August 7, 2026
Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Or Optional Memorial of Saint Cajetan, Priest
Or Saint Mary of the Cross, Virgin(In Scotland)
Or Optional Memorial of Saint Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs
Gospel: Matthew 16:24–28

Today is Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates today the Optional Memorial of Saint Cajetan, Priest, and the Optional Memorial of Saint Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs. In Scotland, today is observed as the Optional Memorial of Saint Mary of the Cross, Virgin.

The recently published Roman Missal introduces these saints as follows:

Saint Cajetan (1480–1547), Priest, was born in Vicenza, Italy. He abandoned a highly successful legal career in order to be ordained to priesthood in 1516. Together with his companions, he co-founded the Order of Clerics Regular, commonly known as the Theatines (Ordo Clericorum Regularium vulgo Theatinorum), which made outstanding contributions to the reform of the clergy. Burning with zeal for the salvation of souls, he came to be known as the “Huntsman of Souls.”

Saint Mary of the Cross, Virgin（1842–1909）born Mary MacKillop on January 15, 1842, in Melbourne to Scottish parents—went to South Australia as a governess, where she met Fr. Julian Tenison-Woods. Together they opened a Catholic school at Penola. As her educational and pastoral work expanded, she founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (also known as the “Josephites”). Despite internal ecclesiastical opposition and even excommunication, her mission flourished—the sisters, often lacking resources, persevered in serving in the most remote areas. She died in Sydney on August 8, 1909. On October 17, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI canonized her, making her the first Australian saint.

Saint Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs (d. 258) suffered during the persecution of Emperor Valerian. Indeed, Sixtus had been secretly consecrated Bishop of Rome the previous year and was arrested while celebrating the Eucharist. He was beheaded almost immediately at the Cemetery of Callixtus. According to tradition, six of his seven deacons were killed on the same day; the seventh, Saint Lawrence, was martyred a few days later. Saint Sixtus is included in the Roman Canon.

The passage from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew presented to us today records Jesus’ instruction to His disciples following His first prediction of His Passion and Resurrection. I would like to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.

In our daily lives, we often hear people say: “Believe in Jesus and you will receive eternal life.” Others say: “Believe in Jesus, follow Him, and your illness will be healed.” Some who hear such preaching choose to follow Jesus to satisfy their worldly desires. Those who preach in this way believe that they are taking up their cross and fulfilling the will of God. But what they proclaim is the worldview of this passing worldview that leads to eternal ruin.

The worldview that Jesus speaks of is different from what we naturally understand. He asks us to renounce everything we have in this perishable world so that we may be filled with the Holy Spirit. For all that the Holy Spirit bestows upon us far exceeds anything this present world can offer, and the life He gives us surpasses the life of this fading world. Therefore, when we receive the Sacrament of Baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it means that we have resolved to unite our life with the life of Jesus Christ, with the very life of God. If our life is truly united with the life of Jesus Christ, we no longer live according to the standards of this passing world, because the standards of this perishable world are ever opposed to the way of life that Jesus Christ teaches us. The way that Jesus Christ teaches us is this: though we still live in this world that is destined to pass away, yet by faith in God and by longing for our heavenly homeland, we are to live out charity in our daily lives, so that the Kingdom of God of which Jesus spoke may, through our lives and actions, be made present in this world.

Draw near to your servants, O Lord,
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created
and keep safe what you have restored.
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