20260716 Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Mt 11:28-30): So That the Day We Eventually Reach May Be Righteous and Radiant When the time comes for our lives on this earth to draw to a close, what name would you like to give to the footsteps you have taken from the moment you first arrived in this world until that very day? Surely, it will be the testimony of our memories—the fruits of life we have carved upon this earth, born from the synthesis of the aspirations and efforts we have pursued. In the Book of Isaiah, chapter 26, verses 7 and 8, it is written: “The path of the just is level; the way of the just you make smooth. Yes, for your way of judgment, O LORD, we look to you; your name and your title are the desire of our souls.” The journey of life granted by the Lord is given as something noble to everyone, regardless of circumstance or condition. Embedded within our lives is the most dignified value, one that no earthly power or might can suppress or take away. We must beautifully nurture this precious gift, and walk together, leaning on one another's shoulders, with respect and love for all who live upon this earth. When the vain illusion that one can establish their worth through mere external things—having lost all true purpose—drives this world into the absurdities of inequality and oppression, we live in an era that desperately needs the 'Prayer of the Faithful' so that the voices of those who are awake do not lose their strength. I hope we never forget that each of us is called, right where we are, to speak the truth, and to walk together on the path of healing by adding the holy love planted by the Lord to the cracks and wounds caused by wrongful choices. After all, our lives must not be eval‎uated based on the flawed standards of imperfect, self-centered judgments. Let us pray that the future our footsteps shape will never lose its light, as we follow the path of God’s love—which takes precedence over all else—and live according to the laws of conscience and morality that the Lord has naturally engraved upon our souls. In doing so, let us color ourselves and those around us with that light. This is the true 'righteousness' that we must plant in this world and nurture so that it remains undamaged. To achieve this, the deep anguish and tearful efforts we repeat in our hearts will never fade away into emptiness. To ensure that we may enjoy a deep, peaceful rest for our souls in the embrace of the Lord once our journey is complete, the 'today' we must still remain awake for holds our souls steadfast. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, verse 28, the Lord says: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” We pray that these words are not empty promises of this world, but a blessed culmination that will surely be granted at the end of our devoted lives. Through this Mass, I fervently pray that our simple daily lives—walking with all our hearts in the humility of entrusting today's footsteps to the Lord's judgment—may become an answer that can illuminate even a single corner of the burdens we carry in this world. Amen.