A Stability That Holds

Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Isaiah 1:10-17

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

Alleluia Matthew 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 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.

Readings for the Optional Memorial of Saint Henry

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

July 14, 2026 // Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin [In the Dioceses of the United States]

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Isaiah 7:1-9

Reflect on the Word //

My mind was already ten steps ahead of reality. One small situation turned into ten “what ifs,” each one worse than the last. I could feel the anxiety building, my thoughts spiraling faster than I could slow them down. Nothing had actually happened yet—but internally, everything felt like it was falling apart. I kept trying to reason my way out of it, to find some sense of control, but the more I thought, the less steady I felt.

In that moment, I realized how quickly fear can distort what’s actually in front of me. What starts as something small can feel overwhelming when I let my thoughts run unchecked. Instead of staying grounded in what’s real, I begin reacting to what might happen. It’s exhausting—and it leaves me feeling anything but firm.

In Isaiah 7:1-9, the king and his people are described as trembling, “as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind” (Isaiah 7:2). You can almost feel the panic in that image—unstable, shaken, at the mercy of forces outside their control. And it’s there, right in the middle of that fear, that God speaks: “Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear. [. . .] This shall not stand” (Isaiah 7:4, 7).

God doesn’t dismiss the situation, but He reframes it. What feels overwhelming is not ultimate. What looks threatening will not last. And then comes the invitation: “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm” (Isaiah 7:9).

That line stays with me. Stability isn’t found in figuring everything out or controlling every outcome—it’s found in trusting the One Who already holds it all. Faith doesn’t remove uncertainty, but it anchors us within it.

We all face moments when fear feels louder than truth. May we learn to pause, to listen, and to trust God’s voice over the noise. For when our faith is rooted in Him, we find a steadiness that circumstances cannot take away.

Relate to the Lord // Where does your trust need to be firmed up? Ask for the grace to be steadfast in trust.

Be a Woman of the Word

About Mary Peach

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Mary Peach lives in Atlanta and is passionate about helping others encounter Jesus in a real and personal way. Born in Ethiopia and adopted at age eleven, she shares vulnerably about faith, healing, and redemption through every season of life. Through her work in ministry and her writing, she hopes others feel less alone in their stories and more deeply known by God. In her free time, she enjoys photography, travel, pickleball, and spending time with friends and family.