Daily Scripture, July 7, 2025
Scripture:
Genesis 28:10-22a
Matthew 9:18-26
Reflection:
‘Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.’
And from that hour the woman was cured. -Matthew 9:22
I had lunch with a “doubting Thomas” (well, really Bill) the other day. We hadn’t seen each other for years and were catching up. At one point we were talking about faith in Jesus. When I suggested that by following Jesus, he could affect healing and cures, he balked. “Oh no! that’s my lord and savior’s work.”
As our discussion proceeded, he told me of an adventure he experienced after retiring. Bill had been successful in the financial world and retired when he was 65. Thinking his current assets could do much better in another venture, he took them all, as well as those of other family and friends, and invested in a new venture. As he told the story this all sounded very exciting until he got to the point where every $1.00 invested eventually turned out to be worth forth-one cents. Bill, didn’t stop there. He kept trying (believing) and collaborating with others in the field, till eventually his and his friends’ assets rebounded doing better than ever.
God, help my unbelief today and no matter how bleak and terrible my life looks, help me believe in you, in your love and care not only for me, but for all your creation. Help me believe further that working with and caring for my sister, as well as Mother Earth, will heal us all.
Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists. He lives in Chicago.
Feast of Saint Augustine Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Matthew 25:1-13 Reflection: Are you a foolish virgin or a wise virgin?! Today we hear the well-known scripture from Matthew about the » Continue Reading.
Feast of Saint Monica Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 Matthew 24:42-51 Reflection: I can’t say I have ever been inspired by images of saints contemplating a skull, but today’s readings do » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 23:23-26 Reflection: My brother, Dan, would have been 49 years old today. He was just shy of turning 23 when he was killed. His suddenly » Continue Reading.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 23:23-26 Reflection: Today the Church celebrates the lives St. Louis, King of France, a crusader, a defender of justice, and patron of the needy; and » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Revelation 21:9b-14 John 1:45-51 Reflection: Transparency Jesus really loves Nathaniel. He is not a deceitful man. “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b Ephesians 5:21-32 John 6:60-69 Reflection: Some time ago, when I was Carbondale, IL, the Newman Center at Southern Illinois University presented a program called “Fools » Continue Reading.
Feast of the Queenship of Mary Scripture: Isaiah 9: 1 – 6 Luke 1: 26 – 38 Reflection: On October 11, 1954, Pope Pius XII promulgated an encyclical, Ad Coeli » Continue Reading.
Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope Scripture: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22 Matthew 22:34-40 Reflection: Today we celebrate the memory of Pope St. Pius X. He has left a mixed legacy » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Judges 11:29-39a Matthew 22:1-14 Reflection: The images that are evoked in our imaginations by the scripture readings today are not for the faint of heart! The story from » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Judges 9:6-15 Matthew 20:1-16 Reflection: “Are you envious because I am generous?” Matthew 20:16 “Life is not fair!” How many times have we heard this madding phrase? I use » Continue Reading.