18th Week in Ordinary Time 2026 - Monday - Beware false prophets

The Apostle Paul, writing to St. Timothy, warned the young bishop that a time was coming when people would no longer tolerate sound doctrine, but would gather around themselves teachers who told them what they wanted to hear. In other words, those who wish to be confirmed in their errors, biases, prejudices, and sins will seek out authority figures who articulate and justify those errors.

Paul warned that there would be not only a great demand for watered-down or plainly erroneous teaching, but also “a great number of teachers” willing to provide it and thereby lead souls farther from the truth of Christ.

Well, in our first reading today, we meet one of these false teachers, the false prophet Hananiah. The people of Judah were facing the terrible consequences of their infidelity and the growing power of Babylon. Jeremiah had faithfully warned them that the exile would not end quickly and that they needed to repent, submit to God’s chastisement, and return to the covenant.

Hananiah, however, told the people what they wanted to hear: that within two years the power of Babylon would be broken, the exiles would return, and the sacred vessels of the Temple would be restored. His message was attractive, reassuring, and patriotic—but it was not from God. Jeremiah therefore confronted him and foretold his death for leading the people into false confidence and rebellion against the Lord.

Jesus likewise warned that false prophets would come in sheep’s clothing, while inwardly they were ravenous wolves. We live in an age filled with religious voices. Through television, podcasts, websites, and social media, anyone can claim authority, present himself as a defender of the faith, and gather followers. Some justify schism; others dismiss settled moral teaching; still others cultivate suspicion, anger, and contempt toward the Pope, the bishops, or the Church herself.

Not every confident voice is a trustworthy voice. Not every message that confirms our preferences comes from the Holy Spirit. We must test what we hear against Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the authentic teaching authority of the Church. Truth bears the fruits of holiness, humility, charity, communion, and obedience. Falsehood often bears pride, bitterness, factionalism, and contempt.

Remaining faithful does not mean pretending that every churchman is perfect or that every prudential decision is beyond criticism. It means refusing to place our private judgment, political loyalties, or favorite commentators above the faith handed down through the Church.

Great discernment and humility is needed in these times. May we prefer the truth that converts us over the message that appeals to our preferences, that we remain close to Christ by remaining faithful to the Church he founded for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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Trusting in Christ, who guides his Church in truth, let us bring our prayers before the Father.

For the Holy Church of God, that she may remain steadfast in proclaiming the fullness of the Gospel with courage, clarity, and charity, let us pray to the Lord.

For the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons, catechists, and all who teach the faith, that the Holy Spirit may preserve them from error and make them faithful servants of the truth, let us pray to the Lord.

For Christians who are confused, discouraged, or led astray by false teaching, that they may rediscover the sure guidance of sound doctrine, and that That Christian families may be places where the Christian faith is studied, understood, observed, and cherished, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who influence public opinion through the media and social media, that they may reject manipulation, division, and falsehood, and use their gifts in service of truth and the common good, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who struggle because of addiction, mental illness, chronic sickness, unemployment, or ongoing trials of any kind: may they be healed and strengthened in Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.

For those who have died, especially those who helped hand on the faith to us, that they may be welcomed into the fullness of truth and life in the Kingdom of Heaven, let us pray to the Lord.

Father of truth and mercy, preserve us from error and keep us faithful to your Son and to the Church he founded. Hear the prayers we offer in faith, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2026 - "Give them some food yourselves"

 

Each of the four Gospels contain several different stories of Jesus eating with people. He ate with Pharisees and Scribes, tax collectors, prostitutes, and public sinners, he of course he dined with his beloved friends and disciples. In today’s Gospel he breaks bread with thousands of people. In so many of these meals recorded in the Gospels, the Lord takes the opportunity not just to eat, but to teach, by word and example, offering, in fact, some of his most important teachings.

For example,. He dined with hypocritical and antagonistic Scribes and Pharisees, why? Of course, to urge them to repent and believe, but also to give us an example. We need to associate even with people who hate us in hope of their conversion—that God willing through conversation and meal, they can get a glimpse of the goodness and truth to which they have become blinded and maybe come to believe.

The Lord ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners, why? To show them that God invites all people out of love to exchange the stained garments of sin for the wedding garment of the righteous. And also, again to give us an example. We too are to dine with such people. We are to dine with the unrighteous because that’s what the Lamb of God did in order to invite them to His heavenly banquet.

The Lord ate with his disciples, why? To strengthen them, to teach them, to share intimate moments with them. He dined with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and set their hearts on fire with faith. He dined with the apostles on the seashore even after they fled the cross and went back to fishing instead of venturing to the ends of the world to spread the Gospel. At the Last Supper he gave us his flesh and blood to be shed on the cross so that we may become what we receive in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. We are to dine with each other, week after week, at the Lord’s table that our hearts might catch fire, to heal the wounds of sin and division and to be strengthened in love for one another and in holiness for the mission of the Gospel. We are formed as missionary disciples, as Pope Francis rightly said, in the context of what we are doing here, eating and drinking as the Lord commanded us to do.

In the Gospel today, the Lord shares a meal with thousands of people, why? Well, let’s dig in.

Firstly, we see the Lord’s care for the real physical needs of his people. After a day of teaching and healing thousands—he doesn’t want to send them away hungry. Growing up Italian, I get this…no one should leave your home hungry. If you have the chance, feed people. Who doesn’t love being fed. You know someone cares for you, when they feed you. The way to a man’s heart is his stomach, in a very real sense.  

So, we are to feed people. Feed the hungry, it’s an act of charity in imitation of the Lord himself. Notice, too, that none of these thousands of people are named, in the Gospel story today. They are the nameless hungry of the world. We are to feed them, without judgement. They are hungry, so feed them.

Next, is a great detail, and a challenging one. When the disciples bring this concern for the people to the Lord, the Lord responds, “give them some food yourselves.”

“You give them something to eat, you do something to solve this problem.” The Lord speaks those words to you and me.  As members of the Church, God gives us the tremendous responsibility of being his hands and his feet out in the world, feeding the large crowd of the world with physical bread and also leading them to the meal of the spiritual bread of the Eucharist.

Some of you might remember, that In the 1950s and 60s, a movement called Catholic Action which aimed at rallying the Catholic lay faithful for the work of the Gospel out in the world. And Catholic Action had a motto, very simple, three words. “see, judge, act.”  See, judge, act.  First see, open your eyes to what is going on in the Church and in society and in your neighborhood.  Second, judge: make a determination of what can I do, how can I help, how can I serve.  And thirdly, act—if you can do it, do it.

“You give them something to eat.” This is a very challenging teaching because we have a tendency to want to pass the buck on to someone else.  We see a problem and say “someone ought to do something, someone ought to take care of this.”  But today’s Gospel challenges our tendency to remain uninvolved or paralyzed by fear. “You give them something to eat”.

We have a personal responsibility to do what we can in all the different dimensions of the life of the Church:  standing up for life, standing up for religious freedom or the rights of the oppressed, feeding the poor, teaching the ignorant, spreading the Gospel, it’s not merely the pope’s job, or the bishop’s job, or the pastor’s job; every Catholic bears the responsibility for the work of the Church and spreading the Gospel. “You give them something to eat.”

So, on one hand, we have a personal responsibility for the work of God, but, thankfully, on the other hand, we are in it together, we are to work together. The Lord’s command is addressed in the plural—“you all together give them something to eat”, but that just means doing everything I can to work together with my brothers and sisters in Christ for the mission of the Gospel. We bear personal responsibility to work together.

Then at the heart of the story is the miracle. When told to feed the thousands, the disciples do what they can, they gather food, but they find, that it is not enough. “All we have are these five loaves, a couple fish.” So the Lord responds,  “Give them to me!” 

The spiritual lesson?  You and I are to give what we have, even if it is very little, to Christ and it will be multiplied.  Give Christ your mind, your will, your energy, your compassion, your earthly treasures.  See, judge act. Give it to Christ, and you will find that it becomes multiplied for his purposes. 

Catholic parishes, like ours, are just like that small group of disciples, looking at its meager possessions, saying, what can we do with these fives loaves and two fish. But coming together, despite our limitations, we offer what we have to the Lord, and the Lord multiplies.

I’ve been so impressed over this last year as pastor to witness the great generosity of so many of you—giving your time, talent, and treasure for the mission of the parish, and I’m very excited for the years ahead, to witness how the Lord continues to multiply the gifts that are brought forth to him.

But I do encourage you, please consider how you can contribute to the mission of the parish—whether in volunteering in our parish events, participating in ministries, or discerning new ones. I love when parishioners come to me with ideas of ways they’d like to get involved. I love helping you discern how you can put your gifts and talents—your loaves and fish--in service to God.

So, I repeat the invitation I made when I began my pastorate, if there’s any ministry that you’d like to get involved in, or a ministry that you’d like to start up, please let me know. That’s why we are here, To see, judge, act, and to put our loaves and fishes into the hands of God.

In your daily prayer especially, ask the Lord, what can I do to help, what are the needs that I am called to act upon, what are the loaves and fishes of my life, that you want me to hand over to you, how are you calling me to work together with my fellow parishioners, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for the work God has for us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.