TUESDAY OF THE 15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR
Mystery of the day: Sorrowful
Celebration: Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (1218-1274).
Born in Italy. He entered the Franciscan Order. At the where he was a lecturer, he met St.Thomas Aquinas. He became the General of the Franciscan Order and a Cardinal. Known as the "Seraphic Doctor", his is considered the greatest exponent of mystical theology in the Middle Ages.
Liturgical Colour: White
Table of the Word
First Reading: Exodus 2:1-15a
Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24
Theme: God's Providence and His Calling.
Reflection
Today’s liturgy confronts us with two themes: God’s providential care in the midst of suffering, and the call to conversion, made more solemn as we commemorate St. Bonaventure, the Seraphic Doctor of the Church.
In the First Reading, we witness God’s providential hand guiding the life of Moses, even in the midst of oppression. Born into a time of genocide, Moses is saved through the courage of his mother and the compassion of Pharaoh’s daughter. (cf. Exodus 2:1–15a).This foreshadows the redemptive mission of Christ which God drawing salvation from suffering.
In the Gospel pericope, Jesus sternly rebukes the unrepentant cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida and called for true conversion. Despite witnessing miracles, they refused to change. Their stubbornness draws a sharp contrast to the people of Nineveh or even Sodom (cf.Matthew 11:20–24).
This passage serves as a wake-up call: miracles without conversion are fruitless. It calls each of us to examine whether we take the Gospel for granted, growing lukewarm in the face of divine grace.
However, in commemorating the memorial of St. Bonaventure, today’s table of the Word adds a profound spiritual dimension to yhe life and witness of this treat Father of the Church. St. Bonaventure was a towering figure of the 13th century, a Franciscan, bishop, and Doctor of the Church who harmonized deep theological insight with a life of holiness. He taught that true knowledge of God leads not to pride, but to love and humility. As he wrote in his Journey of the Mind into God (Itinerarium mentis in Deum), “If you want to know how these things come about, ask grace, not instruction; desire, not intellect; the groaning of prayer, not study.”
His life exemplifies the response that Jesus longed for from the unrepentant cities: humble faith that opens the heart to divine truth and leads to transformation.
Dear friends in Christ, as disciples, we are often tempted to admire the works of God without allowing them to change our hearts. Today challenges us to see God’s hand at work in our history, in suffering, and in unexpected people, like Moses or Bonaventure. Their stories teach us that our response to grace matters. God offers signs and wonders, but conversion is a choice.
Let us, then, take to heart the urgency of Jesus’ words and the example of St. Bonaventure who chose a path of humility, theological reflection, and sincere repentance.
+ Peace be with you.
© ARCHIVE 15072025
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