July 9, 2026Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary TimeReadings for TodaySaint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, Martyrs—Optional MemorialJesus Blesses the Apostolic College, by Lawrence OP, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.VideoJesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Matthew 10:7–8And they were off! After choosing Twelve of His disciples and naming them Apostles—that is, those who are sent—Jesus sends them out, two by two, into the towns and villages of Israel, places where He Himself would later come. They go before Him, preparing hearts to receive the fullness of the Gospel when the Lord Himself arrives.At this stage, their mission is directed solely “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). They are not to go into pagan or Samaritan regions—not yet. Only after the Passion, Resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost will they go to the ends of the earth, empowered to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). This first mission, therefore, is a foretaste—a seed of the universal mission that will blossom in the early Church and continue through missionary efforts today.In this twofold sending—first to Israel, then to all nations—we glimpse the pattern of the spiritual life: God first works inwardly, forming and healing the soul, and then sends it outward in love. Our evangelization must arise from an interior communion with Christ, deepened by grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Just as the Apostles could not be sent to the world until Pentecost, neither can we bear lasting fruit unless we, too, are first transformed by His Spirit.Consider this twofold process in your life. The Apostles’ first mission can be likened to our calling to witness to the faith within our homes—to spouses, children, relatives, and close friends. But just as the Twelve had to be formed by Christ before proclaiming His Kingdom, we, too, must be formed in the school of grace. The Apostles were first called, taught, shown signs and wonders, drawn to deeper faith, and only then prepared for this first mission.Likewise, before we can effectively evangelize even within our families, our own conversion must be sincere. For example, parents hand on the faith to their children not merely by teaching doctrine, but by living a faith that is visibly alive. Daily prayer, faithful attendance at Mass, and a genuine love for Christ in the home form the atmosphere in which grace can flourish. This must flow from an interior transformation—similar to the Apostles, who left everything to follow Jesus and were gradually conformed to His mind and heart.That the Apostles were sufficiently prepared to proclaim the Kingdom is evident in Jesus’ words as He sends them forth. To “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons,” and to give freely what they themselves had received, reveals that they had already been entrusted with much. Their transformation was not yet complete, but it was real. And Christ, knowing their weaknesses, still entrusted them with His power—because their hearts were open and receptive to grace.So it is with us. Unless we allow Christ to heal, instruct, and sanctify us—unless we live in daily communion with Him—we will struggle to pass on the faith, even to those closest to us. Evangelization does not begin with strategies or words, but with lives deeply conformed to Christ. Only then will we be able to proclaim, with credibility and power, that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.Reflect today on this first mission upon which Jesus sent His Apostles. See in their example your own calling: to be formed interiorly by grace so that you become a living witness to the Kingdom of God within you. Begin with those closest to you and, from there, remain attentive to the ways the Holy Spirit leads you to bring the Gospel even farther. As with the Apostles, trust that your response to grace will bear fruit in ways fully known only to God.My Lord and King, You desire that Your Kingdom be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. Please first establish Your Kingdom in my soul, conforming me to Your reign. From there, please use me as an instrument of Your grace for those closest to me and to all to whom You wish to send me. Jesus, I trust in You.Saint of the Day –  Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, Martyrs—Optional Memorial[embedded content] Scripture Meditations for Ordinary TimeMore Gospel ReflectionsDivine Mercy ReflectionsAll Saints/FeastsMass Reading Options Adblock test (Why?)

July 8, 2026Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary TimeReadings for TodayTwelve Apostles in Church Chiesa di San Dalmazzo, by Enrico ReffoVideoJesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these… Matthew 10:1–2Imagine being one of the Twelve. When each of them first encountered our Lord, he could never have imagined what would unfold. Eleven of them would become the foundation upon which the Messiah built His Church. Their words and actions have been recorded and proclaimed throughout the world and will continue to be until the end of time. By God’s will, they preached far and wide with divine authority. They celebrated the Holy Eucharist, transforming mere bread and wine into the Most Holy Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of the Lamb of God. Through the laying on of hands, they imparted the Holy Spirit in fullness. They worked miracles in Jesus’ name, and most of them bore final witness to Christ by the shedding of their blood.The reason their lives were so fruitful for God’s Kingdom is because they were chosen and sent by the Son of God. It was not their idea. They didn’t construct their own plan for eternal salvation. They did not map out their futures and execute a vision according to their own will. Instead, they felt the gravity of the mission for which they were chosen and acted when sent by the Savior. Their obedience to the divine will opened the floodgates of Divine Mercy, and grace poured forth upon the world.When you consider your own life, what are your goals and ambitions? What plans have you made for the future? If we want to imitate the fruitfulness of the Apostles, then we are invited to discern for what God has chosen us and to be prepared to respond with generous obedience when He sends us.It’s easy to come up with our own plans in life. We might want to save up money, succeed at work, have a family, form friendships, retire at a certain age, and enjoy many good things. Though all these can be good and might well be part of God’s plan, we must not presume upon His will. With humility, we must continually seek His guidance, remain open to His promptings, and surrender our plans to the providence of the One who knows what will truly bear fruit for eternity.Reflecting on the radical change of life to which Jesus called the Twelve invites us to consider whether Jesus also desires a radical change in our own lives. Certainly, some aspects of our lives are good and holy. If married with children, God’s will surely includes loving and caring for one’s family. Within every vocation, however, there are ways in which we might be called to a new depth of conversion—a radical life of loving, serving, and building the Kingdom of God in ways we never imagined possible.By analogy, consider a person living in poverty who suddenly wins the largest lottery in history. Imagine, further, that the person is quite worldly. Such a fortune would radically change the direction of that person’s life—likely not for the better.Though God does not promise us a material fortune, He desires to bestow upon us supernatural treasure of infinitely greater value. His Mercy is abundant—described by the saints as an ocean, vast and unfathomable, waiting to be poured out in its fullness upon all of creation. Through prayer and conversion, we open the floodgates, and God begins lavishing upon us the priceless treasure of grace. When this happens, our lives change—because God chooses us and then sends us on ever new and glorious missions.Reflect today on the spiritual truth that God has chosen you for some holy and sacred mission. It might not be glorious in the eyes of the world, but it will be glorious in Heaven. Be open. Beg for His grace. Accept your mission. Go wherever He sends you, knowing that you cannot, now, fathom all that God has in store for you.Most glorious God, You have chosen me for some definite purpose. You have called me by name and desire to send me forth to build up Your Kingdom on earth. I accept my calling and open myself to the abundance of grace You wish to bestow so that I may fulfill Your perfect will, doing unfathomable good for Your Kingdom to come. Jesus, I trust in You.Scripture Meditations for Ordinary Time[embedded content] More Gospel ReflectionsDivine Mercy ReflectionsSaints/Feasts for TodayMass Reading Options Adblock test (Why?)