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RC DAILY MEDITATIONS
RC DAILY MEDITATIONS

THE WEEKLY DIGEST
OF REGNUM CHRISTI
DAILY MEDITATIONS

Week of July 27 - August 3, 2025

Sunday, July 27, 2025 – Lord, Teach Me to Pray!

Monday, July 28, 2025 – I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

Tuesday, July 29, 2025 – Martha, Pray for Us

Wednesday, July 30, 2025 – Pearl of Great Price

Thursday, July 31, 2025 – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Friday, August 1, 2025 – The Rejection at Nazareth

Saturday, August 2, 2025 – Absolute Power

Sunday, August 3, 2025 – Attachments, Detachment, and Interior Freedom

July 27, 2025 – Lord, Teach Me to Pray!

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 11:1-13

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Opening Prayer: My dear Father in Heaven, you are truly holy. Lord open my heart to your Spirit and guide me in this time of prayer. Thank you for loving me as I am and forgive me for my many failings.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Lord, Teach Me to Pray: Imagine the disciples watching Jesus as his prayer unfolded. How many times had they seen him steeped in prayer? What about this moment made them curious? What was Jesus’ posture? How did his intensity reveal itself? Watching Jesus talk to his Father must have deeply inspired the disciples because they asked to be taught how to pray. We all want an intimacy in our prayer that draws us close to the Father, don’t we? May the Lord teach us to pray.
  2. A Friend at Midnight?: Our Lord was eager to teach his disciples how to pray. In the parable he shared, Jesus urged them (and us) to be persistent in prayer. Persistence in prayer can be difficult while we wait for an answer. Discouragement can sap our hope. But persistence can become much easier if we remember whom we are talking to. We know that Our Lord is pure love. Therefore we can trust him with our deepest longings, knowing that he works everything out for the best (cf. Rom 8:28). “For ‘we have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast constantly, but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing.’ This tireless fervor can come only from love. Against our dullness and laziness, the battle of prayer is that of humble, trusting, and persevering love” (CCC 2743).
  3. Snakes and Scorpions: This may sound strange, but aren’t there times we think we’re getting snakes in answer to our prayers? How often do we look at prayers, perhaps for a dying friend, and wonder if they are being heard? We can be tempted to pull away from God, to cross our arms like a stubborn toddler. If we’re wise, however, we’ll follow St. Paul’s recommendation and praise God! “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:16-18). As hard as it can be, we praise God for our suffering, and for the good we find in the midst of our deep sorrow. When we praise God, we greatly bless him and our praise draws an abundance of grace upon us and those we love.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, your relationship with the Father is intriguing and captivating. There is an intimacy that I see and that I want. Lord help me, in my prayer, to form that intimacy that only comes with relationship. Help me, through your Holy Spirit, to grow closer to you. Help me to grow in trust as your plan for me unfolds.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will seek out a special time of personal prayer, perhaps to make a visit to Christ in the Tabernacle or a Eucharistic Holy Hour, where I will praise you.

For Further Reflection: Psalm 28 is a beautiful prayer during hardship.

Bob Cohn is an electrical engineer with a manufacturing firm, and he loves to share his faith through speaking and writing.

July 28, 2025 – I Will Open My Mouth in Parables

Monday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew 13:31-35

He proposed another parable to them. “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 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 Jesus, grant me the grace to recognize the kingdom present in mystery and participate in building your kingdom here on earth.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Hidden in Mystery from the Foundation: Jesus’s veiled parables speak of one of the most profound mysteries of God’s plan. To grasp it, we must consider the beginning in the book of Genesis, through the sacrifice of the cross in the Gospels, and on to the book of Revelation. God desired to create man in his image, to give the gift of himself in an intimate relationship to the summit of his creation, the human person. But God’s gift of friendship was rejected. The Lord’s sovereign reign, where all good things will be given in and through him, was cast away. What did the Father do when human freedom rejected his gift? The Father worked with human freedom, preparing the way to establish his reign and invite us to enter into his presence, his kingdom, once again. The key was his Son, Jesus Christ. We enter the kingdom through the heart of Christ, a heart that suffered and died to expiate our sins and enable us to enter into relationship with God once again. The mystery of the kingdom, present in Christ’s body as sacrament, is already present, yet is still being fulfilled until the end times.

  2. Mustard Seed and Yeast: Jesus utilized two powerful images to give us a clue about the kingdom of heaven. He likened it to a mustard seed and yeast. Mustard seeds are the tiniest of seeds, just a small particle in one’s hand that can easily be swept away by a current of wind. But in its humble beginnings lies great potential. A mustard seed grows into “the largest of plants.” A little bit of yeast goes a long way in leavening bread, allowing it to expand and provide sustenance to many. So it is with the kingdom of heaven. In humility, Jesus brought about the greatest of acts—salvation. His kingdom grows in unseen ways wherever his grace is present. All it takes is a small, humble act of faith to allow God to plant and grow his kingdom within.

  3. Branches and Leaven: As we allow ourselves to be converted and further evangelized by the Lord, we grow in friendship with him. His life becomes our life. He permits and makes our lives bear fruit for his kingdom. We become the “branch” and “leaven” in the dough as we participate in the sacramental life of Jesus Christ, present and hidden in mystery. Let’s ask for Jesus’s life to grow in us so that we may also be his humble and worthy disciples, bringing many people to discover the treasure of faith we have just begun to uncover.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe that you are present in your most holy sacraments and wherever your grace abounds. Grant that I may seek you out, welcome you, and live according to your heart, humble and hidden, ready to sacrifice out of love for others.

 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will recognize that in my littleness, the Lord can do great things if I remain united to him in prayer and grace. I will reflect on how to protect my life of grace daily.

For Further Reflection: Grace: What It Is and What It Does, Catholic Answers.

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.”

July 29, 2025 – Martha, Pray for Us

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, may my belief in your power and might deepen 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’s. 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’s 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 thirty-five years, mother of four, and grandmother of twelve and counting.

July 30, 2025 – Pearl of Great Price

Wednesday of the Seventeenth Week 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, thank you for the treasure of this new day. Fill me with the faith, hope, and love I need to reflect your grace. Conform my will to yours so that others may see you in me.

Encountering Christ:

  1. The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…: Most people on their journey to maturity look for the meaning of life. Perhaps the search is for a “higher power”—something outside us or beyond our ability to grasp—some “energy.” In reality, we are searching for a God who is much more personal than any of those concepts. When we encounter Jesus, we have found the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus, we discover, is someone we long to spend time with and grow closer to. We learn that he knows us better than we know ourselves. “You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb” (Ps 139:13). Knowing Jesus gives meaning to our lives. The Kingdom of Heaven is born and grows in our souls until one day it will be fully realized in eternity.
  2. The Search: We use all of our resources to buy the pearl of great price, and then discover that it will take a lifetime to appreciate and fully understand this treasure. St. Paul explains, “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known” (1 Cor 13:12). Because we are bound by our humanity on Earth, our path to holiness will be one of fits and starts. “Beginnings and re-beginnings are important in the spiritual life.” (Fulfillment of All Desire, p.18). At times we may sense God’s presence and other times experience dryness and even abandonment. Whether in consolation or desolation, we pray without ceasing (cf. 1 Thess 5:16). “Immortality is given to the one who perseveres; everlasting life is offered; the Lord promises his Kingdom” (St. Cyprian of Carthage).
  3. The Asking Price: From the beginning of the Church, many Christians have paid a high price to follow Jesus. They have endured persecutions, suffering, and martyrdom. As we spend time in prayer growing closer to Christ, we are slowly transformed and find ourselves willing to make costly sacrifices: tithing, detachment from material goods, works of mercy, and many other personal sacrifices. Filled with zeal, we engage in apostolic initiatives that flow naturally as our desire to share Christ with others flourishes. In fact, we become beacons that point others to a field where they, too, can find the treasure.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I love you and I am so grateful for your deep and personal love for me. Help me to continue to nurture this love through prayer and service to you. Help me to persevere in my prayer and sacrifices. You are the meaning of my life. I want to know you, love you, and serve you in this life so that I may be with you in the next.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will contemplate and review my apostolic initiatives and reflect more deeply on what I am being called to do to bring souls closer to you.

For Further Reflection: The Fulfillment of All Desire, by Ralph Martin.

Bob Cohn is an electrical engineer with a manufacturing firm, and he loves to share his faith through speaking and writing.

July 31, 2022 – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

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, I come before you today seeking your wisdom as I go about my day. Please open my eyes and my heart to your gentle guidance and to the opportunities to serve you and your people today. Heighten my awareness of the areas in my life I need to turn over to you for help.

Encountering Christ:

  1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: As fisherman, many of those hearing these words of Jesus were familiar with the scenario he described. In their daily work it would have been routine to cast out a net until it was full of fish and later to sort out which fish were good enough to eat or sell and which needed to be discarded. We heard a similar allegory earlier in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. Mt 3:12) when Jesus spoke of being “ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fan.” Just as a farmer would sort out and discard the worthless chaff from the valuable wheat, Jesus will separate sin and evil from his church, the world, and our communities at the end of times. Until then, the good, the bad, and the ugly will continue to exist as part of our fallen world.

     

  2. The Wicked and the Righteous: It is easy to become convinced of our own righteousness and call out the wickedness of anyone who does not agree with us. Sadly, within our own Church, country, and families, we often hear proclaimed this false sense of being “on the right side” of theology, politics, or a family conflict. These parables clearly tell us that wickedness and righteousness will continue to do battle in our Church, our communities, our families, and indeed in our souls. With the exception of the Blessed Mother and Jesus himself, there has never been a human being who is completely righteous and without sin. One of the devil’s favorite tricks is to get us to focus on the speck in our brother’s eye while ignoring the plank in our own. Rather than lamenting the state of the world, we turn to God, asking the grace to pursue our own holiness and root out our own sin.
  3. The New and the Old: A good household manager carefully curates storage areas on a regular basis removing junk, clutter, and items that do not bring value to his or her home. Similarly, we “declutter” our souls when we take advantage of the sacrament of Reconciliation, see our spiritual director, and seek mental health care if necessary. We ask God’s help in decluttering our souls of sin, sinful tendencies, negative mental narratives, and all kinds of spiritual junk that keeps us from being the person God created us to be. He restores us and moves in with his grace to fill us to overflowing with his abundant goodness.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, grant me patience and love when I encounter those who think, speak, and act differently than I do. Teach me to see every person I encounter as you see them, with eyes of love and a desire for their good. Curate my heart, my mind, and my soul and fill me with love for good and hatred for sin. Keep me from being judgmental of others, and when I am tempted to be judgmental, gently remind me of my own need for forgiveness.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I pray this prayer from St. Ignatius Loyola:

Take, Lord, and receive my memory, my understanding, my entire will. All that I am, all that I have, are your gift to me. I now return them to you. Give me only your love and your grace; with these I am rich enough, and desire no more.

For Further Reflection: The Second Coming of the Lord and the Last Judgment, by Fr. William Saunders.

Cathy Stamper is a wife, mother of five young adults, and business owner. She reads and writes from her home in Maryland, where she lives with her husband, her beloved dog, and an assortment of finicky cats.

August 1, 2025 – The Rejection at Nazareth

Friday of the Seventeenth Week of Ordinary Time

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 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.

For Further Reflection: How to Evangelize Family Members, Karlo Broussard, Catholic Answers.

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 2, 2025 – Absolute Power

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: My Lord and my Father, as I sit before you today and read these words, open my eyes to any sinfulness that may need to be rooted out of my life. May I keep my eyes on you.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Rules of Convenience: Herod certainly knew that his relationship with his “wife” Heroidas was immoral. Herod’s family had converted to Judaism when they married into the families of some powerful Jews. Rome chose to name him as tetrarch because of his status amongst the Jews. Herod was bound as a Jew to observe Mosaic law, and John the Baptist quite correctly pointed out that taking your brother’s wife as your own, and divorcing your own wife to do so, was wrong. Although Scripture tells us that Herod liked to listen to John (cf. Mk 6:20), he certainly did not appreciate John’s public condemnation of his marriage. As tetrarch, Herod’s actions tell us he felt he could make his own rules.

  2. Birthday Party: When Herodias’s daughter performed a dance for the guests, Herod rashly promised her anything she wanted. Herodias, who was angered by John’s public condemnation of her marriage, prompted her daughter to demand the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and Herod had some tough choices to make. As tetrarch, he could have reneged using any excuse to refuse to execute John. However, because Herod was enslaved by sin, he lacked the moral strength to refuse Herodias. He cared too much about what his guests would think to spare John. Herod succumbed to his pride.

  3. Pride: Herod’s pride and arrogance cause him to murder a man he actually held in regard. “Pride is a sin that is so pervasive, runs so deep within us, that we often don’t even sense it is there. Not only is it a sinful drive in itself, it also plays a role in every other sin we commit. Pride is the sin we most share with Satan and the fallen angels” (Msgr. Charles Pope). We may not have the wealth, power, or prestige Herod wielded as tetrarch but we are just as vulnerable to the sin of pride. Every remnant of pride must be banished from our soul along the narrow path to holiness. Let us examine our actions and thoughts for selfishness, self-sufficiency, envy of others, and other forms of pride and bring them to our merciful Lord in the sacrament of Reconciliation.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, save me from my pride. Grant me true humility. When I have acted wrongly, please give me the grace to accept correction and amend my ways. Help me to use any authority you have given me in my personal life, volunteer work, or the workplace in a way that is pleasing to you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray the Litany of Humility.

For Further Reflection:

“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” (1 Cor 13:4-7). To have charity is to love God above all things for himself and be ready to renounce all created things rather than offend him by serious sin (cf. Mt 22:36-40).

Cathy Stamper is a wife, a mother of five young adults, and business owner. She reads and writes from her home in Maryland where she lives with her husband, her beloved dog, and an assortment of finicky cats.

August 3, 2025 – Attachments, Detachment, and Interior Freedom

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.” He replied to him, “Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?” Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”‘ But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”

Opening Prayer: Dear Jesus, you said, “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God” (Mt 5:8). Cleanse my heart from earthly attachments so that I may seek to love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength.

 Encountering Christ: 

  1. What Am I Attached To?: Jesus reminds us now and again of the danger of attachments to worldly goods. The Gospel here refers to prosperity and wealth, and perhaps we feel this warning doesn’t apply to us. However, we could all be attached to other material aspects of life—work, pleasures, health, talents, honor, or family. These things are not necessarily bad; many of them are God’s gifts to us. The problem is the absolute worth we may allocate to them. After all, these things are transient and will not last forever. Through an examination of conscience, we can ask the Lord to show us what attachments we have that need purification.
  2. Detachment: The Gospel today refers to food, drinks, and possessions, which are necessities of life, but Jesus invites us to “seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Mt 6:33). There are many delightful and decent things in creation for our enjoyment and well-being. We should not shun them but put them to good use as long as they bring us to God and not away from him. Detachment is not about rejecting possessions but prioritizing our lives so that God and eternal salvation always come first.
  3. Jesus Wants Us to Be Free: Society tells us that freedom implies self-indulgence and self-gratification. However, true freedom consists of transformation into the likeness of Christ. If we trust in God’s providence, we lack nothing. Through death to sin and worldly appetites, we are no longer bound by pride, regrets, guilt, or fears. Even death is not to be feared, as it is a step toward the eternal embrace. This freedom as children of God is ours to claim even now if we let go and let God take control of our past, present, and future.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, I am so preoccupied with things of this age that sometimes I forget that you alone are my Shepherd and that I lack nothing (cf. Ps 23:1). Increase my hope that you oversee my life and those of my loved ones. Help me trust more in your providential love. I thank you for all the good gifts you have given me and the crosses you allowed in my life. Empower me with the strength to surrender my life to you and seek your most holy will above all.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will examine the areas of my life that I have not surrendered to you. I will remind myself with Job that “naked I came forth from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I go back there” (Job 1:21). Give me the strength and grace to detach from these earthly goods and abandon myself in your love.

For Further Reflection: Catechism of the Catholic Church 2544-2547 on the poverty of heart. Lord Jesus, although you were rich, you became poor among us so that we could become enriched through your poverty. Therefore, fill us with this great desire to love you above all and trust in your divine plan, leading us to happiness and grace, beauty, and peace. We ask this through Christ Our Lord.

Fr. Joseph Tham, LC, was ordained in 2004 and currently teaches bioethics in Rome’s Regina Apostolorum University. He is author of many books and articles on bioethics. In his free time, he enjoys Chinese painting and calligraphy.

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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!