From the Pastor's Desk | August 17, 2025

Gospel Reflection

In our first reading today, we encounter Jeremiah - the suffering servant of the Lord - who remains faithful to his divine calling. He was tasked with warning the people of Judah about the destruction that would come as a result of their disobedience and idolatry. But his prophecies are not welcomed. The princes of King Zedekiah have had enough; they claim Jeremiah’s words are demoralizing the soldiers and the people. They want him dead. And King Zedekiah, instead of defending him, abandons Jeremiah to their will.

In the Gospel, Jesus, as always, speaks only the truth. And the truth is hard: some will receive Him, and others will reject Him. He knows this will lead to division - not only at the societal level, but even within families. He says, “From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three...”Even the closest relationships - parent and child, in-laws, siblings - will feel this tension.

Many of us know this reality all too well. We’ve felt the pain of division in our own families or among our friends especially when it comes to faith. We’ve seen loved ones walk away from the Church, from the Eucharist, from Christ Himself. Some of you carry deep grief because your children, siblings, or even parents no longer attend Mass, while you continue striving to remain faithful. Sunday after Sunday, we see empty pews and feel the weight of absence, not just in the church building, but in our hearts.

So, what are we to do in the face of this sorrow and division? Let me offer a few thoughts:

• Acknowledge your grief. Give yourself permission to mourn. This is a real loss. It’s okay to feel sad, to feel the ache of absence, especially when it’s someone you love deeply. Don’t suppress that grief. Rather, bring it to prayer.

• Reject the lie of self blame. This is especially important for parents. It’s easy to think, “What did I do wrong?” But even the best parents can’t control the hearts of their children. God respects our freedom, and we must do the same. The Accuser wants you to spiral into guilt. I promise you that voice is not from God.

• Preserve the relationship. Do all you can to keep the lines of communication open. Find common ground even if it’s unrelated to faith. If the relationship is severed, the chances of reconciliation with the Church diminish. Connection, even imperfect, creates space for grace to work.

• Pray without ceasing. Prayer is the most powerful act of love. When you pray for someone, you are lifting them directly to God. You may not see the fruits immediately, or even ever in this life, but trust that your prayers are efficacious.

• Be patient and realistic. Conversion is a journey, not an event. Respect where your loved ones are, and trust that God is working in ways you can’t see. Don’t measure success by immediate results. Look instead for small signs of openness and growth.

• Hope! This is where we must practice the virtue of hope. Not a passive hope, but a living one, confident that God has not given up on your loved ones. And neither should you. 

• Remain faithful. Stay close to Jesus yourself. Stay rooted in the Sacraments, in prayer, in acts of love. Your witness matters. You may be the only Gospel someone ever reads.

In our reading from Jeremiah, an unlikely ally appears - Ebed-Melech - who pleads with the king to rescue Jeremiah. His courage moves the king to act, and Jeremiah is lifted from the cistern. Be Ebed-Melech for your loved ones by appealing, through your prayers, to the King to act. Like those three men who helped Jeremiah out of the cistern, it was St. Ambrose who, through friendship and persistence, helped bring the brilliant but wayward Augustine back to the Church. That same Augustine became not only a Saint, but one of the Church’s greatest theologians and a Doctor of the Church.

I recall what Archbishop Michael Byrnes once said to us at Sacred Heart Major Seminary: “Your family will be the hardest to minister to. Familiarity can make it difficult for them to see the priest, the disciple, or the witness in you. They’ll always see their son or brother first.”

You may not be the one who brings your loved ones back. But you can pray for their Ambrose. Pray for their Ebed-Melech. Ask God to send someone into their life who can speak to them in ways you can’t. And then trust. Trust that your prayers are heard. Trust that your grief is seen. Trust that your faithfulness matters more than you know.

And above all do not lose hope.

Know of my prayers for you all! 

Fr. Ryan