3 August 2026 – Monday of the 18th week

Jer 28:1–17; Mt 14:22–36.

                                                           HOMILY

          In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals himself as God to his frightened disciples by walking on the water.

2 August 2026 – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time ‘A’

Isaiah 55:1–3; Romans 8:35, 37–39; Matthew 14:13–21

                                                                        Homily

    Let us first place this account in the context in which Matthew sets it in his Gospel.  This is a difficult time in Jesus’ life.  On the one hand, he had been teaching the crowds who followed Him using many parables, but the people remained deaf to His message.  On the other hand, He has just learnt that Herod, who had John the Baptist beheaded, believes that He, Jesus, is John the Baptist risen from the dead.  Jesus, whose hour had not yet come, then got into a boat to withdraw to a solitary place.  But now the crowds – those very same crowds who had remained deaf to His teaching – discovered where He was, no doubt fascinated by the messenger, even if they did not receive the message.  Much like what happens at great religious gatherings throughout history, including in our own time.

2 août 2026 – 18^ème dimanche ordinaire "A"

Is 55, 1-3; Rom 8, 35.37-39; Mat 14,13-21

                                                                           H o m é l i e

          Remettons tout d’abord ce récit dans le contexte où le situe Matthieu dans son Évangile.  C’est un moment difficile dans la vie de Jésus.  D’une part, il a enseigné aux foules qui le suivaient en utilisant de nombreuses paraboles, mais les gens sont restés sourds à son message.  D’autre part il vient d’apprendre qu’Hérode, qui a fait décapiter Jean-Baptiste pense que lui, Jésus, est Jean-Baptiste ressuscité des morts.  Jésus, dont l’heure n’est pas encore venue, monte alors dans une barque pour se retirer dans un lieu solitaire.  Or, voilà que les foules – ces mêmes foules qui restaient sourdes à son enseignement – découvrent où il est, sans doute fascinées par le messager, même si elles ne reçoivent pas le message.  Un peu comme ce qui se produit lors des grands rassemblements religieux de tous les temps, y compris du nôtre.

1 August 2026 -- Saturday of the ^17th week ‘B

Jer 26:11-16. 24; Matt 14, 1-12

                                                                        Homily

This Gospel presents us with two men who are very different from each other. The first, John the Baptist, is a free man, without power or ambition, and therefore also without fear. The other is a man with a great deal of power in his hands, enslaved by his calculations and ambitions, and because of that constantly torn by fear.