June 23, 2026 Evening: Vigil Mass for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Gospel: Luke 1:5–17
Today is Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time. According to the tradition of the Church, the Vigil Mass for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is celebrated this evening. For pastoral reasons, we continue this year to provide reflections for both Masses. The Gospel for the Vigil Mass of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke.
At the opening of the Gospel, Saint Luke introduces us to John’s parents: Zechariah, a priest of God, and Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron. In the time of Moses, Aaron was consecrated as priest (Exodus 28:1–5); yet even such holy spouses were childless. In Jewish society during Zechariah’s time, barrenness or the absence of children was commonly regarded as a punishment from the Lord. But in the eyes of God, this was part of His divine plan. Why so? Because it is precisely in the lives of women once deemed barren that God manifests His wondrous power. Consider the mother of Samson, the wife of Manoah of the tribe of Dan: through her, God raised up Samson to deliver Israel from the Philistines (cf. Judges 13–16). And consider most blessedly the Virgin Mary: though she had no relations with Joseph, through her obedient surrender to the divine will, she miraculously conceived and gave birth to the Savior of humanity, making visible the invisible God.
Today, the words spoken by the angel to Zechariah are filled with profound consolation. He said: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John” (cf. Luke 1:13). The name John is singularly significant: it does not come from Zechariah’s ancestry, but is given by the angel. This signifies that from the very moment of his conception in Elizabeth’s womb, John is destined for a unique mission. He will await the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary, draw comfort from the words spoken by the Savior Jesus Christ through His Mother’s greeting, rejoice with exultant gladness at the presence of the Redeemer, and later, nourished by locusts and wild honey, prepare a holy people for the Messiah of God—a people ready to enter the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus. Therefore, on this most sacred night, let us raise our prayer to God:
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that your family may walk in the way of salvation and, attentive to what Saint John the Precursor urged, may come safely to the One he foretold, our Lord Jesus Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
June 23, 2026 Mass during Day: Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12–14
Today is Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time. According to the tradition of the Church, the Vigil Mass for the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist will be celebrated this evening. For pastoral reasons, we continue this year to provide reflections for both of these Masses. At the Mass celebrated during the daytime for the Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time, the Gospel text is taken from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew. Jesus continues His Sermon on the Mount.
We constantly make demands, based on the needs of daily living, upon our fellow human beings—each one created, like ourselves, in the image and likeness of God. From the moment we left our mother’s womb, we have asked our parents for food, so that we might survive in this fleeting world. When we came to school, we asked our teachers to impart, according to their knowledge of worldly things, the skills necessary for getting by in life. When we set out on a journey, we also ask those who provide travel services to offer us comfort along the way. For in our eyes, it seems entirely right to make such demands from them. And when they do not satisfy our various needs as we had hoped, we fly into a rage. For we have grown accustomed to being self-centered, accustomed to having everything done for us and every want supplied without effort. Because what we pursue is the ease of this present life, we are unwilling to embrace the counsel for life that Jesus Christ proposes to us.
Our Lord Jesus Christ calls all who would enter the Kingdom of Heaven to go through the narrow gate. This means setting down at that narrow gate whatever makes us physically bloated or inwardly swollen—that we may travel light, pass through the narrow gate, and follow the path that leads to the life Jesus bestows.
Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord! Since we have received Baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, becoming children of God, we need not be anxious about all that is needed in this present life. For such concerns belong to the children of this world, whose way is the broad road that leads to destruction. They follow their flesh and the evil that wells up from their hearts. But we have been born again in Christ through water and the Holy Spirit. Whenever we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and, by the power of that same Spirit, put to death the rash impulses of the flesh, we shall truly live forever, for we are children of God (cf. Romans 8:13–14). Although in this life we must inevitably undergo painful trials and testing temptations, yet all these things serve to strengthen our faith and produce within us the lasting fruits of the Holy Spirit. Thus we become able to discern the voice of God in our lives and to respond with conduct worthy of our vocation.
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 22, 2026 Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time / Saint Paulinus of Nola / Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, Martyrs Gospel: Matthew 7:1–5
Today is Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates today the Optional Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, and Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, Martyrs.
The Roman Martyrology tells us: Saint Paulinus of Nola (c. 335–431) was born in Bordeaux, France, into a patrician Roman family. Before his baptism, he held several public offices and married. After receiving the Sacrament of Baptism and the death of his only child, he withdrew to Spain with his wife, Therasia, where they lived a life of prayer, study, and penance. Later moving to Nola in Campania, he was ordained Bishop in 409. During the Gothic invasions, he displayed remarkable courage, and his poetry and letters remain treasured to this day.
Saint John Fisher (1469–1535) was born in Beverley, Yorkshire. He studied at the University of Cambridge, later serving as its Chancellor. In 1504, he was appointed Bishop of Rochester and became a model shepherd; Saint Charles Borromeo kept his portrait alongside that of Saint Ambrose in his personal quarters. For refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy acknowledging the king as supreme head of the Church in England, he was imprisoned. Pope Paul III created him Cardinal shortly thereafter. He was beheaded at Tower Hill, London, on June 22, 1535.
Saint Thomas More (1477–1535) was born in London, England. A highly esteemed lawyer and humanist scholar, he served as Lord Chancellor under King Henry VIII. Deeply devoted to his family, he persevered in a life of prayer despite countless public duties. When the King sought to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Saint Thomas resigned from office. He was beheaded at Tower Hill on July 6, 1535. In 2000, Saint John Paul II named him Patron of Statesmen and Politicians.
Today’s Gospel from Saint Matthew continues the Sermon on the Mount. In this passage, Jesus calls us to constant self-examination rather than rash judgment. Let us reflect briefly.
In daily life, we habitually measure people, things, and events against our own standards. Too often, we apply these worldly measures to our brothers and sisters, convinced that others are wrong and we alone are right. Such arrogance stems not from strength, but from an inability to accept our own weakness and limitations. At times, we pray and feel our petitions go unanswered; then we may accuse God of imperfection for withholding what we demand.
Jesus teaches us today to accept ourselves—our imperfect, fragile selves. Only by embracing our own need for mercy can we extend compassion to those who seem to us most deficient. Only by acknowledging our failings and imploring God’s pardon do we experience the depth of His merciful love. And having received that love, we become capable of bringing it to others—healing divisions, overcoming hatred, and restoring charity among all.
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
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