Weekly Digest of the Regnum Christi Daily Meditations: September 13th – 20th 2026
WEEKLY DIGEST OF rc
DAILY MEDITATIONS
Week September 13 - 20, 2026
Sunday, September 13, 2026 – Choosing to Forgive
Monday, September 14, 2026 – Lift Up the Cross
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 – Pierced with a Sword
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 – Two Ways to Repentance
Thursday, September 17, 2026 – From Sinfulness to Devotion
Friday, September 18, 2026 – Spread the Good News
September 13, 2026 – Choosing to Forgive
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”
Opening Prayer: O my Jesus, as I begin this time of prayer I realize that forgiving others can be difficult. Sometimes I am afraid of letting go of how others have hurt me. It makes me feel protected to hold on to that hurt. As I open my heart, help me to empty out the fear and remember that you are my protector and have forgiven me for so many of my own sins.
Encountering Christ:
- A Priceless Debt: We could never pay back the debt on our own for our sins. Some sin can cost us our very lives, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). This is why God the Father sent his beloved Son to ransom us. Christ literally paid the price for our sins with his own blood: “You are not your own. For you have been purchased at a price” (cf. 1 Cor 6:19-20). None of us are exempt from the need for God’s mercy: “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood” (Rom 3:23-25). How cognizant are we of the price Christ paid for our sinfulness?
- Justice and Mercy: Because God is love, the justice we deserve is overcome by his mercy. Pope Francis said, “Justice and mercy in God are one thing. Mercy is just and justice is merciful.” There at the cross, justice and mercy met in the person and sacrifice of Christ. Jesus endured the punishment we deserve and paid every ounce of the penalties we deserve to pay. Because we all have sinned, we have therefore received the gift of God’s mercy; we are called to act accordingly by being merciful and compassionate, like God (cf. Ps 103).
- Choose to Forgive: When we forgive others, even and especially when they cannot make amends for how they have hurt us, we are acting in imitation of Christ: “And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ” (Eph 4:32). We must choose to forgive whoever has wronged us. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is an act of the will. What happens when we do not choose to forgive? We run the risk that our own sins will be held against us. Our first reading for Mass today considers this point: “Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Does anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord? Can one refuse mercy to a sinner like oneself, yet seek pardon for one’s own sins?” (Sir 28:2-4).
Conversing with Christ: Dear Jesus, thank you for paying the price for my sins with your own precious body and blood. Help me to remember that I belong to you, and to live with gratitude for that fact. Help me to choose to forgive others, as you have forgiven me.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will choose to forgive someone for a wrong they have done to me. I will pray and ask God to help me to forgive that person fully and with my whole heart.
For Further Reflection: Read St. Thomas Aquinas’s writing on justice and mercy here: Summa Theologiae I, q. 21. Or, read all of Psalm 103, meditating on God’s kindness, mercy, and compassion.
Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and a lay member of Regnum Christi. She blogs at word-life-light.com.
September 14, 2026 – Lift Up the Cross
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
John 3:13-17
Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you for loving us so much that you sent your beloved Son to die for us. Help me to listen to what you want to say to me today and express my gratitude for this wonderful gift of Christ in all that I do.
Encountering Christ:
- Lifted Up: In today’s first reading, Moses lifted up a bronze serpent so that those who were bitten by the saraph serpents would not die (cf. Num 21:4-9). The afflicted had to look upon the serpent to be healed. We are all afflicted by sin, so we too must cast our eyes upon Christ who was lifted up on the cross. We must constantly turn to Christ for healing and wholeness. When we look upon the cross, we see the proof of God’s love for us. That he gave us his only Son so that we might have life, not just human life but God’s eternal life (cf. Jn 3:16). May our hearts be moved with love when we gaze upon a crucifix!
- Humility Exalted: A great paradox is at work in Christ’s lifting up on the cross. In his obedience to God the Father, Jesus emptied himself (cf. Phil 2:7-8). He became the lowest-of-the-low; he became sin itself: “For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor 5:21). Because of his obedience, and out of total self-giving love, God the Father lifted him up above everything in existence: “Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Phil 2:9).
- The Paradox of Humility: This paradox of humility extends to us as his disciples as well. Jesus tells us, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:12). Additionally, the first beatitude is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). When we can become small and humble, God has room to work in us. His works through us can surprise and even astonish us. And when we realize we have been blessed to be God’s good instrument, we humbly give him all the glory.
Conversing with Christ: O my Jesus, how I wish to be humble and obedient in imitation of you, but I can be prideful, stubborn, and self-serving. I cannot become meek and humble of heart on my own. Please give me the grace to become obedient to your holy will. Help me get out of my own way and let you work through me. Let me be your instrument of love and peace.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will do something hidden for another out of love for you, and seek no credit for having done so.
For Further Reflection: Pray this prayer by St. John Henry Newman, which was a favorite of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s: Radiating Christ.
Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and a lay member of Regnum Christi. She blogs at word-life-light.com.
September 15, 2026 – Pierced with a Sword
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
John 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Opening Prayer: Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Word of God, open my heart and become living and effective in me (cf. Heb 4:12) while I ponder your words in this passage.
Encountering Christ:
- The Sword Reveals: When Jesus was an infant, Simeon told Mary that her heart would one day be pierced “so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:35). The one to whom all thoughts are revealed is Christ, the Word: “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Heb 4:12). The sword, the word of God, pierced the heart of Mary, and it pierces our hearts with the truth every time we meditate on the Scriptures. When we read God’s word, our hearts are laid open before him. Mary’s Immaculate Heart—itself pierced with a sword—is part of God’s plan to deliver his word to us. As St. Louis de Montfort said, “to Jesus through Mary.”
- Redemptive Suffering: Mary knew Isaiah’s prophecy about the Suffering Servant (cf. Isa 53). She was aware that suffering was a key part of her Son’s mission, and she willingly participated in his sufferings. When we encounter our own sufferings, we have the same chance to participate in Christ’s saving mission by offering God our hurts, failures, illnesses, sorrow, and grief. When we unite our suffering to Christ’s, our offering becomes meritorious for the salvation of the world. As St. John Paul II said, “Christ has raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ” (Salvifici Doloris, 19).
- Our Mother’s Heart: When Jesus gave John to Mary, he made all of humanity her children for eternity. How blessed we are! No one has ever had a mother with more compassion and tenderness than we do in Mary. Her Immaculate Heart is the most beautiful work of God’s creation. She is “the most excellent fruit of the redemption” (Sacrosantum Concilium, 103). Mary’s maternal heart is sorrowful, yet it is marvelously full of love for God and for us. St. Jerome wrote, “Even while living in the world, the heart of Mary was so filled with motherly tenderness and compassion for men that no one ever suffered so much for their own pains, as Mary suffered for the pains of her children.”
Conversing with Christ: Immaculate Heart of Mary, my mother, lead me to your Son. Please receive my prayers and make them beautiful for Christ. Sacred Heart of Jesus, reveal my heart to yours. Open it and lay it bare in front of you. Discern and purify the innermost thoughts of my heart. Fill my heart with a love that burns with such a pure and radiant love for you that others are attracted to you by this love.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray a rosary in honor of my mother Mary and offer some small sacrifice out of love for you.
Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and a lay member of Regnum Christi. She blogs at word-life-light.com.
September 16, 2026 – Two Ways to Repentance
Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
Luke 7:31-35
Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
Opening Prayer: Thank, you Jesus, for coming to save sinners, because I am a poor sinner who needs saving! Open my heart to your wise and truthful word.
Encountering Christ:
- Popular Opinion: Jesus commented in today’s Gospel reading about just how quickly popular opinion can change. First, John the Baptist made people uncomfortable because they thought his message of conversion was too radical. They found some reason to discredit him by spreading rumors that he was possessed. When Jesus came, he made people uncomfortable because he ate and drank with the people he came to save, namely sinners. So they discredited Jesus by spreading rumors, calling him a glutton and a drunkard. These days, everyone seems to have very strong opinions about a myriad of political and social issues. We know how divisive and fickle popular opinion can be, but we are still sometimes strangely compelled to live up to it. I ask myself: Do I seek balance and wisdom by praying with the word of Christ, or do I let myself get swayed by popular opinion?
- Comfort Zones: Both John and Jesus made the crowds uncomfortable by their preaching. The fasting and repentance John the Baptist advocated was not popular, easy, or fun. The penitents who followed John’s call sought spiritual change, which challenged observers to reflect on their own lives, drawing them out of their comfort zone. Jesus fraternized with outcasts, and the Pharisees were scandalized. They judged Jesus instead of trying to imitate him because eating with tax collectors and sinners was outside their comfort zone. Living as a Christian often isn’t comfortable. I ask myself: Am I too comfortable in my faith, or am I being asked to step out of my comfort zone in some way on behalf of Christ?
- Repentance, Two Ways: The theme of this Gospel is repentance. Both John and Jesus sought to bring about repentance in the hearts of sinners. John called for repentance outwardly and publicly. He drew great crowds who prepared their hearts for the Lord’s coming. Jesus’ call for repentance was often interior and individual. He looked into hearts and forgave their sins. Jesus gave the Pharisees who complained about his methods this reasoning: “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners” (Lk 5:31-32). I ask myself: How am I responding to the invitation by the Great Physician to repent?
Conversing with Christ: Jesus, I want to see reality the way you see it. I know that other people have ways of doing things that are different from my own. Help me not to judge them rashly. Fill my mouth with praise for you and for others, especially when I feel like complaining. May I always be encouraging towards others, never judgmental. May I be constantly reminded of my own need for repentance and conversion.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will catch myself when I’m about to complain and turn the moment into an opportunity to praise and thank you interiorly.
For Further Reflection: Read this reflection about Why Jesus Ate with Tax Collectors and Sinners.
Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and a lay member of Regnum Christi. She blogs at word-life-light.com.
September 17, 2026 – From Sinfulness to Devotion
Thursday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 7:36-50
A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Opening Prayer: Lord God, thank you for this teaching about forgiveness and love. As I reflect on your words, please redeem my sinful patterns of behavior, offer me your divine mercy, and move me to love and devote myself to you always.
Encountering Christ:
- Repentance: The first thing we hear about the woman in this Gospel reading is that she learned Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house. Someone must have told her, and this was really good news for her! What we do not hear is what she thought and did between hearing the news and showing up at the Pharisee’s home. The movement of her heart toward repentance began when she made the choice to encounter Christ. She must have known that she needed Jesus’ mercy. Upon seeing him, she demonstrated her repentance by bathing his feet with tears and kisses, wiping them clean with her hair, and anointing them with oil from an alabaster flask. Alabaster is a beautiful, precious stone that was used for holding strong perfume. She poured out this fragrant sacrifice of expensive oil on Our Lord’s feet in a spirit of contrition and humility. When we offer a sacrifice to Our Lord, we are also pouring the perfume of our love over his precious feet.
- Forgiven: The woman approached Jesus full of hope that she could be forgiven of a sinful pattern of behavior. She wisely knew that she had a large debt she was unable to pay on her own. Sometimes we feel hesitant to come before Jesus and offer him our failures, hurts, and sins. Jesus wants us to approach him full of hope for forgiveness. Only when we understand how much Christ loves us and wants us to be whole, can we approach Christ without any hesitation, unafraid to seek out his mercy. By reflecting on his word, our understanding of his limitless love grows.
- Devotion: Western Church tradition holds that the unnamed sinful woman who repented in today’s Gospel is St. Mary Magdalene. After her encounter with Jesus, she became his truly devoted disciple. She was a wealthy woman from Magdala who provided for him out of her own resources and followed Jesus even to his cross (cf. Lk 8:2 and Jn 19:25). Like Mary, we bring our resources to Jesus—our time, talent, and treasure—so that he can use them to extend his Kingdom. Our heartfelt devotion to Jesus can be a powerful witness to others who might be hesitant to experience his love and mercy.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Jesus, I am in awe of how much contrition, care, and love St. Mary Magdalene showed you. I can imagine her tearfully adoring your precious feet. I can see her gently wiping them clean with her own hair. All regard for herself was gone; she was focused only on you. She lavished you with love. She did not speak a word, but her actions spoke the truth in her heart: “Lord, I am sorry for all that I have done. I want to change my life. I never want to return to my old, sinful ways. Lord, I love you. Please have mercy on me.”
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will examine my conscience and set a date and time to receive your mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation.
Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and a lay member of Regnum Christi. She blogs at word-life-light.com.
September 18, 2026 – Spread the Good News
Friday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 8:1-3
Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.
Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for teaching me. Thank you for healing me. Thank you for saving me. Help me to hear your word and to open myself to what you are teaching me in this encounter with you.
Encountering Christ:
- Spreading the Good News: Jesus and the Twelve spent most of their time spreading the good news of the Kingdom of God. They were outstanding witnesses to Jesus’ love. In our day, people who are truly Christ-followers, who are excited about their faith, also can’t help but draw people to Christ. We evangelize by living our lives in a principled, joyful, Christ-centered way. We help others encounter Christ by sharing our own experiences of having received Christ’s mercy. When we speak passionately about these things, we spread the good news and are Jesus’ modern apostles.
- Grateful Stewards: What a beautiful model of stewardship we see in the women who provided for Jesus and the Twelve. “Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God’s gifts and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbor” (Catholic Diocese of Wichita, Kansas). These women were not obligated to provide for the Twelve. They were not expecting anything in return for their stewardship. They gave of their resources out of love for Christ and love for the people that Christ was healing and saving. A grateful heart is a prerequisite for authentic stewardship.
- Evangelizing Saint: St. Mary Magdalene was a grateful steward because she had been healed by Christ from seven demons and had been forgiven for her sins. Her love was so great that she bravely accompanied St. John and the Blessed Virgin Mary (cf. Jn 19:25) to the foot of the cross. Her fidelity was rewarded. She was given the title, “Apostle to the Apostles” as the first to witness the Resurrection. She told St. Peter and the others on that Easter morning, “I have seen the Lord” (Jn 20:18). May we imitate St. Mary Magdalene—the very first person to spread the good news of Christ’s Resurrection.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Jesus, I want others to experience you as I have experienced you. Grant me the fortitude I need to share with others how you have worked in my life. May I proclaim you with vulnerability and sincerity. May I always serve you out of a grateful response to your love.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will look for an opportunity to say your name aloud to someone I meet, in imitation of Mary Magdalene.
For Further Reflection: Check out these resources on the New Evangelization from the USCCB: New Evangelization Toolkit.
Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and a lay member of Regnum Christi. She blogs at word-life-light.com.
September 19, 2026 – Stressed? Rest!
Saturday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 8:4-15
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand. This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.”
Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of your word. I believe that this word is “living and effective” (Heb 4:12). Help it penetrate my heart, take root, and grow into a fruitful harvest for your glory.
Encountering Christ:
- Gifts of Knowledge and Understanding: Jesus spoke in parables because, although his disciples had been granted the gifts of knowledge and understanding, the rest of the people who gathered to hear him had not. Most people needed to hear the truths of the Gospel in parables to better understand Jesus’ meaning. He did not intend to hide the mysteries of God’s Kingdom from the people; rather, he spoke to them using stories to which they could relate. We can pray to the Holy Spirit, asking him to grant us the gifts of knowledge and understanding so that the words of Scripture can deeply penetrate our minds. In this way, God cultivates the good soil of our hearts so that we can bear fruit.
- Trampled, Parched, And Choked: Have you ever felt trampled, parched, and choked? Weighted down by sin? Parched for spiritual nourishment? Choked by distractions or anxieties? Most people have had these experiences from time to time and in different seasons of their lives. The answer to a weary, tired, trampled body, mind, or spirit is to rest in the Lord—to allow his healing presence to soak in and renew us. One of the best remedies for our soul-weariness is time spent in quiet contemplation before the tabernacle. “There is no doubt that a flood of graces will descend upon your family and the world if more souls would become pupils of the Eucharist” (St. John XXIII).
- Rich Soil: Our Lord tells us, “But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.” We can’t obtain the “rich soil” Jesus speaks of on our own. We do our part when we clear out the large boulders (habitual sins) through the sacrament of reconciliation, till the soil of our souls by making the sacrifices necessary to conform our lives to the Ten Commandments and the beatitudes, and fertilize and water the soil by regular meditation on the word. In the midst of our gardening, we rely on Jesus to empower us with generosity and perseverance. Only by his grace will we bear lasting fruit.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, when I have sinned, help me to repent and “create a clean heart for me” (Ps 51:12). When I get distracted from my heavenly focus, please remind me of my upward calling (cf. Phil 3:14). When I feel weary, please remind me that your “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). When I am anxious, bless me with the grace to trust in you and rely not on my intelligence (cf. Prov 3:5). Shepherd me beyond my failures and faults, and use my experiences to cultivate good soil in my heart so that I can be your fruitful servant.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will set aside time to rest in you, before the tabernacle if possible, and cast aside all my cares, trusting in you and your providence.
Carey Boyzuck is a wife, mother, freelance writer, and a lay member of Regnum Christi. She blogs at word-life-light.com.
September 20, 2026 – From Envy to Joy
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew 20:1-16a
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I look to you with gratitude for all that I have received and for all that I have to offer, little though it may be. Lord, I humbly ask for this grace: Help me to rejoice when others receive good things.
Encountering Christ:
- Gratitude: In this passage, the workers became jealous when they saw that others who worked a shorter shift received the same daily wage. This passage is an invitation to grow in personal gratitude for the work we are called to do. It is a blessing to have a job, to be chosen for a task and to contribute to a cause. Work is gratifying, even though it can also be tiring and hard. In the words of St. John Paul II, “Work is a good thing for man—a good thing for his humanity—because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfilment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes ‘more a human being’” (Laborem Exercens, 9). Let us thank God for the work he places in our hands and accomplish it to the best of our ability for his glory.
- Freedom from Comparison: Our hearts can easily move from gratitude to indignance when someone receives more than we judge is their due. Let’s look at the situation of the latecomer to the vineyard. Did he spend anxious hours looking for work before he was hired? Was he passed by earlier because he was older, handicapped, or dealing with a sick child at home? We can never fully comprehend the plight of another. In addition to personal gratitude for our own situation, we are called to have empathy for others. Comparing ourselves to others blocks our ability to see things from their perspective—the basic requirement for empathy.
- Rejoicing in Another’s Good Fortune: Blessed be God, who distributes gifts according to a purpose (cf. Rom 12:6). We can always trust God’s good judgment. Only when we are firmly grounded in the knowledge that we are loved by God can we truly rejoice at another’s good fortune. If we labor all day as faithful disciples in his vineyard, blessed be God. If we find our meaning and purpose in God later in life, blessed be God. Either way, our reward for a job well done far surpasses our human efforts. We will never deserve heaven. It is God’s free gift given to those who know, love, and serve him in this world.
Conversing with Christ: Dear Lord, I am grateful for the ability to work in your vineyard, spreading the good news to the souls you place in my life. Please help me to grow in compassion and empathy for those in need of conversion. I want to be your emissary in this suffering world and reach out to meet the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of others.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will practice gratitude for the work you have given me to do.
For Further Reflection: Laborem Exercens, by St. John Paul II.
Renee Pomarico is Communications Director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi. She is from Philadelphia, has been consecrated to God since 2000, and is currently stationed in Rome.
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Fr. Kevin O’Byrne, LC is from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, where he joined Regnum Christi in high school. He gave a year in Regnum Christi Mission Corps during which he discerned to enter the Legionary novitiate in 2011. He was ordained in 2024. After becoming a deacon, he was sent to Dallas, Texas, to serve as the chaplain of the ECYD boys and of the Highlands School. In 2025, he began a new mission in Ireland where he ministers at Dublin Oak Academy as chaplain, director of spiritual formation and professor.
Margie Lademan was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, and was consecrated in 2003. Her assignments have mostly been to communities in the Midwest (Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit), where she has enjoyed providing mission experiences and integral formation for youth, young adults and families, accompanying individuals as a spiritual director, and doing music ministry on the side. She has experience working in Regnum Christi schools and served for a few years as a formation instructor in Overbrook Academy, an international boarding school program in Rhode Island. Since 2021, she has been residing in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she serves as the community director for the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, a spiritual director for young adults, and focuses on accompanying middle school and high school girls in their ECYD life and mission. You are invited to pray for her especially on September 18th, which is her birthday.
Victoria Backstrom was born in Minnesota and was consecrated in 2014. She lives in Madrid, Spain, and occasionally helps at camps, Caminos de Santiago, and missions, especially during the summers. She finished studying Business Administration and Theology last year and is currently working in the administration office of the Consecrated Women and on the pastoral team at a high school in Madrid.
Br. Julian Coronado, LC 
Br. Christopher Dalton, LC
Br. Andrew Lang, LC
Br. Joseph Lazzuri, LC
Br. Nicholas Reddy, LC
Br. Joel Thomas, LC
Br. David Urda, LC