Day: July 19, 2026

Ferrán Torres, the Catholic forward who won the World Cup for Spain #Catholic Ferrán Torres is the Catholic forward who secured a 1–0 victory for Spain over Messiʼs Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, played on Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey.“The goal is the least important thing; right now, all I want is to grab that trophy and squeeze it as hard as I can, because I believe it represents the dream of the 47 million people we were representing on the pitch today — because I think we deserved it and we gave it our all,” said Ferrán Torres after the final.Torres, who plays for Barcelona in Spain, also said that the goal brought him a sense of relief, given the heavy criticism he had faced during the World Cup. “Thank God, He always gives me the strength to keep going, and in the end — as I always say — God grants things to those who deserve them most,” the forward emphasized.Days before the final, a video was released in which Torres spoke about the importance of God in his life. “I have a cross and an image of the Virgin Mary; ultimately, I think having such strong faith gives me great support — it is something very important to me,” remarked the Spanish forward, who was named the final’s Superior Player of the Match.TweetTorres stands out for his Catholic faith within the Spanish national team, alongside coach Luis de la Fuente — who, at the press conference prior to the semifinal match where they defeated France 2–0, stated that he prays “every day, but not because I am at a World Cup or in order to get a result.”“I give thanks every day — every day I wake up and find myself well, I look at myself and say: ‘Another day I can enjoy life.’ I give thanks for those little things. I pray—because I do pray every day — not to ask for more help,” the Spanish head coach explained at the time.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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Ferrán Torres, the Catholic forward who won the World Cup for Spain #Catholic Ferrán Torres is the Catholic forward who secured a 1–0 victory for Spain over Messiʼs Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, played on Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey.“The goal is the least important thing; right now, all I want is to grab that trophy and squeeze it as hard as I can, because I believe it represents the dream of the 47 million people we were representing on the pitch today — because I think we deserved it and we gave it our all,” said Ferrán Torres after the final.Torres, who plays for Barcelona in Spain, also said that the goal brought him a sense of relief, given the heavy criticism he had faced during the World Cup. “Thank God, He always gives me the strength to keep going, and in the end — as I always say — God grants things to those who deserve them most,” the forward emphasized.Days before the final, a video was released in which Torres spoke about the importance of God in his life. “I have a cross and an image of the Virgin Mary; ultimately, I think having such strong faith gives me great support — it is something very important to me,” remarked the Spanish forward, who was named the final’s Superior Player of the Match.TweetTorres stands out for his Catholic faith within the Spanish national team, alongside coach Luis de la Fuente — who, at the press conference prior to the semifinal match where they defeated France 2–0, stated that he prays “every day, but not because I am at a World Cup or in order to get a result.”“I give thanks every day — every day I wake up and find myself well, I look at myself and say: ‘Another day I can enjoy life.’ I give thanks for those little things. I pray—because I do pray every day — not to ask for more help,” the Spanish head coach explained at the time.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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Torres stands out for his Catholic faith within the Spanish national team, alongside coach Luis de la Fuente.

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Gospel and Word of the Day – 20 July 2026 – A reading from the Book of Micah 6:1-4, 6-8 Hear what the LORD says: Arise, present your plea before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice! Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD, pay attention, O foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a plea against his people, and he enters into trial with Israel. O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, from the place of slavery I released you; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.From the Gospel according to Matthew 12:38-42 Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,  so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.”The doctors of the law did not understand the signs of the times and invoked an extraordinary sign. And he proposed several answers: the first was “because they were closed. They were closed within their system, they had organized the law very well”.  It was “a masterpiece. (…) It was all organized”.  They did not understand that God is always new; (…) He always surprises. And they did not understand and they closed themselves within that system created with much good will; and they asked” that Jesus give them “a sign”, failing to understand, however, “the many signs that Jesus made” and maintaining a completely “closed” attitude. Second, they had forgotten that they were a people on a journey. And when one is on a journey one always finds new things, things one does not know. And this must make us think: “Am I attached to my things, to my ideas, closed? Or am I open to the God of surprises?”. And also: “Am I a stationary person or a person on a journey?”. And finally, “do I believe in Jesus Christ and in what he has done?”, that is, “he died, rose again… do I believe that the journey goes forth toward maturity, toward the manifestation of the glory of the Lord? Am I capable of understanding the signs of the times and of being faithful to the voice of the Lord that is manifest in them?”.  We can ask ourselves these questions today and ask the Lord for, “A heart that loves the law, for the law is God’s”, but “which also loves God’s surprises”, for his “holy law is not an end in itself”. (Pope Francis, Homily, Mass at Santa Marta, 13 October 2014)

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A reading from the Book of Micah
6:1-4, 6-8

Hear what the LORD says:
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the LORD,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the LORD has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.

O my people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.

With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
12:38-42

Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”
He said to them in reply,
“An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it
except the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, 
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.
At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and there is something greater than Jonah here.
At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation
and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and there is something greater than Solomon here.”

The doctors of the law did not understand the signs of the times and invoked an extraordinary sign. And he proposed several answers: the first was “because they were closed. They were closed within their system, they had organized the law very well”.  It was “a masterpiece. (…) It was all organized”.  They did not understand that God is always new; (…) He always surprises. And they did not understand and they closed themselves within that system created with much good will; and they asked” that Jesus give them “a sign”, failing to understand, however, “the many signs that Jesus made” and maintaining a completely “closed” attitude. Second, they had forgotten that they were a people on a journey. And when one is on a journey one always finds new things, things one does not know. And this must make us think: “Am I attached to my things, to my ideas, closed? Or am I open to the God of surprises?”. And also: “Am I a stationary person or a person on a journey?”. And finally, “do I believe in Jesus Christ and in what he has done?”, that is, “he died, rose again… do I believe that the journey goes forth toward maturity, toward the manifestation of the glory of the Lord? Am I capable of understanding the signs of the times and of being faithful to the voice of the Lord that is manifest in them?”.  We can ask ourselves these questions today and ask the Lord for, “A heart that loves the law, for the law is God’s”, but “which also loves God’s surprises”, for his “holy law is not an end in itself”. (Pope Francis, Homily, Mass at Santa Marta, 13 October 2014)

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Bishops of Peru pray for victims of earthquake that leaves at least 5 dead – #Catholic – Peruʼs bishops offered prayers and expressed their solidarity with the victims of an earthquake that struck Saturday night in the Junín region — located in the countryʼs central Andean zone — leaving at least five people dead, more than 20 injured, and hundreds affected.The earthquake, which occurred around 9 p.m., was centered in the district of Chongos Bajo, in the Chupaca province of the Junín region — situated in Peruʼs central Andes, some 193 miles east of Lima — according to the National Civil Defense Institute (INDECI, by its Spanish acronym).“We share in the grief of the families mourning their loved ones, offering our prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and we ask the Lord to grant everyone strength, comfort, and hope,” the bishops stated in the aftermath of the disaster.“We express our spiritual closeness to all those affected, to those who have lost their homes, and to those generously participating in rescue, care, and relief efforts,” said Bishop Carlos García Camader, president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference.After encouraging Peruvians to show solidarity with those affected, the bishops urged them not to lose hope and pray “that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, may intercede for all those affected and accompany our beloved people of Junín.”Junín’s 5.1-magnitude earthquake Rescue operations involving the police, firefighters, and the Peruvian army are ongoing, and authorities are assessing the damage — particularly in the Pumpunya area of ​​the Chongos Bajo district, where approximately 50 homes have been affected.In an interview with Radio Programas del Perú, Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP, by its Spanish acronym), stated that the extent of the destruction in this area is due to the fragility of the houses, most of which were built using substandard materials.“When structures are built according to standards and proper engineering, they obviously yield better results than those constructed using local materials,” which makes them prone to easy collapse, Tavera explained.So far, the IGP has recorded 12 aftershocks. The strongest measured 3.7 and 3.4 in magnitude.On Sunday, Prime Minister Luis Enrique Arroyo Sánchez headed to the Chongos Bajo district alongside Defense Minister Amadeo Flores and INDECI chief Luis Enrique Vásquez “to oversee the response to the 5.1-magnitude earthquake and coordinate assistance for the affected population,” according to the Office of the Prime Minister.Historic cross collapsesAs a result of the earthquake, the historic Cani Cruz — known as the Lord of Cani Cruz — collapsed. The cross, erected in 1534 and located in the main square of Chongos Bajo, is one of the regionʼs oldest religious monuments, according to local media reports.Carved from limestone and featuring reliefs of the crucified Christ and the Virgin Mary, in 1990 it was declared a national cultural heritage site, alongside the main church of Chongos Bajo and the El Copón Chapel.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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Bishops of Peru pray for victims of earthquake that leaves at least 5 dead – #Catholic – Peruʼs bishops offered prayers and expressed their solidarity with the victims of an earthquake that struck Saturday night in the Junín region — located in the countryʼs central Andean zone — leaving at least five people dead, more than 20 injured, and hundreds affected.The earthquake, which occurred around 9 p.m., was centered in the district of Chongos Bajo, in the Chupaca province of the Junín region — situated in Peruʼs central Andes, some 193 miles east of Lima — according to the National Civil Defense Institute (INDECI, by its Spanish acronym).“We share in the grief of the families mourning their loved ones, offering our prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and we ask the Lord to grant everyone strength, comfort, and hope,” the bishops stated in the aftermath of the disaster.“We express our spiritual closeness to all those affected, to those who have lost their homes, and to those generously participating in rescue, care, and relief efforts,” said Bishop Carlos García Camader, president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference.After encouraging Peruvians to show solidarity with those affected, the bishops urged them not to lose hope and pray “that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, may intercede for all those affected and accompany our beloved people of Junín.”Junín’s 5.1-magnitude earthquake Rescue operations involving the police, firefighters, and the Peruvian army are ongoing, and authorities are assessing the damage — particularly in the Pumpunya area of ​​the Chongos Bajo district, where approximately 50 homes have been affected.In an interview with Radio Programas del Perú, Hernando Tavera, president of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP, by its Spanish acronym), stated that the extent of the destruction in this area is due to the fragility of the houses, most of which were built using substandard materials.“When structures are built according to standards and proper engineering, they obviously yield better results than those constructed using local materials,” which makes them prone to easy collapse, Tavera explained.So far, the IGP has recorded 12 aftershocks. The strongest measured 3.7 and 3.4 in magnitude.On Sunday, Prime Minister Luis Enrique Arroyo Sánchez headed to the Chongos Bajo district alongside Defense Minister Amadeo Flores and INDECI chief Luis Enrique Vásquez “to oversee the response to the 5.1-magnitude earthquake and coordinate assistance for the affected population,” according to the Office of the Prime Minister.Historic cross collapsesAs a result of the earthquake, the historic Cani Cruz — known as the Lord of Cani Cruz — collapsed. The cross, erected in 1534 and located in the main square of Chongos Bajo, is one of the regionʼs oldest religious monuments, according to local media reports.Carved from limestone and featuring reliefs of the crucified Christ and the Virgin Mary, in 1990 it was declared a national cultural heritage site, alongside the main church of Chongos Bajo and the El Copón Chapel.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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“We express our spiritual closeness to all those affected, to those who have lost their homes, and to those generously participating in rescue, care, and relief efforts,” Bishop Carlos García said.

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July 19, 418: A solar eclipse/comet combo

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July 19, 418 C.E., marks the first total solar eclipse (of which we have a record) during which a comet was seen. Turkish-born Church historian Philostorgius wrote in Book XII of the Epitome Historiae Ecclesiasticae: “When Theodosius had reached adolescence, on the nineteenth of July at about the eighth hour, the sun was so completelyContinue reading “July 19, 418: A solar eclipse/comet combo”

The post July 19, 418: A solar eclipse/comet combo appeared first on Astronomy Magazine.

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Where is God in the midst of tragedy? A bishop responds following Venezuela earthquakes – #Catholic – How can you find God amid tragedy? Why does God allow so much suffering? These are questions people might be asking themselves in Venezuela following the earthquakes of June 24.Carlos Márquez, auxiliary bishop of Caracas, reflected on the mystery of suffering in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. In the prelateʼs view, the Catholic Church plays a fundamental role in shedding light on these existential questions.A promise to hold onto: ‘We are not alone’Márquez said it would be “an act of tremendous pridefulness” to attempt to provide answers that fully resolve this mystery. Ultimately, he noted, asking these questions is a way of “looking for someone to blame.” They are questions that “paralyze us and fill us with bitterness and pain.”“We can’t escape biological law; we can’t escape the laws of nature. What we once thought was a curse or divine punishment, we now know to be natural processes, processes that are even necessary,” he explained regarding the devastating earthquakes.To help make sense of the tragedy, Márquez pointed to two specific factors. The first is human freedom, which, when misused, “causes suffering and pain.” He referred to the collapsed buildings, many of which might have been built in unsuitable locations due to poor ground conditions or perhaps constructed without adhering to proper safety standards.“Imprudence, whether culpable or not, always ends in tragedy. This is not caused, desired, or much less ordained by God. It’s not the divine will,” he remarked.Márquez identified the second specific element in St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, where the apostle to the Gentiles wrote that creation “groans until the present and suffers the pains of childbirth” (Rom 8:22-39).This helps us understand that nature “readjusts, evolves, and moves” as part of a process “toward the fullness promised by Jesus Christ.” The auxiliary bishop explained that creation “will be subject to pain” until it is recapitulated in Christ, and we, as creatures, undergo these vicissitudes.“Therefore, on our journey toward the fullness of living happily forever with Christ in heaven, we will encounter pain and suffering,” Márquez noted.Yet in the face of these realities, the prelate offered a reassuring promise: “Christ’s promise was not that we would not suffer, nor that there would be no earthquakes, floods, or natural tragedies. Amid the pain, he promised not to abandon us. We are not alone: ​​‘I will be with you until the end of the world.’ He promises us his companionship in the midst of pain.”The Lord “walks with us in the midst of our pain” and fulfills his promise “through his Church, among those who suffer.” The sacraments and the word, he continued, comfort and heal us, and transform our hearts “so we can move forward.”God also gives us the example and intercession of the saints “so that we do not lose heart” and might feel accompanied. “When one is in great pain, when one is suffering deeply, the tragedy becomes worse when we are alone and isolated,” he said.Christian hope in the face of death and tragedyIn recent weeks, the most heart-wrenching stories have filled social media. Yet, for the most part, they share a fundamental element highlighted by Márquez: hope.Many people are thanking God for being alive and, amid unimaginable suffering, affirming that they will live to honor their deceased loved ones and will spare no effort to discover the purpose for which God has saved them.“If we live united with Christ in suffering, we will live with him forever in heaven. Death does not have the final word. This earthquake does not have the final word. God has the final word, which is a word of life, happiness, and eternal joy,” he stated.So, what is required of those Venezuelans who remain? Márquez answered clearly: to follow the example of all their saintly compatriots, to face adversity without asking “why,” and to work so that the future may be better. Carlos Márquez, auxiliary bishop of Caracas, left, with people affected by the June 24, 2026, earthquakes in Venezuela. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Bishop Carlos Márquez “Pain is fleeting; death is not final. United in faith, hope, and charity, with our eyes fixed on the risen Christ, we walk together in communion to overcome this tragedy,” Márquez said.“Venezuela is a land of grace; Venezuela is a land of saints. We have hope, and we will rise again. We will rise from the dust of this earthquake,” he added.Finally, he recalled the words St. John Paul II spoke at the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas during his second visit to the country on Feb. 10, 1996: “Venezuelans, even though the difficulties are serious and the challenges immense, your resolve must be great. Faced with a present full of uncertainty and a future full of questions, put your abilities to use with imagination and, above all, with generosity, trusting in God: God loves mankind.”As of now, the official death toll following the earthquakes stands at 4,829, while the number of injured and affected people runs into the tens of thousands.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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Where is God in the midst of tragedy? A bishop responds following Venezuela earthquakes – #Catholic – How can you find God amid tragedy? Why does God allow so much suffering? These are questions people might be asking themselves in Venezuela following the earthquakes of June 24.Carlos Márquez, auxiliary bishop of Caracas, reflected on the mystery of suffering in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. In the prelateʼs view, the Catholic Church plays a fundamental role in shedding light on these existential questions.A promise to hold onto: ‘We are not alone’Márquez said it would be “an act of tremendous pridefulness” to attempt to provide answers that fully resolve this mystery. Ultimately, he noted, asking these questions is a way of “looking for someone to blame.” They are questions that “paralyze us and fill us with bitterness and pain.”“We can’t escape biological law; we can’t escape the laws of nature. What we once thought was a curse or divine punishment, we now know to be natural processes, processes that are even necessary,” he explained regarding the devastating earthquakes.To help make sense of the tragedy, Márquez pointed to two specific factors. The first is human freedom, which, when misused, “causes suffering and pain.” He referred to the collapsed buildings, many of which might have been built in unsuitable locations due to poor ground conditions or perhaps constructed without adhering to proper safety standards.“Imprudence, whether culpable or not, always ends in tragedy. This is not caused, desired, or much less ordained by God. It’s not the divine will,” he remarked.Márquez identified the second specific element in St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, where the apostle to the Gentiles wrote that creation “groans until the present and suffers the pains of childbirth” (Rom 8:22-39).This helps us understand that nature “readjusts, evolves, and moves” as part of a process “toward the fullness promised by Jesus Christ.” The auxiliary bishop explained that creation “will be subject to pain” until it is recapitulated in Christ, and we, as creatures, undergo these vicissitudes.“Therefore, on our journey toward the fullness of living happily forever with Christ in heaven, we will encounter pain and suffering,” Márquez noted.Yet in the face of these realities, the prelate offered a reassuring promise: “Christ’s promise was not that we would not suffer, nor that there would be no earthquakes, floods, or natural tragedies. Amid the pain, he promised not to abandon us. We are not alone: ​​‘I will be with you until the end of the world.’ He promises us his companionship in the midst of pain.”The Lord “walks with us in the midst of our pain” and fulfills his promise “through his Church, among those who suffer.” The sacraments and the word, he continued, comfort and heal us, and transform our hearts “so we can move forward.”God also gives us the example and intercession of the saints “so that we do not lose heart” and might feel accompanied. “When one is in great pain, when one is suffering deeply, the tragedy becomes worse when we are alone and isolated,” he said.Christian hope in the face of death and tragedyIn recent weeks, the most heart-wrenching stories have filled social media. Yet, for the most part, they share a fundamental element highlighted by Márquez: hope.Many people are thanking God for being alive and, amid unimaginable suffering, affirming that they will live to honor their deceased loved ones and will spare no effort to discover the purpose for which God has saved them.“If we live united with Christ in suffering, we will live with him forever in heaven. Death does not have the final word. This earthquake does not have the final word. God has the final word, which is a word of life, happiness, and eternal joy,” he stated.So, what is required of those Venezuelans who remain? Márquez answered clearly: to follow the example of all their saintly compatriots, to face adversity without asking “why,” and to work so that the future may be better. Carlos Márquez, auxiliary bishop of Caracas, left, with people affected by the June 24, 2026, earthquakes in Venezuela. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Bishop Carlos Márquez “Pain is fleeting; death is not final. United in faith, hope, and charity, with our eyes fixed on the risen Christ, we walk together in communion to overcome this tragedy,” Márquez said.“Venezuela is a land of grace; Venezuela is a land of saints. We have hope, and we will rise again. We will rise from the dust of this earthquake,” he added.Finally, he recalled the words St. John Paul II spoke at the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas during his second visit to the country on Feb. 10, 1996: “Venezuelans, even though the difficulties are serious and the challenges immense, your resolve must be great. Faced with a present full of uncertainty and a future full of questions, put your abilities to use with imagination and, above all, with generosity, trusting in God: God loves mankind.”As of now, the official death toll following the earthquakes stands at 4,829, while the number of injured and affected people runs into the tens of thousands.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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Carlos Márquez, auxiliary bishop of Caracas, Venezuela, explained that God’s promise is not to eliminate suffering but that amid pain, he will not abandon us.

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Pope Leo XIV calls for evangelical approach without force or ‘arrogant judgments’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV warned Sunday against imagining God as “a powerful figure who imposes himself by force, who takes over and dominates, or who arrives triumphantly” and urged Christians to embrace a Gospel-centered approach marked by humility and trust.Speaking before the Angelus prayer in Liberty Square at Castel Gandolfo, where he is spending several weeks of rest through Monday, July 27, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading.Following the parable of the sower, Jesus addresses the crowds through the images of the good wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast in the dough, the pope noted.“These three short parables recall the coming of the kingdom of God in history, its action in human lives, and the way it grows, expands, and transforms the world from within,” Pope Leo said.Through these images, he continued, Jesus warns against thinking of God principally in terms of power, domination, and triumph.“Instead, God favors smallness, a sign of his discreet love, by which he leaves us free to accept or reject him,” the pope said. “His love makes its presence felt even among the weeds, acts in a hidden and invisible way like the smallest of all seeds, and leavens the dough without making a sound.”God favors smallnessPope Leo said believers sometimes expect God to act in dramatic and immediately visible ways.“We sometimes expect God to do something spectacular; we want him to intervene from on high, immediately uprooting the weeds of evil,” he said.“We imagine a strong and powerful God, and, unfortunately, we also model our way of being Christians and way of being the Church on this image.”The kingdom of God, however, continues to grow quietly even amid evil, the pope said.“However, the kingdom of God spreads even amidst the weeds, requiring us to train our vision so we can discern the good that sprouts despite the darkness of evil, and avoiding rash judgments,” he said.The image of the smallest seed, Pope Leo explained, teaches Christians to be patient as God works through ordinary events and gradual processes.“It comes like the smallest of seeds and thus calls for patience in accompanying these processes, so that we can recognize it in the little things of daily life and in the simplicity of ordinary existence,” he said.The kingdom also “grows invisibly like yeast in flour,” the pope continued, freeing believers from discouragement and inviting them to maintain faith even when God appears absent.“In fact, he is always with us, and his love is always ready to help us,” he said.Pope Leo then urged Catholics to apply this divine way of acting to both their personal lives and the life of the Church.“God’s way of acting must also become the way in which we live, both as individuals and as the Church, amidst the reality that surrounds us,” he said.“We are called to adopt a Gospel-centered approach, without hastily opposing others through arrogant judgments, without imposing ourselves through power and force, and without losing trust in God’s work.”The pope cited a reflection given by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, during the Jubilee of Catechists and Religion Teachers in the Holy Year 2000.“As the then-Cardinal Ratzinger said, it is a matter of submitting ourselves to the logic of the seed — which is not that of success and greatness but that of making ourselves small and serving others,” Pope Leo said.By embracing this approach, he concluded, Christians can become instruments through which the Gospel quietly transforms the world.“In this way, we will become like small seeds of the Gospel that sprout and leavens of love that transform the dough of the world.”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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Pope Leo XIV calls for evangelical approach without force or ‘arrogant judgments’ – #Catholic – Pope Leo XIV warned Sunday against imagining God as “a powerful figure who imposes himself by force, who takes over and dominates, or who arrives triumphantly” and urged Christians to embrace a Gospel-centered approach marked by humility and trust.Speaking before the Angelus prayer in Liberty Square at Castel Gandolfo, where he is spending several weeks of rest through Monday, July 27, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading.Following the parable of the sower, Jesus addresses the crowds through the images of the good wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed, and the yeast in the dough, the pope noted.“These three short parables recall the coming of the kingdom of God in history, its action in human lives, and the way it grows, expands, and transforms the world from within,” Pope Leo said.Through these images, he continued, Jesus warns against thinking of God principally in terms of power, domination, and triumph.“Instead, God favors smallness, a sign of his discreet love, by which he leaves us free to accept or reject him,” the pope said. “His love makes its presence felt even among the weeds, acts in a hidden and invisible way like the smallest of all seeds, and leavens the dough without making a sound.”God favors smallnessPope Leo said believers sometimes expect God to act in dramatic and immediately visible ways.“We sometimes expect God to do something spectacular; we want him to intervene from on high, immediately uprooting the weeds of evil,” he said.“We imagine a strong and powerful God, and, unfortunately, we also model our way of being Christians and way of being the Church on this image.”The kingdom of God, however, continues to grow quietly even amid evil, the pope said.“However, the kingdom of God spreads even amidst the weeds, requiring us to train our vision so we can discern the good that sprouts despite the darkness of evil, and avoiding rash judgments,” he said.The image of the smallest seed, Pope Leo explained, teaches Christians to be patient as God works through ordinary events and gradual processes.“It comes like the smallest of seeds and thus calls for patience in accompanying these processes, so that we can recognize it in the little things of daily life and in the simplicity of ordinary existence,” he said.The kingdom also “grows invisibly like yeast in flour,” the pope continued, freeing believers from discouragement and inviting them to maintain faith even when God appears absent.“In fact, he is always with us, and his love is always ready to help us,” he said.Pope Leo then urged Catholics to apply this divine way of acting to both their personal lives and the life of the Church.“God’s way of acting must also become the way in which we live, both as individuals and as the Church, amidst the reality that surrounds us,” he said.“We are called to adopt a Gospel-centered approach, without hastily opposing others through arrogant judgments, without imposing ourselves through power and force, and without losing trust in God’s work.”The pope cited a reflection given by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, during the Jubilee of Catechists and Religion Teachers in the Holy Year 2000.“As the then-Cardinal Ratzinger said, it is a matter of submitting ourselves to the logic of the seed — which is not that of success and greatness but that of making ourselves small and serving others,” Pope Leo said.By embracing this approach, he concluded, Christians can become instruments through which the Gospel quietly transforms the world.“In this way, we will become like small seeds of the Gospel that sprout and leavens of love that transform the dough of the world.”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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At the Sunday Angelus in Castel Gandolfo, the pontiff said God’s kingdom grows quietly through smallness, patience, and service rather than spectacle or power.

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Sicar: The retreat transforming the lives of young people in Latin America #Catholic The Sicar retreat (“Sychar” in the English Bible) has given rise to one of the most notable youth evangelization experiences in Latin America. It came about through a process of discernment by a Mexican religious in her own search for God, a dynamic movement that today reaches thousands of young people.With over 30 years of consecrated life, Mother María Elena Martínez has dedicated her life to the spiritual formation of young people and adults through “Mary, Mother of Love,” a private association of the faithful she founded in Mexico in 2015.The community is centered on retreats making a spiritual impact, such as Emmaus, which is held in parishes and correctional facilities, and Sicar, which is aimed specifically at young adults. Mother María Elena Martínez. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Her life, marked from childhood by a quest for God, would ultimately become bound up in an initiative that is active today in several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru.“I remember as a little girl I had a great thirst for God,” she shared in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.That initial calling deepened over time. At age 11, she recalled, a desire to please Jesus arose within her. “A desire for purity … I wanted to live a life of virginity,” she noted, explaining that she prayed insistently to the Virgin Mary, asking for that consecration. Mother María Elena Martínez in front of an oasis. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez However, her path was neither immediate nor direct. “Religious life wasn’t something that particularly appealed to me,” she admitted. In her youth, she went through various experiences ranging from completing a degree in translating to exploring broader spiritual concerns, which eventually led her to try out consecrated life with the Missionaries of Charity.Some time later, she tried cloistered contemplative life. “I wanted something more interior, deeper,” she confessed.A concern arises: ‘What about the young people?’The Sicar retreat did not originate as a planned initiative but rather as a pastoral response that only gradually took shape. According to Mother María Elena, for years many people approached her with the same concern: “What about the young people?” “Do something for the young people,” they would tell her. Sicar team members in Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez The Gospel account of the Samaritan woman began to take center stage in her prayer and discernment. Jesus’ dialogue at the well of Sychar — “If you knew the gift of God” (cf. Jn 4:1-42) — served as the starting point for helping young people discover Christ. “The passage about the Samaritan woman was so rich, so rich, that I could draw so much from it,” she explained.The decisive step came in 2016, when the first Sicar retreat was held. Mother María Elena remembered it as the beginning of something small and simple yet deeply meaningful. Young people with prior experience in movements like Emmaus were the first to participate. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Sicar began to expand. After establishing itself in cities such as Mexico City, Tehuacán, and Tecamachalco (in the state of Puebla), as well as San Luis de la Paz (Guanajuato state), Veracruz, Mérida (Yucatán state), and Cuernavaca (Morelos state), the initiative began to cross borders beyond Mexico. The first retreat in Guatemala took place in 2017; Buenos Aires in 2018; Paraguay in 2022; and in Peru in 2023.“It has been growing in many places, rescuing so many young people,” Mother María Elena said with gratitude.In Mexico, 38 Sicar retreats have been held with an average of 50 participants each, amounting to nearly 2,000 young people. In Peru, where the initiative arrived in 2023, seven retreats have already taken place with around 70 participants each, reaching approximately 490 people. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Ottmar Ricalde, a Sicar volunteer in Mexico, noted that “Sicar means and has meant so much over these past 10 years.” “I could write and speak about all the stories, all the laughter, and all the tears, but the most important thing of all is the love of God that has been a gift to me,” he stated.“My life was always focused on pleasing others, but when I met God and realized how much he loves me, I began wanting to please him,” he said.In Paraguay, Sicar coordinator Fátima Correa highlighted that the experience “was a time of growth and renewal. It allowed us to view our history with fresh eyes.” Sicar Paraguay 2026 team members. | Credit: Sicar Paraguay “It was a retreat organized by young people for young people, where every testimony reflected realities many of us could relate to,” she added.A couple from Argentina who participated in the retreat and are now married say that Sicar marked a turning point in their lives. “We arrived as boyfriend and girlfriend and returned with completely transformed hearts … today, we feel that one of the greatest fruits was our marriage.”A growing community in PeruSicar arrived in Peru in 2023 and has since established a growing community.Geraldine Spihlman, director of Sicar in Peru, explained that the initiative arose after a need was identified within youth ministry. “When young people reached the age of 24 or 25, they no longer had a place to continue their journey of faith,” she noted.Following contact with Mother María Elena, it was decided to launch the initiative in Lima, which holds two retreats a year: in May and November.Spihlman highlighted that the most visible fruit is the community: “Many young people have discovered that it’s hard to go it alone but that everything is easier in community. It is a community where you can see how they love one another.”Instagram post‘God’s mercy knows no bounds’One of the most common fruits of these retreats is a shift in how one views others.In personal encounters, transformation occurs not only for those receiving the retreat but also for those who put it on. “God’s mercy knows no bounds,” Mother María Elena stated. “You look at people with eyes of mercy. You no longer judge the person; instead, you see them as a child of God,” she explained.Eros Acevedo, another team member, said the retreat “was an encounter with God that changed everything … I arrived bearing wounds, and his presence touched them. I left renewed.” Sicar Peru team members, May 2026. | Credit: Sicar Peru Rafael Mansilla, 27, said Sicar taught him to persevere in the faith. “Faith is not a flame that goes out but a steady flame,” he said.Dina Dávila shared that the retreat was the instrument God used to call her. “The love I have experienced in the community is overwhelming,” she added.‘A living Jesus’Through the retreats, Mother María Elena explained, people are invited to encounter “a living Jesus.” “God continues to act; he continues to perform miracles every day,” she affirmed. She said she lives one day at a time. “Each day I tell the Lord, ‘For one more day, I say yes to you.’” Participants in a Sicar retreat in Mexico. | Credit: Sicar Mexico The Sicar retreat, born of a contemplative reading of the Gospel, continues to spread wherever young people seek meaning, healing, and an experience of mature faith.Today, the young “Samaritans” who have lived this experience carry with them the words that marked their encounter with God: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst” (Jn 4:14).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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Sicar: The retreat transforming the lives of young people in Latin America #Catholic The Sicar retreat (“Sychar” in the English Bible) has given rise to one of the most notable youth evangelization experiences in Latin America. It came about through a process of discernment by a Mexican religious in her own search for God, a dynamic movement that today reaches thousands of young people.With over 30 years of consecrated life, Mother María Elena Martínez has dedicated her life to the spiritual formation of young people and adults through “Mary, Mother of Love,” a private association of the faithful she founded in Mexico in 2015.The community is centered on retreats making a spiritual impact, such as Emmaus, which is held in parishes and correctional facilities, and Sicar, which is aimed specifically at young adults. Mother María Elena Martínez. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Her life, marked from childhood by a quest for God, would ultimately become bound up in an initiative that is active today in several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala, Paraguay, Argentina, and Peru.“I remember as a little girl I had a great thirst for God,” she shared in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.That initial calling deepened over time. At age 11, she recalled, a desire to please Jesus arose within her. “A desire for purity … I wanted to live a life of virginity,” she noted, explaining that she prayed insistently to the Virgin Mary, asking for that consecration. Mother María Elena Martínez in front of an oasis. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez However, her path was neither immediate nor direct. “Religious life wasn’t something that particularly appealed to me,” she admitted. In her youth, she went through various experiences ranging from completing a degree in translating to exploring broader spiritual concerns, which eventually led her to try out consecrated life with the Missionaries of Charity.Some time later, she tried cloistered contemplative life. “I wanted something more interior, deeper,” she confessed.A concern arises: ‘What about the young people?’The Sicar retreat did not originate as a planned initiative but rather as a pastoral response that only gradually took shape. According to Mother María Elena, for years many people approached her with the same concern: “What about the young people?” “Do something for the young people,” they would tell her. Sicar team members in Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez The Gospel account of the Samaritan woman began to take center stage in her prayer and discernment. Jesus’ dialogue at the well of Sychar — “If you knew the gift of God” (cf. Jn 4:1-42) — served as the starting point for helping young people discover Christ. “The passage about the Samaritan woman was so rich, so rich, that I could draw so much from it,” she explained.The decisive step came in 2016, when the first Sicar retreat was held. Mother María Elena remembered it as the beginning of something small and simple yet deeply meaningful. Young people with prior experience in movements like Emmaus were the first to participate. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Sicar began to expand. After establishing itself in cities such as Mexico City, Tehuacán, and Tecamachalco (in the state of Puebla), as well as San Luis de la Paz (Guanajuato state), Veracruz, Mérida (Yucatán state), and Cuernavaca (Morelos state), the initiative began to cross borders beyond Mexico. The first retreat in Guatemala took place in 2017; Buenos Aires in 2018; Paraguay in 2022; and in Peru in 2023.“It has been growing in many places, rescuing so many young people,” Mother María Elena said with gratitude.In Mexico, 38 Sicar retreats have been held with an average of 50 participants each, amounting to nearly 2,000 young people. In Peru, where the initiative arrived in 2023, seven retreats have already taken place with around 70 participants each, reaching approximately 490 people. Sicar Mexico. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Mother María Elena Martínez Ottmar Ricalde, a Sicar volunteer in Mexico, noted that “Sicar means and has meant so much over these past 10 years.” “I could write and speak about all the stories, all the laughter, and all the tears, but the most important thing of all is the love of God that has been a gift to me,” he stated.“My life was always focused on pleasing others, but when I met God and realized how much he loves me, I began wanting to please him,” he said.In Paraguay, Sicar coordinator Fátima Correa highlighted that the experience “was a time of growth and renewal. It allowed us to view our history with fresh eyes.” Sicar Paraguay 2026 team members. | Credit: Sicar Paraguay “It was a retreat organized by young people for young people, where every testimony reflected realities many of us could relate to,” she added.A couple from Argentina who participated in the retreat and are now married say that Sicar marked a turning point in their lives. “We arrived as boyfriend and girlfriend and returned with completely transformed hearts … today, we feel that one of the greatest fruits was our marriage.”A growing community in PeruSicar arrived in Peru in 2023 and has since established a growing community.Geraldine Spihlman, director of Sicar in Peru, explained that the initiative arose after a need was identified within youth ministry. “When young people reached the age of 24 or 25, they no longer had a place to continue their journey of faith,” she noted.Following contact with Mother María Elena, it was decided to launch the initiative in Lima, which holds two retreats a year: in May and November.Spihlman highlighted that the most visible fruit is the community: “Many young people have discovered that it’s hard to go it alone but that everything is easier in community. It is a community where you can see how they love one another.”Instagram post‘God’s mercy knows no bounds’One of the most common fruits of these retreats is a shift in how one views others.In personal encounters, transformation occurs not only for those receiving the retreat but also for those who put it on. “God’s mercy knows no bounds,” Mother María Elena stated. “You look at people with eyes of mercy. You no longer judge the person; instead, you see them as a child of God,” she explained.Eros Acevedo, another team member, said the retreat “was an encounter with God that changed everything … I arrived bearing wounds, and his presence touched them. I left renewed.” Sicar Peru team members, May 2026. | Credit: Sicar Peru Rafael Mansilla, 27, said Sicar taught him to persevere in the faith. “Faith is not a flame that goes out but a steady flame,” he said.Dina Dávila shared that the retreat was the instrument God used to call her. “The love I have experienced in the community is overwhelming,” she added.‘A living Jesus’Through the retreats, Mother María Elena explained, people are invited to encounter “a living Jesus.” “God continues to act; he continues to perform miracles every day,” she affirmed. She said she lives one day at a time. “Each day I tell the Lord, ‘For one more day, I say yes to you.’” Participants in a Sicar retreat in Mexico. | Credit: Sicar Mexico The Sicar retreat, born of a contemplative reading of the Gospel, continues to spread wherever young people seek meaning, healing, and an experience of mature faith.Today, the young “Samaritans” who have lived this experience carry with them the words that marked their encounter with God: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst” (Jn 4:14).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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Through her own spiritual journey seeking God, Mother María Elena Martínez founded a community and a retreat movement that is touching the lives of thousands of young people in Latin America.

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