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Weekly Reflection
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October 25, 2026 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus’ commandment to love often confuses people. Authentic love cannot be commanded; it is given freely or not at all. The language of Deuteronomy and Leviticus from which Jesus drew his teaching assumes such freedom. When the books of the covenant speak of love, they speak of something that emerges from feelings of wonder. Israel stood in awe of God on Mt. Sinai. God’s people were astonished by forty years of care while they wandered the desert. Their eternal response was service and devotion. When Israel followed God’s laws and called on God in prayer, they expressed through such actions the kind of love Jesus commands today. When later generations recited the accounts of these wonders, they kindled the same awe in their own hearts, and they sought out acts of service and devotion to express their own gratitude.
Part of Israel’s genius was to find in fellow humans a similar source of devotion. The nation was strongest when Israelites bore each other’s burdens and held each other in high esteem. Prophets struggled to maintain this ethos, and its collapse heralded invasion and exile. The survivors of these catastrophes recognized the miracle of human life. They expressed their gratitude for the nation’s survival in an awe-inspired love for neighbor as well as God.
Jesus offers Israel's wisdom to the whole human race. Every life is a miracle. Every display of love we receive should transfix us with awe, and inspire a response of the deepest generosity. Christ dreams of a church so loving that it holds the world spellbound in wonder, and reveals a God whose mighty deeds are worthy of profoundest devotion. Those who live out Jesus’ simple words bring this dream to fulfillment.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
October 11, 2026 - Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday's parable has a surprise ending. A guest shows up without the proper wedding garment and is thrown out into the night. This action does not match the king’s generosity or Jesus' mission of mercy. It helps to remember that Jesus lived in a very formal and highly ritualized culture. Wedding celebrations especially were ceremonial events that required strict etiquette. The king's invitation was indiscriminate but not compulsory. Anyone who said "yes" would have known that they were going to an affair that required appropriate dress and courteous interaction. The etiquette added to the joy; each element of the wedding fest had its own ritual action, and these made the event memorable (even in our own less formal culture, the ritual of the "best-man’s toast" can sometimes be the most memorable part of a wedding reception).
Jesus’ culture was hierarchical as well. Guests at a wedding owed their host a debt of gratitude. They repaid that debt with tokens of respect. A close reading of today’s Gospel shows that the crisis peaked not over the man’s attire (which the host may have felt compelled to lend him), but over his failure to respond to the king. This lack of courtesy was the grave insult that led to his ejection from the feast.
Early Christian authors believed that the wedding garment was a symbol of Christian love. The garment makes us resemble Christ, the divine bridegroom. To participate in the feast, one must say "yes" to God's invitation and then arrive "clothed like the bridegroom," by making his Gospel mandates our own. Many claim to be Christians. Only those attired with a love like Christ’s will experience the joy of God’s feast.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
September 27, 2026 - Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. Vincent de Paul
September 27 is the memorial of St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660), patron saint of outreach to the poor. The son of Gascon peasants, he lived most of his life in France except for the two years he lived as a slave in north Africa. Upon escaping back to France, he returned to his work as a priest and became renown for his care for the poor. He was canonized in 1737, only 77 years after his death, a pace that was considered rapid at the time (we recognize saints much more quickly today).
St. Vincent de Paul’s memory lived on, and in 1833 a group of students in Paris, led by Bl. Frédéric Ozanam, formed the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Paris in their day was recovering from decades of revolution and war. It had swollen in population as refugees streamed in from the countryside during the Napoleonic wars. Ozanam and his fellow students began the practice of visiting friends and neighbors who needed help, assessing how they could best serve, and then seeking the resources to address the need. The efforts grew quickly, and by the time of Ozanam’s death, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul extended throughout France and in many other countries as well.
Gesu's own chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is one of our most vigorous ministries. Volunteers from the parish go out to visit neighbors in need every week. Last year, they made 248 visits and helped 566 people. The material resources they provide are only one part of the visit, however. Members of the Society provide a listening ear to countless people who are otherwise ignored. The gift of their attention and companionship is, in many cases, an important part of the healing that Christ brings them. So many people treat the poor with disregard or condescension. Just listening quietly and attentively to their stories can restore some of the dignity on which a new life can be built. I thank God every day for the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
If you have an interest in the work of the Society or think you might like to volunteer, email or call the parish office and we will connect you.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
September 20, 2026 - Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
To Welcome the Stranger
The Catholic bishops of the USA have named September 21-27 "National Migration Week," culminating on Sunday, September 27 with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The Church's teachings on immigration appear in paragraph 2241 of the Catechism.
The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject
to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to
respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, obey its laws, and assist in carrying civic burdens.
The Church takes a moderate position, recognizing that people have a fundamental right to migrate in search of livelihood even as they follow
the just laws of nations. The Church does not advocate for open borders or contempt of the law. The Catholic Church in the USA does call for a
thorough reform of US Immigration law, however. The US Bishops have offered six principles as a basis for this reform
(https://www.usccb.org/resources/immigrationreform.pdf.
* Enforcement should be targeted, proportionate, and humane.
* Humanitarian protections and due process should be ensured.
* Long-time residents should have an earned pathway to citizenship.
* Family unity should remain a cornerstone of the US system.
* Legal pathways should be expanded, reliable, and efficient.
* The root causes of forced migration should be addressed.
Many bishops have expressed dismay with recent immigration enforcement actions, especially because of an apparent lack of due process and
manifest disregard of family unity. Many recent migrants to the USA are Catholic, and even though they are not from this country, the US
bishops have a responsibility to advocate for them once they reach these shores. All Catholics, meanwhile, have a responsibility to inform
themselves about this topic and advocate for just laws governing migration to the USA.
There are many opinions on this topic and many approaches to a solution; all political perspectives will offer something important to any
reform. To learn more about the issues and about National Migration week, visit the US Bishops' website: https://www.usccb.org/nmw
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
September 13, 2026 - Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This weekend we welcome Fr. Frank Rouleau from the organization Outreach to Haiti. He will be at all the Masses to give an update on our twin parish, Saints Simon and Jude in Mon Opital, outside of Port-au-Prince (https://maps.app.goo.gl/VUbpCFrzRDvpj6A59).
SS. Simon and Jude is a pillar of support in a region that has been abandoned by the Hatian government. The parish provides education, health care, community, and spiritual support to thousands of people in the Mon Opital area. In this, the Catholic Church in Haiti continues to provide the kinds of services that it had provided worldwide for centuries before the modern state took over. In Haiti, the development of the modern state has been thwarted by corruption and natural disaster, but even in the midst of such difficulties, our fellow Christians work hard to reveal the kingdom.
I consider Gesu's work in Haiti to be fundamentally important to the parish. It is far more than a transfer of funds or a work of mercy; it is a work of stewardship. Our twinning arrangement strengthens us as a church. Although we do support SS. Simon and Jude financially, we do so because we recognize the unique way that God is revealing the kingdom through the parish there. The parishioners at SS. Simon and Jude are fellow Catholics who received the same religious instruction that we received and pray the same words every Sunday that we pray. Those same ideas and prayers have inspired them to build a community of hope even in the midst of forbidding obstacles. What they have done, we can do as well in our own corner of the world.
SS. Simon and Jude has a new pastor, Fr. Yves Ettienne. He has recorded a wonderful video message to us, which is available here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I1v4hNq1e1g. Please watch his video, come hear Fr. Frank, and be as generous as possible with your prayers and resources. SS. Simon and Jude are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we owe them our deepest bonds of Christian affection.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
September 6, 2026 - Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Labor is a gift from God. It expresses our love of God and neighbor. The Church says a great deal on this topic in paragraphs 2426-2436 of the Catechism. Labor supports the life of individuals, of families, and of communities. Developing our talents gives thanks to God and expresses neighborly love to others in the exchange of goods and service. Labor has a mystical nature. God shared with Adam and Eve the responsibility of cultivating and caring for the garden of Eden (Gn 2:15, 18). God remains the master gardener, but humanity has a role in fulfilling God's plans. (CCC 2427).
Given the spiritual nature of labor, the Church is careful to define the individual and social relationships that affect it. Labor exists for the good of individual human beings, to support their life and sanctification. Just economic systems recognize this. Systems that treat humans as interchangeable cogs in an impersonal economy violate the Catholic understanding of the dignity of the individual and the spiritual nature of labor. Likewise, people should expect from their labor a just wage that allows them to thrive as a child of God. The Church protects the right of laborers to organize and negotiate a just wage and even to strike, when necessary, in order to receive it (CCC 2430; 2435).
The Judeo-Christian tradition also makes a distinction between labor and toil. Toil is work that neither supports life nor yields spiritual benefit. Toil was part of Adam's punishment (Gn 3:17-19) and was historically the work of slaves. The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that free people can also toil when they work for self-centered goals. "For what profit comes to mortals from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which they toil under the sun? Every day sorrow and grief are their occupation; even at night their hearts are not at rest. This also is vanity" (Ecc 2:22-23).
Labor, by contrast, is to stand at God's side in the continuing work of creation. Our gifts and talents bring into being things the world has never seen. To do this is God's gift and is one of the highest forms of human love. Happy Labor Day, everyone!
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
August 30, 2026 - Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Who gets to write your life story? This is the question our readings pose today. The freedom to make meaning out of our existence is one of the deepest cravings of the soul. This freedom, according to Viktor Frankl, is the essence of life itself.
That freedom is a gift from God. We are truly free only when we seek from God the way to live our lives. When we follow God’s dream for us, we may encounter struggles, but we will also find joy. More importantly, our life story will become a means for others to find freedom.
This is the lesson of the first reading and Gospel. Jeremiah was famous for resisting God’s call: “No! I am too young!” He eventually gave his life to God, but his message aroused hostility. Thus, he accuses God, “You have duped me, O Lord, and I have let myself be duped.” Nevertheless, the passion of serving God outweighed the taunts of family and friends. God's word "becomes like a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones.” Supporters of his ministry preserved his words, and kept them alive during a time of national disaster. After his death, Jeremiah’s prophecies became a blueprint for a reborn Judaism that served God with vigor. He allowed God to write his life story, and the result was freedom for a nation not yet born.
Jesus speaks of the same surrender in the Gospel. When we try to control our life story, we actually lose our freedom. When we obsess over trivia, we lose sight of the richness of our existence. Our lives are cluttered with petty grudges, pointless self-indulgence, and small-potato dreams.
Avoiding risk can be just as dangerous. This was Peter’s mistake. Jesus’ commitment to nonviolence closed off most of the avenues by which he could evade the rising hostility to his mission. He knew that his mission would most likely end with his death as a criminal. He had surrendered into the hands of his Father, who had composed for his Son the greatest story ever made of a human life. Jesus trusted in the Father’s wisdom, but Peter tried to grab the pen out of the Father’s hands and write an ending more suitable to his own needs. Jesus’ response was clear, “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
In our second reading, St. Paul counsels, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” If we surrender our lives to the Author of Life, we can break free of the ego-driven trivia and fear that consumes many of our days. When God writes our life story, though like Jesus and Jeremiah we may encounter struggles, we will discover the joy of sharing God’s dreams and making of our lives beacons of freedom.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
August 23, 2026 - Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
The setting for this week's Gospel reading, Caesarea Philippi, was a pagan Greek colony in northern Galilee. Next to the city was a shrine called the Panion, dedicated to the Greek god Pan, protector of the wilderness and fertility and the reverser of ill-fortune. The shrine was popular with the Greco-Roman settlers of Palestine, not least because its environs roared with springs and were heavily wooded. The Panion provided a refreshing place to rest for travelers on the busy highway nearby. It is easy to imagine Jesus and his disciples pausing there on their journeys and watching their foreign neighbors throng the temple. Such a setting might inspire theological discussion.
Their talk centers on the “Son of Man,” a supernatural warrior many Jews believed to be coming soon. The title comes from Dan 7:13-14, which prophecies a mysterious being with divine power to rescue Israel from foreign oppression. Speculation about this being merged with other religious hopes for Israel's freedom and the restoration of one of David's sons as king.
Many believed that this chosen one, called an "anointed one" or "messiah," had already come once and would soon return to fulfill Daniel’s vision. Most speculation centered on Elijah, but, as Peter notes, some suggested other prophets instead. Peter’s intimacy with Jesus and his faith in the Father opened his mind in a flash of insight to the real nature of Jesus. “You are the messiah, the son of the living God!”
This Sunday's second reading asks rhetorically who can know the mind of God. The answer, clearly, is “only the Son,” but those who place their faith in the Son can receive a flash of insight, as Peter did today. In that flash, Jesus saw the depth of Peter’s faith and recognized in him a stable foundation for the Christian community. As this Sunday's first reading shows, faith-filled individuals offered critical support to God’s people throughout salvation history.
Individuals who can find Christ amidst the world’s tumult provide the solid foundation on which Christ can continue to build his community. This is our call: To wait in faith for that moment when we can catch sight of Christ still at work in the world. Holding him in view, we can become a secure foundation for many others whom Christ calls to be his own.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
August 16, 2026 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This week, I am using my pastor's message to extend Gesu's thanks to Brother Mike Zimmerman, S.J., who has done us a very great kindness.
As you may remember, last March the Upper Church was vandalized. Among the broken items were our sanctuary chairs (damage pictured in photo). With their Gothic tracery, these chairs are a beautiful complement to our sanctuary. We use them especially to seat altar servers, lectors, and concelebrants during liturgies.
The chairs are quite old. I asked around and even some very long-term parishioners could not recall a time when Gesu did not have them. One parishioner told me she once saw a wedding photo from the 1950’s in which the chairs are clearly visible, so they are at least 75 years old. It's no surprise that, even before last spring, several had grown so wobbly we could no longer use them.
Within a day of hearing about the vandalism, Brother Mike called from St. Camillus and asked if he could be of service. Mike worked with the Lakota people on Pine Ridge reservation for most of his Jesuit life. Even though he is retired, he has a background in woodworking and enjoys taking on projects in retirement.
Through his diligent and careful work, every chair - even ones not broken in the vandalism - has been completely restored (see photos below).
He strengthened all the joints, re-fashioned the tracery where it was damaged, and gave each one a cleaning and polish. His efforts will allow us to continue to use the chairs for many years to come.
Brother Mike asked for nothing in return for his efforts, but we will find a way to acknowledge him in the coming weeks. I'm certain, however, that he will appreciate any prayers offered on his behalf. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Brother Mike Zimmerman!
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
August 9, 2026 - Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mary, Mother of God
On Saturday, August 15, the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although it falls on a Saturday and is not a day of obligation this year, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on Mary's guiding role for our discipleship.
Gabriel referred to Mary as "full of grace," and throughout the centuries, the Church has identified many of those graces with specific Marian titles. We call Mary the "Blessed Mother" or "Our Lady of Refuge" or the "Gate of Heaven" as ways of naming the distinct graces that the Church has learned about through its devotion to her. The earliest of these specific titles was "Bearer of God," in Greek Theotokos, a reference to the fact that the child she bore was true God and true man.
Each title of Mary suggests a way that we can model our own discipleship on hers. Reflecting on her "Immaculate Heart," for example, can inspire us to keep our hearts free from pride or hate. "Bearer of God" might present something of a challenge, therefore, since Christ was only born once. Furthermore, Mary was kept free from original sin in order to bear him, a situation that does not pertain for us. Nonetheless, if only by analogy, we can find ways to "bear God" into the world.
Consider the way St. Peter used his skills as a sailor to let Jesus preach from his boat to the crowds on shore (Lk 5:3). St. Paul, likewise, used his knowledge of Jewish tradition and the freedom of his Roman citizenship to make the Gospel available to thousands of people (Acts 22:1-30). In more recent times, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton "bore God" into the world when they shared their own dramatic experiences of conversion to inspire and confirm the faith of so many (The Long Loneliness; The Seven Storey Mountain). With Mary to inspire us, we can each find our own unique way to bear God through prayer, service, study, or evangelization.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
August 2, 2026 - Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
On Thursday this week, August 6, the Church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ. Although this is not a holy day of obligation, it is such a special moment in Jesus' life that I thought I'd offer some reflections.
I came to understand the Transfiguration through my friend James, a professional guitarist. We talk almost every day when he is not on tour with his band, and whenever he comes to a city near me, we make sure to meet up.
James and I were friends long before he became a performing artist. I treasure my memories of summer nights when we lived near each other, and he would come over to watch baseball and hang out on my patio. He is intensely shy, but slowly warmed up to my Jesuit community, charming them with his dry self-deprecating humor.
I have memories of other late nights, of emergency phone calls and visits to a psych wards or recovery meetings. Even today James has to work hard to keep his mental health on a solid foundation.
I can still remember the first time I saw James perform in front of a crowd. He was touring with a popular act and came to the city where I lived. The set started with several high-energy songs. James and the vocalist threw themselves into the performance, matching each other’s intensity note-for-note. He was completely zeroed-in and present to the music. He was truly himself in a way that I had never seen or even intuited to be possible. Gone was my complicated friend and his self-effacing wit. In his place was a blur of creativity pumping out energy to thousands of people.
In the weeks that followed, I found that memories of that show tugged at my consciousness. I could not get over the astonishing contrast between the performer and my quiet, complicated friend. After a long time, I realized that the James I had seen on the stage was the James that exists in the mind of God. When God first dreamt of James, that dream was one of fire and music and joy. This is what God sees in James, and for a few hours one night, I had a vision of it too.
In the Transfiguration we see Jesus Christ as God sees him. He is not just a carpenter, teacher, and friend. He is also all light. If Christ's Transfiguration teaches us nothing else, it reminds us to look for clues to that same dream in everyone we meet. Many things can obscure the beauty that God has created, but in each of us, it is still there, waiting to be revealed. We can see it most clearly in Christ; discipleship means we seek it actively in all we meet.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
July 25, 2026 - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola on Friday, July 31. He is one of Catholicism's best known saints. He was a mystic and spiritual author, founder (with several companions) of the Society of Jesus, and great visionary who brought into being a distinct manner of discipleship: He lived his own life as if it were a mission from Christ his king. The joy and satisfaction his life brought him encouraged countless others to live in the same way.
God calls each person to a life of holiness. For some saints, like Benedict or Bernard, this became a call to prayer and contemplation. For others, like Francis or Dominic, this took the form of a call to fraternity and service to others. For Ignatius, the call to holiness was a call to mission and adventure. He lived the first part of his discipleship as a "pilgrim" for God, traveling throughout Europe and the Holy Land in search of souls to help. Only later in his life did this call become something more structured. He attended the University of Paris to study philosophy and theology, and then formed a "company," modeled on the military units of the day, that placed itself at the service of the pope. His "company of Jesus" and the missions it undertook were the beginnings of the Jesuit order.
Jesuits today still emphasize the role of mission in our spirituality. God's call to each of us, lived out in the Church and under the guidance of our Jesuit superiors, is the essence of our discipleship. But this is not just a spirituality for Jesuits. God calls each person to holiness. For many, life in the world means living out that call in the context of work, family, civil society, financial gain and strain. Treating one's role in each of those spheres as a distinct mission from God has been a source of grace for many, many people. Saint Ignatius' vision lives on in every person who lets God lead the way into the day's adventure.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
July 19, 2026 - Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
To believe in the potential of a featureless, tiny seed requires great faith. Farmers trust nature to provide pollinators and wind, earthworms, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, the right mix of soil, rain, and sun. Farmers understand the value of time. They know how patience and steady work can overcome setbacks and result in abundance. Jesus finds the spiritual realities of the kingdom reflected in such wisdom.
In the Gospel last week, Matthew tried to explain why so many rejected Jesus. This week, Matthew tries to sort out how to live with those individuals. Jesus’ answer is to do nothing. “‘If you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest…’” Let nature and the harvesters do their jobs. The human tenants of God’s homestead do not have the wisdom or skill to sort out the wheat from the weeds. Only divine wisdom can set things right.
In a world of religious violence, it is hard to find a divine message in a parable that makes such stark divisions among people. If our Gospel last week taught us anything, however, it is that we need to listen with faith especially when the Gospel is confusing or difficult. Two implications of today’s parable can be helpful to modern believers.
First, it is important to note that neither Jesus nor Matthew identify the “weeds.” The making of distinctions among individuals is a mystery. The passage halts human inclinations to draw boundaries and construct myths of belonging at their inception. Let them grow together, Jesus counsels. The disciples will be obvious.
Second, Jesus implies that there is plenty for all. Matthew inserts two short parables into the middle of his larger reflection. Both of these are parables of abundance, and they illustrate the parable of the wheat and the weeds. Jesus is comfortable letting his “wheat” grow because the “weeds” can do it no harm. God’s kingdom is as inexorable as yeast or a fast-growing shrub. It grows more powerful every day. The weeds, lacking the will of God drawing them forth, simply fail to keep up.
This does not mean Christians do not run risks. Modern disciples who seek wisdom in this Gospel can fail in two ways. They can give into the sectarian tendencies of the human heart and identify their own “weeds” to despise. Disciples can also settle in to a kind of anodyne spirituality that ignores the very real harm threatened to Christians in the world today. Many of our sisters and brothers live in danger because of their beliefs. Yet Jesus knew the same danger, and still taught us to “grow together.” Discipleship entails risk, but for those who trust in divine grace, the harvest will be abundant.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
July 12, 2026 - Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Over the past several months, representative parishioners and staff members have met with architects and contractors from CG Schmidt and Groth Design Group to reenvision the space in the Lower Church. The Lower Church gets a lot of use. It houses our secondary worship space where we celebrate the 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Masses every weekday, and the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturdays. It houses our confessionals, which get vigorous use every weekday of the year.
It is one of our busiest gathering spaces, providing a forum for after-Mass gatherings, talks, and parish receptions. Finally, it houses smaller meeting rooms used by our child and youth formation programs and, in the future, our OCIA program.
Given this constant activity, we wanted to look to the future to consider how we can refurbish the Lower Church and keep it available to future generations. Our consultants offered many good suggestions that will maximize our ability to use the space and keep it in good order.
At the moment, we are not in a position to act on these suggestions. In fact, I made it clear to all concerned that nothing will be implemented for at least a decade. We still have to finish rebuilding our investments after the work on the Upper Church. The contractors and architects offered their services for free, however, and we jumped at the chance to benefit from two of the premier church renovation enterprises in the area. It is our hope that by starting our planning this early we will ensure a smooth process once the time comes to act in the Lower Church.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
July 5, 2026 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
T.E. Lawrence (i.e., Lawrence of Arabia) was astonished by the things his native Arab companions noticed in the desert. Where Lawrence saw only a bleak expanse of sand, they saw signs of animals, plants, water, and shade. Desert Arabs could squint into the noontime glare and spot travelers or opposing armies long before Lawrence could. They knew every shifting wind pattern or seasonal change that foretold sandstorms or life-giving dew. The desert, Lawrence said, was a mother to the Arab people, and they understood her ways with the instincts of a child.
Jesus offers a similar insight this week. During his active ministry, he lived his life utterly dependent on God. He emphasized this dependence to his disciples before he sent them out to preach in his name. This was no ascetical exercise; it was a necessary path to God. A person completely dependent on God becomes sensitive and aware to the subtle rhythms of divine action in the world. Jesus was a child of God as Lawrence’s Arab companions were children of the desert.
Jesus recognized a similar sensitivity among poor and simple people of his day. They knew their dependence on God's mercy, and it sharpened their awareness of God’s action in the world. The poor and childlike recognized Jesus before anyone else did so. They saw in Jesus the same grace they had relied on all their lives.
The wise and the learned, meanwhile, had forgotten the lessons of grace. Jesus’ actions perplexed and troubled them. Something in their education caused them to lose sight of their dependence on God. Perhaps it was because their education conferred social status and comfort. Perhaps they came to believe that, in their learning, they had every answer they would need to make their own way through life. Just as a scientist might be able to describe a desert but not survive in it, the wise and learned of Jesus’ day were able to talk about God better than they could recognize the action of grace.
The second part of this Sunday's Gospel passage is a paradox: yokes symbolize servitude, yet Jesus promises a “yoke of rest.” It sounds contradictory, but a life spent in dependence on God is a life of freedom. The yoke Jesus offers is his saving mission, and like most yokes, it has two collars. As the disciples discovered, to take up Jesus' yoke means to give up fantasies of control and self-importance. At the same time, they discovered that Jesus did all the heavy lifting. His is a yoke of rest.
In the midst of our own rest, we can still find plenty to do. Jesus needs our feet to move with his. He needs us to watch his labor and assist as we can. Just as T.E. Lawrence's Arab companions were children of the desert, we will, yoked to Christ, learn to become children of God.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
June 21, 2026 - Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Milwaukee is home to several Jesuit works. One that many might not know much about is called the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. Many still know it by its former name, the Apostleship of Prayer. The US branch has its headquarters here in Milwaukee. Some here at the parish might know Fr. Phil Hurley, S.J., who is the national director. Our own Grace Mazza Urbanski is the assistant national director when she's not singing in the choir here at Gesu.
At the heart of this apostolate is daily prayer with the Pope, specifically for his monthly intention. I remember in elementary school praying the morning offering every day before class, "O Jesus, through the immaculate heart of Mary, I offer you all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day..." The prayer ended with the line "... and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father for this month." Teachers would take a few minutes every month to introduce us to the intention we were praying for. I can remember even as a child being moved by the suffering we hoped our prayers would alleviate.
If you'd like to learn more about the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network and find a list of Pope Leo's monthly intentions, you can visit the website at https://www.popesprayer.va/. If you need a refresher on the Morning Offering, you can find that on the US Bishop's website, https://www.usccb.org/prayers/morning-offering. Another beautiful daily offering prayer is available here https://www.popesprayer.va/pray/#offeringprayer.
At its best, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network is a school of compassion. Anyone who prays with the Pope's intention every month can learn a lot about situations in the world that may otherwise go unnoticed. In learning and prayer, we can let our own hearts be touched by the world's suffering and hope. When we let our own hearts be moved, we can become a little more like Christ, whose own Sacred Heart overflows with love for every person.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor
June 7, 2026 - The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
It was only about two months ago, on Holy Thursday, that the Church celebrated the body and blood of Christ. It might seem odd to commemorate that gift again so soon, but today’s celebration is different. Holy Thursday was solemn. It focused our attention on Jesus’ death. Today’s solemnity is joyful. It focuses us on the mission of Pentecost, to act as Christ did and share his love with the world.
Today’s Gospel is one of many in which John compares Jesus to Moses. Through Moses, God gave the lamb of Passover, water in the desert, bread from heaven, and God’s own words in the law. These gifts gave vital but temporary support to Israel’s life. Through Jesus, God also gives a lamb, a spring of living water, bread from heaven, and a new commandment; these gifts sustain life eternal.
The Mosaic covenant was born from intimacy with God. “The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a person speaks to a friend” (Ex 33:11). John believes the Son knows a similar and even deeper intimacy, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” Moses’ face shone with a reflected glory; the Son bears divine glory of his own. Jesus came to bring to completion the project Moses began on Sinai.
Jesus nearly subverts this elegant theology with his teaching to eat his flesh and drink his blood. His listeners likely understood that he was speaking in symbols, but they found the symbols disgusting. The Hebrew Scriptures outlaw cannibalism, and one of the strongest Levitical taboos forbids the drinking of blood from any being, living or dead. It was impossible to believe that such language could have fulfilled any part of God’s plan.
Jesus likely chose such shocking words to make an even more shocking point. Just as the flesh of the paschal lamb nourished a people in flight, and its blood protected Israel from death, so Jesus’ body and blood would sustain and protect a people sent out.
Jesus’ body was a place of action. It was through his body that Jesus healed, fed, forgave, called, and taught. Through Jesus’ body, humanity felt God’s love. John teaches us today how we too can, like Jesus, give God a body from which to act and a heart from which to love.
Michael R. Simone, S.J.
Pastor