Mass Readings and Reflection for Thursday September 3rd 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 3:18–23)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 24)-To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.

Gospel: (Luke 5:1–11)

Reflection:

In today's Gospel reading, we read about Saint Peter being called by Jesus ti be fisher of men and this reading falls on the feast day of St. Gregory, one of the successors of Saint Peter. How wonderful.

Like Saint Gregory and all those who have succeeded Peter throughout the history of the Church, the successors of Saint Peter have been called to guide the Church. In today’s Gospel, Peter is overwhelmed by the enormous catch of fish. The nets are full. The boats are filled.

But we might ask: were all those fish good fish?

Probably not.

Anyone who has seen a large fishing net knows that a great catch contains all kinds of fish. Some may be worth keeping, while others may have to be thrown away. It is the same when we buy a bushel of apples or tomatoes. When we go through them, we may find a few that are spoiled.

The Church, with its enormous number of members throughout the world, is also made up of all kinds of people.

There are saints.

And there are sinners.

We have had saints such as Saint Gregory the Great. Sadly, we have also had sinners.

Can we live with that reality?

The Church is not a community made up only of perfect people. If people could enter the Church only after becoming completely perfect, there would be no Church at all.

We are all still on the journey.

The Gospel gives us a helpful image in the parable of the wheat and the weeds. The servant wants to remove the weeds immediately, but the master tells him to wait until the harvest, when everything will be separated.

There is wisdom in waiting.

Even what appears imperfect has the opportunity to be transformed. At the harvest, everything will be made right. But for now, we are not yet in heaven.

We live in a world of broken people.

And we live in a Church made up of broken people.

From the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel, we have been sent out to cast the net and gather people into the Kingdom of God. Those who are gathered are not perfect. Hopefully, through the grace of God, they will be purified and become what they are meant to be-good fish, good sheep, and good wheat.

That is why it is important to have a historical perspective as Christians.

The Church has not always appeared perfect in its human history. There have been crusades, inquisitions, scandals, and many other painful moments. Some of these things can be deeply upsetting.

But we must not forget that the Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church.

It is still the Church that Jesus Christ built upon his apostles.

God has never abandoned his Church.

When Jesus called Saint Peter to be his disciple, he knew what he was doing. Peter became the first Pope, and throughout the centuries the Church has continued under the guidance of Peter’s successors. Was Peter perfect? Not at all. 

For now, the Church remains a community of saints and sinners.

Therefore, let us not become discouraged because there are some bad fish in the net.

Let us not become discouraged by difficult personalities, even those we may encounter in church. They are still God’s children. They are still on the journey, just as we are.

What do we expect the Church to be?

It is not a society of perfect people.

It is a community of people, many of whombbroken, trying each day to live in a manner pleasing to God.

Therefore, we should never give up on our parishes.

We should never give up on the universal Church.

And we should never give up on ourselves.

We are not perfect either.

But by God’s grace, we can grow.

When we are baptized, we are not instantly transformed into people who will never sin again. Original sin is washed away, but we still struggle with weakness and sin. Even after we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and are restored to a state of grace, we must continue the journey of conversion.

We are all called to grow.

So let us not judge ourselves too harshly.

Let us not judge one another.

And let us not judge the Church that Christ himself gave us.

Instead, let us believe that God is with us.

Let us trust that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Church.

Let us remember that we are all on a journey toward the perfection of the Kingdom of God.

The message of today’s Gospel is ultimately one of hope.

Jesus called Peter, not because Peter was perfect, but because he was willing to trust him. Peter recognized his own sinfulness and fell before Jesus, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”

Yet Jesus did not reject him.

Instead, Jesus said:

“Do not be afraid.”

That is the message for us as well.

Do not be afraid of our weaknesses.

Do not give up because we are not yet perfect.

Do not abandon the Church because its members are imperfect.

Trust in God’s grace.

Continue to grow.

Continue to follow Christ.

Like Peter and the first disciples, we are called to leave behind whatever keeps us from following the Lord and to trust him enough to put out into the deep.

The Church is still filled with saints and sinners.

We are still broken people on a journey.

But God has not abandoned us.

The Holy Spirit is still at work.

And by the grace of God, we continue moving forward until the day when we reach the fullness of the Kingdom and become what God has called us to be.

Amen 🙏 

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Mass Readings and Reflection for Wednesday September 2nd, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 3:1–9)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 33)

Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Gospel: (Luke 4:38–44)

Reflection:

Today’s account of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law reminds us all that God can heal us of any illness we might suffer. When we are ill, or have problems, to whom do we take our troubles?

The disciples brought their troubles to Jesus because they discovered that he was ready and able to deal with every difficulty, affliction, and sickness they encountered. When Simon Peter brought Jesus to his mother-in-law, Jesus heard their request and healed her.

Even today, Jesus hears our prayers as well. 

No one who sincerely came to Jesus seeking help was disappointed. His many healings and exorcisms demonstrated the power and authority of his word and revealed the good news of the Kingdom of God.

When Jesus rebuked the fever, it immediately left Simon’s mother-in-law. When he rebuked the demons, they departed. The demons recognized who Jesus truly was: the Christ, the Son of God. They knew that he possessed the power to destroy the kingdom of evil and release those held in bondage.

Jesus came to set us free from sin, ill health and evil.

The question for each of us is therefore simple: Do we seek freedom in Christ? Do we trust in his power to set us free?

The Gospel also reveals the extraordinary compassion of Jesus. When he and the disciples sought a quiet place to regroup, rest, and refresh themselves, they instead found a crowd waiting for them. Yet Jesus did not resent their presence. He welcomed them.

Jesus put human need ahead of everything else.

His compassion revealed the depth of God’s love and concern for those truly in need of help, healing, and comfort. Jesus gave people the word of God, and he healed them physically and spiritually.

We must remember that we can never exhaust God’s generosity and kindness. We can come to him anywhere and at any time. In the middle of the night, in moments of fear, weakness, sickness, loneliness, or trouble, we can turn to him.

He is always ready to hear us.

There is no time when we cannot come before God. He is ever ready to give to those who earnestly seek him. Therefore, we should allow Jesus, the Lord, the healer, and the forgiving God into our personal lives, our families, and our friendships.

We are called to approach him with expectant faith.

God’s healing power does not only restore health. It also restores us to an active life of service. Simon’s mother-in-law was healed, and she immediately got up and began to serve.

There is a connection between receiving God’s grace and becoming a blessing to others.

When we help someone, God works not only through us but also in us. There is no trouble that God does not want to help us with, and there is no bondage from which he cannot set us free.

Again, the question returns:

Who do we take our troubles to?

Do we go to Jesus with expectant faith, trusting that he will help us?

If we have not done so, then turn to him. When we are in great need, what do we have to lose by placing our trust in Christ?

God works in mysterious ways.

The message of the Gospel is therefore not only to seek Jesus when we need healing. It is also to become instruments of his compassion for others. 

Jesus heals.

Jesus frees.

Jesus listens.

Jesus serves.

And through our own acts of love, compassion, and presence, we too can bring something of Christ’s healing into the lives of others.

The challenge, then, is to trust Jesus with our troubles.

Bring your needs to Christ with expectant faith.

Trust in his power to heal and set you free.

We plant.

We water.

We serve.

But ultimately, God gives the growth.

May God heal us of any infirmity now and forever. 

Amen 

Mass Readings and Reflection for Tuesday, September 1st, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 2:10b–16)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 145)

R. The Lord is just in all his ways.

Alleluia

Gospel: (Luke 4:31–37)

Reflection:

Today's Gospel tells us that even the evil spirits recognized Jesus. They cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

The devils were right. This was exactly who Jesus was. It was a perfect description of Him. Should we not be surprised that the devils knew Him this much? The question is: how come the devils were so accurate in their knowledge of Jesus?

The demons had spiritual knowledge because they are fallen spirits. They knew and recognized Jesus from the spiritual realm long before most people fully understood who he truly was. They knew that Jesus is God. They knew that he has ultimate power over them. They knew that their final destruction and sentence into the abyss were certain.

They knew Jesus long before he was born as a human being. They had been defeated by him before. So they knew him too well. They knew what he could do. They also knew that he would still defeat them.

This is why they asked, “Have you come to destroy us before the time?”

They said:

"Do not destroy us before our time.” In other words: we know you have the power to destroy us, and we know that you will destroy us in the end. No wonder they begged Jesus not to destroy them before the appointed time-the time of their ultimate destruction.

We also understand why Jesus silenced them and prevented them from making him known. Although what they said was true, and although he truly was the Messiah, his revelation was going to unfold gradually and at the proper time so that the people would not misunderstand his messiahship.

The devil is a spiritual entity and, as such, possesses spiritual powers. He is not omniscient like God. The devil does not know everything. He does not know what will happen tomorrow, but God knows. The devil does not know what your next move will be, but God knows. And this is where God surpasses him.

However, as a spiritual being, the devil knows and understands human weaknesses very well. He knows and understands human behavior patterns and tendencies, and he can cleverly use them against human beings. He knows you. He knows whether your weakness is this or that, and he will always tempt you around the weaknesses you have.

Just as he said to Jesus, “I know who you are,” so too he says to us, “I know you. I know who you are.”

“I know you. You are a lover of revenge and anger.” So he tempts you around revenge and anger.

He knows and understands human weaknesses, behavior patterns, and tendencies, and he trickishly uses them against us.

This is the reason St. Paul says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places.

The devil knows much about us. He knows our weaknesses. This explains why he knows how, when, and around what to tempt us.

But the question we must ask ourselves is this: Do we also know as much of the devil as he knows of us?

How do we want to fight a spirit who knows much about us when we seem to know little or nothing about him? We are ignorant about his tricks. We understand very little about how he operates, especially through temptation and deception, yet we want to wrestle against him.

No wonder we so often fall for his temptations.

The first way to defeat an opponent is to know that opponent-their strengths, their weaknesses, their possible attacks, and how to overcome them. We should have knowledge of the devil. We should know what he can do and recognize when he shows up, so that when temptation comes, we can immediately say, “Ah, I know who you are. You are the devil, but I will not fall for it.”

St. Peter tells us to be calm but vigilant because our enemy, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We are called to stand up to him, strong in faith.

When the devil comes with temptation, because he knows us, we should be able to tell him, “Shame on you. We also know you. We know who you are, and we refuse to fall. Get behind me, Satan.”

When temptation comes, identify the devil and tell him immediately, “I know who you are. I know you want to trick me. You want me to fall, but I know who you are. Get behind me, Satan.”

Do you know the devil as much as he knows you? Do you recognize his schemes? Or does he always get you because he knows you, while you have never succeeded in knowing and understanding his tricks and games. 

We have to know the devil as much as he knows us. Let us become vigilant. Let us recognize his tricks. Let us identify the areas of our lives through which we are most easily tempted. And when he comes, let us stand up to him, strong in faith.

Let us say: “I know who you are. I know what you are trying to do. I know you want me to fall, but I will not fall for your deception. Get behind me, Satan.”

May we stand firm in faith and overcome him whenever he brings his temptations.

Amen.

Mass Readings and Reflection for Monday, August 31st, 2026

First Reading: (1 Corinthians 2:1–5)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 119:97–102)

R. Lord, I love your commands.

Alleluia: (Luke 4:18)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.”

Gospel: (Luke 4:16–30)

Reflection:

Today’s readings reveal one great truth about the way God works. In the world: God works through weakness, reveals Himself to the humble, and continues His mission even when He is rejected.

St. Paul tells the Corinthians that when he came to them, he did not come with lofty words, rhetorical brilliance, or the kind of human wisdom that impresses the world. He came in weakness, fear, and trembling. His message was simple: Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

This is one of the great paradoxes of Christianity. Human beings are naturally attracted to strength. We admire confidence, power, intelligence, influence, wealth, eloquence, and success. We want the strongest speaker, the most impressive leader, the most convincing personality. We often assume that if something is from God, it must arrive with overwhelming power and undeniable greatness.

But God does not always work that way.

Paul reminds us that the Gospel does not depend upon the greatness of the messenger. Its power does not come from the preacher's personality. Its truth does not depend upon human sophistication. The power is in Christ.

Paul's weakness was not a failure. His trembling was not proof that God had abandoned him. Rather, his weakness became the place where the power of God could be revealed. If Paul had relied entirely upon his own brilliance, people might have placed their faith in Paul. But because he came preaching Christ crucified, their faith could rest where it belonged: on the power of God.

This is a message we need in our own time. We live in an age obsessed with image. Everyone is expected to appear confident. We build brands around ourselves. We measure influence by followers, wealth by appearances, and success by public recognition. We want to look powerful even when we are struggling. We want to appear knowledgeable even when we are uncertain.

But the Gospel tells us something different: you do not have to be impressive for God to work through you.

God can work through our weakness. God can work through our limitations. God can work through our fear. God can work through the person who does not have the perfect words, the perfect credentials, or the perfect image. What God asks first is not that we become extraordinary in the eyes of the world. He asks that we become available to Him.

The Responsorial Psalm takes us even deeper. The psalmist says, “Lord, I love your commands.” He meditates on God's law day and night and discovers that God's word gives him wisdom greater than his enemies, greater than his teachers, and greater than the wisdom that comes simply with age.

This is important because we live in a world overflowing with information but starving for wisdom.

We know more than previous generations. We can search almost anything in seconds. We have access to experts, opinions, news, technology, artificial intelligence, financial information, scientific research, and endless commentary. Yet having access to information is not the same as possessing wisdom.

Wisdom is the ability to see reality correctly.

And the psalmist tells us where that wisdom begins: in the Word of God.

To meditate on God's commands is not simply to memorize rules. It is to allow God's truth to enter the mind and heart so deeply that it begins to shape the way we see the world. God's word becomes a lens through which we understand life. It teaches us what matters and what does not. It helps us distinguish truth from deception, temporary pleasure from lasting good, and human opinion from divine wisdom.

The Gospel then shows us what happens when that divine wisdom comes close to us.

Jesus returns to Nazareth, His hometown. He enters the synagogue and reads from the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Then He makes an astonishing declaration: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The Messiah is standing before them.

The One they had been waiting for has come.

But there is a problem. They know Him too well.

They have seen Him growing up. They know His family. They know where He comes from. And they ask, “Is this not Joseph's son?”

This is the scandal of the ordinary.

The people of Nazareth wanted God, but they did not expect God to come through someone so familiar in their midst. They wanted the Messiah to be distant, dramatic, powerful, and unmistakably extraordinary. But God came close. He came in flesh. He came through an ordinary family. He came as someone they thought they already understood.

And because He was too familiar, they could not recognize Him.

How often do we make the same mistake?

We look for God in extraordinary moments while ignoring Him in the ordinary. We expect Him only in dramatic miracles while failing to see Him in daily grace. We think God must speak through someone important, famous, powerful, or far away, while He may be speaking to us through the people and circumstances directly in front of us.

Sometimes God comes so close that we fail to recognize Him.

Jesus then makes the situation even more difficult for the people of Nazareth. He reminds them of Elijah and Elisha. There were many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent to the widow of Zarephath. There were many lepers in Israel, but Naaman the Syrian was healed.

Jesus is exposing a dangerous attitude: religious entitlement.

The people assumed that because they belonged to the chosen people, God's favor automatically belonged to them. They believed that proximity to God guaranteed their acceptance of Him.

But Jesus reveals that God's grace goes where it is welcomed.

God is not controlled by our expectations. He is not bound by our assumptions. He does not operate according to human entitlement. The question is not merely whether we are close to religion. The question is whether our hearts are open to God.

You can know the prayers and still close your heart.

You can attend church and still resist conversion.

You can know Scripture and still refuse to obey it.

You can be surrounded by the things of God and still fail to recognize God when He stands before you.

The people of Nazareth had Jesus in their synagogue, yet they rejected Him.

This should humble every one of us.

Faith is not merely about familiarity with God. It is about openness to God.

When Jesus exposes their unbelief, admiration quickly becomes anger. The same people who were initially amazed by Him become so enraged that they drive Him out of town and attempt to throw Him down from a hill.

This reveals another great truth: the Gospel is welcomed only as long as it does not challenge us.

People may admire Jesus when He comforts them. They may praise Him when He heals them. They may celebrate Him when His words agree with what they already believe. But when Christ exposes sin, challenges pride, confronts prejudice, or calls for conversion, admiration can quickly turn into rejection.

The problem was not that the people of Nazareth lacked information about Jesus. The problem was that they did not want the truth He brought to change them.

And so, they rejected Him.

But the Gospel tells us that Jesus passed through their midst and went on His way.

Their rejection could not stop His mission.

Their anger could not cancel God's plan.

Their unbelief could not destroy the purpose for which He came.

This is the final message of today's readings.

Paul comes in weakness, yet God's power is revealed.

The psalmist meditates on God's word, and divine wisdom is born within him.

Jesus comes in humility, and the world rejects Him.

Yet the mission of God continues.

This is the pattern of Christ, and it is also the pattern of every authentic Christian life.

We may feel weak, but God can still work through us.

We may live in a confused world, but God's word can still give us wisdom.

We may be rejected when we stand for what is right, but rejection does not mean that God's purpose has failed.

We may encounter hostility, disappointment, and resistance, but no human opposition can stop what God has ordained.

In an age of political polarization, economic anxiety, technological upheaval, spiritual confusion, and distrust of institutions, today's readings call us back to the foundation.

Do not place your faith in human brilliance.

Do not be carried away by appearances.

Do not mistake information for wisdom.

Do not assume that familiarity with religion is the same as faith.

Do not reject God simply because He comes to you in an unexpected way.

And we should not lose heart when the world resists the truth.

Paul reminds us to place our confidence in the power of God. The psalm teaches us to love and meditate upon God's word. And Jesus teaches us that even rejection cannot stop the mission of God.

The world may reject the messenger.

It may resist the message.

It may become angry when the truth exposes the heart.

But Christ continues His mission.

He passes through the crowd.

He moves forward.

And His purpose will be accomplished.

So today, let us ask the Lord for the humility of Paul, the love for God's word found in the psalmist, and the courage of Christ Himself.

May we never depend entirely on our own strength.

May we allow God's word to become our wisdom.

May we recognize God even when He comes to us through the ordinary.

And when following Christ brings rejection, may we remember that the rejection of the world is never the end of God's story.

God works through weakness.
God reveals Himself to the humble.
The proud may reject Him.
But His mission continues.

And no crowd, no culture, no government, no institution, no hostility, and no human resistance can stop the purpose of God.

Amen 

The Top 7 Supplements Every Young Man or Woman Needs

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. I did some research and these were the most consistently recommended supplements based on available evidence. Always consult your doctor before starting anything new.

Let me be honest, I only take Vitamin D. And after going down this rabbit hole, I realize I need to do better.

If you're a man in your 30s or 40s and you've been feeling sluggish, foggy, or just not like yourself, your diet alone might not be cutting it. Here are seven supplements that keep coming up in the research — and for good reason.

1. Vitamin D

Vitamin D supports testosterone production, bone health, and immune function. Deficiency is extremely common and directly linked to fatigue, and most men aren't getting nearly enough, especially if you live in a northern climate or spend most of your day indoors.

2. Magnesium

Magnesium is critical for energy metabolism, sleep quality, and muscle recovery. It's also one of the most underconsumed minerals in Western diets. If you're going to try it, the glycinate form is the easiest on the stomach.

3. Vitamin B12

B12 is essential for converting food into cellular energy. The catch? Absorption naturally declines as you age. Look for the methylcobalamin form, it's better absorbed than the cheaper cyanocobalamin you'll find in most drugstore brands.

4. Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and support both brain and cardiovascular health, two things that matter more with every passing decade. Fish oil is the most direct source of EPA and DHA. Plant-based options like flaxseed provide ALA, but your body has to convert it, and that process isn't very efficient.

5. Creatine

Creatine isn't just for guys at the gym. It boosts cellular energy and muscle performance, and researchers are increasingly studying its benefits for cognitive function too. It's also one of the most researched supplements in existence, so the safety profile is well established.

6. CoQ10

CoQ10 supports mitochondrial energy production,  essentially, it helps your cells generate power. Here's the thing: your natural CoQ10 levels start declining after 40. It's also particularly relevant if you take statins, since those medications are known to deplete it.

7. Zinc

Zinc plays a role in testosterone synthesis and immune function, and it gets depleted through stress and sweat. It's worth including, just don't go overboard with high doses long-term without talking to your doctor first.

Where to Start

If seven feels overwhelming, the three highest-yield options for most men in this age group are Vitamin D, Magnesium, and B12, they address the most common deficiencies and are a solid foundation to build from.

And if your fatigue is significant or persistent, supplements are not a substitute for actual bloodwork. Low testosterone, thyroid issues, sleep apnea, and iron deficiency are all common these days and won't be fixed by a pill from GNC.

Do your research, talk to a doctor, and start simple.

I hope this helps 🙏 

Mass Readings and Reflection for Sunday August 30th, 2026

First Reading: (Jeremiah 20:7–9)

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 63)

Second Reading: (Romans 12:1–2)

Gospel: (Matthew 16:21–27)

Reflection:

Today's readings confront us with one of the most difficult truths in Christianity: God's will often appears, at first glance, to contradict our natural instincts for safety, success, comfort, and self-preservation.

Jeremiah suffers because he speaks God's word. Paul urges believers to offer themselves as a living sacrifice. Jesus announces His Passion and commands His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him.

Then our modern world asks:

"How can I protect myself?"

Christ asks:

"How can I give myself away?"

This is the dividing line between the logic of fallen humanity and the logic of the Kingdom of God.

If someone were to ask us, "What does it mean to be a Christian?" many of us would answer: believing in Jesus, coming to Mass, praying, reading Scripture, or living a good moral life. All those answers are true. But today's Gospel goes even deeper.

Jesus gives us one of the most challenging definitions of Christianity:

"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."

Christianity is not simply the admiration of Jesus. Christianity is participation in the life of Jesus. And the life of Jesus passes through the Cross before it reaches the Resurrection.

Peter's reaction reveals how difficult this is for the human heart to accept.

Jesus tells His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer, die, and be raised on the third day. Peter immediately objects:

"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."

Peter loves Jesus. He is loyal. He is sincere. He wants to protect Him.

The problem is not Peter's affection.

The problem is his theology.

Peter wanted a Messiah who saves without suffering. He wanted glory without sacrifice. He couldn't understand why the path of God's Son must pass through Calvary.

And if we are honest, we often think exactly like Peter.

We pray, "Lord, remove this problem. Lord, take away this struggle. Lord, make this difficult situation disappear."

There is nothing wrong with those prayers.

But sometimes God does not remove the cross.

Sometimes He asks us to carry it with Him.

The Christian question, therefore, is not simply, "How can I escape suffering?"

The deeper question is:

"How can this suffering unite me more closely to Christ?"

This explains why Jesus responds to Peter so severely:

"Get behind me, Satan!"

Why such strong words?

Because anything that attempts to separate God's plan of salvation from the Cross opposes the very path through which Christ redeems the world.

Peter is thinking according to human wisdom:

• avoid pain,

• preserve yourself,

• seek control.

Jesus reveals divine wisdom:

• surrender,

• trust,

• love,

• and redemption through self-gift.

This is why the Cross is so scandalous. It contradicts our instinct to preserve ourselves at all costs. Yet Christ reveals that the deepest meaning of life is not found in self-preservation, but in self-gift.

When Jesus says:

"Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it,"

He reveals a profound spiritual law.

The self is discovered only when it is given away.

Modern culture says:

"Find yourself."

Christ says:

"Lose yourself."

And paradoxically, Christ is right because the human person was created not merely for self-possession, but for self-gift.

Love always requires sacrifice.

That is why every authentic vocation carries a cross.

Marriage requires self-denial.

Priesthood requires sacrifice.

Parenthood requires sacrifice.

Nursing requires sacrifice.

Discipleship requires sacrifice.

The cross is not the accidental interruption of love. The cross is often the cost of love in a fallen world.

This does not mean Christ glorifies suffering for its own sake.

The Church does not teach that pain itself is good.

Rather, Christ teaches us that suffering, when united with love and offered to God, can become a place of grace.

St. Paul expresses this beautifully in the Second Reading:

"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice."

Under the Old Covenant, sacrifices were placed upon the altar and died.

Under the New Covenant, the Christian becomes a living sacrifice.

This means Christianity is not merely believing doctrines or observing religious rituals.

It is total self-offering.

Our struggles.

Our sacrifices.

Our disappointments.

Our tears.

All of these can become an offering pleasing to God.

Paul also tells us:

"Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."

The Christian life is not merely behavior modification.

It is transformation.

The world seeks conformity.

God seeks transformation.

The world asks us to fit in.

Christ asks us to become saints.

This transformation is not accomplished simply by changing a few external habits. It is the work of grace within the human person. It is divine life gradually reshaping the mind, the heart, the desires, and the will.

That is why the First Reading gives us the powerful example of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah discovers that following God's call is not always easy.

He was rejected.

Mocked.

Discouraged.

At one point, he wanted to quit.

He cried out:

"You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped."

The prophet sounds almost accusatory. He had discovered that God's call was not leading him toward honor, popularity, or comfort. It had led him toward rejection and loneliness.

Yet, even when Jeremiah decides that he will no longer speak God's word, he could not remain silent.

Why?

Because the Word has become:

"Like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones."

This is the paradox of authentic vocation.

God wounds before He heals.

He strips before He clothes.

He empties before He fills.

Jeremiah's suffering is not punishment.

It is participation in God's sorrow over a world that rejects truth.

And yet, within Jeremiah's suffering, there is also meaning.

He discovers something every saint eventually learns:

God's call may bring suffering, but it also brings meaning.

A difficult life with God is better than an easy life without Him.

The psalm gives us another dimension of this mystery.

"My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord, my God."

Human beings spend enormous energy trying to satisfy infinite desires with finite things.

Achievement.

Relationships.

Possessions.

Prestige.

Success.

Comfort.

Yet none of these can finally satisfy the deepest thirst of the human heart.

The soul was made for God.

That is why the psalmist describes the soul as dry and thirsty land, parched and lifeless without water.

Many of our anxieties arise because we confuse thirst for God with thirst for worldly fulfillment.

We keep searching for something that no created thing can completely provide.

The saints discovered that the deepest freedom comes when every lesser love is placed beneath the highest Love.

St. Augustine understood this when he said:

"Our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

And so the question before us is not whether we will carry crosses.

Every human being carries them.

The question is: How will we carry them?

For most of us, our crosses will not be dramatic martyrdom.

They are often hidden.

The cross of caring for a sick loved one.

The cross of living with chronic illness.

The cross of loneliness.

The cross of unemployment.

The cross of forgiving someone who deeply hurt us.

The cross of remaining faithful when the world tells us to compromise.

The cross of raising children in the faith in our modern world. 

The cross of staying hopeful during a difficult season.

These crosses are real.

And Jesus does not say, "Pretend they do not hurt."

He says:

"Take up your cross and follow me."

He does not ask us to carry it alone.

He walks with us.

He carries it with us.

And this is where we must understand the theology of hope.

The danger is to stop at the cross.

Christianity is not a religion that worships suffering.

It is the proclamation that Christ has transformed suffering through love.

The Cross only makes sense because of the Resurrection.

Jeremiah suffered, but God remained faithful.

Paul speaks of sacrifice, but he also speaks of transformation.

Jesus speaks of His death, but He also promises that He will rise.

The Christian never sees suffering as the final chapter.

Every Good Friday moves toward Easter.

Every death in Christ opens the way to new life.

The saints understood this. They did not love suffering for its own sake. They loved Christ so deeply that no suffering could separate them from Him.

And these readings find their fullest meaning at the altar.

Jeremiah becomes a prophetic image of Christ's suffering.

The psalmist's thirst points to humanity's thirst for God.

Paul's living sacrifice finds its highest expression in the Eucharistic sacrifice.

Jesus' call to take up the cross culminates in His Body given and His Blood poured out.

At every Mass, Christ does not merely remind us of Calvary.

He draws us into it.

The Eucharist asks us:

"Will you join your life to My sacrifice?"

The deepest meaning of discipleship is not simply believing in Jesus.

It is allowing our lives to become Eucharistic.

Broken.

Blessed.

Given away for others.

This is the great paradox of the Christian life: what we surrender to God is not destroyed. It is transformed.

What we give in love is not lost.

What we carry with Christ is not meaningless.

And what appears to be death can become the road to resurrection.

So today's Gospel invites us to stop asking only for a life free of crosses and begin asking for hearts strong enough to carry them.

The cross is not necessarily God's rejection.

Often, it becomes God's invitation.

An invitation to deeper faith.

To greater holiness.

To fuller dependence on Him.

So, where are we resisting God's will because it threatens our comfort?

What cross have we been trying to avoid?

Are we allowing the world to conform our thinking more than the Gospel?

Do we desire Christ Himself, or only the blessings He provides?

Holiness begins when we stop asking God to remove every cross and begin asking Him to transform every cross into a place of communion with Him.

For in Christianity, the Cross is not the end of the story. The Cross is the road that leads to the glory of the Resurrection.

Many people want the blessings of Christianity without the demands of discipleship. We want Easter Sunday without Good Friday. We want the crown without the cross. We want resurrection without sacrifice.

But Christ says clearly: If you want to follow Me, you must walk where I walk.

We pray: "Lord, remove this illness." "Lord, fix this problem." "Lord, take away this struggle."

And there is nothing wrong with those prayers.

But sometimes God does not remove the cross.

Sometimes He asks us to carry it with Him.

The Christian question is not simply, "How can I escape suffering?"

The deeper Christian question is:

"How can this suffering unite me more closely to Christ?"

Many people wonder: if God loves us, why is there suffering?

The Scriptures today give us several answers.

First, suffering exists because we live in a fallen world. Sin has wounded creation. Pain, sickness, disappointment, and death were never God's original dream for humanity. Yet, they are now part of the human condition.

Second, suffering can be redemptive. Jesus transformed the Cross from an instrument of death into an instrument of salvation. When we unite our sufferings with His, they become part of God's work of grace.

Third, suffering forms us.

St. Paul tells us:

"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice."

Notice he says a living sacrifice.

A sacrifice is placed on the altar.

Paul is saying that the Christian life itself belongs on the altar.

Our struggles.

Our sacrifices.

Our disappointments.

Our tears.

All can become an offering pleasing to God.

These sacrifices and crosses are all real.

The saints understood this. They did not love suffering itself. They loved Christ so much that no suffering could separate them from Him.

God bless you 

Amen

On Costco and American Express Business Relationship That Ended 10 Years ago

Most retailers try to maximize profit per customer. Costco operates differently.

Its philosophy is:

"Make money primarily from membership fees and pass operating savings back to members."

Costco is famous for extremely thin merchandise margins. For decades, management has focused obsessively on lowering costs so prices stay lower than competitors. Even tiny expenses matter. 

From Costco's perspective, credit card processing costs are not just an accounting detail. They directly affect member value.

When the AmEx contract came up for renewal, Costco reportedly believed the economics no longer supported the value proposition it wanted for members. Costco executives openly framed the decision around reducing costs and saving money for members. 

American Express's Philosophy: Premium Service and Premium Economics

American Express historically built a different kind of business.

AmEx is not simply a payment network. Its brand has long centered on:

• Affluent customers
• Premium rewards
• Exclusive benefits
• Strong customer service
• Higher merchant acceptance costs

This model works because AmEx customers often spend more than average consumers. Merchants may accept higher fees to gain access to those customers.

The problem is that Costco is not a luxury retailer.

Costco attracts wealthy shoppers, but it also attracts intensely value-conscious shoppers. The culture of Costco is not prestige. The culture is efficiency.

In a sense, Costco and AmEx eventually developed a philosophical mismatch.

• AmEx: "Provide superior payment experiences."
• Costco: "Remove every unnecessary cost."

Neither philosophy is wrong. They simply diverged.

Why Visa Won

Visa and Citi reportedly offered Costco a package that included broader card acceptance and economics that Costco found more attractive. Costco and AmEx were unable to agree on renewal terms, leading Costco to move to Visa and Citi in 2016. 

From a strategic standpoint, Visa also had another advantage.

Many more consumers already carried Visa cards than American Express cards. That made shopping at Costco easier for a larger percentage of the population.

Costco's leadership likely looked at the situation and asked:

"Why restrict members to a premium network when a larger network can offer comparable functionality at lower cost?"

That question fits perfectly within Costco's culture.

The Hidden Lesson: Scale Eventually Beats Prestige

One of the most important principles in business is:

A company can ignore economics for a while, but not forever.

For sixteen years, the Costco-AmEx partnership was highly successful. Yet even successful partnerships end when incentives stop aligning.

Costco had enormous negotiating power.

Millions of loyal members. Huge transaction volume. A reputation for customer retention.

As Costco grew larger, it gained the ability to demand increasingly favorable terms.

AmEx's premium model became harder to justify within Costco's low-cost ecosystem.

This is a recurring theme in business history:

• Luxury brands win through differentiation.
• Scale businesses win through efficiency.
• When the two collide, efficiency often wins.

A Broader Business Philosophy

The Costco-AmEx breakup demonstrates a principle that extends beyond finance:

Great businesses are not loyal to partners. They are loyal to their mission.

Costco's mission is value for members.

If a supplier, logistics partner, technology vendor, or payment company cannot support that mission as effectively as an alternative, Costco will switch.

That discipline is one reason Costco has been so successful.

Many companies become emotionally attached to long relationships.

Costco did not.

They evaluated the partnership through a single lens:

"Does this still create the greatest value for our members?"

When the answer became "no," the relationship ended. 

The Irony

Ironically, both companies stayed true to their principles.

• Costco refused to pay more than it believed members should indirectly bear.
• AmEx refused to dilute its premium economic model merely to keep the account.

So the split was not a failure.

It was a case of two successful companies following different philosophies to their logical conclusion.

In business, that is often how major partnerships end: not because one side is wrong, but because each side becomes increasingly committed to a different definition of value. 

Mass Readings and Reflection for Saturday August 29th 2026.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:26–31

Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 33:12–13, 18–19, 20–21)

R. Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

Alleluia: (Matthew 5:10)

Alleluia, alleluia.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”

Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: (Mark 6:17–29)

Reflection

The Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist is not merely a remembrance of a martyr. It is a confrontation with the cost of truth in a world where power, image, and public perception so often dominate human behavior. This feast becomes a mirror held up to our culture, our institutions, our leaders, and our own personal lives.

John the Baptist stands at the hinge of salvation history. He is the final great prophet preparing the way for Christ, and his death points forward to the suffering and death of Christ himself. He speaks the truth before Christ begins his public ministry, and he sheds his blood because he refuses to compromise that truth.

His death is not accidental. It is theological.

John dies because he speaks a truth that threatens the stability of a corrupt power structure. He dies because he refuses to allow God's law to be bent by political convenience. He dies because he believes that truth is worth more than survival.

The question for us is therefore unavoidable: Are we willing to speak the truth when the truth costs us comfort, status, popularity, or opportunity?

Herod is especially disturbing because he is not simply presented as a cartoon villain. He knows that John is righteous and holy. He fears John. He protects him. He listens to him and is perplexed by what he hears, yet he likes listening to him.

Herod has enough conscience to recognize the truth, but not enough courage to obey it.

That is his tragedy.

His downfall is not simply that he hates truth. His downfall is weakness, vanity, and the fear of losing face. When the decisive moment arrives, Herod knows what he should do. He knows that John should not be killed. But his public image becomes more important to him than justice.

He has made an oath in front of his guests. He does not want to appear weak. He does not want to be embarrassed. He is trapped by the image he has created for himself.

And so an innocent man dies because a powerful man is afraid of looking weak.

This remains one of the great crises of human leadership. There are people who know what is right but lack the courage to do it when the crowd is watching. Decisions are made for applause. Promises are made for appearances. Truth is sacrificed to protect reputation. Innocent people suffer because someone in power fears embarrassment more than God.

Herod's banquet becomes a powerful image of human life whenever image becomes more important than conscience. The room is filled with power, wealth, entertainment, and public display, but there is no courage.

Herodias represents another dimension of this Gospel. She carries resentment toward John because holiness exposes what she would prefer to keep hidden. There is an ancient hostility between sin and holiness.

Holiness does not merely annoy sin.

Holiness exposes sin.

Holiness destabilizes sin.

Holiness threatens sin's power.

Herodias wants John dead because his very existence is a judgment against the life she has chosen. John does not need to attack her constantly. The truth he represents is already a challenge to her.

The world can often tolerate religion as long as religion remains silent. It can tolerate faith as long as faith never confronts moral disorder. It can tolerate Christians as long as they never become prophetic.

But once truth confronts sin, resentment awakens.

John's death reveals a timeless reality: holiness will always provoke hostility somewhere because holiness exposes what darkness would prefer to conceal.

The dance at Herod's banquet also reveals something important. Pleasure and entertainment can become instruments through which conscience is weakened. The issue is not simply the dance itself but the entire atmosphere of manipulation, desire, impulsiveness, and vanity that surrounds it.

Pleasure has the power to distract.

Emotion can override conscience.

Sensation can make truth seem inconvenient.

The world often makes what is destructive appear attractive so that what is righteous begins to look burdensome.

The great danger is that we can become so entertained that we no longer recognize what is happening to our souls.

Then comes Herod's oath.

This is the turning point.

Herod speaks publicly without wisdom. His pride binds him. Having made a reckless promise, he becomes more concerned with protecting his reputation than correcting his mistake.

But he could have stopped.

He could have humbled himself.

He could have said, “I made a foolish oath, and I will not commit murder to protect my image.”

Humility could have opened the door to repentance.

Instead, pride closes it.

Pride makes us defend decisions that we know are wrong simply because we do not want to admit that we were wrong. Pride can trap a person in a false image. A person becomes afraid to change because changing would require acknowledging failure.

This is one of the great spiritual dangers of human life. We can become prisoners of our own reputation.

We may be trapped by the image we project to others. We may defend a public position even after conscience tells us that it is wrong. We may continue down a destructive path because we are afraid of appearing weak if we turn around.

Herod chooses reputation over righteousness.

He chooses the crowd over conscience.

He chooses public honor over obedience to God.

John, however, chooses the opposite.

John's martyrdom is truth without compromise.

He does not die because he is seeking political influence. He dies because he is prophetic. He refuses to change the truth simply because the truth has become dangerous.

His death foreshadows Christ's own Passion. Both John and Jesus stand before weak rulers. Both become victims of political calculation. Both are surrounded by people who recognize something of their innocence yet lack the courage to defend them. Both die because truth threatens a world built upon power and fear.

John teaches us that truth is not always safe.

Truth is not always convenient.

Truth is not always popular.

But truth remains truth.

And the Gospel calls us to live by truth even when doing so carries a cost.

The Passion of John the Baptist therefore confronts us personally.

Are we willing to be disliked for the sake of truth?

Are we willing to lose status for the sake of righteousness?

Are we willing to speak when silence would be safer?

Are we willing to obey God when obedience threatens our comfort or reputation?

John's death is not ultimately a defeat.

He loses his head, but he keeps his integrity.

He loses his life, but he does not lose his soul.

He loses favor with the powerful people of the world, but he gains eternal honor before God.

The First Reading reminds us that God chooses what the world considers foolish and weak in order to reveal the emptiness of human pride. John appears powerless before Herod. He is imprisoned. He has no army, no political office, no wealth, and no ability to defend himself against the king's command.

Yet John is the truly free man in the Gospel.

Herod sits on a throne but is enslaved by his passions, his pride, his fear, and the opinions of others.

John sits in a prison but remains free because his conscience belongs to God.

This is the great reversal of the Gospel.

The person who appears powerful may be a slave to human approval. The person who appears weak may be free because he fears God more than he fears the world.

The deepest lesson of Saint John the Baptist is that truth requires courage.

Truth without courage can remain silent when it is needed most.

Courage without truth can become dangerous.

But truth joined to courage becomes a witness powerful enough to endure suffering.

John the Baptist calls us to become people whose conscience cannot be bought by comfort, manipulated by fear, or silenced by the desire to protect our image.

We are called to be a voice of truth even when truth costs us.

We are called to be witnesses of holiness even when holiness provokes hostility.

We are called to fear God more than losing face before people.

Like John, we must remember that the greatest loss is not losing popularity, position, comfort, or approval.

The greatest loss is losing our integrity.

May Saint John the Baptist pray for us, that when we are tempted to choose image over conscience, comfort over truth, or human approval over righteousness, we may have the courage to remain faithful.

And may we always remember that, in the end, the one who loses everything for the truth of Christ has lost nothing at all.

Amen