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.
Scripture: Tobit 2:9-14 Mark 12:13-17 Reflection: The coin in today’s gospel passage—the coin which Jesus used to respond to the “trick question” which had been put to him—reminded me of » Continue Reading.
Feast of Saint Justin, Martyr Scripture: Tobit 1:3, 2:1b-8 Mark 12:1-12 Reflection: Today is the feast of St. Justin, an early Christian martyr who lived in the second century. He » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Sirach 44:1, 9-13 Mark 11:11-26 Reflection: Sometimes a reflection is simply a reflection. It is not an attempt to make another person accept my point of view or a » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Sirach 36:1, 4-5a, 10-17 Mark 10:32-45 Reflection: Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be handed over. Today’s Gospel concludes one of the » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Sirach 35:1-12 Mark 10:28-31 Reflection: The readings today are centered on giving things up to God. Sirach tells us how to keep the law by doing works of justice, » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Sirach 17:20-24 Mark 10:17-27 Reflection: Our western civilization, even in these difficult economic times, is one of the wealthiest in history. So when we hear Mark’s Gospel today, it » Continue Reading.
Pentecost Sunday Scripture: Acts 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Galatians 5:16-25 John 20:19-23 Reflection: He breathed: on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:22 » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 John 21: 20-25 Reflection: In our reading from the conclusion of John’s Gospel, Peter sees the disciple whom Jesus loved, and asks Jesus, “Lord, what about » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 25: 13 – 21 John 21 : 15 – 19 Reflection: In the marvelous movie “Lion in Winter” in which Peter O’Toole and Catherine Hepburn depict King Henry » Continue Reading.
Scripture: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 John 17:20-26 Reflection: One of the wonders of the quilt-making craft is how scores, possibly hundreds, of quite differently hued and shaped pieces of cloth can » Continue Reading.