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Gospel Reading for July 13, 2026 – Matthew 10: 34 – 11: 1
INNER PEACE
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.
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Listening to Jesus’ words today may leave us wondering: What happened to the angels’ song at the birth of Jesus? The Child Jesus was proclaimed as the one who would bring peace on earth. Yet Jesus himself says that he has not come to bring peace upon the earth.
If this seems confusing, it is because we often misunderstand what Jesus means when he speaks of peace. Jesus came into the world to save us from sin, and for us to experience everlasting peace, sin must first be overcome.
In John 14:27, Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
The peace that the world offers is often based on material security—the possession of everything we need and even everything we desire. Yet the relentless pursuit of these things can sometimes leave others in need. Worldly peace is also understood as the absence of conflict or differences. But this is unrealistic because people have different gifts, experiences, and perspectives, which naturally give rise to differing opinions and even disagreements.
The peace that Jesus gives is INNER PEACE—the peace that remains even in the midst of material uncertainty, conflicts, and differences. It is the fruit of giving ourselves completely in love to God and to our neighbor. This is the kind of peace that truly has the power to transform the world.
Let us pray the Prayer of St. Francis, whose 800th death anniversary the Church commemorates this year:
*Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith
Let us pray with the Prayer of St. Francis whose 800th death anniversary the Church celebrates this year –
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
