Omar Seguna

We are not perfect, and that is something we should accept with humility. The Lord knows our weaknesses, our struggles and the moments when we fail. Yet our imperfections should never become an excuse to remain distant from Him.

Our sins, whether small or great, are serious offences against God because they turn us away from His plan for us and for the world. Yet, through Christ, God offers us forgiveness for a debt we could never repay. His mercy has no limits. The enormous debt in today’s Gospel symbolises the greatness of God’s forgiveness.

However, Jesus also reminds us that we can reject this mercy when we refuse to forgive others. Having experienced God’s compassion ourselves, we are called to extend that same mercy to those who hurt us.

The message is not that it is acceptable to sin simply because the Lord is always ready to forgive. Rather, God’s forgiveness is an invitation to return to Him through love. Above all, we encounter this mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and then through prayer, other acts of devotion, and every sincere effort to draw closer to Christ. Having received His mercy, we are called to live it and share it with others

Jesus gives us practical guidance on how to respond when a brother or sister goes astray. We are not called to judge, condemn or simply ignore them, but to take the initiative and help them return to the right path.

He tells us first to speak to the person privately, with sensitivity, respect and compassion. If this does not help, we can seek the support of one or two others, always with the aim of reconciliation rather than blame. The message is clear: we should seek to win back our brother or sister.

Jesus also reminds us of the power of prayer. We should have the courage to encourage others, especially as youth leaders, or simply as people who can somehow influence others, to pray. People, including young people, have a thirst for Christ. Let us not be deceived into thinking otherwise simply because they may not be as ‘prayerful’ as we are, or because their morals, choices or priorities may differ from ours. Christ can overcome everything.

For where two or three gather in His name, He is there among them.

Today’s Gospel presents us with two very different sides of Peter. Last Sunday, he recognised Jesus as the Messiah, inspired by God. Today, however, Peter tries to prevent Jesus from accepting the cross. Jesus therefore rebukes him because Peter is thinking according to human ways rather than God’s ways.

We can be like Peter. We may want Jesus, but only on our own terms, Jesus “à la carte” who does not challenge our lifestyle or ask us to change. We can even imagine that we know better than God, especially when we struggle to understand suffering and the crosses in our lives. But we cannot truly follow Jesus while deliberately choosing sin or an immoral life.

What I appreciate about Christianity is that Jesus is realistic. He does not tell us that humanity can simply be raised to God’s level or that we will become angels. He knows that we are fragile. Yet our greatest comfort is that he himself carried the cross. This is why so many people turn to him in times of difficulty.

Jesus also warns that discipleship can be challenging. The Church has faced persecution from its earliest days; throughout history, Christians have faced different trials. Today, some countries experience secularism, while others still suffer persecution. Peter gives us hope: through the Holy Spirit, he was transformed into a courageous apostle. We too are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

The Gospel reminds us that Christ built His Church upon a firm foundation and entrusted it with a sacred mission. It is no wonder that the Catholic Church has remained strong throughout the centuries: it possesses a clear and authoritative Magisterium. Yes, there are many different traditions, devotions, and spiritual expressions within the Church, but all of them remain rooted in and guided by her teaching.

Through Peter and his successors, the Church continues to proclaim the Gospel, safeguard the faith, and guide us toward a life grounded in truth and love. Though individual members may be weak or sinful, Christ’s promise remains: the powers of evil will never overcome His Church.

As Catholics, we are called not to be passive observers but active witnesses of Christ. Through prayer, Scripture, and loving service, we receive the spiritual strength to confront sin, bring hope to others, and faithfully continue Christ’s mission in the world

Love and faith give us the strength never to give up. In today’s Gospel, the Canaanite woman teaches us this through her deep love for her daughter and her unwavering faith in Jesus. Despite every obstacle, she continued to plead with Him. Jesus finally said to her: “Woman, you have great faith!” May we too persevere in prayer, especially when God seems silent. Faith is not a magic wand; it is trusting Jesus even when we cannot see the answer. When faith and love go hand in hand, we learn to persevere and place everything confidently in God’s hands.

L-Imħabba u l-fidi jagħtuna qawwa biex ma naqtgħux qalbna. Fil-Vanġelu tal-lum, il-mara Kananeja tgħallimna dan b’mod qawwi. Minkejja l-ostakli, l-umiljazzjoni u s-skiet li ltaqgħet magħhom, hija baqgħet titlob lil Ġesù b’fidi u mħabba għal bintha. Fl-aħħar, Ġesù qalilha: “Mara, il-fidi tiegħek hija kbira!” Jalla aħna wkoll, fit-tiġrib u fit-talb tagħna, ma naqtgħux qalbna. Il-fidi mhix bakketta maġika, imma fiduċja sħiħa f’Ġesù, anke meta forsi ma jkollniex dak li nixtiequ eżatt. Meta l-imħabba u l-fidi jimxu flimkien, nitgħallmu nipperseveraw u nħallu kollox f’idejn il-Mulej.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 15,21-28.
At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon."
But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."
He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."
He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."
She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters."
Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

In today’s Gospel, Peter begins to sink when he takes his eyes off Jesus and looks instead at the storm around him.

How often do we do the same? When difficulties, fears and temptations surround us, we can become so focused on our problems that we forget who is with us.

Jesus does not promise that the storms will never come; he promises to remain with us through them. The Eucharist gives us a constant place to fix our gaze on Christ, truly present among us. When we kneel before the Blessed Sacrament or receive Holy Communion, we renew our trust in him. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, especially when the waters become rough.

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us his compassion and love in the midst of human suffering. The death of John the Baptist brings him sorrow, yet when the crowds seek him, he sets aside his own pain and welcomes them with compassion. His joy is found completely in loving, serving and caring for others. Jesus gives himself without limits, offering healing, truth and nourishment. His love is unconditional; our weaknesses do not distance him, but draw him closer. Like the hungry crowd, we are invited to receive the spiritual food he freely gives and allow him to strengthen us.

Sadness and suffering are part of our human journey, yet as believers we find our strength in Christ. He enters our pain, remains at our side, and gives us the grace to persevere with hope and trust. Furthermore, no joy this world can offer compares to the joy of knowing and following him, for his presence gives lasting peace even when life is difficult.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
When Jesus received the news of John the Baptist’s death he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.”
Jesus replied, “There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves.”
But they answered, “All we have with us is five loaves and two fish.”
“Bring them here to me,” he said.
He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds.
They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining; twelve baskets full.
Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.