20260807 Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time

(Na 2:1, 3; 3:1–3, 6–7; Mt 16:24–28): May We Live with Hearts Full of Gratitude for You Alone “See, upon the mountains there advances the bearer of good news, announcing peace! For the LORD will restore the vine of Jacob, the pride of Israel.” With these words from the Book of the Prophet Nahum (2:1, 3), my heart grows in prayer that the Good News of the Lord may unfold upon the very ground we tread. How I deeply long for those who truly thirst for the Word of the Lord, who listen to it and treasure it in their hearts with joyful humility, and who come before the Lord’s altar free from all judgment or eval‎uation. Whether proclaiming the Lord’s Word from the altar or listening intently from below in days past, those memories remain for me a source of pure, unblemished gratitude. I have always believed that we should not dwell on the appearance of the celebrant or the outward form of the Mass. Rather, it is enough—and indeed essential—that we encounter the living Lord within the liturgy, allowing His Word to resonate deeply in our hearts. It is like the wonder of childhood, when every single thing learned at school felt precious, new, and sacred. At times, standing at the altar, I wonder: how many true believers are sincerely opening their hearts to the Lord? How many are receiving His Word and the homily as nourishment for their souls, allowing themselves to grow? Seeing how sharply the world holds onto an attitude of quick critique and judgment, how deeply must the Lord ache once again, as He did long ago, walking among this generation? If we live even within the Church in a way that chases after the world and remains indistinguishable from it, how could anyone standing outside the faith look upon the grace of the Word and be moved in heart? How long we have lived a life of faith, how many prayers we have offered, or how much service we have rendered—these are not what truly matter on the path of truth. What shines brightly is a humble compliance that boldly surrenders one’s own stubbornness and past habits, stripping oneself down to follow the path the Lord has walked. In the Gospel of Matthew (16:24–25), Jesus says: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Truly, we are not people called to follow the world, but people called to follow after the Lord. We are to be transformed not for any earthly value, but ‘for the sake of the Lord, and for His holy will.’ When our response matures our lives and becomes a radiant prayer, then at the end of our weary journey, the Lord Himself will restore to us the glory of our labors. What kind of resonance do the Lord’s Word and the message delivered through His humble servant stir within your heart today? Amen.