The Word of God as a Light

Monday, June 15, 2026 From the Gospel Reading of Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (Matthew 5:38–42) "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (Matt. 5:41) The normal instinct is to resist this instruction of Jesus. We do so because we often cannot see the larger picture. Without the illumination that comes from the Lord, we may fail to discern when God is coming to us in a disguised form, through situations we would not naturally choose. The instruction of Jesus to go the extra mile must also be read together with his earlier call not to retaliate against the evil person (cf. Matt. 5:38–39). At first hearing, this may seem to blur the boundaries of justice. But in truth, it reveals how limited our own capacity for judgment is. We often do not see the full story behind the actions of others. The person who has done wrong may already have begun the journey toward conversion and reparation, however slowly. Such a person may need not only correctio...

  Sunday, 14 June, 2026. From the Gospel of the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Matthew 9:36–10:8) "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matt. 9:36). Celebrating St. Barnabas last Thursday, we reflected on this Gospel and reminded ourselves that it is now our turn. The word of God, as we were saying yesterday, is always alive. Each time we come to it, we should come with a disposition to receive something new. I actually shared a reflection on this same verse in a video which I will still share here. There, the focus was more on how, due to lack of proper vision and compassion, we sometimes end up rendering the sheep the Lord has entrusted to us harassed and helpless. Today, however, I would like us to look at this passage from another perspective. I would like to remind us that we can become instruments through whom God brings healing and peace to this wounded world. How? We need...

  Saturday 13 June From the Gospel of Saturday, June 13, 2026, Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 2:41–51). "And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart" (Lk 2:51b). We ended our reflection yesterday praying that we may allow the Lord to penetrate and pierce our own hearts with His healing truth and love. It is not the first time that our evangelist tells us of Mary conserving and treasuring things in her heart. After the visit of the shepherds, we read that Mary "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Lk 2:19). There she was reflecting on all that the shepherds had said about the child. In our Gospel today, after the losing and finding of the child Jesus in the Temple, Jesus responded in such a way that the evangelist tells us that Mary and Joseph "did not understand the saying which he spoke to them" (v. 50). Yet immediately afterwards we read: "His mother treasured up all ...

  Friday 12 June, 2026 From the Gospel of Friday 12 June, 2026, Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Matthew 11:25–30). "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29). Who doesn't want serenity, happiness, peace, rest? Who doesn't want freedom from yokes? Who doesn't truly want lasting joy? Who doesn't want a good life? However, since we are mysterious (and perhaps complicated) beings, we can even become confused about what we truly want. I have encountered people who told me—regarding some actions they took in the past—that they were confused and therefore never knew what was truly good for them. Amidst the confusion, and especially the many distractions in which we can find ourselves, we can begin from somewhere: by attempting to listen within and to be silent. This is because it is possible for us to be living in bondage and still be entangling, ruining, and destro...

  Thursday, June 11, 2026 From the Gospel of Thursday, June 11, 2026, Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle (Matthew 10:7–13). "As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'" (Matt. 10:7) Before the APC presidential primaries of 2022, in Abeokuta, the current President of Nigeria publicly declared his intention to run for office using the famous Yoruba expression "Emi Lokan" ("It is my turn"). Today, borrowing that expression in a completely different sense, I would like to title this reflection: "It Is Our Turn." It is our turn to continue the mission first entrusted to John the Baptist, then to Jesus Christ, and finally to His disciples. "In those days"—our evangelist tells us—"John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ' Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near '" (Matt. 3:1–2). Matthew continues: "When Jesus heard that John had been arres...

  Wednesday, June 10, 2026 From the Gospel of Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time (Matthew 5:17–19). "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill" (Mt 5:17). This statement of Jesus can be read as a response to those who misunderstood His mission. Some accused Him of being too close to sinners and therefore of weakening God's law. Others might wonder whether the way He proposes for His followers—the way of the Beatitudes—is practical at all in a hostile world. It is this second question that I would like to consider today. Yesterday, we reflected on how we are still needed in that world, and how we are to continue allowing ourselves to be consumed in it whenever He asks us to. Someone may ask: when does He not? I would like to call to mind an idea I shared previously about laws being made to guide and protect us who have already been saved, so that we may arrive safely at our destination. I was ...