June 26, 2026 Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mt 8:1-4
Today is Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time. The passage from the Gospel of Saint Matthew recounts what took place as Jesus descended from the mountain after concluding the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew tells us that a leper came forward, knelt before Him, and said, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.” (Cf. Mt 8:2)
In the time of Jesus, those afflicted with leprosy were regarded as unclean. Leprosy, like present-day Hansen’s disease, was highly contagious. Thus, in the Book of Leviticus, the Lord instructed Moses: “The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall have his garments torn and his head bare; he shall shield his mustache and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ As long as the score is on him, he remains unclean. He shall dwell apart; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” (Cf. Lv 13:45-46) Consequently, for the Jews of Jesus’ time, anyone suffering from leprosy had to be separated from family and social ties, resulting in complete isolation from the community. Therefore, this leper who approaches Jesus today clearly represents someone marginalized by society.
Today, this leper—who overcomes every obstacle to courageously come before Jesus—is us. Living in this valley of tears, and due to original sin, our souls, ever since we left our mother’s womb, are like this leper, covered with the sores and festering wounds caused by sin.
Christ the Lord, rich in mercy, upon hearing the leper’s plea for cleansing, not only healed him immediately but also transcended the limitations of the Old Law: “Whoever touches the unclean thing shall itself be unclean, and whoever touches it becomes unclean until evening.” (Cf. Nm 19:21-22) He stretched out His hand, touched the leper, and said, “I will do it. Be clean.” (Cf. Mt 8:3)
When we gather the courage to seek God’s healing through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the merciful God comforts us through the ministers He has chosen. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, He washes away our original sin in the Precious Blood of Christ and, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, makes us His children. Though we sin again and again, He continues to forgive us, ensuring that nothing separates us from His love.
Furthermore, He helped the man return to his community. According to the Law of Moses, a person with leprosy remained unclean as long as the disease persisted. (Cf. Lv 13:46) Only after the prescribed rites of purification could he return to his former dwelling. (Cf. Lv 14:1-32) This leper, once isolated due to his illness, was now sent by Jesus to comply with the Law: to present himself to the priest and offer the prescribed gift, thereby undergoing ritual purification and being readmitted into Jewish society.
Today, when we become aware of the leprosy of our soul, we too approach the confessional to seek God’s healing. The priest seated within represents Jesus and, by virtue of the power to forgive sins received in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, absolves us of our faults. Thus, we are reconciled with God and all creation and restored once more to the family of God’s children.
Grant, O Lord, that we may always revere and love your holy name, for you never deprive of your guidance those you set firm on the foundation of your love. 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
June 25, 2026 Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Matthew 7:21–29
Today is Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time. The passage from the Gospel of Saint Matthew continues to present to us the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. Today’s Gospel brings us to its conclusion.
We often offer many different kinds of prayers to God. At the beginning of our prayers, we address Him as “Lord God,” “Almighty God,” or “Merciful God.” In our eyes, these prayers seem pleasing to God and in accord with His holy will; we think that by praying in this way, we secure and strengthen our relationship with Him. Yet such prayer is not necessarily acceptable to God. Too often, our petitions seek the things of this passing world rather than the righteousness of the Kingdom that God calls us to pursue.
Today, Jesus calls us to do the will of the Father. To know the Father’s will, we must ask for the light and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of truth” of whom Jesus spoke in His farewell discourse before His Passion (cf. John 16:13). We may feel familiar with Jesus Christ, but our understanding of the Holy Spirit is often less mature. Saint Paul teaches us that the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (cf. Romans 8:26). Pope Saint Paul VI, in his Apostolic Letter Credo of the People of God, instructs us: “The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church; our faith rests upon Him, for He is the life of the Mystical Body of Christ” (Pope Saint Paul VI, Credo of the People of God, 6). He dwells perpetually within the Church. In the Eucharistic Liturgy, we frequently hear the priest pray: “Lord, we implore You, send forth Your Holy Spirit to sanctify these gifts, that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. The Roman Missal, Catholic Truth Society, England, 25 June 2025, approved by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Prot. 1021/07/L, pp. 1036–1037).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! If we contemplate all that happens to us with the eyes of faith, and if our hearts are attuned to the Heart of the Divine Word, we shall discern the presence of the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit ceaselessly reveals to us the hidden wisdom of God’s will and sustains our bond with Jesus Christ. When we cling faithfully to the Holy Spirit and allow His promptings to shape our prayers, then Jesus recognizes in our supplications His own voice. And the Father, who loves us, likewise recognizes in them the voice of His only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ—and through the intercession of the Spirit, grants us every grace we need. Then our faith will stand firm, like a house built upon rock—founded upon Christ Himself, the living Stone, and upon Peter, the Rock chosen by the Word of God—unshakable, even as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is unshakable.
Grant, O Lord, that we may always revere and love your holy name, for you never deprive of your guidance those you set firm on the foundation of your love. 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
June 24, 2026 The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Gospel: Luke 1:57–66, 80
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. The passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke proclaims to us the mystery of John’s birth. I take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
In daily life, when a neighbor or a relative welcome a newborn child, we hasten to congratulate them and share in their joy. So too, when a child was born to Zechariah’s household, his neighbors and relatives would naturally have rejoiced with them. At that time, they intended to circumcise the child according to the command God gave to Abraham (cf. Genesis 17:23–27), so that the boy might belong to Israel. They acted thus because they did not yet understand the mission John the Baptist was to fulfill.
But Elizabeth and Zechariah unanimously declared to their neighbors and relatives, “His name is John.” This name had been revealed to Zechariah by the angel Gabriel (cf. Luke 1:12–13). The name John means: “God bestows grace,” manifesting His mercy and revealing His gracious favor. Elizabeth and Zechariah acted as they did because they had already experienced the love God showed them—a love that transformed their lives. No longer did they live according to the patterns of the old covenant alone; now they dwelt in God’s own world, which is to say, in the very love of God.
Today, we rejoice at the birth of John the Baptist, for his coming signifies that the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is near. Therefore, let us lift up our hearts in faith and offer our prayer to God:
O God, who raised up Saint John the Baptist to make ready a nation fit for Christ the Lord, give your people, we pray, the grace of spiritual joys and direct the hearts of all the faithful into the way of salvation and peace. 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.
全属于祢 
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