Week Beginning June 28, 2026
Share Your Story
In our Gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus tells his apostles: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40). Pope Francis teaches us how to affirm our faith in Christ and integrate informal preaching into our daily conversations:
“Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey. In this preaching, which is always respectful and gentle, the first step is personal dialogue, when the other person speaks and shares his or her joys, hopes and concerns for loved ones, or so many other heartfelt needs. Only afterwards is it possible to bring up God’s word, perhaps by reading a Bible verse or relating a story, but always keeping in mind the fundamental message: the personal love of God who became man, who gave himself up for us, who is living and who offers us his salvation and his friendship. This message has to be shared humbly as a testimony on the part of one who is always willing to learn, in the awareness that the message is so rich and so deep that it always exceeds our grasp” (Evangelii Gaudium, 127-128).
Pope Saint Paul VI notes: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” When we share the love of God with our neighbors, it is helpful to also share how we are changed by that love. Our personal stories offer a firsthand account of God’s healing power working mysteriously to bring about good. Our attestations provide a credible source of hope and encouragement to those in need.
In his book The Everlasting Man, G.K. Chesterton explains:
“The life of man is a story; an adventure story; and in our vision the same is true even of the story of God. … Exactly as a man in an adventure story has to pass various tests to save his life, so the man in this philosophy has to pass several tests and save his soul. … Every short story does truly begin with creation and end with a last judgement.”
This week, think about your story. How does knowing Jesus change your life? How does your faith comfort you during troubled times? How does his mercy help you advance and grow? Does your love for God lead you to make favorable choices? Does your trust in God affect how you react to things? Have you ever felt conflicted, only to learn in time that something positive came from your suffering? Have you always felt close to Jesus, or has your relationship developed gradually? What are important turning points on your spiritual journey? Can you recall a specific moment of conversion? Are there instances you can only describe as divine intervention? What does salvation mean to you?
Find opportunities to share your stories with people who can benefit from them. Become a living billboard for Christ, inspiring others to praise the Lord. In the words of Saint Augustine, “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot.” In that light, live out today’s Alleluia verse: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Week Beginning June 21, 2026
Seek Opportunities
In our Gospel reading this Sunday, Jesus tells his apostles: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40). Pope Francis teaches us how to affirm our faith in Christ and integrate informal preaching into our daily conversations:
“Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey. In this preaching, which is always respectful and gentle, the first step is personal dialogue, when the other person speaks and shares his or her joys, hopes and concerns for loved ones, or so many other heartfelt needs. Only afterwards is it possible to bring up God’s word, perhaps by reading a Bible verse or relating a story, but always keeping in mind the fundamental message: the personal love of God who became man, who gave himself up for us, who is living and who offers us his salvation and his friendship. This message has to be shared humbly as a testimony on the part of one who is always willing to learn, in the awareness that the message is so rich and so deep that it always exceeds our grasp” (Evangelii Gaudium, 127-128).
Pope Saint Paul VI notes: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” When we share the love of God with our neighbors, it is helpful to also share how we are changed by that love. Our personal stories offer a firsthand account of God’s healing power working mysteriously to bring about good. Our attestations provide a credible source of hope and encouragement to those in need.
In his book The Everlasting Man, G.K. Chesterton explains:
“The life of man is a story; an adventure story; and in our vision the same is true even of the story of God. … Exactly as a man in an adventure story has to pass various tests to save his life, so the man in this philosophy has to pass several tests and save his soul. … Every short story does truly begin with creation and end with a last judgement.”
This week, think about your story. How does knowing Jesus change your life? How does your faith comfort you during troubled times? How does his mercy help you advance and grow? Does your love for God lead you to make favorable choices? Does your trust in God affect how you react to things? Have you ever felt conflicted, only to learn in time that something positive came from your suffering? Have you always felt close to Jesus, or has your relationship developed gradually? What are important turning points on your spiritual journey? Can you recall a specific moment of conversion? Are there instances you can only describe as divine intervention? What does salvation mean to you?
Find opportunities to share your stories with people who can benefit from them. Become a living billboard for Christ, inspiring others to praise the Lord. In the words of Saint Augustine, “The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot.” In that light, live out today’s Alleluia verse: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Week Beginning June 14, 2026
Pray Together
Thus says the Lord, “When you call me, and come and pray to me, I will listen to you” (Jeremiah 29:12). One great way to remind our neighbors about the Kingdom of God and the power of prayer is simply to pray with them. Saint John Chrysostom describes prayer as “the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.” In both times of trouble and times of joy, good things come to us through prayer.
When we encounter people who are in distress, we often feel helpless. We do not always know how to console them. This week, do not simply tell those who are suffering that you will remember them in your prayers. Offer to pray with them during their struggles. Pope Francis describes this type of intercessory prayer as “an expression of our fraternal concern for others, since we are able to embrace their lives, their deepest troubles and their loftiest dreams” (Gaudete Et Exsultate). Pope Leo XIV notes that “prayer is not external to the evangelical work of the body of Christ but an integral part of it.”
You may be surprised how many people thank you and tell you they feel comforted by your prayers. God is in our midst when we pray together (Matthew 18:19-20). “Prayer is nothing else than union with God. When the heart is pure and united with God it is consoled and filled with sweetness; it is dazzled by a marvelous light,” observes Saint Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney. “When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.”
Consider posting a board with prayer intentions in your home. This creates a visible reminder of the importance of God in our lives. It also promotes praying together as a family.
Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches us that “We set forth our petitions before God, not in order to make known to Him our needs and desires, but rather so that we ourselves may realize that in these things it is necessary to turn to God for help.” Saint Teresa of Jesus notes: “Prayer is the only channel through which God’s great graces and favors may flow into the soul.” The Venerable Fulton Sheen elaborates:
“Prayer, then, is not informing God of our needs, for God already knows them. Rather, the purpose of prayer is to give God the opportunity to bestow the gifts He will give us when we are ready to accept them. It is not the eye that makes the light of the sun surround us; it is not the lung that makes the air envelop us. The light of the sun is there if we do not close our eyes to it, and the air is there for our lungs if we do not hold our breath. God’s blessings are there — if we do not rebel against His will to give.”
Saint John reminds us that as children of God, we have the privilege of an intimate and trusting relationship with Him. “And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours” (1 John 5:14-15).
Pope Saint John Paul II summarizes:
“Prayer can truly change your life. For it turns your attention away from yourself and directs your mind and your heart toward the Lord. If we look only at ourselves, with our own limitations and sins, we quickly give way to sadness and discouragement. But if we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord, then our hearts are filled with hope, our minds are washed in the light of truth and we come to know the fullness of the Gospel with all its promise and life.”
This week, let us also pray together when things are going well. Joining others in prayers of thanksgiving — whether it be grace before meals or gratitude for God’s many gifts — allows us to acknowledge the infinite love and bounty He shares with us. Seek opportunities to highlight God’s guidance and providence by offering thanks through communal prayers. “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36 ).
Week Beginning June 7, 2026
Extend an Invitation
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17). Jesus approaches us with an invitation. That simple invitation leads us to follow the path of Christ.
In Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states:
“Evangelizing means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself. At its essence are the proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ and the response of a person in faith, which are both works of the Spirit of God. Evangelization must always be directly connected to the Lord Jesus Christ. ‘There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the Kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed’ (Matthew 28:20).”
Your assignment this week is to cast out into the deep by extending invitations to the people you encounter. Think about how many people — friends and strangers — you pass by or interact with each day. How many of them are adrift, drowning, or lost at sea? How many of them have fallen away from the Church, do not realize the full beauty of their faith, or are strangers to Jesus Christ? Every one of us is a minister of welcome, and every meeting is an opportunity for evangelization. Through personal interactions with others, we can ignite their spiritual journeys.
Pope Leo XIV reminds us that “In the one Christ, we are one. This is the missionary spirit that must animate us: not closing ourselves off in our small groups, nor feeling superior to the world.” Consider inviting someone to join you at Mass, Bible study, prayer group, ministry meeting, church-sponsored event, service project, seminar, retreat, Holy Hour, etc.
Although an invitation is not necessarily evangelization, it is one step toward conversion. When Jesus accompanies his disciples during their daily activities, he uses that time together to teach, correct, and encourage them. In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis observes: “Reaching a level of maturity where individuals can make truly free and responsible decisions calls for much time and patience. As Saint Peter Faber says: ‘Time is God’s messenger.’”
This week, duc in altum, and catch as many hearts as you can enflame with the love of God.
