Reviewing the Homily of the 4th Sunday of Easter

     I would like to recommend that you watch and reflect on the Homily given by Fr. Ron Coyne of the Boston, Mass Diocese on the 4th Sunday of Easter at St. Cecilia’s parish in Boston. (cf. video of homily below). I found it to be quite thought provoking.
    

      Fr. Coyne contends that we are witnessing a revival of pre-Vatican II attitudes and practices at this time in the life of the Catholic Church. Some of the signs he points to are the renewed interest in the use of the Latin liturgy as well as more rigid liturgical practices. He also points to the practice of priests and seminarians wearing cassocks, catholics receiving Communion on the tongue, etc. The tensions and divisions between progressive Catholics and traditional Catholics (often referred to as ‘liberals’ and ‘conservatives’) have been referred to by Pope Leo and often experienced among Catholics.

     Pope Francis made the full implementation of the Second Vatican Council a defining goal of his pontificate and Pope Leo has used his weekly general audiences for a catechesis on Vatican II documents, explaining the documents and  exhorting us to do a systematic rereading of the Council’s actual texts. Yet, there are priests, seminarians and laity who have a disdain for Vatican II, and in some instances reject the Council.
    

      In his homily, Coyne tells of growing up as a priest in the aftermath of the Council and as the reforms were implemented he experienced what he describes as a profound spiritual transformation. He credits Vatican II with helping him (and all of us) to understand that people with a “vocation” are not just priests and religious, but in a broader sense include laity in married life, public service workers, healthcare workers, teachers and other professionals. Vatican II teaches that our basic vocation from baptism is a universal call to holiness and to active mission. In the document Lumen Gentium,  The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,  we come to understand that every baptized Christian shares in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal offices, empowering them to actively build the Church and evangelize the world, regardless of their specific state in life. We can say that our core “vocation,” i.e. calling comes to us at our Baptism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church stresses that through baptism we are consecrated to God the Father in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit - “incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ” cf. #1272  In Lumen Gentium we hear clearly of our core vocation: “The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated as a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that through all their Christian activities they may offer spiritual sacrifices and proclaim the marvels of him who has called them out of darkness into his own wonderful light.” (#10. To explore the Church’s official teachings on this foundational calling, you can read Lumen Gentium Chapter II.

      Another central theme of the homily is Coyne’s embrace of a more inclusive and compassionate understanding of Catholicism. He emphasizes: God’s unconditional love, the dignity of the human person, openness to dialogue, empathy and hospitality, inclusion. He concludes by contrasting two theological mindsets and frames them as a Pre- Vatican II mindset: “If I am good, God will love me,” and a Vatican II mindset: “God loves me, and that makes me good.” 

Copy/Paste to View Homily:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB1TBzAcDT0

PLEASE COMMENT FOCUS QUESTION What about Vatican II do I think is very important for us a Catholics today to affirm and make a clear aspect of our spirituality

 Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the word of Jesus, can move mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation, gathering here at the tomb of Saint Peter, and in so many other places around the world to invoke peace. 

War divides, hope unites. Arrogance tramples, love uplifts. Idolatry blinds, the living God illuminates. A little faith, a crumb of faith, dearest ones, is enough to face together, as humanity and with humanity, this dramatic hour in history. Prayer, in fact, is not a refuge to escape our responsibilities, it is not an anesthetic to avoid the pain that so much injustice unleashes. Instead, it is the most gratuitous, universal, and explosive response to death: we are a people already rising again! In each of us, in every human being, the inner Master teaches peace, impels us to encounter, inspires invocation. Let us then lift our gaze! Let us rise from the rubble! Nothing can lock us into a preordained destiny, not even in this world where there seem to be insufficient tombs, because we continue to crucify, to annihilate life, without rights and without mercy. 

Saint John Paul II, a tireless witness to peace, spoke movingly in the context of the Iraq crisis in 2003: "I belong to that generation that lived through the Second World War and survived it. I have the duty to say to all young people, to those younger than me, who have not had this experience: 'Never again war!', as Paul VI said in his first visit to the United Nations. We must do everything possible! We know well that peace at any cost is not possible. But we all know how great this responsibility is" ( Angelus , March 16, 2003). 

This evening, I make his appeal, so timely, my own. Prayer teaches us to act. In prayer, the limited human possibilities are united with the infinite possibilities of God. Thoughts, words, and deeds then break the demonic chain of evil and are placed at the service of the Kingdom of God: a Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding, and forgiveness. Here we have a barrier to that delirium of omnipotence that around us is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive. The balance of the human family is gravely destabilized. Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is drawn into discourses of death. A world of brothers and sisters with one Father in heaven disappears, and, as in a nightmare, reality is populated by enemies. Threats are felt everywhere, instead of calls to listen and encounter. Brothers and sisters, those who pray are aware of their own limitations; they do not kill and do not threaten death. Instead, those who have turned their backs on the living God are enslaved to death, to make themselves and their own power a mute, blind and deaf idol (cf. Ps 115:4-8), to whom they sacrifice every value and expect the entire world to bend the knee. 

Enough with the idolatry of self and money! Enough with the display of force! Enough with war! True strength is manifested in serving life. Saint John XXIII, with evangelical simplicity, wrote: "Everyone benefits from peace: individuals, families, peoples, the entire human family." And repeating the lapidary words of Pius XII, he added: "Nothing is lost with peace. Everything can be lost with war" (Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris , 62). Let us, therefore, unite the moral and spiritual energies of millions, billions of men and women, of the elderly and young, who today believe in peace, who today choose peace, who heal the wounds and repair the damage left by the folly of war. 

I receive many letters from children from conflict zones: reading them, one perceives, with the truth of innocence, all the horror and inhumanity of actions that some adults proudly boast about. Let us listen to the voices of children! Dear brothers and sisters, certainly, the leaders of nations have compelling responsibilities. We cry out to them: stop! This is the time for peace! Sit at the tables of dialogue and mediation, not at the tables where rearmament is planned and death is deliberated! 

However, there is an equally great responsibility for all of us, men and women from so many different countries: an immense multitude that repudiates war, with deeds, not just words. Prayer commits us to convert what remains of violence in our hearts and minds: let us convert to a Kingdom of peace that is built day by day, in homes, schools, neighborhoods, civil and religious communities, conquering polemics and resignation with friendship and the culture of encounter. Let us return to believing in love, moderation, and good politics. Let us educate ourselves and engage in them firsthand, each responding to our own vocation. Everyone has their place in the mosaic of peace! The Rosary, like other ancient forms of prayer, has united us this evening in its regular rhythm, based on repetition: peace thus makes room, word after word, gesture after gesture, as a rock is eroded drop by drop, as on a loom the weaving advances movement after movement. These are the long times of life, a sign of God's patience. We need not to be overwhelmed by the acceleration of a world unsure of what it is chasing, so as to return to serving the rhythm of life, the harmony of creation, and to heal its wounds. 

As Pope Francis has taught us, "we need artisans of peace, willing to initiate processes of healing and renewed encounter with ingenuity and boldness" (Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti , 225). Indeed, there is "an 'architecture' of peace, in which the various institutions of society intervene, each according to its own competence, but there is also a 'craftsmanship' of peace that involves us" ( ibid. , 231). 

Dear brothers and sisters, let us return home with this commitment to pray always, tirelessly, and to a profound conversion of heart. The Church is a great people at the service of reconciliation and peace, advancing unwaveringly, even when rejecting the logic of war may cost her misunderstanding and contempt. She proclaims the Gospel of peace and teaches us to obey God rather than men, especially when it concerns the infinite dignity of other human beings, endangered by constant violations of international law. "Throughout the world, it is desirable that every community become a 'house of peace,' where people learn to defuse hostility through dialogue, where justice is practiced and forgiveness is cherished. Today more than ever, in fact, we need to show that peace is not a utopia" ( Message for the 59th World Day of Peace , 1 January 2026). 

Brothers and sisters of every language, people, and nation: we are one family that mourns, hopes, and rises again. "Never again war, an adventure without return; never again war, a spiral of grief and violence" (St. John Paul II, Prayer for Peace , February 2, 1991).

 Dearest ones, peace be with you all! It is the peace of the risen Christ, the fruit of his loving sacrifice on the cross. Therefore, we turn our prayer to Him: Lord Jesus, you conquered death without weapons or violence: you dissolved its power with the strength of peace. Grant us your peace, as you did to the uncertain women on Easter morning, as you did to the hidden and frightened disciples. Send us your Spirit, the breath that gives life, that reconciles, that makes adversaries and enemies brothers and sisters. Inspire in us the trust of Mary, your mother, who stood with a broken heart beneath your cross, steadfast in the faith that you would rise again. May the madness of war end, and may the Earth be cared for and cultivated by those who still know how to generate, protect, and love life. Hear us, Lord of life!

 "The current national campaign of mass detention and deportations is a grave moral evil, one which must be opposed, with prayer, peaceful action and acts of solidarity with those affected." 

 Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth. (Ephesians 5, 8-9) 

In this holy season of Lent, God invites us to journey with the suffering Jesus to the Cross and to new life in the Resurrection. For this reason, I take this opportunity to speak to all the faithful in our El Paso Catholic community, and in particular, to immigrant families. 

God’s people began as a people on the move. In the Hebrew Scriptures, we encounter Abraham and the prophets, people of the tent, forced to move by famine, drought and conflict and always on a journey towards freedom. In the Gospels, we meet Jesus as a child living in exile and as an adult with no place to lay his head. In his ministry, Jesus called his followers to join him on the road, and we Christians have always been a people on the move. 

Here in the borderlands, we have seen generations of migrations, each with their faith, their struggles, their culture and their hopes. Together, we have worked to forge a common home. Building community at the border has always been an act of hope, whether against the desert’s dryness or manufactured fears about those who are different. The fiesta that we celebrate has always been a dance that challenges division and death, a reminder of our Eucharistic hope.

In recent months, I have heard your fears, sufferings and worries about deportation. I have heard the stories about families being separated and of members being taken away from our community. 

Neighbors are being snatched as they walk out of immigration court proceedings downtown. Workers are being taken from construction sites across the city. Mothers and fathers are no longer able to work because the government has taken away their legal work permits. Young women are languishing in mental torture for months in private detention centers, even when, coerced by the conditions of their imprisonment, they beg to be deported. So many people are once again being made to feel like they are less than American. People are dying in El Paso’s Camp East Montana immigrant detention center. 

To those of you affected by hatred and discrimination and afraid of what comes next, know that the church stands with you. As your Bishop, I carry your pain daily in my heart and in my prayers. I stand with you. Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, told me personally to stand in solidarity with suffering migrant families and not to remain silent. I will do everything I can to uphold the God-given dignity of every person in our borderlands community. 

Our El Paso Catholic Church will redouble our ministries with those in the downtown courthouse, in the detention centers, in Ciudad Juárez and with families in our parishes. We will continue to celebrate your contributions to our community, to defend your human dignity, and to work to end racism and make immigration reform a reality. 

I am blessed with many friendships with our local law enforcement and immigration enforcement agents. Their work to keep our community safe is vital. But the death of those in immigration detention is unacceptable. An unjust immigration system that leads to deadly outcomes is destructive of our shared humanity. No one has to obey an immoral order. I implore all involved to carefully discern the moral requirements of the Gospel at this moment with integrity and honesty. When we take off our masks and encounter each other as neighbors, we can reclaim our common dignity. I promise the pastoral support of our priests, chaplains and myself as you navigate the demands of conscience with sincerity. You are also in my prayers. 

Mass deportations will not make our communities safer. They separate families, divide neighbors and threaten our economic well-being. While we do need significant immigration reforms, it is an injustice to make families, children and the vulnerable pay the price of our inaction. Policies, laws and borders must always be at the service of human dignity, genuine community security and human flourishing. 

For these reasons, I must make clear, the current national campaign of mass detention and deportations is a grave moral evil, one which must be opposed, with prayer, peaceful action and acts of solidarity with those affected. In these acts, we touch the wounds of Jesus Christ, and in this solidarity, we carry forward the hope of the Resurrection. God is on the side of justice, and as we journey towards Easter, we know that God is fashioning a new humanity that reflects God’s blessings for all people. 

Finally, I ask our entire diocesan community, our clergy, religious women and men, our Catholic students and teachers, all our Catholic faithful, and all people of conscience and goodwill to join me and [El Paso Auxiliary] Bishop Anthony Celino as we pray and march for an end to mass detention and deportations and plead for respect for human life at 6 o’clock in the evening, on Tuesday, March 24th at the Plaza de los Lagartos downtown. I ask all who enjoy the privileges of U.S. citizenship to participate, as an act of Lenten solidarity with those who are unable to march and pray with us, because they are afraid.

 May Mary of Guadalupe, who challenges us to build up a common home of tenderness and love, pray for us.

I order this to be read in all parish churches and chapels during the Sunday Celebrations of the Eucharist on the 15th of March, 2026. Given on the same day, the IV Sunday of Lent, at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick.

Spirit Whisperings #14 an occasional personal reflection by Matt Rousso November 2025

Pope Leo and U.S. Bishops  Speak Out!

• It was reported on October 8 in Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter that Pope Leo told a group of Bishops and social workers from the U.S.-Mexico border meeting with him in Rome to speak out against the current administration's hardline policies against immigrants.
• Well, just recently the United States body of Bishops did just that. The bishops almost unanimously voted (by a vote of 216 to 5, with three abstentions) to issue a special message” opposing the current US administrations’ policy of “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people” and asking for prayers “to end dehumanizing rhetoric and violence” against immigrants and/or law enforcement.
• Two days after the Bishops’ vote, Fox News reported that “border czar Tom Homan slammed the Catholic Church, saying its opposition to mass deportations undermines U.S. law enforcement and costs lives.

      So how do we respond to this clear difference of opinion? Do we say that “we agree to disagree?” Or that “the Pope and Bishops should stick to religion and stay out of politics?” Pope Leo began his papacy stating that he wanted to foster unity and that it’s time for dialogue and not division and dissention. Yet we have grave moral differences of opinion. It is clear from a number of recent statements by Pope Leo that he thinks very differently from many things being said by government officials in the United States and around the world. When he calls for unity and dialogue he is not suggesting that we are going to all think alike. Or that all thinking is correct thinking. He knows there are significant differences of opinions – and he is not in agreement with everyone. So how do we stand in the face of such differences? 

     The issue re: immigration is not the only instance of the Pope and the Catholic Church speaking out against current social issues and policies! In 2018 Pope Francis changed the Catechism of the Catholic Church to state that the death penalty is “inadmissible” in all cases. Yet, Louisiana’s governor recently ended the 15 year pause on executions. In March of 2025 a man was executed in Louisiana using nitrogen hypoxia. This is another clear difference of opinion … and there are many more. 

     I think we have to admit we live in a time that demands Critical Thinking on the part of each one of us, something that Pope Leo encourages us to do. In his words, he says we must “think the faith.” Thinking the faith for some may seem irreligious, yet we must not just believe by rote but must think the faith. And this demands critical thinking. For many of us, the Gospel as proclaimed by Jesus is an indispensable source of correct thinking. When we are trying to come to a correct way of thinking, we would do well to ask ourselves if the position that we want to espouse is “antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus?”   A way of thinking is right or wrong depending on how it is in line with the Word of the Gospel. And though the Gospel is not political, it does have political overtones. Because of this the Gospel can inform us how to judge the correctness of social and political positions. 

     The Catholic Church, since the time of Pope Leo XIII in 1891, has established 7 principles of social justice. The Church believes these are universal principles which can be found espoused, in some way, by all religions. Examining every question from the perspective of these principles helps us to make a correct judgement on whether a position being held is right or wrong. The first of these principles, called the foundational principle, is described as follows:

 LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSONThe Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion to euthanasia. Human life is threatened by cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the use of the death penalty. The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

      On November 12, 2025 the U.S. Bishops issued a “Special Message” on immigration at their Plenary Assembly in Baltimore addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States. It marked the first time in twelve years the USCCB invoked this particularly urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops.. . . a “Special Message” may only be issued at plenary assemblies, and they are statements which the President of the Conference, the Administrative Committee, or the general membership consider to be appropriate in view of the circumstances at the time. A “Special Message” must receive two-thirds approval of the Conference members present and voting at the plenary in order to pass. In a vote of 216 votes in favor, 5 votes against, and 3 abstentions, the bishops overwhelmingly approved the “Special Message” of November 12. (cf. full message below.) 

• As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement. We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools. We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones. 
• Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity. Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together.
• We recognize that nations have a responsibility to regulate their borders and establish a just and orderly immigration system for the sake of the common good. Without such processes, immigrants face the risk of trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Safe and legal pathways serve as an antidote to such risks.
• The Church’s teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). As pastors, we look to Sacred Scripture and the example of the Lord Himself, where we find the wisdom of God’s compassion. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger (Zechariah 7:10). In the Lord Jesus, we see the One who became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9), we see the Good Samaritan who lifts us from the dust (Luke 10:30–37), and we see the One who is found in the least of these (Matthew 25). The Church’s concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord’s command to love as He has loved us (John 13:34). To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:26). You are not alone!
• We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious, and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts. We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials. In this dialogue, we will continue to advocate for meaningful immigration reform.

             comments about this essay or the message of the US Bishops welcome

   HOMILY BY HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV St. Peter's Basilica 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 26 October 2025 

Brothers and Sisters, As we celebrate the Jubilee of the Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies we are invited to contemplate and rediscover the mystery of the Church. She is not merely a religious institution, nor is she simply identified with hierarchies and structures. The Second Vatican Council reminds us that the Church is the visible sign of the union between God and humanity, where God intends to bring us all together into one family of brothers and sisters and make us his people: a people made up of beloved children, all united in the one embrace of his love.

 Contemplating the mystery of ecclesial communion, generated and preserved by the Holy Spirit, we can also understand the meaning of synodal teams and participatory bodies. They express what occurs within the Church, where relationships do not respond to the logic of power but to that of love. The former - to recall a constant warning from Pope Francis - is a "worldly" logic. Conversely, in the Christian community, primacy belongs to the spiritual life, which reveals to us that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters, called to serve one another. 

The supreme rule in the Church is love. No one is called to dominate; all are called to serve. No one should impose his or her own ideas; we must all listen to one another. No one is excluded; we are all called to participate. No one possesses the whole truth; we must all humbly seek it and seek it together. The very word "together" expresses the call to communion in the Church. Pope Francis reminded us of this in his final Message for Lent:  “The Church is called to walk together, to be synodal. Christians are called to walk at the side of others, and never as lone travelers. The Holy Spirit impels us not to remain self-absorbed, but to leave ourselves behind and keep walking towards God and our brothers and sisters. Journeying together means consolidating the unity grounded in our common dignity as children of God” (Lent, 25 February 2025). 

Walking together: this is apparently what the two characters neglect to do in the parable we have just heard in the Gospel. Both the Pharisee and the tax collector go up to the Temple to pray. We couId say that they "go up together" or, at least, they find themselves together in the sacred place. Yet they are divided; and there is no communication between them. Both take the same path, but they do not walk together. Both are in the Temple; but one takes the first place, and the other remains behind. Both pray to the Father, but without being brother and without having anything in common. 

This division depends above all on the Pharisee's attitude. His prayer, though seemingly addressed to God, is only a mirror in which he looks at, justifies and praises himself. As Saint Augustine writes, he "went up to pray: he had no mind to pray to God, but to laud himsef.”  Feeling superior, he judges the other with contempt and looks down on him. The Pharisee is obsessed with his own ego and, in this way, ends up focused on himself without having a relationship with either God or others. 

Brothers and sisters, this can also happen in the Christian community. It happens when the ego prevails over the collective, causing an individualism that prevents authentic and fraternal relationships. It also occurs when the claim to be better than others, as the Pharisee does with the tax collector, creates division and turns the community into a judgmental and exclusionary place; and when one leverages one's role to exert power, rathe1 than to serve. 

We should, however, focus our attention on the tax collector. With the same humility that he showed, we too must recognize within the Church that we are all in need of God and of one another, which leads us to practice reciprocal love, listen to each other and enjoy walking together. It is based on the knowledge that Christ belongs to those who are humble, not to those who elevate themselves above the flock (cf. Saint Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians, c. XVI).

The synodal teams and participatory bodies are an image of this Church that lives in communion. Please trust me when I tell you that by listening to the Spirit in dialogue, fraternity and parrhesia, you will help us to understand that, prior to any differences, we are called in the Church to walk together in the pursuit of God. By clothing ourselves with the sentiments of Christ, we expand the ecclesial space so that it becomes collegial and welcoming. 

This will enable us to live with confidence and a new spirit amid the tensions that run through the life of the Church: between unity and diversity, tradition and novelty, authority and participation. We must allow the Spirit to transform them, so that they do not become ideological contrapositions and harmful polarizations. It is not a question of resolving them by reducing one to the other, but of allowing them to be purified by the Spirit, so that they may be harmonized and oriented toward a common discernment. As synodal teams and members of participatory bodies, you know that ecclesial discernment requires "interior freedom, humility, prayer, mutual trust, an openness to the new and a surrender to the will of God. It is never just a setting out of one's own personal or group point of view or a summing up of differing individual opinions" (Final Document, 26 October 2024, 82). Being a synodal Church means recognizing that truth is not possessed, but sought together, allowing ourselves to be guided by a restless heart in love with Love.

 Dear friends, we must dream of and build a more humble Church; a Church that does not stand upright like the Pharisee, triumphant and inflated with pride, but bends down to wash the feet of humanity; a Church that does not judge as the Pharisee does, but becomes a welcoming place for all; a Church that does not close in on itself, but remains attentive to God so that it can similarly listen to everyone. Let us commit ourselves to building a Church that is entirely synodal, ministerial and attracted to Christ and therefore committed to serving the world. 

Upon all of us, and the Church spread throughout the world, I invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary with the words of the Servant of God Don Tonino Bello: "Holy Mary, woman of conviviality, nourish in our Churches the desire for communion ... Help them to overcome internal divisions. Intervene when the demon of discord creeps into their midst. Extinguish the fires of factionalism. Reconcile mutual disputes. Defuse their rivalries. Stop them when they decide to go their own way, neglecting convergence on common projects" (Maria, Donna dei Nastri Giorni, 99). 

May the Lord grant us this grace: to be rooted in God's love so that we may live in communion with one another and be, as a Church, witnesses of unity and love. 

Recently the NY Times released a poll showing that almost two-thirds of voters now believe that we’re too politically divided to solve the nation’s problems. The same poll showed that concerns about political polarization are now the second-highest concern of American voters, behind the economy but ahead of health care, crime, inequality and foreign policy. 

Cf:  https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/opinion/hope-grace-michigan-shooting.html

Dear Brothers and Sisters! 

. . . The current global context is sadly marked by wars, violence, injustice and extreme weather events, which force millions of people to leave their homelands in search of refuge elsewhere. The widespread tendency to look after the interests of limited communities poses a serious threat to the sharing of responsibility, multilateral cooperation, the pursuit of the common good and global solidarity for the benefit of our entire human family. The prospect of a renewed arms race and the development of new armaments, including nuclear weapons, the lack of consideration for the harmful effects of the ongoing climate crisis, and the impact of profound economic inequalities make the challenges of the present and the future increasingly demanding. 

. . .  Faced with frightening scenarios and the possibility of global devastation, it is important that there be a growing desire in people’s hearts for a future of peace and of respect for the dignity of all. Such a future is essential to God’s plan for humanity and the rest of creation. 

. . .  In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes.

                                                                         From the Vatican, 25 July 2025

As we listen to today's Scriptures, in order to reflect carefully and get the deepest meaning out of them, we must remind ourselves again how this part of Matthew's Gospel fits in with what has gone before. At the very beginning of the public life of Jesus, it's recorded this way in Mark's Gospel: Jesus begins his public preaching by proclaiming, "The reign of God is at hand. Change your lives." 

The reign of God is at hand. Reign to bring forth, come into our human history, transform our world into as close an image of that reign of God as possible. It's here; it's ready to break forth. And perhaps we have to remind ourselves, "Well, what do we mean by the reign of God?" Sometimes, especially in Matthew's Gospel, it's called the kingdom of heaven. "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." But that makes us think of a place, maybe makes us think of heaven as the afterlife. But that's not what Jesus is speaking of. It's better to remember from Luke's Gospel how Jesus, there at the beginning of his public life and his first sermon at the synagogue in Nazareth, he proclaims the words of Isaiah: "The reign, or the spirit of God, is upon me. God sends me to proclaim good news to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, give the blind new sight, break the bonds of those who are persecuted and proclaim God's year of favor -- the jubilee year." 

Jesus is proclaiming a time when all of creation -- all of human life, every human person -- will come under the dynamic power of God's love. The reign of God is really God's love over all of us, within all of us. The reign of God is the love of God according to which we live, and when the reign of God is lived by all of us, when it's come to its fullness in everyone, but especially the poor will have the good news proclaimed to them, as Jesus said. Because at that synagogue in Nazareth, he said, "This day, this Scripture passage is fulfilled as you listen." He's saying the reign of God is happening now. But very often, isn't it true we get discouraged? We don't see that love of God over all of creation, drawing all of us, every human person, into a oneness where everyone has the fullness of life, [where] all the basic needs of every person are met. All of creation is transformed. We don't see it, and so that's why Jesus tells the parables of today. 

The reign of God is like a treasure hidden in the field. It's been there for a long, long time. Nobody knows it's there. Someone discovers it, goes, sells everything in order to buy that field. The reign of God is so important. Jesus is telling us that it's worth all that we have, as he told those who wanted to follow him: "Go, sell all that you have. Come, follow me." So the reign of God is at hand, but it's hidden sometimes. ... And when we find it, when we begin to discover that the reign of God is at hand, isn't it worth changing our lives, dramatically, radically following the way of Jesus? ... Or the second parable, when Jesus talks about the reign of God is a pearl of great price. Again, you sell all that you have, let everything go in order to get that pearl, the reign of God. 

As we celebrate the liturgy in this home of Franz Jägerstätter in the village of St. Radegund, isn't it possible to connect these parables with Franz Jägerstätter and his beloved wife, Franziska, who died just a year ago. These were two people who, in the midst of a world that was filled with hatred, violence, war, a following of false gods, in that kind of a world, there was this treasure hidden: Franz, Franziska, being faithful, understanding that Jesus really is making the reign of God happening, ready to give up everything in order to follow the way of Jesus. Franz, Franziska, it seems to me, are like that hidden treasure, that pearl of great price. It's there all the time, ready to break forth. And now in our church, that treasure has been discovered, made known throughout the world. Franz is now declared blessed, held up as one to venerate. Franziska, who has died now, also is ready to be held up for all of us to follow, as they did the way of Jesus.

In our first lesson today, God asked Solomon to pray for whatever he wished. Whatever it was, God would grant it. Solomon prayed for an open heart, a loving heart, a heart that would bring him wisdom, and God granted it. That's what we need: to ask God for an open heart so that we can become wise according to the way of Jesus. And remember, as the prophet Isaiah proclaimed about God and about Jesus: "My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts. As high as the heavens are above the earth, my thoughts are above your thoughts, my ways above your ways." We must change radically. And as for St. Paul in our second lesson today urges us, and we must hear these words: "Be conformed to Christ." Be conformed to Christ. Be like Jesus; follow his way, the transforming power of love. We, too, live in a world even now that is filled with violence and hatred and wars. How is it ever going to end? Unless more and more of us begin to have that open heart, to be wise according to the wisdom of God, to be ready to change our lives so that we follow the pattern of the life of Jesus, who offered himself out of love for all. He showed us as he was tortured, nailed to the cross, died, but died pouring forth love on all humankind, all of the creation. Pouring forth love; returning good for evil, love for hate, and that's the love that can transform our world into the reign of God. We must, again, conform our lives to the way of Jesus: "To love one another as I have loved you." Greater love than this no one has than to lay down your life out of love for others, trusting that that gift of your love entering into the love of Jesus, becoming one with him, being conformed with him, is how we join in his work of making the reign of God happen so that our world gradually is being transformed. 

And when we, our whole church, begin to live this way of Jesus, we can be confident that that fullness of life, fullness of peace for every person, for all of human history, will be there because God has promised. Franz and Franziska were hidden treasures for so long. There are hidden treasures all over our creation, and we must be part of them. Then we can have total confidence that the words of Jesus will be fulfilled. The reign of God is at hand. It will come to its fullness as we change our lives, are conformed to him, and follow him. 

[Homily given at Franz Jägerstätter House of Prayer in the village of St. Radegund, Austria. The transcripts of Bishop Gumbleton's homilies are posted weekly to NCRonline.org. Sign up here to receive an email alert when the latest homily is posted.]

Friends, please read the following response from our US Bishops to the 'Big Beautiful Bill' as written by the USCCB. 

BREAKING: The Catholic Church enrages MAGA world by coming out forcefully against the "big, beautiful bill" as twenty bishops sign an interfaith letter stating that its "passage would be a moral failure for American society as a whole."  There is nothing less Christ-like than cutting healthcare and food stamps for the poor....  "First, it provides tens of billions of dollars to the government to undertake a mass deportation campaign which will separate US families, harm US-citizen and immigrant children, and sow chaos in local communities," the letter reads. "It will spur immigration raids across the nation, harming hard-working immigrant families essential to our economy and causing widespread unrest like we recently witnessed in Los Angeles."  The legislation would funnel over $150 billion towards Trump's border policies and immigration crackdowns, with the ICE detention budget alone ballooning from $3.4 billion to $45 billion until the end of 2029. Professor Donald Moynihan of the University of Michigan has pointed out that this figure is more than the combined funding for all 50 federal prisons.  In addition to being a gross waste of taxpayer money, this funding will create a self-perpetrating deportation industrial machine similar to our private prison system and military complex. Just like pouring money into military contractors incentivizes new wars, pouring money into this fledgling deportation industry will incentivize more crackdowns and family separations. The more you feed the monster, the bigger and hungrier it gets.  "This funding also will be used to target faith communities, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed places of worship from its sensitive locations list, allowing ICE agents to enter them for enforcement purposes," the letter continues. "We have already witnessed a reduction in attendance at many of our religious services in our denominations, as the threat of enforcement has deterred many families from practicing their faith."  The signatories include numerous prominent bishops such as Cardinal Robert McElroy, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Bishop John Dolan, Archbishop Paul Etienne, Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, and Bishop Jaime Soto.  In addition to the Catholic leaders, the letter was signed by the leaders of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas as well as respected faith leaders of the Episcopalian, Jewish, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Muslim communities.  "Moreover, the bill provides funding for a border wall along the US-Mexico border which we believe will drive migrants into the most remote regions of the border and lead to an increase in migrant deaths," the letter goes on. "It also would hurt the local environment along the border and force desperate asylum-seekers seeking safety to increasingly rely on human smugglers."  "As you should know, our faith organizations have long favored the creation of legal avenues for migration and a legalization program for immigrants who have lived in the US for years and contributed their hard work to our economy," the signatories wrote. "We believe the adoption of these policies, instead of the implementation of a mass deportation campaign, would not only benefit immigrant workers and their families, but be in the best interest of our nation."  "Second, the legislation makes severe cuts in health-care coverage and food assistance to millions of both low-income citizens and legal residents, including asylum-seekers and refugees, driving them deeper into poverty," the letter adds. "According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill transfers wealth from those in the bottom 10 percent of income to those in the top 10 percent of income in our nation, increasing the already large gap between the rich and the poor."  The bill will slash nearly $1 trillion in funding from Medicaid, a move that will directly result in the death and suffering of countless Americans. People will go blind, see their life expectancies cut in half, and end up bankrupt and homeless. Nursing homes and hospitals will shut down.  It also guts funding for crucial food programs like SNAP by roughly $186 billion by 2034. Americans are literally going to starve to death so that billionaires can afford a few new yachts.  "From our various faith perspectives, the moral test of a nation is how it treats those most in need of support. In our view, this legislation will harm the poor and vulnerable in our nation, to the detriment of the common good. Its passage would be a moral failure for American society as a whole," it concludes.  In a separate statement, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that the bill "takes from the poor to give to the wealthy."  "It provides tax breaks for some while undermining the social safety net for others through major cuts to nutrition assistance and Medicaid," he continued. "It fails to protect families and children by promoting an enforcementand future generations through cuts to clean energy incentives and environmental programs."  "I underscore what my brother bishops said in their recent letter to find a better way forward and urge Senators to think and act with courage and creativity to protect human dignity for all, to uphold the common good, and to change provisions that undermine these fundamental values," he added.