-18/Mt 16:13-19 

30 Wed Weekday [The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church]

Gn 21:5, 8-20a/Mt 8:28-34 

July 1 Thu Weekday [USA: Saint Junípero Serra, Priest]

Gn 22:1b-19/Mt 9:1-8 

2 Fri Weekday Gn 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67/Mt 9:9-13

3 Sat Saint Thomas, Apostle Feast Eph 2:19-22/Jn 20:24-29 

4 SUN FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Ez 2:2-5/2 Cor 12:7-10/Mk 6:1-6a

The Genesis stories read this week recall Sarah’s death and her burial in land promised to Abraham by God. They also recall Isaac’s marriage to Rebecca, securing the promise of heirs to Abraham. The last great test God gives to Abraham is recalled on Thursday, when God asks him to sacrifice his son.

Three important apostles are recalled in feasts this week: Peter and Paul and Thomas.

Morning and Evening Prayer: week 2 here.

The “saints next door” are holy “each in his or her own way.” Pope Francis says in Gaudete et Exultate. How about canonized saints? If you look at the saints we celebrate the last few weeks in our liturgy, they’re holy, each in their own way too.

St. Romuald, the founder of the Camadolese, remembered on June 19th, found the religious communities of his day hard to live with– they found him hard to live with too. He liked to be alone, but alone to face the mystery of God, not because he didn’t like other people. He was called to be a hermit. To know God on our own, alone, in our inner room, is part of the call we all have. Romuald reminds us of that.

St. Paulinus of Nola (June 22), a gregarious 5th century bishop, is Romuald’s opposite. He started life in politics as a member of a well-heeled Roman family. After his only child died and then his wife, he accepted God’s call to begin a larger family. As bishop of Nola in Italy he promoted the shrine of St. Felix as a pilgrimage center. The more people came, the better. He liked people. Celebrations with ringing bells and processions and statues were his specialty. In fact, if you head to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY, around his feast, you may see Italians from his area in Italy carrying a gigantic tower honoring the saint. He promoted popular religion.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga ( June 21 ) also belonged to a powerful, aristocratic family, who were shocked when the young man announced, after hearing stories of Jesuit missionaries in China, that he was entering the Jesuits. His family did everything to stop him, but the young man wouldn’t listen. He entered the Jesuits. In 1591 a fierce plague broke out in Rome where Aloysius was studying and he took care of the victims, despite his own bad health. He died from the plague, expressing his conviction that God called him to this dangerous ministry. Today he’s celebrated as a patron of those who care for victims of AIDS.

St. Thomas More (June 22) is known to many through Robert Bolt’s “Man for All Seasons” which follows More’s confrontation with Henry VIII that ended with his death in the Tower of London July 6, 1535. Bolt’s title, taken from a contemporary’s description of More, captures his complex, many-faceted personality. He was learned, devoted to his family (promoted education for women) active in his society and his church. More’s holiness was expansive. It belongs to all of life’s seasons.
Interesting to note that More and Bishop John Fisher are honored in the Church of England’s calendar (July 6) as “saints and heroes of the Christian church.”

JUNE 21 Mon Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious Memorial Gn 12:1-9/Mt 7:1-5 

22 Tue Weekday [Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop; Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs] Gn 13:2, 5-18/Mt 7:6, 12-14 

23 Wed Weekday

Gn 15:1-12, 17-18/Mt 7:15-20 

24 Thu THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST Solemnity

Is 49:1-6/Acts 13:22-26/Lk 1:57-66, 80 

25 Fri Weekday Gn 17:1, 9-10, 15-22/Mt 8:1-4 

26 Sat Weekday Gn 18:1-15/Mt 8:5-17 

27 SUN THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24/2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15/Mk 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43

We read from the later part of the Book of Genesis this week in our lectionary. The first 10 chapters described the increase and spread of humanity, beginning with the creation of Adam and Eve. Chapter 11-50 offers the story of Israel, beginning with Abraham. One difference between the two: the first chapters describe the nations settling down. In the story of Israel, Abraham is called to set out to a land God will show. 

The Nativity of John the Baptist, June 25th,  is a solemnity, celebrating the birth of John 6 months before the birth of Jesus. 

Saints like Aloysius Gonzaga remind us that young people can be saints too.

Tuesday we remember English martyrs, John Fischer, Thomas More, “Man for All Seasons.”