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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

June 28, 2026

Fr. John Colacino C.PP.S.

Introit

Collect

O God, who through the grace of adoption
chose us to be children of light,
grant, we pray,
that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error
but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading 2 Kings 4:8–11, 14–16a

One day Elisha was passing through Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to have a meal. So whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for a meal. 9 She said to her husband, “Look, I am sure that this man who regularly passes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let us make a small roof chamber with walls, and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” 11 One day when Elisha came there, he went up to the chamber and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, 14 “What then may be done for the woman?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 Elisha said, “Call her.” When the servant had called her, she stood at the door. 16 Elisha said, “At this season, in due time, you shall embrace a son.” She replied, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not deceive your servant.” 17 The woman conceived and bore a son at that season, in due time, as Elisha had declared to her.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 89:2–3, 16–17, 18–19

R/. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

Second Reading Romans 6:3–4, 8–11

My brothers and sisters: 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 8 But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation

Gospel Matthew 10:37–42

Jesus called the twelve to him and sent them out with the following instructions: 37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple— truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Catena Nova

Thanks to the power of the Word and the renunciation of past sins, temporal gains are death to the soul, and temporal losses salvation. Apostles must therefore take death into their new life and nail their sins to the Lord’s cross. They must confront their persecutors with contempt for things present, holding fast to their freedom by a glorious confession of faith, and shunning any gain that would harm their souls. They should know that no power over their souls has been given to anyone, and that by suffering loss in this short life they will achieve immortality. (St. Hilary of Poitiers)

A Christian is: a mind through which Christ thinks, a heart through which Christ loves, a voice through which Christ speaks and a hand through which Christ helps (St. Augustine).

If you wish to enter into life, keep My commandments. If you will know the truth, believe in Me. If you will be perfect, sell all. If you will be My disciple, deny yourself. If you will possess the blessed life, despise this present life. If you will be exalted in heaven, humble yourself on earth. If you wish to reign with Me, carry the Cross with Me. For only the servants of the Cross find the life of blessedness and of true light (Thomas à Kempis).

The soul that longs for divine wisdom chooses first and in truth, to enter the thicket of the Cross. ….The gate that gives entry, into these riches of His wisdom, is the Cross, because it is a narrow gate, while many seek the joys that can be gained through it, it is given to few to desire to pass through it. (St John of the Cross)

The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart. The cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it is not one inch too large nor one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with His holy name, anointed it with His grace, perfumed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God (St Francis de Sales).

Every cross, great or small, every discomfort even, is an appeal from our Beloved, asking us to declare our love and go on doing so while the cross lasts. When we think of it like this, could we not wish that our cross could last forever? It will last as long as Jesus wishes. However sweet it may be, however greatly loved, we desire it only as long as it is Jesus’ will for us. Your will, not ours, Brother Jesus. As for ourselves, we should think no more of ourselves…. We should think only of you, our beloved spouse. We want not what seems good to us, but what is good to you. We ask nothing for ourselves; all we ask is your glory. Hallowed be thy name; thy Kingdom come; thy will be done in your children, in all men. May these things be done in us. May we give all possible glory to you throughout our lives. May we do your will—may we give all possible solace to your Heart. That is all we want and all we need. We are here at your feet, do with us as you will—whatever it may be, do it according to your will. We have no will, no wish except to fulfill your will, to do what seems good to you (St. Charles de Foucauld).

The more profoundly Christian a person becomes the deeper the gap between that person and all who refuse to follow Christ. The width of the gap is proportionate to the strength of the refusal. And this split runs right through our most intimate relationships. Genuine conversion isn’t a matter of natural dispositions or personal histories but the most personal and private decision one can make. One makes a decision for Christ and another doesn’t. Hence the possibility of a kind of schism even between father and son, friend and friend, one member of a household and another. When it comes to a choice between domestic peace and Jesus one must value Jesus more, even more than the most dearly beloved person. This can mean cutting into the very core of our life. Temptation presses us to preserve our human ties and abandon Christ. But Jesus warns us that if we hold onto “life” as we have had it, and sacrifice Jesus to do this, we will end up losing the life we want to keep. If we let go for Jesus’ sake we will find ourselves and in the heart of an immeasurably rich reality. This is difficult. It is the cross. (Romano Guardini)

Homily

I've spoken in the past about a friend of mine named Maria. She has since passed away. I knew her for over 40 years. She belonged to the first parish I was assigned to after my ordination. Shortly before my arrival, Maria, who was 49 years old at the time, had suddenly lost her husband. She struggled to go on with life, despite her loss. With two children still living at home, things were difficult, but she managed. I don’t know if she had a faith crisis, but during my years at that church, she was very active in both the parish and community. After suffering an injury at work, she went on disability. Her health declined somewhat and, of course, there was always the loneliness to deal with, something that worsened after both children left home. As time went on, she complained about her memory when we spoke on the phone. Toward the end she didn’t really know who I was and the calls stopped altogether. She spent the last years of her life in a nursing facility suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, no longer recognizing even her children — although her daughters came to see and feed her every day.

I recall one time having dinner at her house. She told me about the things which filled her life: she coordinated a program of Eucharistic adoration in her parish; she kept the chapel decorated with candles and flowers, taking the streetcar to the church as she did not drive. In addition to this, she babysat for grandchildren, helped other widows like herself deal with their loss; she visited the sick, comforted the bereaved, assisted new immigrants, and God knows what else. All that voluntary activity took place despite significant health problems of her own along with financial and emotional stress. At the end of our conversation, she simply said, “My life has always been for others. And this gives it meaning and purpose.”

Now when I read the story of Elisha the prophet and the woman of Shunem, I thought of the hospitality I have been shown time and again by people like Maria who’ve opened their hearts and their homes. And when I turned to the gospel, I saw Jesus’ words to the apostles: Whoever receives you receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me ... whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple ... will surely not lose his [or her] reward. (G) And I thought once more of people whose generosity has astounded me over the years. People who couldn’t do enough to collaborate in the work of the church, serving God and their neighbor. When you look at such people (and they’re in every parish), you see how they’ve learned the hard lesson in today’s gospel: about taking up your cross, and losing your life for Jesus’ sake in order to find it (cf. G). And you see how, despite their problems and limitations, people continue to serve with joy and simplicity.

I’ve also noticed, with some amazement, how often the most generous people are the ones bearing the heaviest burdens. I remember noticing another woman sitting by herself in a church where I used to assist. I stopped her after Mass and inquired about her husband. She told me he was confined to bed, in the final stages of Parkinson’s Disease. I asked if I could stop and visit. When I arrived, I went to Joe’s room. I couldn’t believe it was him. His illness had left this once vigorous man a complete invalid. I couldn’t even give him Communion since he wasn’t able to open his mouth, having to be fed through a tube in his stomach.

Joe nodded that he recognized me. I said a few feeble, priest-type words, and gave him my blessing. His wife Virginia and I went to the kitchen for some coffee. She told me, very matter of factly, how she cared for Joe around the clock with just a few hours’ assistance from a public nurse, and how “You know, Father, it’s not so bad.” I was struck by the calm resignation with which she and her husband have borne this heavy cross: Two people who could never do enough for their pastor or their church, never seeking the slightest recognition, going on with their lives with the same discretion and humility they’d always shown.

On his recent trip to Spain, Pope Leo said the following in Barcelona:

There are moments of darkness and suffering that our society silences because certain cultural norms demand that we always be victorious and perfect, and so our limitations, fragility and pain must be eliminated or confined to the deafening silence of loneliness or even shame. And in these moments, we may instinctively think that God has abandoned us as well. However, the cross of Jesus tells us that God does not abandon us, that he is at our side, crucified with us in moments of pain and extreme loneliness, that he gathers not only our tears but also the cry of our suffering that others do not hear — a cry that Jesus made his own on the cross, saying, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

….in the face of the most difficult and painful situations, when God seems absent, we must entrust to him once again the burdens we carry in our hearts, even crying out to him, even protesting like Job, confident that in some way he is present and near even when he appears to be silent.

But I believe we cannot do this alone. In times of pain, at least as much as possible, we must open ourselves to someone who can help us utter a simple prayer, who can accompany us with discretion without rushing to explain that pain, who can take us by the hand and lead us out of this cry.

These experiences also offer a message to us believers, to the whole Church: we must not spiritualize pain, superficially attributing it to ‘God’s will’ or to some mysterious plan of his, because this risks minimizing that suffering, silencing it and hurting people. God does not want suffering. He carries it with us and invites us to trust in him with perseverance. Let us remember what Pope Francis said: with God, life is always reborn.” (June 9, 2026)

Indeed it is. Starting on the day of our baptism when as Paul says, we were buried with [Christ] him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life (cf. II). I could tell you many other stories of people I’ve been privileged to know as a priest — and I am very aware they are present in this congregation. People aware they’re immersed in Christ. Who lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen.

Intercessions (Joe Milner; The Sunday Website)

For the Church: that we who have died with Christ in baptism may recognize our dignity in being children of God and sisters and brothers to one another.

For a spirit of hospitality: that we may welcome all who enter our lives as we would welcome Christ with great love and generously share our time and talents with them.

For a reordering of our pursuits: that God will free us from idolatrous struggles for power, fame, social status, and possessions and help us find fulfillment in loving service and life-giving relationships.

For all who are struggling with addictions, particularly with opioids: that God will free them, help them find the assistance they need, and restore them to their families.

For an end to polemics in public discourse: that God will touch the hearts of public officials and help them to speak respectfully and truthfully in pursuing their programs and policies.

For care for our common home: that we may recognize God’s gift of the earth and its resources to us and work to preserve it so that all of earth's inhabitants may be blessed by it.

For all who are suffering: that God strengthen all who are facing the power of nature, guide all who are in difficult relationships, and give peace to all who are wrongly judged or misunderstood.

For the people of the United States: that God will guide them in living the values which we proclaim so that all may experience life, liberty, and justice.

All-powerful God, your incarnate Word commands our obedience and offers us true life. Make our ears attentive to the voice of your Son and our hearts generous in answering his call, that we may take up the cross with trust in his promises. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.(ICEL; 1998)

Offertory Chant

Offertory Hymn

If you lose your life for my sake, you will find it; If you want to save your life, let it go. Take up your cross, deny yourself; Come follow me, follow me.

How will you profit by gaining the world while you forfeit all of your life? What will you give in return? What will you give in return?

Before I return in glory, I will give you the gift of my love; You will never taste death. You will never taste death.

Communion Antiphom

Closing Hymn

We will go the world in peace, spurning hatred, singing love. We will be the hands of Christ, bringing strength to those who faint. And we will overcome with good, we will overcome with grace.

We will go to the world in hope, shunning violence, speaking peace. We will be the hands of Christ, bringing comfort to those who mourn. And we will overcome with light, we will overcome with life.

We will go to the world in joy, sparking transformation, transformation of the darkness into dawn! We will go to the world in strength resisting evil, rejoicing in good.

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