June 8, 2026
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Matthew 5:1–12

Today is Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Gospel passage from Saint Matthew presents us with the Sermon on the Mount. Throughout this week—with the exception of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary—we will hear Our Lord’s teachings to His disciples upon the mountain. Indeed, we have already proclaimed this text on the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time this year.

At the beginning of the Gospel, Saint Matthew tells us: “Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.”(cf. Mt 5:1). He employs a profoundly vivid biblical image—the mountain. We know that the mountain is the dwelling place of God, the site of divine encounter. In the Old Testament, the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai (cf. Ex 19:16–25) and revealed Himself to Elijah in the cave (cf. 1 Kgs 19:9–14). Today, Jesus is on the mountain; He and His disciples are there. He proclaims His teaching to them and to all who sincerely follow Him, so that their thoughts, words, and deeds may conform to the Kingdom of God which He announces.

Subsequently, we see the qualities Jesus requires of His disciples. He calls them to be poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, and the pure in heart. These characteristics stand in stark contrast to those of this passing world. The people of this world are self-centered; they seek only their own interests, disregarding the feelings of others. They cling to their possessions as if by right, failing to recognize that all they have is a gift from God, and that they themselves are created in His very image.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Through Baptism, we are united to Christ, and through the anointing of the Holy Spirit—the oil of gladness—we are made children of God. If we are true disciples of Jesus Christ, it means we must constantly conform ourselves to the will of the Father. By His grace, we empty ourselves so as to be filled with His gifts. Enlightened by the Holy Spirit, we acknowledge our sins and seek reconciliation with God. The Lord, rich in mercy, forgives our offenses and allows us to behold the goodness of His creation.

Some of the faithful labor under a certain illusion. They believe that merely receiving Baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, coupled with confessing their sins and receiving Holy Communion once a year, suffices for salvation. This is not the case. Today, Jesus warns us: As Christians, we must be prepared to endure persecution and every form of slander, and even to rejoice in such trials. For the saints and apostles, who share communion in the love of God, endured these things before us. Whenever we experience these things, we partake in a foretaste of the joy of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now, let us pray together:

O God, from whom all good things come,
grant that we, who call on you in our need,
may at your prompting discern what is right,
and by your guidance do it.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica