Standing in the Truth

Readings 032126

I have two brothers.
Three of us.
Three very different men.
And yet my heart holds them deeply.

I pray they see God’s truth clearly,
not the shadows of the one
who deceives so many in our world.
I pray they go to Mass.
They are good men—
simple in faith,
complicated in their walk with God.

And God alone sees the heart.
God alone is the just Judge.
So I do not judge them.
I pray for them.
I pray the same prayer
for my children
and my grandchildren.
I pray for all—
including myself—
because every breath we take
leans us toward God
or away from Him.
Every choice becomes
our quiet “yes”
or our silent “no.”

And today’s readings
pull this truth into the light:

Jeremiah betrayed.
Jesus misunderstood.
Nicodemus standing almost alone—
choosing integrity
over fear.

The world reacts
with suspicion,
division,
quick judgments.
But the disciple responds
with trust,
with surrender,
with quiet fidelity.

And in each moment
God asks us again:

Will you entrust your cause to Me?
Will you let Me search your heart?
Will you remain in My word
even when it costs you something?

So today we ask for grace—
grace to stop defending ourselves,
grace to stop judging by appearances,
grace to let God be
our refuge,
our shield,
our justice.

Because when we stand with God—
even if we stand alone—
we stand in the truth.

Blessed are those
who keep the word
with a generous heart
and bear fruit
through perseverance.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, 

Search my heart and make it Yours.
Draw my family 

and all I love closer to Your truth.
Guard us from deception 

and the fear that divides.
Teach us to trust You 

more than appearances.
Give us courage to stand with You, 

even when we stand alone.
Be our refuge, our justice, and our peace.

And help us bear Your word 

with a generous, persevering heart.

Amen

The Truth That Sends Us

 Readings 032026 

I am lucky.
I live in a community that still calls itself Christian.
But even among Christians,
we know how quickly one will turn on another.
And one of the most painful wounds I’ve seen
is this old accusation:
“Catholics aren’t Christians.”

Years ago, my next‑door neighbor was a Protestant preacher—
a good man, well‑trained,
masters of divinity, devoted to his flock.
He and his family lived beside us for three years.
And before he moved away, he said something
I will never forget:
“I didn’t know Catholics were Christians…
until I met you and your family.”

He didn’t know—
that the Catholic Church,
the Church that gave us the canon of Scripture,
protected the Word,
evangelized the world,
and the father or grandfather
of his own denomination—
is Christian.

My friends, that is the world the Scriptures describe:
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us.”
Sometimes the simple act of living the faith
quietly, faithfully,
becomes a challenge to someone else’s assumptions.

But Jesus reminds us:
“One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth
from the mouth of God.”
Our identity does not come from the labels
others place on us.
It comes from the One who sends us.

And in the temple Jesus cries out:
“You know me…
you know where I am from…
I come from the One who is true.”

So we stand in that truth.
We love in that truth.
We witness in that truth.
And sometimes, simply by living as Christians,
we help another discover
that we are, in fact,
brothers.

 Prayer  

Lord Jesus,
Teach us to stand in the truth 

that comes from You alone.
Heal the wounds we inflict 

on one another in Your name.
Let our quiet witness 

soften hardened assumptions.
Make our lives a living word 

that reveals Your Father.
Unite all who call upon You 

as brothers and sisters.
And send us forth to love 

as those who truly belong to You. 

Amen