Month: July 2026

In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, there are two distinct miraculous feedings of large crowds. Today’s Gospel depicts the first one, given primarily to Jewish people near the Sea of Galilee. Five thousand men (not counting women and children) were fed from five loaves and two fish, resulting in twelve baskets left over. This feeding of the five thousand is notably the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four Gospels, underscoring its significance. Matthew and Mark also recount a second miraculous feeding—this time of four thousand people—in the largely pagan region of the Decapolis, using seven loaves and a few fish, with seven baskets left over.

Yeast is small—invisible once it is worked into the dough. And yet, its influence is pervasive and powerful. This simple image—yeast worked into three measures of flour, causing it to slowly rise—reveals that the Kingdom of Heaven is built quietly, almost imperceptibly, from within.

Elizabeth was the daughter of King Peter III of Aragon and of the saintly Constancia. She was born in 1271, and named after the holy landgravine of Thuringia, the sister of her grandmother. An angel of peace seemed to have come to the family with the birth of the child, because great joy over her birth reconciled her father and her grandfather, who had been living at variance with each other.

Every July 16, Catholics around the world celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This date recalls Mary’s gift of the scapular to St. Simon Stock and renews the faithful’s devotion to her care. Parishes often hold enrolments on this day, marking the scapular not just as a personal devotion but also as an outward sign of the Faith and a symbol of communion in the mystical body of Christ, the Church.

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the sower to the crowd. Jesus was clearly concerned about how people are being affected and how they regard Scriptures. Jesus mentioned at least four situations using the fate of the seed after a sower sowed them. The growth of the seed depends so much on where it is sown. If it lands on path, rocky ground, or among the thorns, it will either not grow at all or will not reach its full growth or potential.

Mexico exited the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a fiery game against England at the Azteca Stadium. But beyond this epic match, the team has captured the attention of many Catholic soccer fans not only for their skills but for their profound.

St. Teresa of Avila is most renowned for her mystical experience and her teaching on prayer and spiritual life. One might easily be misled into thinking that the saint lived and promotes a life distancing itself from the world, something like a “forever retreat” in our time. In fact…..