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RC DAILY MEDITATIONS

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DAILY MEDITATIONS

Week July 26 - August 2, 2026

Sunday, July 26, 2026 – Heaven on My Mind

Monday, July 27, 2026 – Our Role in the Kingdom

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 – I Can Only Imagine

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – Martha, Pray for Us

Thursday, July 30, 2026 – “Yes” to Evangelization

Friday, July 31, 2026 – The Rejection at Nazareth

Saturday, August 1, 2026 – All Is a Grace

Sunday, August 2, 2026 – The Gift of Letting Go

July 26, 2026 – Heaven on My Mind

26-07-26-DM

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, as you talk of heaven, help me to listen attentively and learn something of the truth you are trying to teach me about the ultimate destiny of every faithful Christian.

Encountering Christ: 

  1. “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…”: In these lines of Scripture, Our Lord shared with us a description of his Father’s Kingdom—his own thoughts about heaven. If we’re honest, we should all contemplate heaven often. Heaven is the home of the Trinity, of the Blessed Mother, and of the saints known and unknown. Heaven is ourultimate destiny, our eternal home. Although shrouded in mystery, heaven is as real as the everyday reality of our lives. Heaven can be known here and now, and experienced, not in its totality while we live, but in periodic moments of spiritual consolation. Jesus wants us to know about heaven and could have used many different words to explain it to all of us, but let’s look at the similes he chose and what they tell us about the Kingdom.

     

  2. “Heaven Is Like a Treasure Buried in a Field…”: Experiences of heaven on earth are like treasures buried in a field of ordinary day-to-day events. When we have a soul-expanding experience of God, we don’t forget it. It might necessarily recede from the foreground of our thoughts as we go about living, but recalling it brings the “treasure” back into focus, spiritually and sometimes also emotionally or physically. These little glimmers of the divine compel us to seek God ever more deeply—to “sell all we have and buy the field.” St. Teresa of Avila explains: “[Divine favors] appear to dilate and enlarge us internally, and benefit us in an inexplicable manner, nor does even the soul itself understand what it receives. It is conscious of what may be described as a certain fragrance, as if within its inmost depths were a brazier sprinkled with sweet perfumes. Although the spirit neither sees the flame nor knows where it is, yet it is penetrated by the warmth, and scented fumes, which are even sometimes perceived by the body (The Interior Castle, Chapter II).

     

  3. “Heaven Is Like a Merchant Searching…”: Seeking the pearl of great price requires our time, attention, and effort—we dedicate the best moments of our day to the task. During our daily conversation with Christ, as we seek the pearl of great price, we fulfill our mission and purpose: “to know [God], to love him, and to serve him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in heaven” (Baltimore Catechism). We avail ourselves of heaven on earth—an experience of Jesus. “We can touch Christ’s heart and feel him touching ours. Only in this personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the risen One do we truly become Christians. And in this way our reason opens, all Christ’s wisdom opens as do all the riches of truth” (Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, September 3, 2008).

Conversing with Christ: Lord, I am moved that you wanted me to know something of the heaven you have prepared for each of us. Thoughts of heaven can be a balm to suffering souls and a strong antidote to the tedium of the everyday. Thank you for preparing a place for me (cf. Jn 14:1-3). Help me to be worthy one day of joining you there.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will write my own short description of heaven as a prayer of gratitude.

For Further Reflection: Saints’ descriptions of heaven:

St. Augustine: “There, good will shall be so ordered in us that we shall have no other desire than to remain there eternally.”

St. Anselm of Canterbury: “No one will have any other desire in heaven than what God wills; and the desire of one will be the desire of all; and the desire of all and of each one will also be the desire of God.”

St. Jean Vianney: “O my dear parishioners, let us endeavor to get to heaven! There we shall see God. How happy we shall feel! If the parish is converted we shall go there in procession with the parish priest at the head… We must get to heaven!”

St. Thomas More: “Earth hath no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.”

St. Therese of Lisieux: “Our Lord does not come down from heaven every day to lie in a golden ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to him—the heaven of our souls, created in his image, the living temples of the adorable Trinity.”

Maribeth Harper celebrated paying the last tuition bill for her kids’ college by writing a book for parents who have college-aged young adults: A Spiritual Toolbox: Tips for Parenting through the First Year of College. She is a wife of over thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.

July 27, 2026 – Our Role in the Kingdom

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Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’” He spoke to them in another parable. “The Kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.” All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet: I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

Opening Prayer: Lord, I am one of the “crowd” today listening to your words. I am full of expectation and willingness to learn. Please bless me with deeper understanding.

Encountering Christ:

  1. What Was Hidden Has Been Announced: Our Lord, quoting Psalm 78:2, fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy and shared with us some truths about heaven. It seems Our Lord wanted us to mull these parables over, to wonder about heaven, to cast the eyes of our souls in that direction. He knows perfectly the hole in our hearts that only he can fill, and he calls us to acknowledge our neediness and our homesickness—to live as sojourners on our way to our eternal home.

     

  2. Mustard Seed Experiences: Likening the Kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed teaches us that our smallest, most seemingly insignificant life experience, if it deepens our faith, can make a God-sized impact on the world. When we see the little “coincidences” of our day as blessings from God or receive the crosses with open-heartedness, we can be sure Our Lord’s Kingdom is growing, even if we don’t perceive it. He is working! “To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul” (St. Thérèse of Lisieux).

     

  3. The Whole Batch Was Leavened: A woman took the yeast and mixed it into the dough. She actively participated in the leavening of her bread. Similarly, when we “mix” our divine inspirations with our daily activities, the Kingdom of God grows. “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Conversing with Christ: Lord, it’s clear from your words that I play an important role in bringing about your Kingdom. How blessed I am to be invited to participate in such a way! Lord, don’t let me miss an opportunity to pray well, do an act of kindness, or fulfill my duty, knowing that these small actions on my part have eternal consequences. All glory to you!

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will imagine the large mustard plant growing as I perform a small invisible act of service for someone.

Maribeth Harper celebrated paying the last tuition bill for her kids’ college by writing a book for parents who have college-aged young adults: A Spiritual Toolbox: Tips for Parenting through the First Year of College. She is a wife of over thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.

July 28, 2026 – I Can Only Imagine

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Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, give me ears to hear the message you intend for me to take from this time of prayer.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Explain It to Us: As the disciples followed Our Lord away from the crowds and into a private home, they asked Jesus to explain his parable to them. They set a good example for us. In our quiet time of reflection, away from the crowds in our life, we please the Lord when we read and study his word to seek deeper understanding. If we’re confused by something he seems to be saying, we simply ask, “Explain it, please,” and he will, either in the moment, or later in a way that often surprises and delights us. Our Lord wants us to ask for the spiritual gifts of wisdom and knowledge so that we may one day say, like Saint Paul, “In him we live and move and have our being.” Understanding the Scriptures aids in this transformation.

     

  2. The Devil Is Real: Jesus warns us about the Devil—the enemy who sows weeds, which are souls who will be burned up by fire at the end of the age. This is a pretty sobering reality, yet four of ten American Catholics don’t believe in Satan, claiming that he is merely a symbol, not a person. To deny his existence can be dangerous spiritual folly. According to Pope Francis, “Some say: but Father, the devil does not exist, it is evil, such an ethereal evil… But God’s Word is clear.” And C. S. Lewis warns us in the Screwtape Letters, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors.”

     

  3. The Righteous Will Shine: What good news Our Lord declares about the destiny of the righteous! At the end of the age, the righteous will have absorbed all the grace sent by the Lord, they will have endured the ever-present temptations of evil, and they will have heard with their ears the will of their Father and acted upon it. With an absence of weeds (imagine a kingdom without evil) the righteous will freely shine, reflecting the light of the Father. This news is cause for rejoicing!

Conversing with Christ: Lord, please help me to hold these realities of heaven and hell in the forefront of my mind, not so that I am disturbed, but that I am properly oriented. Allow me to anticipate with supernatural hope that many, many souls will one day join you where the “righteous will shine.”

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will actively look for little signs of heaven throughout my day.

Maribeth Harper celebrated paying the last tuition bill for her kids’ college by writing a book for parents who have college-aged young adults: A Spiritual Toolbox: Tips for Parenting through the First Year of College. She is a wife of over thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.

July 29, 2026 – Martha, Pray for Us

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Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

John 11:19-27

Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother Lazarus, who had died. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, strengthen my belief in your power and might as I reflect on your personal testimony. You are the resurrection and the life.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Seeking Jesus: Mary and Martha had two very different reactions to their brother’s death—both legitimate responses to their overwhelming grief. Mary retreated, mourning at home while Martha went to meet Jesus. Martha, in this case, wasn’t merely seeking consolation from her friend, Jesus. Full of hope, she set out to ask Jesus for no less than a miracle. “Even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you,” she pleaded with Jesus. How moved Our Lord must have been by her trust! Martha’s brother had been dead for days, after all! When we go out to meet Jesus in the Eucharist, at our nearby Adoration chapel, or silently in the depths of our hearts, let’s not hesitate to ask him for our deepest desires. Saint Martha, pray for us.

     

  2. We Will Rise: Martha’s plea prompted Jesus to speak some of the most beautifully consoling words in Scripture, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” For those who mourn the loss of a loved one, there is no greater gift than these few words of Jesus’. And we can be even more reassured than Martha was, knowing with hindsight that our Savior himself rose from the dead and prepares a place for each of us one day in heaven (cf. Jn 14:3).

     

  3. Faith: Despite her grief, Martha professed unwavering faith when she boldly stated that Jesus is the “Son of God.” She had witnessed Jesus preaching, curing the sick, and expelling demons, but he hadn’t yet risen from the dead nor founded his Church. Still, she knew and publicly revealed Jesus’ divinity before everyone who had come to mourn Lazarus. Her proclamation of faith was about to be rewarded by the raising of Lazarus from the dead. That’s how faith works! “Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward of faith is to see what you believe” (Homily by St. Augustine).

Conversing with Christ: Lord, how blessed we are to hear from the Scriptures that you are the resurrection and the life! Your power over life and death is the ultimate consolation for us, since we know we are mere creatures destined to return to dust one day. Death has no sting (cf. 1 Cor 15:55) when we rest in the promise you make, “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” You ask me, “Do you believe this?” I say, “Yes, Lord, help my unbelief!”

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a special sacrifice for those who mourn a loved one.

For Further Reflection: Here is a prayer from the Catholic Order of Funerals for those who mourn.

Lord, ______________ is gone now from this earthly dwelling,

and has left behind those who mourn his/her absence.

Grant that we may hold his/her memory dear,

never bitter for what we have lost

nor in regret for the past,

but always in hope of the eternal Kingdom

where you will bring us together again. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Maribeth Harper celebrated paying the last tuition bill for her kids’ college by writing a book for parents who have college-aged young adults: A Spiritual Toolbox: Tips for Parenting through the First Year of College. She is a wife of over thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.

July 30, 2026 – “Yes” to Evangelization

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Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:47-53

Jesus said to the disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Do you understand all these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

Opening Prayer: Lord, you ask in the Gospel, “Do you understand these things?” Help me in these moments of intimacy with you to understand what your message means to me here and now, in this blessed day you have given me.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Caught in a Net: When Jesus casts the net into the sea at the end of time, we will all be “caught”—those of us who lived to love, and those who loved to live for themselves. But we won’t necessarily be able to distinguish one from the other, nor should we try. Even now, it is Our Lord’s job to condemn the wicked, not ours. Instead, we are called to love and serve them. “Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back… Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:35-36).

     

  2. New and Old: Jesus called every scribe (that is, every Christian) the head of a household. We are to share with others our love of Christ, which is the fruit of our prayer and sacramental life, in an effort to expand the Kingdom of Christ. We rely on our Catholic formation (the old) and our ongoing experience of Christ (the new) to nurture and care for others as the head of a household tends to the needs of his family.

     

  3. Do You Understand?: There can be no doubt as to the responsibility that comes with our “yes” to Jesus. To the disciples’ “yes,” Jesus gave them the responsibility to extend his Kingdom as heads of households. By our “yes,” we must acknowledge that Jesus likewise calls us to reach out to the souls he has entrusted to us. We pray for them, we serve them, and we evangelize them, according to the will of the Lord.

Conversing with Christs: Jesus, it’s obvious by your parable that the stakes are high for our souls and the souls of those we love. I have said “yes” to you over and over in my prayer and by my actions, but I have also failed you. Please give me the grace of final perseverance and the ability to be a loving influence on the souls entrusted to me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will prayerfully call to mind the souls you have entrusted to me up to now, and offer a rosary (or another specific prayer) for them.

Maribeth Harper celebrated paying the last tuition bill for her kids’ college by writing a book for parents who have college-aged young adults: A Spiritual Toolbox: Tips for Parenting through the First Year of College. She is a wife of over thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.

July 31, 2026 – The Rejection at Nazareth

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Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to be your disciple, faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and sagacious in sharing the good news with those I love.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Our Native Place: What brought Jesus to his native place? To see his mother? To preach to the people he knew from his childhood days? What was in his heart? Like ourselves, perhaps Jesus was most interested in those he cared for from childhood. He wanted them to discover the light and the truth. But those with whom we are closest are often the hardest ones to talk to about the faith. When our loved ones reject our faith, it can feel like a personal rejection, especially when the faith means so much to us. Let’s ask the Lord for strength and wisdom to share what is important to us with those we most love.

     

  2. They Took Offense at Him: Imagine the suffering heart of Jesus as his teaching was rejected in his own native place. What is his outward reaction? He did what he could without forcing their hand. He knew that they were free to choose to believe or not to believe. His sadness was not directed at himself because he was personally rejected, but at their hard-heartedness. He was sad for them, for what they would miss out on—the gifts that the Father so longed to give them. He was sad that they did not recognize the call to live in the Kingdom of God for which they were created. When we find ourselves rejected, we can ask to have a heart like Christ’s and offer our sadness or hurt for the good of those who reject us.

     

  3. Mighty Deeds and Faith: The Gospel says that Jesus did not work mighty deeds among them because of their lack of faith. This speaks of the power of faith. While faith is a gift, it is also a human act of opening the door. We welcome the Lord’s action and presence in our lives. With faith, we “give God permission” to do what he sees fit to do. Faith also implies trust that God seeks to give us good things. Faith permits God to perform salutary actions, which heal the deepest wounds and orient us toward the greatest freedom found in union with God through the grace of Jesus Christ.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith and for wanting to give me the gift of friendship with you. Help me to welcome this gift daily and share it with others. Give me courage and wisdom so I may also be a channel of your grace to others.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will be attentive to opportunities to share the good news with others through my words, deeds, and silent prayers.

Jennifer Ristine is a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi dedicated to spiritual and faith formation through teaching, conferences, writing, and spiritual direction. While serving in Ancient Magdala she wrote Mary Magdalene: Insights from Ancient Magdala and “Nine Days with Mary Magdalene.”

August 1, 2026 – All Is a Grace

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Saturday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 14:1-12

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

Opening Prayer: Lord, this Gospel always brings to my mind the weakness and corruption we are so capable of without grace. Please bless me as I contemplate more deeply this sad account of John the Baptist’s death.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Bad Leadership: Herod ordered John the Baptist killed because he had sworn in front of the palace guests to give Salome up to half of the kingdom. Herod made a rash decision driven by his own vanity. Leadership that is solely dependent upon what the flock thinks is weak leadership. Queen Herodias exploited her husband’s weaknesses and her daughter’s charm when she asked her daughter to dance for the head of John the Baptist. Leadership that exploits others is corrupt leadership. We are called to exercise Christ-centered servant leadership, where the good of the other motivates decision-making. This kind of leadership is a spiritual gift requiring diligence (cf. Rom 12:8), best exercised by individuals grounded in daily prayer and the sacraments.

     

  2. Paranoia Blinds: Herod mistook Jesus for the ghost of John the Baptist, the man he had imprisoned and murdered. Why? The Scripture tells us Herod “feared the people,” lived with his brother’s wife, and capitulated when Herodias’s daughter asked for John’s head on a platter. He apparently succumbed to his lustful and gluttonous passions while making several important decisions. Moreover, he was fearful and paranoid that John, who had mighty powers, would haunt him. Knowing how sin darkens the intellect and clouds judgment, we might deduce that Herod’s sins adversely affected his spiritual discernment. He failed to recognize Jesus. By contrast, believers in Jesus accept the freedom from sin that he offers through the sacraments and, by his grace, see more clearly his actions in our lives.

     

  3. Peace in Adversity: Jesus said of John the Baptist, “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist.” (Mt 11:11). When Jesus said this, John was in Herod’s dungeon, destined for beheading. I wonder what John would have thought had he overheard Jesus’s statement? John’s inauspicious circumstances call to mind what St. Teresa of Avila said to Jesus many years later, “If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few.” Although Scripture doesn’t record John’s words or thoughts from captivity, he was probably peaceful. Saint Alphonsus Ligouri says, “The more a person loves God, the more reason he has to hope in him. This hope produces in the saints an unutterable peace, which they preserve even in adversity, because as they love God, and know how beautiful he is to those who love him, they place all their confidence and find all their repose in him alone.”

Conversing with Christ: Lord, Herod seemed like a despicable character—weak-willed, sensual, and vain. It’s easy to judge his behavior and presume I’ll never stoop so low. Please give me the grace to remember that any good I do I owe to your initiative. You created me and loved me first.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will make a good examination of conscience and offer some reparation for my weaknesses.

Maribeth Harper celebrated paying the last tuition bill for her kids’ college by writing a book for parents who have college-aged young adults: A Spiritual Toolbox: Tips for Parenting through the First Year of College. She is a wife of over thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.

August 2, 2026 – The Gift of Letting Go

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Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over—twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I look to you with faith, knowing that you are the Lord of all. I trust my weakness to your grace. I give the little I have so that you can multiply the gifts I have received for the good of others. Lord, I humbly ask for help to let go of being in control, detaching my heart from achievements and success to receive what you give.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Give: Jesus says there is no need for the crowds to go away and buy food for themselves. He challenges the Apostles, saying, “Give them some food yourselves.” Our independent culture teaches us to fend for ourselves and to let others do likewise. That’s not what Christians do, however. The Apostles thought it was impossible to feed over five thousand people with no food. We know, however, what Scripture teaches: “For God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26). By faith, we are able to do everything Our Lord asks of us. We are asked to use our God-given talents for his glory.

     

  2. Knowing Our Weaknesses: Life can sometimes challenge us beyond our means. Recognizing our limitations, asking for help, depending on others, inconveniencing them—all of this can be very difficult. Jesus was not inconvenienced by the crowds, and he is not inconvenienced when we bring our needs to him. Jesus taught the Apostles (and us by their example) that when something is too hard, we are to bring what we have to the Lord and allow him to provide what is lacking. Our dependence on Christ delights him.

     

  3. “Bring Them Here to Me”: Five loaves and two fish are a paltry bit of food for a crowd so large. Likewise, our efforts to live our vocation well, serve the poor, or feed hungry souls with the Gospel message are inconsequential unless we give them to Christ to be transformed for his glory. As Saint Paul reminds us, we might sing arias, write bestsellers, or run a megachurch, but our works will be clanging cymbals if we’re not connected to Christ (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-3). To serve Christ is an invitation to interiority, to live by faith, to cultivate detachment from the results we would like to see. When we do so, Jesus calls us his Apostles and shares his mission with us.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I walk in your company, and I want to learn how to rely on you, especially when I feel that I have nothing left to give. Help me to know that what I have is enough for you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will surrender all that I have to you and watch with eyes of faith for your multiplication of my meager efforts.

For Further Reflection: Read Saint Paul’s words (1 Cor 13:1-7): “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

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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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!