今天是常年期第十五周星期四。教會在今天慶祝加爾默耳山聖母的自由紀念日。最近出版的彌撒經書告訴我們：此自由紀念日旨在尊崇榮福童貞聖母為加爾默羅會主保。其後，這個瞻禮漸與相傳聖西滿思鐸（S. Simon Stock）於1251年7月16日所見的神視相連。佩帶象徵加爾默羅會會衣的“棕色聖衣”，即為信靠聖母慈助之標記，尤指托賴其於臨終時刻之庇佑。
今天是常年期第十五周星期四。教会在今天庆祝加尔默耳山圣母的自由纪念日。最近出版的弥撒经书告诉我们：此自由纪念日旨在尊崇荣福童贞圣母为加尔默罗会主保。其后，这个瞻礼渐与相传圣西满思铎（S. Simon Stock）于1251年7月16日所见的神视相连。佩带象征加尔默罗会会衣的“棕色圣衣”，即为信靠圣母慈助之标记，尤指托赖其于临终时刻之庇佑。
16 July 2026 Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time / Our Lady of Mount Carmel Gospel: Matthew 11:28–30
Today is Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The recently published Missale Romanum informs us: This Optional Memorial honors the Blessed Virgin Mary as Patroness of the Carmelite Order. In time, this feast came to be associated with the vision granted to Saint Simon Stock, said to have taken place on 16 July 1251. To wear the ‘Brown Scapular,’ a symbol of the Carmelite habit, is a sign of trust in Mary’s maternal aid, especially at the hour of death.
Today’s passage from the Gospel of Saint Matthew presents words spoken by Jesus to the crowds following His praise of the Father. I say that these words are, for us today, a source of immense consolation. For we constantly face various pressures: students are burdened by academic examinations; job seekers face financial strain from prolonged unemployment; working professionals endure the pressure of performance metrics and the threat of dismissal.
Today, Jesus says gently to us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (cf. Matt 11:28). He invites us to release our burdens, to share our toil with Him—the weight that leaves us breathless and the deep-seated anguish within. He waits there in silence, listening to our laments. He desires to share in all our struggles, that through His mercy, we may find respite.
Having found this respite, we must take up His yoke, in accordance with His will (cf. Matt 11:29). This means participating in His work of redemption on earth: bringing the comfort and joy He offers to all people through our lives and deeds. Thus, through our service and the transformation of our lives, the world may behold His living presence.
O God, who show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honour. 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.
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.
14 July 2026 Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Or Optional Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis Gospel: Matthew 11:20–24
Today is Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis. The Roman Martyrology tells us: Saint Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614) was born in Bucchianico, Italy, and spent his youth as a mercenary. Left destitute by gambling, he eventually found employment at a hospital for incurables in Rome. Influenced by Saint Philip Neri and other holy men, he was ordained a priest by Thomas Goldwell, the last of the old English Catholic bishops. In 1584, Saint Camillus founded the Servants of the Sick (the Camillians); the religious wear a red cross upon their breasts and vow to serve the sick, even at the cost of their lives.
Today’s passage from the Gospel of Saint Matthew presents Jesus’ denunciation of the cities. I wish to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
Jesus first denounces Chorazin and Bethsaida, and then mentions Tyre and Sidon, cities of the Gentiles in the Old Testament (cf. Matt 11:21). What did the people living in Chorazin and Bethsaida do? Though they experienced God’s infinite mercy daily in their lives, their spirits refused to repent and renounce all things. They rejected the Word of God because they deemed the words of Jesus utterly unlike the teachings about God they heard from the rabbis. They regarded Jesus merely as a rabbi from Nazareth; even when they witnessed all He did before their eyes, they refused to believe. As for the people of Tyre and Sidon, though they did not believe in or even know God, when God’s messengers came to them, they were willing to listen. On account of their obedience, God spared some among them.
Next, Jesus denounces Capernaum, referencing Sodom, that sinful city of the Old Testament (cf. Matt 11:23–24). We know Capernaum was the center of Jesus’ ministry; there He proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom and even raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. This bred arrogance in the hearts of Capernaum’s inhabitants. In contrast stands Sodom, a city steeped in depravity. Abraham, God’s friend, interceded for its people, yet none were saved except Lot and his family—for God remembered Lot’s fellowship with Abraham (cf. Gen 13:1–4). On account of Abraham’s plea, Lot and his family were spared, save for Lot’s wife, who looked back and became a pillar of salt (cf. Gen 18:16–19:29).
Clearly, Matthew intends to teach us this: Jesus calls us to seek the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom He speaks of is not a nation governed by rigid hierarchies, but a realm defined solely by love. In the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaims, there are only God’s children who worship Him with filial love—loving God alone, with undivided hearts. In this Kingdom, there is only God who loves mankind. The God Jesus reveals loves not only His dutiful children but also the undutiful; He is a God who draws near to His children, not One confined to the temple awaiting human worship, preferring sacrifices above all else. Therefore, let us take heed, lest we become the very objects of Jesus’ condemnation.
您必须登录才能发表评论。