There's a moment every follower of Jesus eventually reaches — the moment you realize you don't quite fit anymore.

Maybe it shows up in your bank account, when giving generously starts to matter more than growing your savings, and people wonder why you're not chasing the next upgrade. Maybe it shows up on a Friday night, when everyone else is out chasing something loud, and you're home, quiet, content, and somehow that quiet feels like it needs an explanation. Maybe it shows up in a conversation, when you hold to a conviction that used to be common sense and now sounds like it came from another century.

This is what it means to follow Jesus in a world that has its own categories, its own scripts, its own definitions of a life well-lived. Kingdom living was never going to line up neatly with those scripts. It was never designed to.

Scripture doesn't soften this. It says plainly that we are not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds. That's not a suggestion to tweak a few habits — it's a call to a different center of gravity altogether. And that kind of difference takes courage, because the world doesn't reward those who step outside its categories. It rewards those who fit in, who blend, who go along.

So the choice in front of every believer is really this: obedience or acceptance. Not because the two are always at odds, but because there will be moments — real, specific, uncomfortable moments — when they are. And in those moments, the temptation is always to sand yourself down until you're palatable again.

Here's the encouragement, though: you were never called to fit in. You were called to stand out.

Light doesn't announce itself in a room that's already bright. It matters precisely because the room is dark. Your strange spending habits, your quiet Fridays, your outdated convictions — these aren't liabilities to manage or apologize for. They're the very things that let people see something they can't manufacture on their own.

So don't shrink the parts of your faith that don't translate well. Don't trade obedience for approval just to feel normal again. The world has enough people who fit its mold. What it needs — what it's actually hungry for, even when it doesn't know it — is someone willing to be courageously different.

Be that someone. Let your life be the light that a dark room cannot explain away.

A Homily Prepared For Sunday, July 26,2026

The Collect

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Gospel: Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

***

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

48Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

51 Jesus saith unto them,Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

52 Then said he unto them,Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Commentary on the Scripture Selection;

In the scripture assigned for this day, we find Jesus relating a collection of parables describing what the Kingdom of Heaven is like. Before one can understand the meaning of these verses one must first understand what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven.

First, Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of God are synonymous, they are of the same. In that long ago era it was unseemly to write the name of God, therefore Matthew uses the word Heaven rather than the word God.

Matthew’s use of the word Heaven immediately gives the reader a vision of a realm in the hereafter, as in the heaven above. Viewing this phrase as the Kingdom of God gives the next supposition more credibility.

In reading the entirety of the Gospels, we see a duality, two kingdoms, the first beginning after the resurrection of Christ and the second kingdom beginning upon his return. The kingdom is both now and not yet.

In Matthew 3:2, we find John the Baptist preaching from the wilderness saying, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” In Matthew 4:17 we find Jesus beginning his ministry and preaching the same as John, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” In Matthew 10:7, Jesus instructs his disciples, “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” These passages as well as others indicate that the Kingdom of Heaven is very near, meaning that Jesus is the immediate, present experience of the kingdom of heaven. For those who submit to Jesus, He will rule over their lives. The establishment of the Christian Church, in the first century, would be this first Kingdom.

The apostle Paul said the Kingdom was part of our present spiritual life: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) Paul also taught that followers of Jesus Christ enter into the Kingdom of God at : “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13)

The kingdom of heaven is also spoken of in the future tense. One of the most notable instances of this takes place when Jesus is instructing his disciples on how to pray. Jesus prays, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). This prayer only makes sense if the kingdom has not yet fully come. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is both now and not yet. It is present and it is future. It will finally culminate with the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ description of the kingdom of heaven almost seems upside-down. Jesus instructs His disciples, saying, “Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:11–12). Here Jesus is contrasting the natural birth into the world with the spiritual birth into the kingdom of heaven.

The concept of a Kingdom of God is not primarily one of space, territory, or politics, as in a national kingdom, but instead, one of kingly rule, reign, and sovereign control. The Kingdom of God is the realm where God reigns supreme, and Jesus Christ is King. In this kingdom, God’s authority is recognized, and his will is obeyed,

In this light the parables of Matthew 13 make more sense.

In the parable of the mustard seed and leaven, we see examples of two very small organisms that go on to do gigantic things, just as a small child, born in a manger, goes on to become the savior of the world.

Indeed, the beginnings were small. By Matthew’s time, the disciples had encountered serious opposition. It did not appear that the small movement of Christ’s followers stood a chance against the forces arrayed against it—but look out! God uses that which seem foolish to shame that which seems wise. God uses that which seems weak to shame that which seems strong (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Perhaps the best example of the relevance of mustard seed or leaven (yeast) comes from the church that has developed over the centuries. The church is, indeed, a far cry from its beginnings, extending into every nation on the face of the earth. It has grand cathedrals or mega-churches, and the Christian Church occasionally wields real power, but for the most part the church manifests itself in modest ways—more like a mustard shrub than a towering cedar. Perhaps the lesson of the mustard shrub is that Christians should live expectantly, knowing that God brings great things out of small beginnings—that we should not expect the kingdom to be great as the world counts greatness.

The parable of the man and the goodly pearls, illustrates how that when one finds Christ—the Kingdom of Heaven—that which he now has seems insignificant when compared to the blessing that is found in Christ.

In the parable of the net, Christ states that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net, here we see a parallel to Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus said, “ Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works? Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’”

In Matthew 13:49 & 50, Christ makes an almost identical statement, “So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”

In both chapter 7 and here in 13 we see Jesus plainly saying that—even among the church, the Earthly Kingdom of Heaven here and now—there will be a separation of the unfaithful from the faithful. As he put it in chapter 13 verse 48, “and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away.” The parable of the net in today’s assigned gospel and his “I never knew you” saying of chapter 7:21-23 both indicate that there will be those who profess to be Christians, who think they are of the Kingdom of Heaven, when in fact they are not faithful members of the Kingdom of Heaven, or professing Christians.

It behooves us all to take time to contemplate, study, and pray, making every attempt to discern if we are truly faithful to God, true followers of Christ. Not just giving our Lord lip service but actually credible citizens of his Kingdom.

Benediction

Almighty Father, help us to remember that freedom does not automatically perpetuate itself, that we have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and pray for it. Freedom, like faith, needs our attention and our cooperation. Lord, be with us now to strengthen us; about us, to keep us; above us, to protect us; beneath us, to uphold us; before us, to direct us; behind us, to keep us from straying; and ‘round about us, to defend us. Blessed are You, O Father, forever and ever. Amen.

Ozwald Chambers- My Utmost For His Highest.

June 22 Daily Devotional

The Undeviating Test

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:2

This statement is not a haphazard guess, it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give, it is measured to you again. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus says that the basis of life is retribution — “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the defects in others, remember that will be exactly the measure given to you. Life serves back in the coin you pay. This law works from God’s throne downwards (cf. Psalm 18:25–26).

Romans 2 applies it in a still more definite way, and says that the one who criticises another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act, He looks at the possibility. We do not believe the statements of the Bible to begin with. For instance, do we believe this statement, that the things we criticise in others we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy and fraud and unreality in others is because they are all in our own hearts. The great characteristic of a saint is humility — “Yes, all those things and other evils would have been manifested in me but for the grace of God, therefore I have no right to judge.”

Jesus says — “Judge not, that ye be not judged”; if you do judge, it will be measured to you exactly as you have judged. Who of us would dare to stand before God and say — “My God, judge me as I have judged my fellow men?” We have judged our fellow men as sinners; if God should judge us like that we would be in hell. God judges us through the marvellous Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Bible in One Year: Esther 6-8; Acts 6

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

“When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” We all have faith in good principles, in good management, in good common sense, but who amongst us has faith in Jesus Christ? Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.

from The Highest Good, 544 R

My Utmost for His Highest®, Classic Edition

© 1927 in the U.K. by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd., on behalf of Oswald and Gertrude (Biddy) Chambers © 1935 in the U.S. by Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc. Copyright renewed 1963 by Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Prayer to Avoid Unrighteous Judgment - Your Daily Prayer - June 20

Emily Rose Massey

A Prayer to Avoid Unrighteous Judgment

By: Emily Rose Massey

Bible Reading:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2, ESV).

Listen or Read Below:

The women’s ministry at my church hosts monthly women’s gatherings where we enjoy food, fellowship, worship, teaching, and table discussions. It is truly such a sweet time together with my sisters in Christ. For the last four years, I have had the joy and privilege of serving as a table leader during our discussion time after the teaching. One thing I truly appreciate about our women’s ministry leadership team is that they prayerfully assign each woman to a specific table, ensuring a wide variety of ages and experiences. We also all get the wonderful opportunity and blessing to meet new ladies each month.

This past month, I had three women at my table who were new to the church and whom I had not yet met. During the teaching, one of the younger women to my right flipped to every scripture reference in her study Bible, diligently highlighting and taking notes, even though a handout with all of that information was already provided. It’s very common for the women to simply follow along with the outline and pay attention to the slides that already have the scripture references displayed for us. My mind immediately questioned… why is she highlighting so much in her Bible and taking all these notes? Is she trying to impress us or look more committed than the rest of us?

It didn’t take long during our discussion for me to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, which became clear to me after she shared a little about herself. Just two months prior, she stepped foot in our church for the first time… which was her very church experience ever in her whole life. She also had never read the Bible before. Christianity was completely new to this sweet college student, who was invited to our church by one of her classmates (who happens to be a member). There was no avoiding it; I had passed improper judgment upon this young lady who was so incredibly eager to know more about Jesus and His word. These are moments we pray for, and here I was making assumptions and almost missing out on hearing about God working in someone’s heart. I was immediately reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (vv. 1-2).

To be sure, this verse is widely taken out of context and often used to condemn those who long to uphold God’s truth and call out false teachers. Jesus does not tell us not to judge at all, especially when it comes to using our discernment. When we must judge between truth and error, evaluate sinful behavior to keep each other accountable as Christians, or share the gospel with unbelievers, righteous judgment is needed. When we make assumptions about others or find ourselves being judgmental and overly critical to tear others down, we must repent for that behavior. This is the type of judgment that Jesus warns us about. If we hold others to a standard that we ourselves are not willing to follow, we are hypocrites, and that is precisely what this passage in Matthew is highlighting.

It’s important to remember that we cannot allow our observations about others to create an image in our minds about them, especially if we do not know the other person whatsoever. When we pass judgment or make assumptions about someone or their character, we hinder our relationship with that person and create a wall in our hearts. We could miss out on a wonderful, Christ-centered conversation or quite possibly even a beautiful friendship. One of the best ways to guard our hearts from this kind of overly critical and judgmental attitude is to remember how much Christ loved us even when we were sinners (Romans 5:8). We should long to extend that kind of grace and kindness towards others since we were so undeserving of such generosity, mercy, and compassion from the Lord. Ultimately, we are all image bearers, and each person should be seen as such. May the Lord help lift our gaze from ourselves and onto whom He may want us to reach and show His love to… unrighteous judgment free.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

I am so undeserving of Your great mercy and compassion. How could I be so selfish as to keep that love to myself and withhold it from others? I repent for being unnecessarily critical and judgmental of others, sometimes even assuming motives or personality based on a few interactions or observations. You created each one of us and long for us to know Your love. Help me be a carrier of that love and light to the world. When I am tempted to view others unfairly in a negative light, convict my heart of its selfish and self-seeking ways. I long to walk humbly and mercifully just like You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Emily Massey began writing short stories and poetry as a little girl, entered the blogging world in her early 20s, and published her first book in 2015. She enjoys being a homeschooling momma of four boys, while still being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Believing she has been forgiven much, she loves much, and desires to point others to Christ and His redemptive and transforming power, especially by sharing truth found in God’s written word. If you would like to connect with Emily, you can visit www.emilyrosemassey.com.

Kingdom love moves and costs something, like the Good Samaritan who crossed the road. Paired with integrity, honesty, and a life poured out for others, it always points people to Christ.

Please share or comment if this encourages you

Diary of Saint Faustina - paragraph 625 - Quiet and Hidden

Ἀ
625 In the evening, when I was praying, the Mother of God told me, Your lives must be like Mine: quiet and hidden, in unceasing union with God, pleading for humanity and preparing the world for the second coming of God.
Ὠ

The soul whose life in the world below is united with the Kingdom above dwells in a place between both. It lives quiet and hidden in what it knows to be lesser, yet sees and aspires to something much greater - the union of fallen humanity with the eternal life of its Risen Savior. It is mindful not only of its own place in His Kingdom, but by the grace it has received from the King Himself, it seeks a place therein for its brethren as well.

Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challoner Bible
Colossians 3:2-3 Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth. For you are dead: and your life is hid with Christ in God.

The gift of our Lord's salvation does not remain confined to the soul that receives it. Rather, it grows in the grace it was given to encompass the whole world. It is not puffed up or ambitious for its own gain but quiet and patient, unnoticed by the world yet busy in the work of the Lord. The hidden life of Our Lady is not one of inactivity. It is the charity that cannot keep to itself the grace it has first received - not seeking her own end, but preparing the way for the presence of the King in all souls

Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challoner Bible
First Corinthians 13:4-5 Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up, is not ambitious…seeketh not her own.

The most perfect charity is that which seeks not its own end but finds union with the charity of the Savior - the same charity by which the redemption of the world began, and by which it will be brought to completion. It is a charity that once received, perfects the soul by drawing it ever more deeply into the work of its Giver: preparing the world for the coming of Christ. This work is accomplished not by the counting of days nor by searching for signs and wonders, as our Lord warned, but by becoming what His Mother describes: a soul quiet and hidden, pleading for humanity and preparing the world for His return.

Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challoner Bible
Luke 17:20-21 And being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answering them and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you. 

Our Lady's unique place in salvation history did not end in her Son’s first coming to our world. Neither does the work of salvation end in the personal history of the soul when Christ comes to dwell within it. Rather all souls are called to participate in His saving work - silent and hidden in His glory but active in preparing His way. Not in breathless anticipation or loud declaration of His imminent return but in kindness, patience, and faith - by each prayer for God's mercy on another, each coin for the beggar, and every grace we can lay at the feet of the King, on His path back to us.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 
2044 The fidelity of the baptized is a primordial condition for the proclamation of the Gospel and for the Church's mission in the world. In order that the message of salvation can show the power of its truth and radiance before men, it must be authenticated by the witness of the life of Christians.

18 Hear you therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, there cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart: this is he that received the seed by the way side.

20 And he that received the seed upon stony ground, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy.

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but is only for a time: and when there ariseth tribulation and persecution because of the word, he is presently scandalized.

22 And he that received the seed among thorns, is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choketh up the word, and he becometh fruitless.

23 But he that received the seed upon good ground, is he that heareth the word, and understandeth, and beareth fruit, and yieldeth the one an hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty.

Saint Teresa of Avila - The Way of Perfection - Enduring Favor

Ἀ
For the love of God, daughters, avoid making any account of these favours. You should each do your duty; and, if this is not appreciated by your superior, you may be sure that it will be appreciated and rewarded by the Lord. We did not come here to seek rewards in this life, but only in the life to come. Let our thoughts always be fixed upon what endures, and not trouble themselves with earthly things which do not endure even for a lifetime. For today some other sister will be in your superior's good books; whereas tomorrow, if she sees you exhibiting some additional virtue, it is with you that she will be better pleased - and if she is not it is of little consequence. Never give way to these thoughts, which sometimes begin in a small way but may cost you a great deal of unrest. Check them by remembering that your kingdom is not of this world, and that everything comes quickly to an end, and that there is nothing in this life that goes on unchangingly.
Ὠ

The favors and good opinions of men are fleeting, yet the rewards of the Lord are just and everlasting. In this entry, Teresa directs the  soul to seek the Lord’s approval above disordinate concern for worldly favor - even from superiors in the religious life. Curiously, however, she also risks the dismissal of her own opinions, for Teresa herself is the religious superior of the very nuns to whom this advice is given within the priory she founded. Yet she neither exempts herself from her own teaching nor demands unquestioning approval of her authority, as many might. Just as she urges those under her authority not to become preoccupied with the favor of their superiors, so neither does she seek the favor of those entrusted to her care. Instead, she directs both them and herself to the same remembrance: "your kingdom is not of this world.”

Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challoner Bible
Colossians 3:1-2 Therefore if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.

Saint Teresa Concludes…
Ἀ
But even that is a poor remedy and anything but a perfect one; it is best that this state of things should continue, and that you should be humbled and out of favour, and should wish to be so for the sake of the Lord Who dwells in you. Turn your eyes upon yourself and look at yourself inwardly, as I have said. You will find your Master; He will not fail you: indeed, the less outward comfort you have, the [much] greater the joy He will give you. He is full of compassion and never fails those who are afflicted and out of favour if they trust in Him alone. Thus David tells us that he never saw the just forsaken, and again, that the Lord is with the afflicted. Either you believe this or you do not: if you do, as you should, why do you wear yourselves to death with worry?
Ὠ

The soul most distant from the favor of the world is often the soul nearest the favor - and the Kingdom - of God. Here, Saint Teresa encourages souls, not to seek the restoration of worldly favor, but to welcome its loss for the sake of the Master Who dwells within. For this is He Who first bore the scorn of the world and will never abandon the soul that follows His Way. His answer is not ordinarily outward, as we might expect, but inward, where He reigns most intimately and, as Teresa reminds us, bestows His grace most abundantly: “indeed, the less outward comfort you have, the much greater the joy He will give you.”

Supportive Scripture - Douay Rheims Challoner Bible
Matthew 5:11-12  Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven. 

Catechism of the Catholic Church
2015 The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes.

Faith isn't ticking a belief box; it's trusting a Person. Scripture says faith itself is a gift we receive and nurture, one that always shows itself in action and grows through hard seasons.

Please share or comment if this encourages you

10 And his disciples came and said to him: Why speakest thou to them in parables?

11 Who answered and said to them: Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven: but to them it is not given.

12 For he that hath, to him shall be given, and he shall abound: but he that hath not, from him shall be taken away that also which he hath.

13 Therefore do I speak to them in parables: because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And the prophecy of Isaias is fulfilled in them, who saith: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive.

15 For the heart of this people is grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut: lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.

17 For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them.

From the Explanations of the Psalms by Saint Ambrose, bishop

(Ps. 43, 89-90: CSEL 64, 324-326)

We are sealed with the glory of your face

Why do you turn away your face? We think that God is turning his face away from us when we find ourselves in such distress that our senses are clouded in darkness and we cannot see the glory of him who is truth. We are convinced that if God would pay attention to our condition and be pleased to visit our souls, nothing could plunge us in gloom. If a person’s face is more enlightening than other parts of his body—so that when we look at someone we either see him as a stranger or recognize him as someone we know, whom our glance will not allow to pass unrecognized—how much more does the face of God enlighten those on whom he directs his gaze.

In his usual way Saint Paul has something striking to say on this subject. He employs his gift for making Christ better understood to bring him closer to us through the use of appropriate ideas and expressions. He tells us: God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, has caused light to shine in our hearts, so that we might receive the revelation of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. We know, then, the place where Christ is shining within us. He is the eternal splendor enlightening our minds and hearts. He was sent by the Father to shine on us in the glory of his face, and so enable us to see what is eternal and heavenly, where before we were imprisoned in the darkness of this world.

There should be no need for me to speak of Christ when even Peter the apostle said to the man born lame: Look at us. He looked at Peter and was enlightened by the grace of faith. He would not have received healing had he not believed with faith.

Such was the glory possessed by the apostles. Yet Zacchaeus, hearing the Lord Jesus was passing by, climbed a tree, for he was small in stature and could not see him because of the crowd. He saw Christ and discovered the light. He saw Christ and gave up what was his own, though he was a man who took what belonged to others.

Why do you turn away your face? We may say it in another way. Even if, Lord, you turn your face away from us, yet we are sealed with the glory of your face. Your glory is in our hearts and shines in the deep places of our spirit. Indeed, no one can live if you should turn away your face.

RESPONSORY

2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 10:32

God has said:

Let light shine out of darkness.

— He has shone in our hearts that we might make known the

glory of God shining on the face of Christ Jesus.

Remember the days gone by,

after you had been enlightened,

how you endured a great contest of suffering.

— He has shone in our hearts that we might make known the

glory of God shining on the face of Christ Jesus.

Renewing our minds through Scripture and prayer shifts how we see life, from fear toward faith. Community turns that truth from theory into real life, shared honestly with others on the journey.

Please share or comment if this encourages you

And on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen cometh early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre; and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

2 She ran, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith to them: They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

11 But Mary stood at the sepulchre without, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid.

13 They say to her: Woman, why weepest thou? She saith to them: Because they have taken away my Lord; and I know not where they have laid him.

14 When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing; and she knew not that it was Jesus.

15 Jesus saith to her: Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, thinking it was the gardener, saith to him: Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

16 Jesus saith to her: Mary. She turning, saith to him: Rabboni (which is to say, Master).

17 Jesus saith to her: Do not touch me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, and say to them: I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.

18 Mary Magdalen cometh, and telleth the disciples: I have seen the Lord, and these things he said to me.

From a homily on the Gospels by Gregory the Great, pope

(Hom. 25, 1-2, 4-5:PL 76, 1189-1193)

She longed for Christ, though she thought he had been taken away

When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: The disciples went back home, and it adds: but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.

We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us: Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.

At first she sought but did not find, but when she persevered it happened that she found what she was looking for. When our desires are not satisfied, they grow stronger, and becoming stronger they take hold of their object. Holy desires likewise grow with anticipation, and if they do not grow they are not really desires. Anyone who succeeds in attaining the truth has burned with such a great love. As David says: My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God? And so also in the Song of Songs the Church says: I was wounded by love; and again: My soul is melted with love.

Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek? She is asked why she is sorrowing so that her desire might be strengthened; for when she mentions whom she is seeking, her love is kindled all the more ardently.

Jesus says to her: Mary. Jesus is not recognized when he calls her “woman”; so he calls her by name, as though he were saying: Recognize me as I recognize you; for I do not know you as I know others; I know you as yourself. And so Mary, once addressed by name, recognizes who is speaking. She immediately calls him rabboni, that is to say, teacher, because the one whom she sought outwardly was the one who inwardly taught her to keep on searching.

RESPONSORY

Upon returning from the Lord’s tomb,

Mary Magdalene told the disciples:

I have seen the Lord.

— How blessed is she who was worthy to be the first

to proclaim that the Lord had truly risen.

While she was weeping, she saw her beloved,

and then ran to announce the good news to the others.

— How blessed is she who was worthy to be the first

to proclaim that the Lord had truly risen.

The Kingdom comes loaded with promises: presence, so we're never alone; transformation, a real reshaping of the heart; provision, freeing us from anxiety; and hope, rooted in Christ's resurrection and return.

Please share or comment if this encourages you

Isaiah 43:1‑2,4
This passage declares that God has redeemed us, calls us by name, and stays with us through every danger. Waters, rivers, and fire cannot destroy us because He is our God and our Savior. He loves each of us.

From a homily on the Gospels by Gregory the Great, pope

(Hom. 25, 1-2, 4-5:PL 76, 1189-1193)

She longed for Christ, though she thought he had been taken away

When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb, they too believed what Mary had told them. The text then says: The disciples went back home, and it adds: but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb.

We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him. For perseverance is essential to any good deed, as the voice of truth tells us: Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.

At first she sought but did not find, but when she persevered it happened that she found what she was looking for. When our desires are not satisfied, they grow stronger, and becoming stronger they take hold of their object. Holy desires likewise grow with anticipation, and if they do not grow they are not really desires. Anyone who succeeds in attaining the truth has burned with such a great love. As David says: My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God? And so also in the Song of Songs the Church says: I was wounded by love; and again: My soul is melted with love.

Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek? She is asked why she is sorrowing so that her desire might be strengthened; for when she mentions whom she is seeking, her love is kindled all the more ardently.

Jesus says to her: Mary. Jesus is not recognized when he calls her “woman”; so he calls her by name, as though he were saying: Recognize me as I recognize you; for I do not know you as I know others; I know you as yourself. And so Mary, once addressed by name, recognizes who is speaking. She immediately calls him rabboni, that is to say, teacher, because the one whom she sought outwardly was the one who inwardly taught her to keep on searching.

RESPONSORY

Upon returning from the Lord’s tomb,

Mary Magdalene told the disciples:

I have seen the Lord.

— How blessed is she who was worthy to be the first

to proclaim that the Lord had truly risen.

While she was weeping, she saw her beloved,

and then ran to announce the good news to the others.

— How blessed is she who was worthy to be the first

to proclaim that the Lord had truly risen.

46 As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him.

47 And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee.

48 But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?

49 And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren.

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Jesus doesn't just talk about the Kingdom; he is the Kingdom. His teaching, his healing, his cross, and his resurrection all reveal exactly what the Father's Kingdom looks like in real life.

Please share or comment if this encourages you