Wednesday, July 8, 2026
JULY 8 Wednesday Sixth Week of Pentecost
For now they will say, “We have no
king! Since we do not FEAR the LORD,
the king—what could he do for us?”
Christ is
the strength of the weak and the humble confidence of those who trust in him.
Christ says to us,
“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I
know them, and they follow me. (Jn. 10:27)
Short Explanation of the Lord’s Prayer[1]
Why does God wish us to pray to Him?
To remind us:
1. that all good
things come from Him, and that without Him we have nothing.
2. That we may confide in Him and try to make ourselves worthy of His divine grace, by thoughts pleasing to Him, and valuing more, and using better, the graces we receive.
Why is our prayers often not heard?
It is because we often ask for something that would be more hurtful than profitable to us.
When ought we to pray?
We should pray at
all times, but especially at,
1, morning, noon,
and night.
2, in time of
great temptation.
3, when receiving
the sacraments.
4, when about to
undertake anything important.
5, at the hour of death.
Which is the best of all prayers?
The Lord’s Prayer: but though we say it a hundred times, it will fail to produce its beneficial effects if we repeat it thoughtlessly, without thinking of its meaning or purpose.
Why does this prayer commence with “Our Father?”
To encourage us thereby to a child-like confidence in God. As our Father, Who loves all men, and is ever ready to help them.
Why do we say, “Who art in heaven,” since God is everywhere?
We say this to admonish us to lift up our hearts to heaven, our true home, where God has set up the throne of His kingdom.
What do we ask of God in this prayer?
In the first petition, “hallowed be Thy name,”
we pray that God may be known and loved by all men, and that His name may be
glorified by a Christian life.
In the second petition, “Thy kingdom come,” we
pray God to enter and rule in our hearts by His grace, to spread His Church
throughout the whole world, and after our death to award us eternal happiness.
In the third petition, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,” we offer ourselves entirely to God, and declare ourselves ready to be subject to the dispositions of His holy will, as are the angels in heaven, and pray to Him for grace to do this.
In the fourth petition, “give us this day our
daily bread,” we ask for all things which we need for the body, as food and
clothing, and for the soul, as grace and the divine word.
In the fifth petition, “forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us,” we pray to God for
forgiveness, but only as far as we forgive those that injure us. We must
therefore remember that we shall not obtain forgiveness from God so long as we
have in our heart’s hatred against anyone.
In the sixth petition, “and lead us not into
temptation,” we acknowledge our frailty, and ask God to remove temptations from
us, or, if He permit us to fall into those which the world, the flesh, and the
devil prepare for us, to give us grace not to consent to them, but, by combating
and overcoming them, to gain the merit and the crown of justice.
In the seventh petition, “but deliver us from
evil,” we pray to God to preserve us from sin, and the occasions of sin; an
evil death and hell also from all temporal evils, so far as may be for the
salvation of our souls.
America is now at the threshold of history
Like Israel in Hosea’s time America
has drifted into serious sin. According to John Maxwell Israel while in
captivity had no real leadership (much like America) and had broken the “Law of
Solid Ground.” The 6th irrefutable law of leadership—The Law of Solid Ground states
that “trust is the foundation of leadership.” Israel’s leadership made false
promises that had eroded the people’s confidence in their leaders and people
follow only in proportion to their trust in the leader.
Americans are a just people and
fair people and our hearts go out to the world.
Yet what are we to do?
Many years ago,
while reviewing the CIA handbook I noticed that economically all of the nations
that have been giving us the most trouble militarily were also on the list of
those countries with the worst per capita income: people who make less than 200
dollars a year. I thought rather than do battle with these people would it not
be better to bring the economic power of America to these populaces and help
them to improve their lives and rid themselves of their gangs and dictators.
Thus, bringing up their per capita
income; what would the effect be on those who we may have to embattle? I
questioned would improving their lives in their own country decrease our need
to do battle?
I decided to do an experiment. With a little research I invested in one of the stocks from one of the poorest countries: Zimbabwe. After three months I sold my stock after doubling my money. My point is perhaps we as American’s can do more by helping the downtrodden in building up their own countries.
Copilot’s Take
Freedom from despair begins with the recognition that
evil is never the final force shaping human history. Hosea’s cry over Israel’s
collapse is not merely an ancient lament but a recurring spiritual pattern.
Whenever a people lose the fear of the Lord, they lose the interior strength
that keeps them upright. The Catechism teaches that despair is a sin against
hope because it denies God’s mercy and His power to act (CCC 2091). In moments
when nations drift and trust erodes, this prophetic warning feels strikingly
relevant.
Christ confronts despair not by removing hardship but
by restoring presence. “My sheep hear my voice,” He says, and that voice
becomes the antidote to the paralysis evil seeks to impose. Evil thrives when
people believe they are abandoned or powerless. The Lord’s Prayer stands as a
direct challenge to that lie. Every petition pushes back against hopelessness.
To pray “Thy kingdom come” is to reject the idea that darkness is inevitable.
To pray “Thy will be done” is to declare that divine purpose still governs the
unfolding of history. The Catechism reminds believers that prayer is a vital
expression of hope, anchoring the heart in God’s fidelity (CCC 1817).
Catholic Social Teaching insists that confronting evil
requires more than interior devotion; it demands a commitment to justice rooted
in human dignity. Evil today is not only personal but structural, appearing in
systems that crush the poor, corrupt leadership, and erode trust. When nations
remain economically broken, violence and instability flourish. When the poor
are lifted up, the soil in which conflict grows begins to dry. The Church
teaches that solidarity with the poor is not optional but a moral duty flowing
from the dignity of every human person (CCC 2448). Economic justice becomes a
form of spiritual resistance, a way of pushing back against despair by building
conditions where hope can take root.
A nation’s crisis, like Israel’s in Hosea, is often a
crisis of trust. Leadership without integrity collapses, and people without
confidence lose the courage to act for the common good. The Law of Solid
Ground, which teaches that trust is the foundation of leadership, echoes the
biblical truth that societies drift when righteousness is forgotten. Yet the
Christian response is not cynicism. It is theological hope—hope that God still
works through imperfect leaders and imperfect nations, and that moral renewal
begins with spiritual renewal. The Catechism describes hope as the virtue that
keeps the believer from discouragement and sustains engagement in the world
(CCC 1818).
Acts of solidarity, even small ones, become parables of hope. When resources flow toward the poorest places, when opportunities are created where none existed, despair is quietly undermined. Economic uplift is not merely financial strategy; it is a spiritual gesture that says to the world: your future can be better than your past. This is the kind of hope the Church calls for—hope that becomes concrete, hope that becomes incarnate, hope that becomes a witness against the evil of indifference. The Catechism teaches that charity, expressed in real action, is the form of all virtues and the engine of authentic social transformation (CCC 1822).
Freedom from despair is ultimately freedom to act. Evil seeks to immobilize; God seeks to mobilize. Prayer is not an escape from responsibility but the ignition of responsibility. When believers pray the Lord’s Prayer with attention, they ask God to reorder their desires, strengthen their courage, and send them into the world as instruments of His kingdom. Despair whispers that nothing can be done. Hope answers that God is already doing something—and invites His people to join Him. In this way, the Christian confronts evil not with fear, but with the steady confidence that grace is stronger than darkness (CCC 1996).
Let Freedom Ring-Day 2 “Freedom from
Despair.”
(See Character is Destiny for opposing virtue: HOPE)
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at a word from you the devil and
his minions flee in terror. You are the source of all truth. You are the source
of all strength. By the power of your Cross and Resurrection, we beseech you, O
Lord. To extend your saving arm and to send your holy angels. To defend us as
we do battle with Satan and his demonic forces. Exorcise, we pray, that which
oppresses your Bride, The Church, So that within ourselves, our families, our
parishes, our dioceses, and our nation. We may turn fully back to you in all
fidelity and trust. Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done. Give us the
perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception ... pray for us
St. Joseph ... pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel ... pray for us
(the patron of your parish) ... pray for us
(your confirmation saint) ... pray for us
"Freedom from Despair"
by Fr. Rick Heilman
There is a stirring scene in the 6th chapter of John's Gospel, a
chapter referred to as the "Bread of Life Discourse." Jesus had just
told the crowd, " Whoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." The
response by nearly all was, "This
is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Jesus returns
with, "The Spirit gives
life; the flesh counts for nothing." And then, in the
66th verse of chapter 6 of John's Gospel, or rather John 6:66, almost everyone
leaves: "From this time
many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
The crowd who abandoned Jesus had abandoned hope. They despaired.
So, what did they do? They "turned back" to the emptiness of
"merely existing" in the flesh. This emptiness or
"desolation" is the place the devil wants us to be. It is Satan's
kingdom.
I believe it is no accident that the chapter and verse of this act
of despair in John's Gospel is 666. We are given free will. We can choose God
or not. In the Book of
Revelation, 666 is the number of the beast, or the number of man.
Once separated from God, Satan wants us to believe we are merely one animal
(beast) among many; just part of the herd. So, like animals, we are left to
scramble to fill this void with worldly wants and lusts; works of the flesh.
Make no mistake about it, the influencers of our culture (media,
Hollywood, TV, universities, public schools, etc.) are, by and large, godless
propagandists who are determined to instill in us the notion that we are
"merely animals." Therefore, women are objectified, men are just
vulgar beasts, pre-born babies are a clump of cells, and the nuclear family -
the bedrock of civilization - is outdated. As the Satanic bible proclaims:
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law." Just be animals.
After the crowd abandoned Jesus in despair, He then said to the
Twelve, "Do you also want
to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have
the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you
are the Holy One of God."
The Apostles were not buying the lie of the devil. No, we are not
just animals, we are precious children of God, created in His image.
Therefore, life in the Spirit is
filled with the hope of a joyful and amazing journey of striving to please God
in every way, especially by striving to become the very best version of
ourselves we can possibly be. And, just as Jesus demonstrated on the cross, we
are called to a total selfless love of neighbor.
The crowd abandoned Him in despair, but the Apostles stayed with
Him in hope. If we want the hope of all meaning and purpose in life as a child
of God, we simply must get
near to Him, because "the Spirit gives life." We must combat the
temptation of allowing our faith to devolve into merely "punching the
clock" by fulfilling basic obligations. Many avoid an intimate
relationship with the Lord because, like the crowd, they believe, "This is a hard teaching." In
other words, if they "let God in," He will ask "too much"
from us. It's better to keep God at arm's length, a manageable distance.
It's time to "make it personal." It's time to "get near" to Him before the Blessed Sacrament. Spend time Adoring Our Lord. This can be done by scheduling an hour at a local Adoration Chapel, or you can simply come early or stay after Mass. Be careful, though, because you may just find yourself crying out, "My Lord and my God!" ... and then everything will change. Your life, filled with hope, will rise to new and exciting heights!
"Those who hope in the
Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will
run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31
Prayer of Reparation
My Lord and my God, We have allowed the temptation of the devil to
move our hearts to despair in Your Presence and Power.
We have kept ourselves distanced from You, so that we may be safe from Your
plan for our lives. We have been too fearful to trust in a personal
relationship that may ask too much from us. In our doubt and despair, we have
allowed the ancient foe to advance. We turn to You Lord, in our emptiness, and
beg Your forgiveness for our despairing lack of trust. We beg for the grace to
draw near to You, even as we watch, as did the Apostles, so many who abandon
You. We know, Lord, if You will it, it will be done. Trusting in You, we offer
our prayer to You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of Exorcism
Lord God of Heaven and Earth, in your power and goodness, you
created all things. You set a path for us to walk on and a way to an eternal
relationship. By the strength of your arm and Word of your mouth Cast from your
Holy Church every fearful deceit of the Devil. Drive from us manifestations of
the demonic that oppress us and beckon us from faithlessness and fear. Still
the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so that we may act freely and
faithfully to your will. Send your holy angels to cast out all influence that
the demonic entities in charge of fear have planted in your church. Free us,
our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country from all trickery and
deceit perpetrated by the Devil and his hellish legions. Trusting in your
goodness Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done in unity with Your Son
and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Response to the following: Pray for us.
Heart of Mary
Heart of Mary, after God's own Heart
Heart of Mary, in union with the Heart of Jesus
Heart of Mary, the vessel of the Holy Spirit
Heart of Mary, shrine of the Trinity
Heart of Mary, home of the Word
Heart of Mary, immaculate in your creation
Heart of Mary, flooded with grace
Heart of Mary, blessed of all hearts
Heart of Mary, Throne of glory
Heart of Mary, Abyss of humbleness,
Heart of Mary, Victim of love
Heart of Mary, nailed to the cross
Heart of Mary, comfort of the sad
Heart of Mary, refuge of the sinner
Heart of Mary, hope of the dying
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart.
Conform our hearts to the heart of Jesus.
Let us pray:
O most merciful God, who for the salvation of sinners
and the refuge of the wretched, has made the Immaculate Heart of Mary most like
in tenderness and pity to the Heart of Jesus, grant that we, who now
commemorate her most sweet and loving heart, may by her merits and
intercession, ever live in the fellowship of the hearts of both Mother and Son,
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Source: Blessed Cardinal John
Henry Newman. Published in From Parochial and Plain Sermons. c 1997, San
Francisco: Ignatius Press
Around the Corner
The first public reading of the
Declaration of Independence didn't occur until July 8, 1776. It was sent
to the printers on July 4th. Pray we now live it.
10 coolest
summer getaways in Arizona: Mountains, lakes and a chilly cave trek
Bucket List: Vineyard
World Tour: White Raven
Vineyard, Montana
Novena
to Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Day 2
Foodie:
National Eggplant Month
Spirit Hour: Rainha Santa Port
Daily
Devotions
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph by joining them in fasting: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
Litany
of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
Rosary
Comments
Post a Comment