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Angels came to rescue Lot and his wife and two daughters when their city, Sodom, was to be destroyed. Lot hesitated so the angels took them all by the hand and led them out of the city. The angels said to them, “Flee for your life! Don’t look back…” They escaped to a town called Zoar. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah went up in flames. Lot’s wife couldn’t resist looking back at Sodom, and she instantly turned into a pillar of salt. God mercifully sent Lot the advice he needed to leave Sodom before it was destroyed but his wife disobeyed the angel’s command. The people in the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah also disobeyed and were not spared either. 

Even though we can be tempted to doubt the Word of God, always believe. God knows what is best for us. We can get the best advice for living happy, virtuous lives by reading His Word in the Bible. 

Not everyone gets touched by or sees angels, at least not as far as we know. But we need to trust that God can send them to help us, rescue us, and save us. When no human is available to help, who’s to say that God, in His mercy, can’t send one of heaven’s angels to step in? As the Psalm Response says, “O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.”

When Jesus calmed the storm for the Apostles in today’s Gospel they said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” They asked for His help but still wondered about Him even after they saw the miracle He performed. His mercy was too great to be so easily believed.

Today we celebrate the feast day of a Spanish priest named Junipero Serra, sent as a missionary to the New World. Along with his Franciscan Friars, he helped found missions in Mexico and California. Between 1750 and 1823, they built five mission churches in Mexico and 21 in California. Serra is also known as the Apostle of California. He taught the Catholic faith to the indigenous peoples, improved their farming practices, showed them new ways of trade, and defended them against non-native settlers. Saint Junipero Serra was merciful to many. 

It’s often hard to believe when someone offers to assist us. It’s easy to mistrust or misunderstand their motives. But godly men and women can be merciful as well. God can use angels and also people to aid others in their time of need and better their lives. Live a virtuous life and trust in God, and you too can witness His great mercy.

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Reading 1 Genesis 18:16-33

Abraham and the men who had visited him by the Terebinth of Mamre
set out from there and looked down toward Sodom;
Abraham was walking with them, to see them on their way.
The LORD reflected: “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
now that he is to become a great and populous nation,
and all the nations of the earth are to find blessing in him?
Indeed, I have singled him out
that he may direct his children and his household after him
to keep the way of the LORD
by doing what is right and just,
so that the LORD may carry into effect for Abraham
the promises he made about him.”
Then the LORD said:
“The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out.”

While the two men walked on farther toward Sodom,
the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer to him and said:
“Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty,
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?”
The LORD replied,
“If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Abraham spoke up again:
“See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it for the sake of forty.”
Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?”
He replied, “I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there.”
Still Abraham went on,
“Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?”
He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
But he still persisted:
“Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?”
He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.”

The LORD departed as soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham,
and Abraham returned home.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 103:1b-2, 3-4, 8-9, 10-11

R. (8a)  The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Alleluia Psalm 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Matthew 8:18-22

When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But Jesus answered him, “Follow me,
and let the dead bury their dead.”

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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The First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church

Feast date: Jun 30

These “proto-martyrs” of Rome were the first Christians persecuted en masse by the Emperor Nero in the year 64, before the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul.

Nero was widely believed to have caused the fire that burned down much of Rome in the same year.  He blamed the fire on the Christians and put them to death, many by crucifixion, being feeding to the wild animals in his circus, or by being tied to posts and lit up as human torches.

Today, the site of Nero’s Circus, also the location of St. Peter’s martyrdom, is marked by the Piazza dei Protomartiri Romani (Square of the Roman Protomartyrs) in the Vatican next to St. Peter’s basilica.

These martyrs were called the “Disciples of the Apostles” and their firmness in the face of their gruesome deaths were a powerful testimony that led to many conversions in the early Roman Church.

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“We do not pray for the martyrs as we pray for those others, rather, they pray for us, that we may follow in their footsteps.” (St. Augustine)

The glory of the martyrs lies in their desire to conform completely to the will of the Father. They exemplify Jesus’s difficult message today, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” If we follow Him, we may not either. The point of this interaction is to remind the crowds that following Jesus is more than just receiving. They have been following Him during his public ministry and witnessing amazing signs and wonders. Their hearts are burning with hope and joy, but Jesus challenges them to dive into a deeper reality. 

God desires our healing, reconciliation, and restoration to new life, but His work doesn’t stop there. Even more, He desires us to live the call of sainthood battling against the terrors of sin. Our call is not one of creature comforts or security. Quite the opposite, as Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed, “You were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Great things require great sacrifice, as the first holy martyrs demonstrate. 

You will likely not experience a martyr’s death, but you do have to endure daily sacrifice. Do you choose it? Every small act of combating laziness, complaining, being right or in “the know” is a form of martyrdom. When we fully accept all the teachings of the Church, even against our own understanding, that’s when we live the will of the Father. By choosing to deny our impulses to gossip or write an angry letter to our pastor we step out into that vulnerable place of martyrdom which Jesus himself lived.  Surrendering control over our children, future assets, or unaccomplished dreams is walking the road that Jesus walked – the road of absolute trust and conformity to the Father’s will. 

In the previous chapter Jesus teaches that only, “he who does the will of my Father,” will enter the Kingdom. Are you giving yourself totally over to the will of the Father? Is there anything you are keeping from Him? Beg for the intercession of the holy martyrs that you may have the grace to love God wholeheartedly. 

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Sts. Peter and Paul

Feast date: Jun 29

On June 29 the Church celebrates the feast day of Sts. Peter & Paul. As early as the year 258, there is evidence of an already lengthy tradition of celebrating the solemnities of both Saint Peter and Saint Paul on the same day. Together, the two saints are the founders of the See of Rome, through their preaching, ministry and martyrdom there.

Peter, who was named Simon, was a fisherman of Galilee and was introduced to the Lord Jesus by his brother Andrew, also a fisherman. Jesus gave him the name Cephas (Petrus in Latin), which means ‘Rock,’ because he was to become the rock upon which Christ would build His Church.

Peter was a bold follower of the Lord. He was the first to recognize that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and eagerly pledged his fidelity until death. In his boldness, he also made many mistakes, however, such as losing faith when walking on water with Christ and betraying the Lord on the night of His passion.

Yet despite his human weaknesses, Peter was chosen to shepherd God’s flock. The Acts of the Apostles illustrates his role as head of the Church after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. Peter led the Apostles as the first Pope and ensured that the disciples kept the true faith.

St. Peter spent his last years in Rome, leading the Church through persecution and eventually being martyred in the year 64. He was crucified upside-down at his own request, because he claimed he was not worthy to die as his Lord.

He was buried on Vatican hill, and St. Peter’s Basilica is built over his tomb.

St. Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles. His letters are included in the writings of the New Testament, and through them we learn much about his life and the faith of the early Church.

Before receiving the name Paul, he was Saul, a Jewish pharisee who zealously persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. Scripture records that Saul was present at the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

Saul’s conversion took place as he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christian community there. As he was traveling along the road, he was suddenly surrounded by a great light from heaven. He was blinded and fell off his horse. He then heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He answered: “Who are you, Lord?” Christ said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Saul continued to Damascus, where he was baptized and his sight was restored. He took the name Paul and spent the remainder of his life preaching the Gospel tirelessly to the Gentiles of the Mediterranean world.

Paul was imprisoned and taken to Rome, where he was beheaded in the year 67.

He is buried in Rome in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

In a sermon in the year 395, St. Augustine of Hippo said of Sts. Peter and Paul: “Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith.”

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I have really been drawn to the lives of the saints lately. It amazes me how much they were willing to suffer and offer up that suffering, but even more so, how they were able to use their suffering as a way to unite themselves to Christ. 

I don’t pretend to suffer nearly as much as many others do, but one day I had a pretty bad headache. It was making me cranky and I stepped into our home office for a quiet moment of prayer. As I closed my eyes, I asked Jesus to unite me to Him through that small suffering. For a split second, I envisioned my head as Jesus’ head, covered with the crown of thorns, dripping with blood. I realized then and there how small my headache really was. 

Suffering is a funny thing. It can make us so unhappy, downright miserable at times, yet there is a whole other dimension to it. When I was a kid, my parents often told me to “offer it up”, when I grumbled about this, that or the other thing. At the time, it seemed like a flippant way to get me off their back. But as an adult, I see the real merit in offering up our hardships for a special intention. Suffering in and of itself is torture, but united with Christ, becomes a means of sanctification. Afterall, it was through His suffering that the gates of Heaven were opened to us once again. 

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Both of these great Apostles suffered tremendously for their faith, yet chose consistently and persistently to follow the Lord. Peter suffered persecution, imprisonment, temptation and ultimately death by crucifixion, which the Lord foretells in the Gospel: “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” But perhaps the greatest pain he endured was the guilt from denying our Lord. Paul suffered beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks and illness as well as the emotional pain of mockery and false accusations. But perhaps the greatest pain he endured was the guilt from persecuting so many Christians before his conversion. 

These two great men both teach us the same thing. God can transform suffering and use it for His glory. The whole of Christianity was built upon the courageous endurance of these and so many others who literally gave their lives to spread the Gospel. Their chains have allowed us to know true freedom in Christ. The shedding of their blood has shown us what it means to truly live. Their sufferings, endured with patience and love, teach us how to suffer gracefully. 

So the next time you get a headache, remember all those saints who have gone before you, and unite your sufferings to the One who has suffered so greatly out of love for you.   

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St. Irenaeus

Feast date: Jun 28

Celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on June 28, and by Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine tradition on August 23, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons was a second-century bishop and writer in present-day France.

He is best known for defending Christian orthodoxy, especially the reality of Christ’s human incarnation, against the set of heresies known as Gnosticism.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke admiringly of St. Irenaeus in a 2007 general audience, recalling how this early Church Father “refuted the Gnostic dualism and pessimism which debased corporeal realities. He decisively claimed the original holiness of matter, of the body, of the flesh no less than of the spirit.”

“But his work went far beyond the confutation of heresy: in fact, one can say that he emerges as the first great Church theologian who created systematic theology; he himself speaks of the system of theology, that is, of the internal coherence of all faith.”

While some of St. Irenaeus’ most important writings have survived, the details of his life are not as well-preserved. He was born in the Eastern half of the Roman Empire, likely in the Aegean coastal city of Smyrna, probably around the year 140. As a young man he heard the preaching of the early bishop (and eventual martyr) Saint Polycarp, who had been personally instructed by the Apostle John.

Irenaeus eventually became a priest, and served in the Church of Lyons (in the region of Gaul) during a difficult period in the late 170s. During this time of state persecution and doctrinal controversy, Irenaeus was sent to Rome to provide Pope St. Eleutherius with a letter about the heretical movement known as Montanism. After returning to Lyons, Irenaeus became the city’s second bishop, following the martyrdom of his predecessor Saint Pothinus.

In the course of his work as a pastor and evangelist, the second Bishop of Lyon came up against various heretical doctrines and movements, many of which sounded a common note in their insistence that the material world was evil and not part of God’s original plan. The proponents of these ideas often claimed to be more deeply “enlightened” or “spiritual” than ordinary Christians, on account of their supposed secret knowledge (or “gnosis”).

Irenaeus recognized this movement, in all its forms, as a direct attack on the Catholic faith. The Gnostics’ disdain for the physical world was irreconcilable with the Biblical doctrine of creation, which stated that God had made all things according to his good purpose. Gnostics, by contrast, saw the material world as the work of an evil power, crediting God only with the creation of a higher and purely spiritual realm.

In keeping with its false view of creation, Gnosticism also distorted the concept of redemption. The Church knew Christ as the savior of the world: redeeming believers’ bodies and souls, and investing creation with a sacramental holiness. Gnostics, meanwhile, saw Jesus merely as saving souls from the physical world in which they were trapped. Gnostic “redemption” was not liberation from sin, but a supposed promise of release from the material world.

Irenaeus refuted the Gnostic errors in his lengthy book “Against Heresies,” which is still studied today for its historical value and theological insights. A shorter work, the “Proof of the Apostolic Preaching,” contains Irenaeus’ presentation of the Gospel message, with a focus on Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Several of his other works are now lost, though a collection of fragments from them has been compiled and translated.

St. Irenaeus’ earthly life ended around 202 – possibly through martyrdom, though this is not definitively known.

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St. Vincentia Gerosa

Feast date: Jun 28

Vincentia Gerosa was declared a saint in the 20th century. She came to her vocation as a religious sister late in life. She was born Caterina Gerosa in Lovere, Italy, in 1784. She was orphaned as a young girl and spent 40 years as a homemaker and lay woman, dedicating herself to the poor.

In 1832, she and St. Bartholomea Capitanio formed the Sisters of Charity of Lovere, with a charism to care for and educate the poor. She took the religious name Vincentia, and led the congregation after Bartholomea died in 1836, until her own death 11 years later. She was beatified in 1926 and canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

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St. Elizabeth of Schonau

Feast date: Jun 28

St. Elizabeth was a Benedictine visionary, who had the gift of prophecy. She also suffered the assaults of demonic forces.

Elizabeth was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1126. She was raised and educated in a Benedictine monastery near her birthplace from the age of 12. Elizabeth came to see the monastery as home, and she took vows in 1147.

With the help of her brother Egbert, a monk and abbot, she wrote three volumes describing her visions.

She served as the abbess at Schonau from 1157 until her death in 1164.

St. Elizabeth was never formally canonized but was added to the list of saints due to great popular devotion.

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Faith. Faith requires humility, the willingness to accept as truth things that are beyond our understanding. Faith humbly bows down before the truth it cannot grasp, and lives according to its demands. Faith says, “I cannot, but God can,” and then trusts and receives what God wills.

Many times in the Gospel, Jesus says, “Your faith has healed you.” And where there is little faith, mighty deeds cannot be done. Why not? Because a lack of faith is a lack of receptivity, a lack of openness. Instead of saying, “I cannot, but God can,” the unbelieving soul says, “I’m fine. I can. I will,” and does not open its weakness to God’s strength, its darkness to God’s light, its woundedness to God’s healing.

The centurion in the Gospel expresses his faith in Jesus’ power by acknowledging his unworthiness and Jesus’ authority and ability to heal with a simple word. And Jesus responds with amazement and says, “As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And it is done!

Do we believe like this centurion? Believing isn’t a magical state of mind or a manifesting, which will instantly give us everything we want just because we really want it. God is no genie in a bottle. Faith is so much deeper, and calls us to so much more. Real faith entrusts everything to the Lord’s Heart. Like Mary at the wedding feast of Cana, we hold up the need of the moment to God without demanding how He should handle it, knowing that whatever He does will be best. Real faith grows and deepens by being tested, until our hearts and wills are conformed to the will of God. Real faith trusts that the love of God arranges all things for our good, our growth, and His glory.

Would faith be easier if we saw Jesus’ miracles with our own eyes? Well, many people who saw miracles still refused to believe! God has willed that our salvation always require humble faith and the freedom to reject what is true. We have over 2,000 years of miracles and teachings and examples of holiness to help us see even more clearly, and we have Jesus’ true Presence in the Eucharist in every tabernacle, and can receive Him at every Mass. If we open ourselves in humble faith and try to receive what God is giving us, our faith will deepen and our love will grow.

Today is also the day we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a heart that believed what the angel said to her, that opened fully to the Word, and allowed it to take root and blossom, so that we might eat of the Fruit of the tree of life. Today, let us ask Mary to help us see where we still may have obstacles to faith, and to give us the grace to humbly let go of anything that we place in God’s way.

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