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RC DAILY MEDITATIONS
RC DAILY MEDITATIONS

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DAILY MEDITATIONS

Week September 6 - 13, 2026

Sunday, September 6, 2026 – Unity in Christ

Monday, September 7, 2026 – Intentions Revealed

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 – Highly Favored One

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – Eternal Blessedness

Thursday, September 10, 2026 – Know the Father

Friday, September 11, 2026 – Sweet-Smelling Fruit

Saturday, September 12, 2026 – Rock-Solid Foundation

Sunday, September 13, 2026 – Choosing to Forgive

September 6, 2026 – Unity in Christ

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Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

Opening Prayer: My Lord, I believe you are more interested in being with me right now than I can grasp. You never cease watching out over me. How happy I imagine you are that I am turning my attention to you in prayer today. Help me to put aside any concern or distraction, trusting that you will take care of whatever preoccupies my heart. I offer this time to you, because you first thought of me and deserve all my love and praise. How I need your grace to be open to allow your love to grow in me and work through me in touching the lives of all those I meet today.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Christ Builds His Church: Jesus was instructing the Twelve to prepare them to lead his Church. Jesus knew full well those he called and how he wanted his Church to be organized. Jesus shared his spirit with the Twelve, establishing the community of believers upon the foundation of the Apostles. How extraordinary that he shared with them the power in his name to bind or loose here on earth as in heaven. As Jesus’ time of earthly lordship was ending, he expressly transferred his authority to those he had chosen. The Church was the desired and willed invention of Christ to continue exercising his lordship. Let us ask for a more vibrant and robust faith to trust in his power and grace still at work through the mystical body of the Church. It is a good reflection to ask myself, “What efforts do I make to reconcile others to God and with the Church?”

     

  2. Called to Love One Another: Jesus is gentle, merciful, and compassionate when he tells us, as members of his body the Church, that we are responsible for one another. He clearly explains that one aspect of loving each other is building up and correcting our brothers and sisters when they err. This is never an easy task, for it implies the risk of rejection or misunderstanding. Fraternal correction must always be inspired by real charity as a spiritual work of mercy. We are to want the best for each other by holding each other accountable, not by judging. Christ is appealing to us as his beloved to have the same selfless and caring attitude as he has for each soul. He asks us to go after wandering sheep, to do everything possible to bring them back to the safety of the fold. Where might the Lord be inviting me to carry out a true act of love by instructing a loved one or friend in the truth?

     

  3. Christ Is with Us: Christ likes to be with us. But he loves even more that we gather in his name, especially as a spiritual family in faith around the table of the Eucharist. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). When we are joined together in prayer, he joins us and assures us that the Father is most pleased and will favor us. Jesus is with us, attentively accompanying us and deeply caring about every encounter, every decision, every challenge, every triumph I face today. Even as I come alone before the Lord in prayer, I am united with others who are at prayer at this same moment. Thank you, Jesus, for surrounding me with your love through my parish community and the universal Church!

Conversing with Christ: Lord, it makes me sad to see that there is division and disunity within my family, my parish community, and the world around me. Yet, how much more your heart must ache and suffer for your beloved children! How and in what way do you need me to be an instrument of unity and reconciliation? Have I made you happy with how I love others and build up your Kingdom? Where can I still grow to reach out and invite others to return to you? You know how much I want to follow you and live in your friendship. I want to love others with a courageous and selfless heart. Touch my heart with the fire of your love to be your apostle of peace and unity.   

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray for the conversion of sinners and unity within the Church. Concretely, I will do my part to recall the relationships in my life that need reconciliation and the gift of your forgiveness. For anyone I have caused hurt or harm I will pray for your mercy, and where you ask me I will reach out and seek their forgiveness.

For Further Reflection: Watch the conference from The Father of Mercies: A Lenten Retreat Guide on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, by Father John Bartunek, LC. As always, this Retreat Guide is available in audio, video, and textual formats.

Lucy Honner is a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi and the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at University Catholic, a community of students in the Nashville area who are serious about their faith. Since 1998, she has exercised her apostolate as a speaker, spiritual director, integrated health coach, and retreat director throughout North America.

September 7, 2026 – Intentions Revealed

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Monday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 6:6-11

On a certain Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the Sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.

Opening Prayer: Lord, I come to you in my need and with my limitations. I ask you to be close to me with your grace today so that I can grow in my faith, hope, and love. My Father in heaven, I turn to you as my defender and provider. Please keep me aware of your loving presence and tender concern for my life today, showing me how pleased you are with me and your desire to walk with me. Come, Holy Spirit, fill me with your gifts and enlighten my mind and my heart, so that I can be docile in responding to all your inspirations.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Order of Priority: The scribes and Pharisees were caught up with protocol. Consumed with the structures of the Law, they completely missed the opportunity to notice the handicapped man in need. Jesus, on the other hand, had his priorities in the right order. Even while teaching and knowing he was being carefully watched, he restored the man’s withered hand to normality. Being attentive to the needs of others should never be subjected to rules and regulations. Jesus elsewhere in the Gospels clarified this point, saying that we should have pity even for an animal despite rules that may impede such acts of kindness. “Which one of you who has a sheep that falls into a pit on the sabbath will not take hold of it and lift it out?” (Mt 12:11). We are given the gift of spiritual freedom to respond to the needs of those around us with love. These providential moments reveal where our hearts are. How am I ordering the priorities of my life? Are there activities or duties absorbing my attention so that I hide behind them? Where am I too hurried, busy, or self-absorbed to show interest in the needs of my loved ones and others around me? “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” (1 Cor 13:3).

     

  2. Divine Care and Concern: For Jesus, the most important person in the synagogue at that moment was the man with the withered hand. Jesus was filled with love and compassion; therefore, anyone in need becomes the focus of his divine care and concern. This is our loving God. God comes to our aid in Christ. We are beloved; we are loveable; we are known; we are pursued; we are chosen; we are noticed; we are understood; we are the sole interest of Our Father’s tenderness. Our needs and weaknesses are an attraction for the Lord. He draws near. God is more interested in our need for him than in our perfection. Jesus comes to fulfill our needs every day through the working of the Holy Spirit, through the holy sacrifice of the Mass, through prayer, and through the Father’s providential wisdom. Let’s open our needy hearts and deepen our gratitude for his kindness.

     

  3. Filled with Fury: We can be shocked at how the scribes and Pharisees reacted to Jesus’ healing of the man’s withered hand. Throughout this encounter, the truth of their intentions was being revealed. Jesus’ rule of love challenged their control over the law. The authorities were disproportionately furious at the man’s cure, and immediately started discussing how they could stop Jesus. Where does rigidity or harshness fester within my heart due to false or unrealized expectations? Where is the Lord inviting me to be open to letting go of any frustration or envy? Look to Jesus to ask for his merciful and compassionate heart, to be freed of any anger, resentment, or disbelief.

Conversing with Christ: O God, thank you for revealing to me the truth about myself. I want to believe in all you have revealed. You are my Savior and Redeemer who longs to purify, heal, and strengthen my weak heart. I so easily get caught up in trying to prove my worthiness and find security in what I accomplish. I can lose sight of the truth that only what is done in love will bear fruit and endure. I want to live with spiritual freedom, giving of myself out of sincere compassion and generosity. Draw me more and more towards compassionate action for the weak and the suffering. Show me how to discover and delight in the presence of your love hidden within the needs and wants of those around me.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will be attentive to the needs of those around me, not hesitating to show interest, concern, and compassion for each person I encounter. I will not calculate or measure the effort I have to take, remembering that “if I do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:3).

For Further Reflection: Watch the Conference from Miracles of Mercy: A Retreat Guide on the Healing Touch of Jesus by Father John Bartunek, LC, to understand more deeply how we can live as signs of God’s mercy by understanding and taming the emotion of anger:

Lucy Honner is a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi and the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at University Catholic, a community of students in the Nashville area who are serious about their faith. Since 1998, she has exercised her apostolate as a speaker, spiritual director, integrated health coach, and retreat director throughout North America.

September 8, 2026 – Highly Favored One

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Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Matthew 1:18-23

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, as I settle myself to reflect on your words today, I thank you for the Blessed Mother. She truly watches over me, and I feel her warm presence always guiding me to pay attention to your will.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Immaculately Conceived: The feast of Mother Mary’s birth is celebrated exactly nine months after the church celebrates her Immaculate Conception on December 8. We know that Mary’s parents, Anna and Joachim, prayed fervently for a child and recognized her special holiness from birth (Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal gospel written about A.D. 150). St. Augustine had these beautiful words to say about Mary: “He knew his mother in predestination, even before he was born of her; even before, as God, he created her of whom, as man, he was to be created, he knew her as his mother” (Trac. In Iohannem 8,9). The angel Gabriel confirmed that the Blessed Mother was highly favored (cf. Lk 1:28). Mary’s beauty and purity suited her exalted mission. We too have been given gifts and talents to fulfill our very specific, unrepeatable mission. When Mary completed her earthly mission, she was named “Queen of Heaven.” May we one day join Our Blessed Mother as we hear her Son say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant… Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt 25:21).

     

  2. Jesus’ Birth: We celebrate Mary’s birthday because Mary’s “yes” brought Our Savior into the world. Every millisecond of Mary’s life was consecrated—given over to her spouse, the Holy Spirit, for the good of mankind. She willingly gave birth, nursed, nurtured, and perfectly loved her Son from infancy to the foot of the cross to the throne of heaven. No other human loved like Mary did, and no one suffered as much. We can turn to her for help with every aspect of our relationships, knowing that she understands us and takes our prayers straight to her Son.

     

  3. Our Mother: Jesus knew full well the beauty and perfection of his Mother Mary, and his desire, as he hung on the cross, was to give her to us (cf. Jn 19:26-27). What a glorious parting gift our Savior gave us through St. John. Mother Mary now mediates between mankind and God, appearing in Fatima, Lourdes, etc., to encourage and correct her children. She weeps for us, prays for us, gives us graces she has obtained from her Son, and accompanies us while we strive to make our way through life. With full hearts, we thank God for this blessed feast day—the birth of our Mother Mary.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, it amazes me that part of your plan of salvation was the creation of this perfect human being, Mary, and that you desired to give her to us as our mother. Over the centuries, Mary has acquired many different titles, but none is more precious than “Mother.” How blessed we are to be your adopted sons and daughters, with Mother Mary to intercede for us now and at the hour of our death.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray the Litany of Mary, meditating on each title of my Blessed Mother, with a grateful heart.

For Further Reflection: Honor Mary’s birthday by learning how to say the rosary. If you already say the rosary, invite someone else to join you today. 

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.

September 9, 2026 – Eternal Blessedness

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Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest

Luke 6:20-26

Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need your grace to believe you are here with me now even if I don’t feel you. I know you are looking upon me with tremendous love, desiring to want to spend this time with me. I too want to love you by showing up just as I am. I give you this time, putting everything else aside to offer you my love, praise, and thanksgiving. How much I need your grace at this moment! I ask you to please send me your Holy Spirit to keep my heart still and at peace, so I can hear without resistance what you want to tell me through this time of prayer. I ask you for the strength to be able to respond with a generous heart.

Encountering Christ:

  1. The Kingdom of God: The Beatitudes express our human experience as followers of Christ and the cost of discipleship. They inform our choices under the law of Christ’s Kingdom. As his disciples, we proclaim through our life and suffering the mysterious joy of being members of his Kingdom. “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you” (Lk 17:20-21). To be poor of spirit, meek, righteous, and merciful identify us as belonging to Christ’s Kingdom even in the face of sadness, violent opposition, social injustice, or whatever difficulty. Only with God’s grace and strength in our souls can we act in this way. This is how he established his everlasting Kingdom. When my heart is breaking because of the misery of so many today, I must not think that God has forgotten me. Instead, I thank God for the particular way he is asking me to build his Kingdom as his disciple. And I ask for purity of heart, spiritual strength, and interior peace.

     

  2. Conflicting Contrasts: It is a challenging and daunting proposition. Who wants to be poor, sad, conflicted, excluded, or demeaned? We try to do everything possible to avoid or at least minimize the chance of finding ourselves in such circumstances. Jesus is not asking us to flee or seek out discomforts, but rather he wants us to realize that God always holds a brighter promise and eternal hope for what we endure. If we seek God first, we find that he is always calling us further. By way of apparent conflicting contrasts—poverty/riches; hunger/fullness; sorrow/laughter; and defamation/commendation—Jesus upturns the value we would normally consider desirable or pleasing. He is inviting us to embrace the truth that we cannot simply live to be happy in this life, but must consider living in a way that ensures our eternal life because “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself” (Phil 3:20-21).

     

  3. Cultivating Blessedness: To be “blessed” refers to the fullness of life and meaning that comes from living in union with God. Jesus repeats it eight times here at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount. Although we can’t experience the complete fulfillment of all desire until we reach heaven, here on earth the growing sense of spiritual happiness that comes from a friendship with Christ is what is meant by “blessed.” Let us not be Christians daunted by the “woes” of lamenting what we falsely took for granted or held onto. The Christian hope for eternity is not in what we can bring along with us, but rather in the things we freely gave away, “only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward” (Mt 10:42). Cultivating blessedness is to rejoice in what we have to suffer for love of Christ while generously sharing his goodness with those in need. Which of the beatitudes is drawing me into a deeper union with Our Lord? How am I seeking blessedness in accepting what he is asking of me and sharing my gifts with others?

Conversing with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for inviting me to share in building up your Kingdom both here on earth and in heaven. I thank you for giving me the grace to see how I am to accept suffering, inconvenience, or discomfort with purity of heart and meekness, allowing your mysterious Kingdom to take shape in my heart. Thank you for giving true and lasting purpose to my life in all that I experience. So often I resist, complain, or ignore these opportunities out of cowardice and I lose perspective. Help me to be a true disciple of your Kingdom, always looking toward heaven as I strive to bring others closer to you through humbly and peacefully enduring whatever you ask. O Lord, grant me a meek and humble heart like yours! 

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray for all who experience rejection, denunciation, or hostility, offering any inconvenience, especially for my Christian brothers and sisters who are persecuted for their faith.

For Further Reflection: Watch the conference “The Beatitudes: A Portrait of Christ’s Kingdom” from “A Kingdom Without End: A Retreat Guide on Christ the King.”

Lucy Honner is a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi and the Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at University Catholic, a community of students in the Nashville area who are serious about their faith. Since 1998, she has exercised her apostolate as a speaker, spiritual director, integrated health coach, and retreat director throughout North America.

September 10, 2026 – Know the Father

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Thursday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, you ask a lot of us in these lines of Scripture. As I reflect on your words, help me to see where I need to grow in your grace. I am listening, Lord.

Encountering Christ:

  1. To You Who Hear: Our Lord challenged his listeners to live radical charity, and he challenges us as well. How difficult it can be to love, do good, and bless and pray for our enemies! Yet, Jesus began his statement by saying, “To you who hear.” Those of us who hear Jesus and know him realize that he doesn’t ask more from us than we are capable of giving. We say with St. Paul, “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me” (Phil 4:13). Corrie ten Boom, a concentration camp survivor, was asked to forgive a guard she knew who approached her after the war. She wrote, “It could not have been many seconds that he stood there, hand held out, but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do… ‘Jesus, help me!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.’ And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.” Corrie sets an example for us as she trusted in the goodness of God who gave her the grace to do this difficult thing.

     

  2. Follow His Example: Our Lord draws our attention to God the Father, who he says is merciful and kind to the ungrateful and wicked. “Be like your Father,” Jesus says. In fact, “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” Jesus says in Matthew 5:48. But Jesus didn’t just ask us to be good like his Father—Jesus showed us how to do it. He gave us beatitudes, the parables, and his life, lived in union with the Father. “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” (Jn 14:11). If we want to know how to be like the Father, we need only look to Jesus.

     

  3. Rewards: To love our enemies is difficult, but Our Lord encourages us by pointing out the reward for obedience. “Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High…” There is no greater reward on earth or in heaven than to live as a child of God. When we exercise the virtues of mercy, forgiveness, and non-judgmentalism, we become happier people. Our lives are continually enriched by our personal relationship with Jesus. And our eternal reward will be beyond our wildest imaginings. “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him…” (1 Cor 2:9). 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, help me to keep my eyes fixed on you, especially when I am called upon to do the difficult work of forgiving someone. I want to believe that, by your grace, I build treasures in heaven with each act of love I share today.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will examine my conscience to see where I hold a grudge or make a rash judgment, and I will take a concrete step to reach out to that person.

For Further Reflection: Bishop Barron on Judgment and God

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.

September 11, 2026 – Sweet-Smelling Fruit

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Friday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 6:39-42

Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, this Gospel challenges me. Bless me during this time I spend reflecting on the wooden beam in my own eye. I pray to you with the confidence of a child who knows your love despite being flawed.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Blind Guides: St. Jerome famously said that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. Without knowledge of Christ our teacher, we would truly be blind. We would be in danger of falling into a pit and bringing others with us. Prayerful people are able to exercise the spiritual gift of wisdom on their behalf and for the sake of others. Wisdom keeps us out of spiritual, emotional, and physical pitfalls. “For to the one who pleases God, he gives wisdom and knowledge and joy…” (Eccl 2:26).

     

  2. Like the Teacher: Jesus told us that “when fully trained” we could be like him. We become fully trained when we sit at the feet of Our Lord and listen to him, as did Mary, Lazarus’ sister. We become fully trained when we follow Christ with docility and wholeheartedly, as did Matthew when he left his customs post. We become fully trained when we suffer with Christ, as did the Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene during Christ’s passion. All these actions on our part (listening, following, suffering) help to transform us into other Christs. The process of transformation starts well before heaven but will culminate in eternity, where we will be perfected by God.

     

  3. The Wooden Beam: Blind people don’t see, and neither do those with a wooden beam in their eye. Seeing ourselves as we really are, with our strengths and weaknesses, is a byproduct of getting to know Christ. When we encounter Christ, we learn that we are adopted children of God the Father. As his beloved children, we strive to live up to the Father’s expectations for us. Our failures we take to confession. Our strengths we use to serve the Lord in the mission he has given us. All the while, we are growing in self-knowledge. Wooden beams—any unresolved prejudices or self-seeking behaviors—can be extracted when we notice them if we sincerely repent and seek forgiveness. The slow transformation of our souls by God’s grace is a cause for humility and gratitude. Only when we realize how much the Lord has done for us do we attempt to help others with their splinters.

Conversing with Christ: Lord, my eyes are full of wooden beams, and so I say with Bartimaeus, “Master, I want to see” (Mk 10:51). By your grace, may I be so attentive to your word that I bear pure, sweet-smelling fruit and lead others not into a pit, but ever closer to you.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray a decade of the Rosary for the people in my life who seem trapped in a pattern of sin.

For Further Reflection: Read and reflect on Mark 10:46-52, the story of Bartimaeus.

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.

September 12, 2026 – Rock-Solid Foundation

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Saturday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Opening Prayer: Lord, I come before you as I do every morning, with an open heart, ready to listen to the message you have for me. I want to build my life on the firm foundation of your word, and I begin each day by spending this time with you.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Good Fruit: Outside my office window, a beautiful magnolia tree towers over the sidewalk. Each morning in June and July I walk by and pluck a fresh bloom from a low-hanging branch to bring indoors. The fragrance of that single bloom permeates my whole workspace. That magnolia is like the tree Our Lord refers to in today’s Gospel. By simply doing what it was created to do, the magnolia bears pure white, sweet-smelling perfection. Our Lord asks us to do the same. By our own power, we’re helpless, but when we depend on Jesus and do the works he has planned for us to do from all eternity, the fruit we bear is no less than divine perfection. Like the magnolia, we give glory to God.

     

  2. No Foundation: In the Lord’s parable, a river runs through a house, shaking it off of its foundation. Without a foundation, we are susceptible to every kind of “river” that runs through our lives. Facing illness, cultural unrest, political turmoil, or relationships gone sour we drown in deep irretrievable anxiety and depression. When suffering comes, we exacerbate it by cling to solutions from the world: drugs, alcohol, shopping, sex, etc. Our “foundation” shakes as we add up our Instagram likes, dive into workout regimes, and pay for cosmetic surgery in our pursuit of the fountain of youth. We spend our spiritual and emotional energy on resources that cannot shore up our foundation. When we ignore the plans of the grand architect by refusing to do what he commands, our lives end up in shambles.

     

  3. Solid Foundation: Conversely, Our Lord promises we will survive life’s “rivers” (and even thrive) if we do three things: come to him, listen to his words, and act on them. Lines of Scripture are God’s gift to us and address every human emotion. Through these words, Our Lord offers us “peace that surpasses all understanding” (cf. Phil 4:7). If we want to love Jesus, we need to know what the Bible teaches so well that it’s practically written on our foreheads: “Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates” (Deut 6:5-9).

Conversing with Christ: Lord, thank you for showing me how to build up my foundation by meditating on your holy word. I want to share with others the strength and peace I find here. So many friends and family suffer from shaky foundations. If only they knew you as I do. Help me, Lord, to be a good witness to your love and to continue to depend only on you for the good fruits you call me to bear.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will prayerfully assess the day ahead, looking for an opportunity to speak your name to a friend or coworker.

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.

September 13, 2026 – Choosing to Forgive

26-09-13-DM

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: 

  1. 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?

     

  2. 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).

     

  3. 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.

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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!