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)
Gospel and Word of the Day – 01 July 2026 –
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)
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)