As we continue our Sunday celebration, I offer this version of Bernadette Farrell's "All That Is Hidden":
21 June 2026
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings for the Mass during the day are Jeremiah 20:10-13, Romans 5:12-15, and Matthew 10:26-33. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 69 (Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Psalm 69: Lord, In Your Great Love, Answer Me
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus said to the Twelve: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."
Reflections related to these readings:
Benedictine College: This Sunday, Jesus Says 'Fear No One' - Then Joins With Us To Face the World (18 JUN 26)
Word on Fire: Fear No One (Cycle A * Ordinary Time * 12th Week)
The Pilot: Echoes: Scott Hahn: Be not afraid (19 JUN 26)
Happy Father's Day!!!
Happy Father's Day to all fathers, grandfathers, and others who serve as a father-figure!
My own dad passed away several years ago, and he was a true blessing to
my siblings and me (although we may not have always thought so). May he
rest in peace.
I also ask special Father's Day blessings on sons Tommy and Adam and on
son-in-law Chris and, on Myrna's side, sons-in-law Will and
Chris. In addition, I ask special Father's Day blessings for our
siblings and in-laws.
Msgr. Pope on the Rise of the Imperial, Autonomous Self
"A rather succinct and accurate summary of our current malaise is that we live in the age of 'the imperial, autonomous self'” In effect, many if not most people claim an authority, a right, to craft their own reality and live according to their own notions of it. Not so long ago, it was generally accepted that reality was something outside ourselves, something that we had to go out to meet, study, and obey. There was a certain 'is-ness' to things. Conformity with the basic and revealed nature of things produced thriving and the kind of happiness that comes from being in harmony with what fundamentally is.
"Recently however, there has been the ascendency of the notion that reality is what I say it is. The 'soft garments' version of this is, 'That may be true for you, but I see it differently. You live your truth and I will live mine.'"
In a recent commentary, Msgr. Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on some of the consequences of this attitude and on the importance of returning to our roots (with a nod to 2 Timothy 4:2-5).
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Community in Mission: What Ails Us? The Rise of the Imperial, Autonomous Self (14 JUN 26)
Reflection Starter from Pope Leo XIV
"In the Gospel of the Day (Mt 10:26-33), Jesus draws a parallel between what we hear 'in private,' namely, what is in the secret of our hearts, and what we are called to proclaim to everyone. He reminds us that proclaiming the Gospel is first and foremost a sharing of a personal encounter with Him, which is unique to each of us." - Pope Leo XIV
20 June 2026
Fletcher Henderson: "You Go To My Head"
As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra presenting "You Go To My Head"
Birthday Blessings, Olivia!!!
Birthday greetings to niece Olivia Rioux, whose birthday is today!!! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of those graduating from high school and college/university.
Life Needs Sunny and Rainy Days
"Nothing ever grows where the sun always shines." Legendary country music singer/songwriter Bill Anderson wrote that lyric because it reflects the truth that it takes both sunny days and rainy ones, successes and failures, to truly grow and become the person God created you to be.
The seeds of faith were planted in Bill's life partially by his grandfather, a Methodist preacher. But Bill's mother was his primary influence. During a Christopher Closeup interview, he recalled her singing hymns such as "Amazing Grace" while doing housework: "Those songs of the church were, without me realizing it, forming a foundation for me musically."
Another major moment for Bill came after he had achieved some success in Nashville. His 88-year-old pastor-grandfather, who lay on his deathbed, told Bill, "I don't know much about the business you're in, but I know that you're in a position to reach more people with one song than I've reached with every sermon I've ever preached." From then on, Bill felt that weight of responsibility to create music that would reflect his values. Of course, in the genre of country music, you have to also cover songs about drinking and infidelity. But, as Bill joked, "The good part is that if you play the songs backwards, they sober up and they come home."
More seriously, Bill then discussed his song "Five Little Fingers, which was the story of a man who had lost his wife and had a small child. He wondered how he was gonna continue to go on with his life. The little girl walks in and puts her five little fingers on top of his hand and inspires him. I had a fan write me from down in Louisiana and he said, 'I was in my car. I was driving out into the swamps. I was going to commit suicide. I thought everything I had in the world was lost. Your song came on about the Five Little Fingers . . . and I realized I had five little fingers in my house that depended on me. I pulled over to the side of the road. . . . I cried. I prayed. I turned around and I went back to town.'"
"That's not the only letter I've had like that," Bill explained. "It makes me [think of] what my grandfather said. . . . I guess that song, at that point in time, maybe that was my sermon."
When asked to reflect on the Christopher idea of lighting a candle in times of darkness, Bill recalled, "The darkest it ever got around me was in 1984 when my wife was nearly killed in a head-on automobile accident caused by a drunk driver. At the time, our son was six years old. I had to become mother and father to [him] for a long period of time as my wife went through . . . rehabilitation. . . . It changed my perspective. It changed my value system."
"My son and our relationship became my candle in the darkness," Bill continued. "He was in a Christian school, and he understood at his young age that there was faith and that hopefully his mom was gonna get well, which she ultimately did. I wouldn't want to walk through that dark spot again, but the light of that candle has served me well in the time since then. I hope in some small way that I can carry a candle for other people. They tell me sometimes, 'We love your music. Your music makes us feel better.' If that's my candle, then I'm more than glad to carry it."
This essay is a recent "Light One Candle"
column by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; it is one of a series of
weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current
events.
Background information:
The Christophers
Reflection Starter from Albert Schweitzer
"A good example has twice the value of good advice." - Dr. Albert Schweitzer
16 June 2026
"Blessing and Glory"
As we continue to live this week, I offer this version of "Blessing and Glory":
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