...by Himself

The Gospel reading for this coming Sunday is the loaves and the fishes.  Jesus directs the disciples to feed the 5,000 and miraculously they do so with only 5 loaves and 2 fish.  A true miracle. 

But the predicate to the miracle is Jesus being broken by the death of John the Baptist early in the reading.  On hearing of John's death, Jesus "withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by Himself".  He was crushed.  But when he saw those in need again, he started healing and performing other miracles.

The point?  Life can suck.  Life can kick the _____ out of us.  Why that is, well, that's above my pay grade.

But the point is to take our hearbreak and make something good out of it.  Whether "God does everything for a reason" depends I suppose on what we mean by that.  

But I will tell you this: I have seen horrible things happen and I have seen good spring from the manure, so to speak.  That's our mission.  Don't discount that we, or anybody else, has just been dealt a horrible hand.  But try to find the strength to ante up and play the next round.

All love and peace.

- The Older Brother 

 

TREASURE KEEPER

Matthew 13: 44-52

O’ Lord, You are the divine steward of creation who watches over Your flock from the celestial heights and with everlasting discernment.

Lord, You remain our legacy custodian who affords us the refuge needed to be safe from the pagan forces of the world.

Praise to the Caretaker of our Souls!

O’ Lord, we rely upon You to be our asset shepherd who safeguards the many secrets that are being kept from our eyes for now.

Lord, You are my treasure keeper who leads me into fields of untold wonders and who will afford me treasures beyond description.

Glory to the Divine Shepherd!

O’ Lord, You remain my prosperity guardian who preserves a perfect existence for future generations to come.

Lord, You rise high above all mortal clerics, many who seek the treasures of a transient world and who possess limited wisdom.

Glory to the Kingpin of Creation!

O’ Lord, You are the curator of wealth beyond any understanding and the keeper of intangible knowledge and wisdom.

Lord, I seek the fortunes of Your throne only, that will adorn my soul with value beyond all comprehension and belief.

Praise to the Tender Remedy!

O’ Lord, You are my inner voice who reminds me that the wealth I seek is not far away in some distant place but rather in my own yard.

Lord, You remain the source of proper direction and infinite determination whose current pushes me toward safe shores.

Glory to the Wonderful Path!

The Pilgrim

 

 

 Gospel Reflection for Sunday July 19, 2026

The temptation for many men is to define ourselves by what we do or by our accomplishments—career success, financial security, providing for others, fixing problems, or earning the respect of those around us.

But Jesus reminds us that our deepest identity is not found in what we achieve, but in who we are becoming. Before we are sons, employees, husbands, fathers, retirees, or leaders, we are - and will always be - beloved sons of God, called to help build His Kingdom.

We are known fully…

loved completely… and

entrusted with unique gifts and talents that reflect the truth of this identity.

Whether just beginning adulthood, raising a family, living the single vocation, caring for aging parents, discerning a future, or enjoying retirement, the invitation is the same: let the our belovedness in Christ shape our hearts.

The Kingdom grows through ordinary acts of faithfulness, which are the seeds we sow:

•           Choosing honesty when no one is watching.

•           Offering forgiveness instead of holding a grudge.

•           Standing up for what is right, even when it’s unpopular.

•           Making time for prayer in the midst of a busy schedule.

•           Serving your parish, your family, your friends, or a neighbor in need.

•           Encouraging someone who is struggling.

 

These moments may seem small, but they are the mustard seeds of which our Lord speaks. They are the yeast that God uses to transform lives—beginning with our own.

We must also be aware that the enemy is sowing alongside our good efforts.  Seeds of discouragement, division, doubt, fear, and indifference threaten to overtake the seeds of the Kingdom.

There is a temptation to be distracted from the sowing the Lord asks us to do and to attempt to remove the weeds planted by the enemy.  But our job is to keep sowing faithfully… God is the Master Gardener and will separate the good from the evil in His perfect timing. We cannot allow the presence of the weeds stop us from sowing good seed.

In a culture that often measures a man’s worth by his title, his income, his possessions, or his accomplishments, Jesus measures something different…

He asks us to be faithful; to plant the seeds - to be faithful in the sowing… and trust the Master Gardener.

The Kingdom of Heaven is built through ordinary men who choose Christ—again and again—in the ordinary moments of everyday life. That quiet, faithful witness may become the very thing God uses to bring hope, healing, and faith to others and to our world.

-Ignar, The Pilgrim Prophet

 

El sembrador

 

 Han pasado más de 40 años pero nunca me olvido. Siempre que considero la parábola del sembrador recuerdo aquella lección que recibí, aquella experiencia inolvidable.

 

Para dar seguimiento al proceso del encuentro nacional para la pastoral lhispana  que había tenido lugar el verano anterior en Washington D.C., se llamó a una unión de líderes Diocesanos de todo el nordeste de los Estados Unidos. La reunión tuvo lugar en la Casa de retiros de los padres Redentoristas en New Jersey. Cada diócesis envió dos o cuatro delegados de acuerdo al tamaño de la diócesis. Fuimos cuatro de la diócesis de Rockville Centre.

 

El tema de la reflexión inicial, oración que nos prepararía para entrar en los trabajos de la conferencia era la parábola del sembrador. Nos dividieron en grupos de ocho personas teniendo cuidado de que fueran de diferentes diócesis.   Y comenzamos a reflexionar.

 

Cada persona explicaba cómo debía sembrar la semilla en la viña que era la

diócesis de dónde procedía... De pronto una persona pidió la palabra y dijo, “ perdonen ustedes quizás yo no tengo derecho a hablar en este grupo porque como le dije al principio, no soy un delegado. Soy sencillamente el chofer que trajo al grupo de mi diócesis. Me dijeron que me uniera a ustedes…Miren, a  mí me parece que el Sembrador es Cristo; no es ninguno de nosotros”.

 

“ gracias te doy, Padre santo, porque has escondido estas cosas de los sabios y entendidos y has tenido bien revelarlas a las personas sencillas. “

 

Desde aquel día nunca jamás me he olvidado que el que siembra es Cristo. Cada uno de nosotros es un instrumento cuya tarea principal es convertirse en buen terreno por la gracia de Dios.  Esa gracia  va a producir en nosotros lo que a su vez se convertirá en tarea evangelizadora.

 

Cristo es el sembrador.  ¿ Y yo, quién soy? ¿ Y tú, quién eres? ¿ Y quien es nuestro prójimo?

 

Por virtud del bautismo, yo soy un hijo bien amado del Padre.  Y tú también lo eres y el próximo también lo es. Somos hijos bien amados del padre.   Todos los delegados a aquella reunión éramos hijos bien amados del padre pero también aquel señor, el chofer, cuyo nombre no recuerdo pero cuyas palabras impactaron el resto de mi vida, era un hijo bien amado del padre.

 

A veces nos cuesta creer que el padre gratuitamente nos ama. Y si cuesta creer que me ama a mí, mucho más va a costar creer que ama a esa persona que yo veo como “diferente”.

 

La parábola del sembrador no necesita explicación porque el propio Jesús explica el significado de esta.  Entender cómo debemos responder a las semillas que planta el sembrador, esto es, como debemos responder a quienes somos y responder a  cada persona que cruza nuestro camino, esa es la tarea de nuestra vida.   Ésa es la llamada, ese es el reto. No es tarea fácil pero sabemos que contamos con la promesa, “ mi gracia te basta “.

 

El caballero de Nuestra Señora

 

Let True Freedom Ring

 Most little children find joy in pleasing their parents.  This probably begins with the reward of the smiling face of the loving parent whenever the infant does something that evokes joy.  The smiling parent then elicits a giggling response from the child.  The child and parent are in a perfect relationship with one another.  In fact, as a parent myself, even now the quarter-of-a century ago memories of such moments with my children fills my heart.

These moments are actually very freeing.  As children, we know we are doing something to please the person or persons whom we trust.  We are in a good relationship with the person who gives us what we need, including food, comfort and safety.  I am at peace with the person who will free me from the captivity of fear.

Of course, as we grow older, our understanding of freedom changes.  We become self-sufficient, or so we think, and we rely less on pleasing those in charge of us.  Think of the teenage and young adult who as they branch out from the family home perceive that happiness comes from the ability to do whatever they please.  The reality is that as we get used to the feel of freedom, we redefine it to fit our needs.  It is then that freedom loses its very essence.

While the Lord does expect us to pick up our crosses, for indeed sacrifice is at the heart of true discipleship, the life of sacrifice, pleasing to God, is not one that leads to misery.  True joy comes from choosing the good.  However, it is not meant purely to put a smile on God’s face. Choosing the good, despite the challenges, brings us true freedom and therefore true happiness.

This weekend, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding, which is based on freedom, perhaps it is the right time to reflect on how freedom has evolved.  It is time to ask some reflective questions.  In two hundred and fifty years, has this been a place of freedom for all people?  Have we become a people who value the true freedom that allows us and prompts us to choose the good, particularly the good for the other person?  Have we stopped trying to please God and rather developed the idea that freedom only means I must protect my liberty to pursue whatever pleases me, despite the cost to others.

We have many reasons to celebrate this important milestone in our nation’s history.  It is however an important moment to think about where we are collectively in our relationship with God.  For we, who are Christians, must consider how much we have developed in our relationship with the Triune God who is love.  Is ours a selfless or a selfish society?  Do we aim to please our heavenly Father or do we see his call to sacrificial love as a yoke that is just too heavy?  Perhaps we need to become once again like the little ones.  They get this truth.

May God continue to bless these United States of America, not just with material prosperity, but with mercy and love.  A future of living that mercy and love will make us a nation that can change the world.

- The Servant