August 24, 2026 Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Gospel: John 1:45-51
Today is Monday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time. Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle. The recently published Missal tells us: Saint Bartholomew (1st century) was originally from Cana in Galilee, and is generally identified as Nathanael, the one brought to the Lord by Saint Philip. According to tradition, after Pentecost he preached the Gospel in Arabia, India, and Armenia, and there suffered martyrdom by being flayed alive. Therefore, he is the patron saint of tanners.
Today, the passage from the Gospel of Saint John tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Apostle Bartholomew. I would like to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
In our daily lives, we often act like Nathanael (that is, Saint Bartholomew, whom we celebrate today), making judgments according to our own understanding of how the world works. (cf. Jn 1:45-46) Because in our eyes, those who come from impoverished areas or poor families are inferior to us in every way. When people around us mention them, we instinctively resist associating with them and refuse to have any dealings with them. For at that time, what we follow are the reckless impulses of the flesh; what we set our hearts on is everything that belongs to this world, rather than all the good things God bestows upon us according to His holy will.
In fact, before Nathanael received Philip’s invitation, he was sitting under a fig tree. (cf. Jn 1:47-48) This fig tree appeared in the account of Genesis after our first parents disobeyed God’s command and ate the fruit of that tree; at that time, they also made loincloths for themselves from fig leaves to cover their sin. (cf. Gn 3:1-7) Therefore, as soon as he heard Jesus reveal what had happened in his past life, he immediately professed that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel. (cf. Jn 1:49) In this way, with Philip’s help, he discerned his vocation and professed it before Jesus. Likewise, in our lives, we too must, like Nathanael, abandon our former, ingrained ways of thinking. We should not base our understanding of faith on human beings, but rather, by contemplating those who, like us, are made in the image and likeness of God, and by reflecting on all that they have done in us in our daily lives, we can further discern our own vocation and, like Nathanael, generously fulfill it.
Strengthen in us, O Lord, the faith, by which the blessed Apostle Bartholomew clung wholeheartedly to your Son, and grant that through the help of his prayers your Church may become for all the nations the sacrament of salvation. 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.
August 23, 2026 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
Today is the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel passage taken from the Gospel of Matthew presents us with a conversation between Jesus and His disciples as they arrived at Caesarea Philippi. Let us attempt to reflect on this dialogue.
First, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (cf. Mt 16:13-14)
People identified Jesus as John the Baptist because, like John, He proclaimed the Kingdom of God to the world. The difference, however, lies in this: while John preached a baptism of repentance, the baptism Jesus proclaims truly brings salvation. Through the blood from His sacred side, we are cleansed of our sins and our souls and bodies are healed of the wounds inflicted by original sin. Others said Jesus was Elijah because His words burned as fervently as Elijah’s. Jesus Himself said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (cf. Lk 12:49). They compared Him to Jeremiah because, like the prophet of old, He brings comfort and joy to the Jews of His time and to us today. The comfort and joy He brings is this: anointed by His Holy Spirit, we receive the oil of gladness and become children of God. Furthermore, by receiving His Body and Blood, we are united with Him and share in His very life.
Next, Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (cf. Mt 16:15-16)
Peter’s response stemmed from his lived experience. When he met Jesus at Lake Gennesaret and Jesus boarded his boat, Peter listened to the Lord speak of the Kingdom. He left everything behind to follow Jesus and experienced the reality of that Kingdom. He witnessed Jesus raise the dead, cast out demons, and heal every disease. Consequently, he no longer viewed Jesus through merely human eyes, but rather through the guidance and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Thus, when Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He spoke on behalf of the Twelve Apostles, offering a bold and definitive response.
Finally, Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (cf. Mt 16:17-19)
This is truly an invitation, and even more so, a great commission. Jesus invited Peter to assist Him in shepherding His Church and bestowed upon him the twofold authority to “bind” and to “loose.” Today, we are in communion with Saint Peter’s successor—our Pope—and with the successors of the Apostles who share this communion with Peter—our Bishops—as well as with the priests who assist them in pastoral care. United with them in the same faith, we share one Baptism in the Lord Jesus Christ, one anointing of the Holy Spirit, and in the one Eucharist, we receive the one Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, thus living in communion with Jesus Christ. In this way, we must not only observe all the commandments God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, but even more so, we must adhere to the precepts taught by the Church—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—which Christ established upon Saint Peter. All of this helps us, at the end of our earthly lives, to enter safely into the Kingdom of Heaven of which Jesus spoke. This Kingdom is composed of God who loves and those who are loved by God. All who dwell in this Kingdom, together with the heavenly hosts and under the guidance of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, shall behold the radiant face of the Most Holy Trinity, and unceasingly praise and glorify the Lord with countless angels, for ever and ever.
O God, who cause the minds of the faithful to unite in a single purpose, grant your people to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. 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
August 22, 2026 Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Gospel: Matthew 23:1–12
Today is Saturday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The recently published Missale Romanum reminds us that Pope Pius XII instituted this feast in 1954, placing it at the conclusion of the then-observed “Octave of the Assumption.” We must remember that the Blessed Virgin reigns in heaven with her Son. Her royal dignity does not stem from equality with God, but from her divine motherhood. All her singular privileges flow from her identity as the Mother of God and her unique mission in the work of redemption.
Today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus’ discourse to the crowds and His disciples concerning the scribes and Pharisees. Let us reflect on this teaching.
Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, while they themselves will not lift a finger. All their works are performed to be seen by others. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.” (cf. Matt 23:1–5)
We know that the scribes and Pharisees were well-versed in the Scriptures. The Pharisees were experts in the Law of God and its interpretation. They taught the people through parables and, in expounding the Law, incorporated ancestral precepts, customs, and what they termed “the tradition of the elders.” They operated according to the logic of this world logic that demands a return equivalent to what is given. Consequently, they would only invite those they deemed close to them to share their meals. The scribes, likewise, interpreted Scripture according to their own whims, presenting themselves as the voice of God. They regarded themselves as righteous and utterly pure. Jesus commands us to observe the Law of God as expounded by them, yet warns us not to imitate their conduct, for they are hearers and teachers of the Word, but not doers.
On this Memorial of the Queenship of Mary, let us contemplate the virtuous example of the Blessed Virgin. Her life began with a fiat to the divine will. She continually pondered the Word of God and accompanied her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, with a spirit of contemplation, even to His death upon the Cross. After His Ascension, she remained with the Church, sustaining it by her prayer. Thus, she stands as the perfect model of one who fulfills the Law of God. On this memorial, let us together pray to the Lord:
O God, who made the Mother of your Son to be our Mother and our Queen, graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession, we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom the glory promised to your children. 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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