February 1 through 7, 2026
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(February 1, 2026: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
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“Seek justice, seek humility…do no wrong, speak no lies.”
To live humbly is to live in the truth: the truth about God, the truth about ourselves and the truth of one another. The truth is that God creates us in love, redeems us in Christ and inspires/enlivens us by the Holy Spirit. The truth is that we are called to live in a way that gives witness to our sacred dignity and destiny. The truth is that we are to recognize the sacred dignity and destiny of one another.
To the extent that we live in, for and about this truth, we give God and others their due. In other words, we truly live humbly by pursuing and promoting justice.
There are lots of ways to give God and others what is their due. There are many ways to promote justice. One of the most powerful – and readily available – means for promoting justice is how we use the power of speech…for as we all know, speech is an ability most powerful indeed.
Francis de Sales recognized the power of words. He devoted no fewer than five chapters in Part III of his Introduction of the Devout Life to the topic of conversation and its role in promoting – or subverting - righteousness. Here is a sampling of his thoughts – and feelings – on the subject:
· “If a man does not offend in word, he is a perfect man, says St. James. Be careful to never let an indecent word leave your lips.”
· “Just as bodily poison enters through the mouth, so what poisons the heart gets in through the ear, making the tongue that utters it a murderer.”
· “Nothing is so opposed to charity, and much more to devotion, than to despise and speak ill of one’s neighbor. Theologians consider it one of the worst offenses against one’s neighbor of which a person can be guilty.”
Francis de Sales’ most poignant statement about the connection between humility, justice and speech comes in Chapter thirty of Part III:
“Your language should be restrained, frank, sincere, candid, unaffected and honest. Be on your guard against equivocation, ambiguity or dissimulation. While it is not always advisable to say all that is true, it is never permissible to speak against the truth. Therefore, you must become accustomed to never tell a deliberate lie whether to excuse yourself or for some other purposes, remembering that God is the ‘God of truth.’ If you happen to tell a lie, correct it immediately by explanation and make amends. An honest explanation always has more grace and power to excuse than has a lie.”
Certainly, there are circumstances in which talk is undoubtedly cheap. In the case of living humbly, however, our words are a priceless treasure - a wealth that God expects us to use in ways that promote – and practice – justice and truth.
Why not begin today?
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(February 2, 2026: Presentation of the Lord)
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"Since the children are people of blood and flesh, Jesus likewise has a full share in these..."
“God has signified to us in so many ways and by so many means that He wills all of us to be saved that no one can be ignorant of this fact. For this purpose, God made us ‘in his own image and likeness’ by creation, and by the Incarnation God has made himself in our image and likeness, after which he suffered death in order to ransom and save all mankind.” (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 8, Chapter 4)
We are probably pretty familiar with the notion that through creation we are made in God’s image and likeness. In contrast, we are probably far less familiar with the notion that God, through the Incarnation, made Himself in our image and likeness. Familiar or not, both are true.
St. Francis de Sales was captivated by the notion that God loved us so much that He not only came among us, but he also became one of us! God took on our very nature! In the person of Jesus, God gained and experienced first-hand knowledge of what it means to sleep, to wake, to work, to rest, to dance, to cry, to mourn, to struggle, to succeed and to dream. In this Jesus not only redeems what it means to be human, but Jesus also celebrates what it means to be human - to be human as God dreams.
The author of the letter to the Hebrews likewise believed this truth. He writes that “Jesus had a full share” in blood and flesh...and “had to become like his brothers (and sisters) in every way.” In this way, Jesus could not only redeem us but also he could truly understand us.
This truth is indeed a great mystery and a supreme expression of intimacy. God so loved us that he took on our nature…He made himself into our image and likeness – the truest and best nature as God intended from the beginning of time. In a manner of speaking, through the Incarnation God shows us how to be comfortable in our own skin. How? By showing us that God is comfortable in our skin in the person of his son, Jesus Christ!
Put simply, it is in God’s nature to meet us where – and how – we are. How can we imitate God’s example through our willingness to meet others where and how they are today?
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(February 3, 2026: Tuesday, Fourth Week in Ordinary Time)
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“Please come and lay your hands on her…If I but touch his clothes I will be cured.”
People continued to approach Jesus on behalf of the sick – and on behalf of themselves – to be healed by Jesus. The account in today’s selection from the Gospel of Mark provides an interesting detail: folks coming to Jesus for help believed that if Jesus merely touched them or, if they merely touched Jesus, they would experience healing power.
Just a little bit of Jesus – even the smallest touch of Jesus – went a very, very long way.
In his Treatise on the Love of God, Francis de Sales wrote: “Among sacred lovers there are some who so completely devote themselves to exercises of divine love that its holy fire devours and consumes their life…” (Book VII, Chapter 10, p. 41) Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of this love. His love for others was so intense and intentional that even the smallest sampling of it changed forever the lives of those he touched – or, as in the case of the woman burdened with a hemorrhage – those who touched him.
How might the same be said of our love today? How can we – even in small ways – be sources of God’s healing power for others?
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(February 3, 2016: Blaise, Bishop and Martyr)
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“He was not able to perform any mighty deed there…”
For all his divine power, even Jesus’ humanity had its limits. While ministering among people who knew him – family, friends and neighbors – Jesus found himself unable to perform any miracles or wonders, apart from a handful of cures. The source of his frustration was other people’s lack of faith.
We’ve touched on this topic before. Jesus ends many a miracle – many a sign – many a wonder – by telling the person he was cured, healed or forgiven: “Your faith has been your salvation.” This episode suggests that the first step of any miracle is for the would-be recipient to have faith: faith that for God all things are possible; faith that in the person of Jesus one can see – and experience – God. Without that first step, the following steps are hard – if not impossible – to complete.
Regardless of how deeply Jesus longed to help and heal those in need, he also knew this terrible truth – you cannot force love on others.
We know from our own experience that it is often the people we know best – and the people who know us best – who are the occasion of much heartache and heartbreak in our lives. Like Jesus, let us continue to offer ourselves as sources of help and healing in their lives. Let us also remember that we cannot force anyone to accept our offers of help or healing.
Love isn’t love if we force it on others.
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(February 5, 2026: Agatha, Virgin and Martyr)
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In Saints & Angels: Catholic Online, we read:
“Although we have evidence that Agatha was venerated at least as far back as the sixth century, the only facts we have about her are that she was born in Sicily and died there a martyr. In the legend of her life, we are told that she belonged to a rich, important family. When she was young, she dedicated her life to God and resisted any men who wanted to marry. One of these men, Quintian, was of a high enough rank that he felt he could force her to acquiesce. Knowing she was a Christian in a time of persecution, he had her arrested and brought before the judge, who happened to be himself. He expected her to give in to when faced with torture and possible death, but she simply affirmed her belief in God by praying: ‘Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart. You know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome these sufferings.’”
“Legend tells us that Quintian then imprisoned her in a brothel in order to get her to change her mind. He brought her back before him after she had suffered a month of assault and humiliation, but Agatha had never wavered. Quintian then sent her to prison - a move intended to make her more afraid, but which ironically enough may have been a great relief to her. When she continued to profess her faith in Jesus, Quintian had her tortured. He refused her any medical care but God gave her all the care she needed in the form of a vision of St. Peter. When she was tortured a final time, she died after saying: ‘Lord, my Creator, you have always protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Receive my soul.’” (http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=14)
In his Introduction to the Devout Life, Francis de Sales wrote:
“We must often remember that our Lord has saved us by his suffering and endurance and that we must work out our salvation by sufferings and afflictions, enduring with all possible meekness the injuries, denials and discomforts that we meet.” (IDL, Part III, Chapter 3, p. 128)
Following Jesus doesn’t guarantee a trouble-free life. However, Jesus invites us to follow his example of how to deal with the trouble that we may face in this life.
Saint Agatha certainly did. Today, how might we follow her example in our attempts to follow Christ?
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(February 6, 2026: Paul Miki and Companions, martyrs)
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"Ask of me whatever you wish, and I will grant it to you."
There’s an old Irish expression that goes something like this: “Be careful what you pray for.” Today’s Gospel offers a variant of this wisdom: “Be prudent about what you promise.”
Herod is so captivated – one might say even star-struck – by the dance performed by his daughter that he impulsively promises her whatever she desires, even “up to half of his kingdom.” Of course, the daughter dutifully asks her mother what she should request. Herodias seizes the opportunity to settle the score with John the Baptizer and instructs her daughter to ask Herod for the head of the prophet.
And we know how this story ends for Herod…and for John.
Perhaps a pithy – but a no-less-powerful – point to ponder today is - think twice before you say something. Words once spoken cannot be retrieved. Don’t lose your head – or someone’s else’s for that matter – over an impulsive proposition or promise.
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(February 7, 2026: Saturday, Fourth Week of Ordinary Time)
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"His heart was moved…for they were like sheep without a shepherd..."
In today’s Gospel we hear that Jesus’ heart was moved by the sight of the crowd who “were like sheep without a shepherd.” In other words, the people were lost.
“Lost” is defined as:
· not made use of, won, or claimed
· no longer possessed or no longer known
· ruined or destroyed physically or morally
· taken away or beyond reach or attainment
· unable to find the way
· no longer visible
· lacking assurance or self-confidence
· helpless
· not appreciated or understood
· obscured or overlooked during a process or activity
· hopelessly unattainable
It’s safe to say that we all have the experience of being “lost” from time-to-time. Sometimes, we might experience being “lost” in any number of ways for long periods of time. Fortunately for us, one of the reasons that Jesus became one of us was to find the lost.
Consider yourself found!
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