Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 7, 2026
A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
The better part of my life has been spent in teaching and preaching. These two elements of the ministry of Jesus remain very much a part of my call as a monk and priest. The third dimension of the ministry of Jesus, “curing every disease and illness,” has entered my ministry in the property of healing. As a confessor, spiritual director, and religious superior, I have had increased occasion to encounter directly the wounded and the hurt of God’s faithful.
The heart of Jesus was moved with pity at the sight of the crowds that came to him. I marvel how in my priestly life the sacramental form of reconciliation and the anointing of the sick provide the privilege of allowing God’s mercy to penetrate and heal the deepest hurts. The healing delivered through the power of Jesus is on a plane distinct from any AI resource or even the finest medical center. It brings balm to the soul as well as a cure to the body.
The other aspect of Jesus’ healing presence that should serve as an example for us all is that of its inclusivity. All the towns and cities were visited, and disease and illness were cured. The call of Pope Francis, one that has been reinforced by Pope Leo, is “todos, todos,” no one falls outside the scope of Christ’s curative power. That is a bold and reassuring truth at a time when polarization and exclusion frame the perspective of so many.
May all who labor in the footsteps of Christ take us out of personal silos and niche preferences and embrace the full range of “the troubled and abandoned” and all of those in need.
Prayer
Lord, forgive us for the times we think that you are not concerned about us or that you have forgotten us. The gospel today reminds us that your heart was moved with pity for the crowds. In the same way, your heart is always attentive to our needs. Thank you for being a shepherd to us. Help us, O Lord, to truly live the vocation that you call us to. Help us to know that all of us, because we are baptized, are called to be shepherds to your people. Thank you for this great privilege. We pray this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Blessed Maria Romero Meneses was a modern-day social reformer who brought about a “revolution of charity” in Costa Rica.
She was born in Nicaragua in 1902, one of eight children who grew up in an upper-class family. Maria received a very good education at a school staffed by sisters in a religious community founded by St. John Bosco, who were known as the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians.
When she was 12 years old, Maria fell sick with rheumatic fever and struggled all year to regain her health. She was completely paralyzed for six months, but was patient and prayerful in her suffering, which she saw as a gift from God. Doctors reported that her heart was damaged from the sickness, but she appealed to Our Lady, Help of Christians, and received some sort of assurance that she would be healed.
When a friend from school visited her, she said, “I know that the Blessed Virgin will cure me.” A few days later, she regained her health and returned to school, fully recovered.
A spiritual director helped her sort through and better understand the mystical experiences she was having, and she realized that she was being called to religious life. She joined the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, and closely followed the spirituality of John Bosco.
In 1931, she was sent to Costa Rica, where she taught at a school for girls from wealthy families. She also went into the poor neighborhoods to teach the faith there and to help people acquire practical skills for work. Her example moved students at the school, and many girls joined her work to improve the lives of the poor.
Maria began to understand her purpose in life—to encourage social development by helping wealthy people see how they could change the lives of poor people. She gathered resources and established recreational centers and food distribution organizations. In 1961, she opened a school for poor girls, and a few years later, she opened a clinic and supported it by recruiting doctors and finding donations for medicine.
She had a vision to build a village for poor people that contained all they needed to flourish. In 1973, the first seven homes were built in a new development outside of the city named Centro San Josè—it grew to include a farm, a market, and a school where people could learn the faith and find job training. It also included a church dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians.
Maria knew that she was participating in God’s work, so she had every confidence that her efforts at social development would grow. She died of a heart attack on this date in 1977, and she is buried in the chapel in San Josè. She is the first Central American to be beatified.
Bl. Maria Romero Meneses, you brought about a revolution of charity in Costa Rica in the 1970s—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Bl. Maria Romero Meneses is in the public domain. Last accessed March 19, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
