June 21, 2026 – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reflection by Rev. Leonard N. Peterson
Fifty-nine years ago, exactly, I realized my fear of heights. I was at the time a newly ordained curate (old title of an assistant priest, today a “parochial vicar”) assigned to train the altar boys of the parish. (No girls allowed in the Eisenhower era.) Some of the boys’ parents came up with the idea of a reward trip for the group to New York City. So, I joined in and rode the noise-filled yellow bus up to Gotham.
Of course, all the youngsters wanted to visit the top floor of the Empire State Building. So up we all went. When we all dashed out the enclosure there and walked to the fence to look down, one of us, yours truly, was caught to be suddenly stiff and scared to death. I slowly made my way back to the enclosed area. At least right away. Too long ago to recall exactly the reaction of the adults, but I am sure I told them (unless I had lost facial color!)
The point is that this fear of mine is a natural occurrence among a sizable portion of the population. But today Our Lord talks about a very different kind of fear. He boldly tells us not to fear those who can do us bodily harm, but rather those who can harm our souls. We know who they are.
Satan as their leader. But oh, does he have his proxies. Consider the porn website creator, for example. They master the controls of the popular culture. We even make them celebrities. But note how they always make a mockery of Our Lord Jesus’ ways even if they do so with a subtlety that often catches us unaware.
At times, they seem to have the upper hand. They zero in on Christianity, particularly our Catholic Church. So, we obviously need heroes of faith. Who are they? We can start by noting that in the long march of Church history we find people we call “saints.” Once they were martyrs in the Roman arena. But we can name a teenager named Carlo with a laptop in hand to teach faith to his peers. But never undervalue the power of your good lives. Today we can hopefully honor your good father who made that choice for Christ and deserves a “Father’s Day.”
Allow me to honor the martyrdom of one St. Polycarp, who was burned at the stake for his faith in its early days, The aged Polycarp had been arrested by the Roman authorities and brought to the arena for execution in front of the cheering crowd. The proconsul pressed him hard and said, “Swear and I will release you. Just revile Christ.” Polycarp replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Him and He never did me wrong. How can I now blaspheme my King that has saved me?” Talk about being fearless!
God love you and give you His peace.
Rev. Peterson’s Reading & Gospel Summary
Reading I: Jeremiah 20: 10-13
The Lord allows Jeremiah to suffer adversity to strengthen his faith and ensure that his motives for serving God are purified of selfishness.
Reading II: Romans 5: 12-15
Just as the old Adam brought sin and death into the world, so Christ, the new Adam, brings righteousness and life to all those who accept Him as the Redeemer of the world.
The Gospel: Matthew 10: 26-33
Jesus contrasts the relative value of earthly life with the absolute good of eternal life in heaven. On the natural level, we fear those who can harm our body. But there is a healthy and holy fear of God, that is necessary for us to have to avoid sin and its consequence.