Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: July 14, 2025

Date: Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha

 Scripture Text:  Matthew 10:34—11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household."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; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple– amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel text for today is one of the most difficult to decipher with our modern translations and mindsets. Usually, in the gospels, Jesus speaks of peace and love. Here, it appears that Jesus is speaking of division. How do we make sense of it? We must take it within the context of all Jesus’ words. Jesus isn’t advocating hatred and division but rather speaking of what already is happening around Him. He is shaking things up and families are divided by the Good News He preaches and lives and families are torn in who they believe Jesus is.

Jesus reminds us in His words that there is only one truth. And we know from John 14:6 – “I am the way and the truth and the life.” It is clear. We must follow Jesus, for He is the way. We must trust in Jesus’ words because He is the truth. And if we want life, we must embrace Him as Son of God because He is life. Not all can do that. Not all will do that. The choice is ours, but there is only one choice that will lead us to life in abundance with our LORD.

This division is still occurring among Christians. Are we willing to pick up our cross and follow Jesus? Or do we want our lives to be all full of “peace” and refuse to choose the LORD over all others, in all circumstances?

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Have I ever been asked to put down life (to lose it) in order to pick up life (to gain it)? Is this what happens when I choose the difficult path in this world so as to ensure a place in the next?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, we come to You this day with praise for all that You are and thanksgiving for all You have given to us. Most especially, we give thanks to You for the gift of your only begotten and beloved Son, Jesus Christ, whom You sent to share in our humanity in all ways except sin and to redeem us of our sins. We look to Him whom we know to be “the way and the truth and the life,” and we ask that You send the Spirit to strengthen our resolve to acknowledge that Jesus is Christ, is your Son, is our Savior. May your Spirit guide us in our choices so that always and everywhere we choose life by choosing love for You wholly and fully. Grant that we may become the children You created us to be, the disciples your Son calls us to be through the power of the Spirit. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, one LORD, forever and ever. Amen.