A reading from the Book of Amos
5:14-15, 21-24
Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
Then truly will the LORD, the God of hosts,
be with you as you claim!
Hate evil and love good,
and let justice prevail at the gate;
Then it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will have pity on the remnant of Joseph.I hate, I spurn your feasts, says the LORD,
I take no pleasure in your solemnities;
Your cereal offerings I will not accept,
nor consider your stall-fed peace offerings.
Away with your noisy songs!
I will not listen to the melodies of your harps.
But if you would offer me burnt offerings,
then let justice surge like water,
and goodness like an unfailing stream.
From the Gospel according to Matthew
8:28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
Satan’s power is not infinite. He is merely a creature, powerful inasmuch as he is a pure spirit, but still a creature, subject to the limitations of a creature and subordinate to God’s will and dominion. If Satan acts in the world out of his hatred for God and His kingdom, this is permitted by divine Providence, which with power and goodness (“fortiter et suaviter”) guides the history of man and the world. Although Satan’s actions certainly cause great harm – of a spiritual nature and indirectly also of a physical nature – to individuals and society, he is nevertheless unable to nullify the ultimate end towards which humanity and all creation are directed: the Good (…). Thus, the entire history of humanity can be viewed in terms of total salvation, in which Christ’s victory over the “prince of this world” is inscribed. (Saint John Paul II, General Audience, 20 August 1986)
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![Aid official: ‘The world fell apart’ as coastal Venezuela awaits assistance – #Catholic – Several coastal states in Venezuela remain without foreign assistance as thousands of people — including children who have lost their families — are homeless or missing after two earthquakes last week.“The world fell apart in less than two minutes,” Claudia Gonzales, an external relations manager for World Vision Venezuela, told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 30. “And yesterday our government says that we already have confirmed 1,700 people that died during the earthquakes.”According to Gonzales, who lives just outside of Caracas, more than 60,000 people remain missing and 50,000 are homeless following a pair of 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.In her own city of Guarenas, she said, “we have more than 500 families that are sleeping in the streets, looking for help and looking for comfort.”“We have people on the ground with concrete under them, and we donʼt know if they are still alive,” she said.According to Gonzales, the most affected area is the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas. She noted that several other northern states, including Carabobo, Falcón, Aragua, and Miranda, have not received aid.“We have a lot of children that have not only [lost] their houses,” she said. “We have children that have lost their entire family, their neighbors.”While Gonzales expressed gratitude for the influx of foreign aid and support, she emphasized that large parts of the population are still waiting for help.“The international help came,” she said. “But the thing is, La Guaira is big; that is not enough.”“The size of this tragedy, we’re talking about 80% of the buildings in La Guaira collapsed,” she said. “You know, itʼs just something that we never thought could happen in our country.”Catholic responseThe Catholic Church in Venezuela has mobilized alongside international Catholic nonprofits such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Caritas International, and Catholic Charities to provide support for earthquake victims.CRS has been working in partnership with Caritas to provide food, shelter, and emergency healthcare to earthquake victims, according to CRS’ website.Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami announced a relief fund for earthquake victims on June 26, with Archbishop Thomas Wenski calling for “our Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill across South Florida to stand in solidarity with the communities that will be hard hit” and “to please be generous in providing assistance.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/aid-official-the-world-fell-apart-as-coastal-venezuela-awaits-assistance-catholic-several-coastal-states-in-venezuela-remain-without-foreign-assistance-as-thousands-of-people.jpg "Aid official: ‘The world fell apart’ as coastal Venezuela awaits assistance – #Catholic – Several coastal states in Venezuela remain without foreign assistance as thousands of people — including children who have lost their families — are homeless or missing after two earthquakes last week.“The world fell apart in less than two minutes,” Claudia Gonzales, an external relations manager for World Vision Venezuela, told “EWTN News Nightly” on June 30. “And yesterday our government says that we already have confirmed 1,700 people that died during the earthquakes.”According to Gonzales, who lives just outside of Caracas, more than 60,000 people remain missing and 50,000 are homeless following a pair of 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.In her own city of Guarenas, she said, “we have more than 500 families that are sleeping in the streets, looking for help and looking for comfort.”“We have people on the ground with concrete under them, and we donʼt know if they are still alive,” she said.According to Gonzales, the most affected area is the coastal state of La Guaira, north of Caracas. She noted that several other northern states, including Carabobo, Falcón, Aragua, and Miranda, have not received aid.“We have a lot of children that have not only [lost] their houses,” she said. “We have children that have lost their entire family, their neighbors.”While Gonzales expressed gratitude for the influx of foreign aid and support, she emphasized that large parts of the population are still waiting for help.“The international help came,” she said. “But the thing is, La Guaira is big; that is not enough.”“The size of this tragedy, we’re talking about 80% of the buildings in La Guaira collapsed,” she said. “You know, itʼs just something that we never thought could happen in our country.”Catholic responseThe Catholic Church in Venezuela has mobilized alongside international Catholic nonprofits such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Caritas International, and Catholic Charities to provide support for earthquake victims.CRS has been working in partnership with Caritas to provide food, shelter, and emergency healthcare to earthquake victims, according to CRS’ website.Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Miami announced a relief fund for earthquake victims on June 26, with Archbishop Thomas Wenski calling for “our Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill across South Florida to stand in solidarity with the communities that will be hard hit” and “to please be generous in providing assistance.”")
![A New Mexico mountain with Christ at the top is the latest battleground in U.S. immigration debate - #Catholic - Deacon Jim Winder, the chancellor of the Diocese of Las Cruces in New Mexico, says the diocese, which sits along the U.S.-Mexico border, is “not against border security.” “We’ve been accused of that, and it’s not correct,” he told EWTN News. In 2021 the diocese allowed federal immigration officials to build an access road and place motion sensors on diocesan-owned land that runs alongside Mexico, an arrangement the diocese renewed in 2023. “They’ve had that ever since,” Winder said. “We think that’s adequate. I don’t think any people can get through there with that system.” The U.S. federal government, however, is attempting to seize that land outright from the diocese and build a much more substantial border wall there. It is so determined to do so that it seeks to seize the land through eminent domain. Las Cruces is fighting the government’s attempt in court, putting the diocese at the forefront of the current U.S. immigration debate.Quite literally at the apex of the dispute is Mount Cristo Rey, a small mountain with a nearly-century-old statue of Jesus Christ atop it that has been a pilgrimage site for decades. The diocese says the government’s proposed border security at the base of the mountain would negatively affect pilgrims coming to the site.
A towering statue of Christ the King sits atop Mount Cristo Rey in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 28, 2026. The mountain has become the site of a dispute between the diocese and the U.S. federal government over the seizure of land for a border wall. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
The Trump administration’s immigration policy has come under fire from numerous elements of the U.S. Catholic Church over the past 18 months, including the U.S. bishops and multiple dioceses that have witnessed enhanced immigration enforcement. Various Church leaders have urged the administration to balance its border security efforts with more mercy and discretion.Winder stressed that the diocese is supportive of immigration security. But, he said, “we see the border wall as more of a political tool — something that the administration wants to do to show that they’re tough on immigration.” Winder said the disputed stretch of land near El Paso, Texas, is not ideal for illegal immigration. Mount Cristo Rey, he said, is “really rough. It’s not super tall but it’s rough. To try to go over the mountain to get in the United States — it’s a pretty effective barrier in and of itself.”“It’s nice flat ground on either side of it, for hundreds of miles,” he said. “[The government] patrols it. They’ve got vehicles parked there. I don’t think it’s a real high-volume place,” he observed, for illegal immigration crossings.Statue of Christ arose from priest’s visionAmid the ongoing court battle, Las Cruces Bishop Peter Baldacchino held a Mass atop Mount Cristo Rey on June 28, drawing hundreds of faithful to the sun-baked top of the mountain with Christ towering over them.
Bishop Peter Baldacchino celebrates Mass atop Mount Cristo Rey in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, on June 28, 2026. The mountain has become the site of a dispute between the diocese and the federal government over the seizure of land for a border wall. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
Mount Cristo Rey sits near the now-vanished town of Smeltertown within what Winder called a “unique” tip of land in New Mexico, one that is surrounded both by the state of Texas and the nation of Mexico. Both El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico, are roughly southeast of the mountain. An informational website says the towering statue of Christ took shape from 1933, when local priest Father Lourdes Costa “[looked] out the back window of his residence in the community of Smeltertown [and] envisioned erecting a monument at the summit of this glorious mountain.” The 29-foot-tall limestone statue was dedicated in 1940. It has since become a regular pilgrimage site, with the faithful hiking up the short summit to the base of the monument. Winder said the decision to hold the Mass on June 28 was “completely apolitical.”“It wasn’t meant as a protest,” he said. “It was a Mass. It was meant for prayer, to bring people together, to practice unity, to pray for the Church, and to pray for government leaders.”The response to the Mass was “very good,” the deacon said. “It was very hot. It’s not a great time to climb mountains in southern New Mexico. But about 400 people showed up and made the climb. They came from all over. Some from El Paso, some from our diocese, some from Albuquerque and beyond.”
Pilgrims hike to the top of Mount Cristo Rey for Mass in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, on June 28, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
The mountain has served as a significant site for local Catholic worship for nearly a century, Winder said. He compared the geography of the area to the “Four Corners” monument where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico all meet. “This is a place where there’s this unity of two nations and two states,” he said. “There’s a symbolism of that unity in Christ the King standing above it. But it’s also a pilgrimage site.” “It’s just a special place,” he said. “It’s very powerful. It’s a magnificent place to have Mass.”
Bishop Peter Baldacchino hikes to the top of Mount Cristo Rey for Mass in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 28, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jim Winder
The diocese was dealt a blow in June when a federal district court said the government could put down a six-figure deposit on the land as a pretext to obtaining it. The dispute is still ongoing, Winder said, with another hearing anticipated in late July. The diocese has filed numerous motions against the government’s effort, he said. He described the proposed border wall as more of a political symbol than a really practical measure, one that would mar the sacredness of the site.“If you go to the mountain and hike to the top, you’ll see a 30-foot-tall image of Christ the King,” he said. “And if the government builds this wall, and you turn your head slightly [from Christ], you’ll see a 30-foot ‘Keep Out’ sign below.” “It’s an affront,” he said.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/a-new-mexico-mountain-with-christ-at-the-top-is-the-latest-battleground-in-u-s-immigration-debate-catholic-deacon-jim-winder-the-chancellor-of-the-diocese-of-las-cruces-in-new-mexico-says-the.jpg)
![Argentinians join in prayer for earthquake-shattered Venezuelans #Catholic With thousands dead, injured, and missing in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, Argentinians gathered in prayer for the Venezuelan people on June 28 at the basilica and national shrine of Our Lady of Luján. There, the archbishop of Mercedes-Luján, Jorge Eduardo Scheinig, offered Mass for the Venezuelan people.“Let us think of those who have died and their families,” Scheinig said in his homily. “In a single minute, so many people were left with nothing, absolutely nothing,” he noted.“Let us pray for the rescue workers and for all those who are working [on the ground]. Let us stand in solidarity with them through prayer,” said Scheinig, who proceeded to lead a moment of silence to pray to God and the Virgin for the people of Venezuela.The archbishop dedicated the rest of his homily to examining priorities, those things that “carry more weight than others” and “have the power to bring order to our lives.”“If you have the right priorities, you are at peace. But if you choose your priorities poorly, it causes confusion and anguish for you; it doesn’t help you live well. So, from time to time, we need to have the courage to reexamine our priorities,” he noted.In this regard, he said that “Jesus helps us order our priorities,” and elaborated: “What is Jesus’ priority? God. What comes first for Jesus? God. And what does he advise us? Put God first, and you won’t regret it,” he explained.He therefore urged people to ask themselves: “What place does God hold? What place does Mass hold?” he continued. “If you put God’s love first, if you love God in your life — that love is so good, so pure, and so radiant that it brings order to your entire life and helps you understand your whole life. Because God takes nothing away from you; he fills your life with love,” he pointed out. “Putting God first means taking a stand, taking a risk, and filling your heart with love; that helps you love everyone and everything in a different way, to love better,” he emphasized.Referring to the situation in Venezuela, Scheinig reflected: “Just look at how strange the world is. Today, television shows harrowing scenes. I was watching the news and saw a little boy crying — he had been left all alone after the earthquake, and it breaks your heart. Yet, a short while later, we’re watching the Argentina [World Cup] match.”“And notice, too, that we see scenes of war, of migrants who have nothing and live in a small tent. That’s the world. It happens to us in a family as well: You might be celebrating the 15th birthday of one of your children and then a close relative dies or someone comes down with an illness. That’s life. Life is that strange mix of very beautiful things and deeply painful things,” he noted.“But when your heart has priorities, you don’t get confused. And so, yes, we can cheer for the national team, but my priority isn’t soccer; my priority is life, it’s what happens to other people. I don’t let the things of life desensitize me,” he cautioned.That is why, “if God is your priority, you are able to not get desensitized to pain. You have your life on track. You can watch the World Cup, but you realize that it isn’t the priority. Your life is in order. You know where you stand, what you want, and what you don’t want,” he continued.In that context, he added, the need arises to stand with Venezuelans in prayer: “God, strengthen so many people whose lives changed in an instant.”“We also feel moved to show solidarity, to give money and goods, and to share what we have with those in need because your heart is rightly ordered; it is with God.”“Life presents us with complex, difficult moments in the world,” Scheinig acknowledged, while expressing the hope that “God holds first place on our list of priorities, so that we may remain good people.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/argentinians-join-in-prayer-for-earthquake-shattered-venezuelans-catholic-with-thousands-dead-injured-and-missing-in-the-wake-of-last-weeks-devastating-earthquakes-in-venezuela-argentinia-scaled.jpg "Argentinians join in prayer for earthquake-shattered Venezuelans #Catholic With thousands dead, injured, and missing in the wake of last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, Argentinians gathered in prayer for the Venezuelan people on June 28 at the basilica and national shrine of Our Lady of Luján. There, the archbishop of Mercedes-Luján, Jorge Eduardo Scheinig, offered Mass for the Venezuelan people.“Let us think of those who have died and their families,” Scheinig said in his homily. “In a single minute, so many people were left with nothing, absolutely nothing,” he noted.“Let us pray for the rescue workers and for all those who are working [on the ground]. Let us stand in solidarity with them through prayer,” said Scheinig, who proceeded to lead a moment of silence to pray to God and the Virgin for the people of Venezuela.The archbishop dedicated the rest of his homily to examining priorities, those things that “carry more weight than others” and “have the power to bring order to our lives.”“If you have the right priorities, you are at peace. But if you choose your priorities poorly, it causes confusion and anguish for you; it doesn’t help you live well. So, from time to time, we need to have the courage to reexamine our priorities,” he noted.In this regard, he said that “Jesus helps us order our priorities,” and elaborated: “What is Jesus’ priority? God. What comes first for Jesus? God. And what does he advise us? Put God first, and you won’t regret it,” he explained.He therefore urged people to ask themselves: “What place does God hold? What place does Mass hold?” he continued. “If you put God’s love first, if you love God in your life — that love is so good, so pure, and so radiant that it brings order to your entire life and helps you understand your whole life. Because God takes nothing away from you; he fills your life with love,” he pointed out. “Putting God first means taking a stand, taking a risk, and filling your heart with love; that helps you love everyone and everything in a different way, to love better,” he emphasized.Referring to the situation in Venezuela, Scheinig reflected: “Just look at how strange the world is. Today, television shows harrowing scenes. I was watching the news and saw a little boy crying — he had been left all alone after the earthquake, and it breaks your heart. Yet, a short while later, we’re watching the Argentina [World Cup] match.”“And notice, too, that we see scenes of war, of migrants who have nothing and live in a small tent. That’s the world. It happens to us in a family as well: You might be celebrating the 15th birthday of one of your children and then a close relative dies or someone comes down with an illness. That’s life. Life is that strange mix of very beautiful things and deeply painful things,” he noted.“But when your heart has priorities, you don’t get confused. And so, yes, we can cheer for the national team, but my priority isn’t soccer; my priority is life, it’s what happens to other people. I don’t let the things of life desensitize me,” he cautioned.That is why, “if God is your priority, you are able to not get desensitized to pain. You have your life on track. You can watch the World Cup, but you realize that it isn’t the priority. Your life is in order. You know where you stand, what you want, and what you don’t want,” he continued.In that context, he added, the need arises to stand with Venezuelans in prayer: “God, strengthen so many people whose lives changed in an instant.”“We also feel moved to show solidarity, to give money and goods, and to share what we have with those in need because your heart is rightly ordered; it is with God.”“Life presents us with complex, difficult moments in the world,” Scheinig acknowledged, while expressing the hope that “God holds first place on our list of priorities, so that we may remain good people.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
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