15 July 2026
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Memorial)
Gospel: Matthew 11:25–27

Today is Wednesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. The Roman Martyrology tells us: Saint Bonaventure (1221–1274) was born at Bagnorea (Bagnoregio), near Viterbo, Italy. He entered the Franciscan Order and was a confidant of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He taught at the University of Paris and subsequently became Minister General of the Franciscan Order. In 1265, he was appointed Archbishop of York, England, though he was never consecrated. He was later created Cardinal Bishop of Albano and died peacefully during the Council of Lyons. The Saint is renowned for his philosophical and theological writings and bears the title Seraphic Doctor.

Today’s passage from the Gospel of Saint Matthew presents words spoken by Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us endeavor to understand them.

We often encounter those who are wise and learned. Among them, some are versed in astronomy, others in hydrology, linguistics, or the principles governing the natural world. They frequently attempt to comprehend the ways of God using the frameworks by which they view this world.

The “wise and learned” whom Jesus addresses today refer specifically to the Pharisees, who were well-versed in the Word of God. Like the wise and learned figures in our own lives, they viewed God through the lens of their own preconceptions. To them, God was a deity who delighted in sacrifice, loving only those who offered Him gifts and dealing harshly with those who did not. Yet, this is not the true God. For we know that the true God loves all: not only those who worship Him but also those who sin and turn away. He does not punish sinners harshly; rather, through His Son, He seeks to save all.

To whom, then, does God choose to reveal His will? Jesus tells us: God reveals His secrets to little children. Why? Because children possess a simplicity and purity; like the angels before God, they earnestly desire His mercy and His love. With clean hearts, they humble themselves before Him, making room for His grace to fill them, enabling them to live without fear. As Jesus declared, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (cf. Matt 5:8).

Today, let us strive to become like little children—pure in heart. Let us gaze upon God with the eyes of faith, listen to His Word with the ears of faith, and proclaim His truth with the lips of infants. May we seek God alone, yearn for our heavenly homeland, and thirst for His holy will. Thus, the Word of God will unveil to us ever deeper truths of the Kingdom, drawing us nearer to heaven, until we are granted to dwell in His presence at every moment.

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica