June 25, 2026
A reading from
the holy Gospel according to Matthew 7:21-29
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
The Gospel of the Lord.
June 25, 2026
Saint Who?
Saints Who Studied Law
Saint Bartolo Longo
Married layman († 1926) Feast: October 5
Bartolo was a handful when he was a little boy. He was impetuous, liked to mimic adults, and played pranks on his sister. When he was ten years old, his father died, and his mother remarried. As a teenager, Bartolo was initially sent to study to become a teacher, but he decided to practice law instead.
While studying law at the University of Naples, Bartolo was swept away by the revolutionary ideas promoted by his professors. Following their lead, he became an atheist, but also sought out seances to communicate with his late father. In a short time, he became a member of a cult as well as a satanic priest. Fortunately, a few fervent Catholics recognized the danger he was in and befriended him. After Bartolo had been exorcised of an evil spirit, he returned to the Church and wanted to devote his life to helping others grow in the love of God.
Bartolo’s dramatic personal experience, his rededication to prayer, and his law degree helped him over the following decades as he raised funds for charitable works such as orphanages, organized public events to promote the faith, and wrote books about the love of God. Bartolo’s central devotion was always the rosary, because he credited the intercession of the Blessed Mother for saving him from eternal damnation.
Merciful Lord, lead us back when we have wandered away from you.
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©Image : Christ on the Lake of Galilee, Jacopo Tintoretto (circle, 1518-1594), NGA, Washington D.C., USA. Photo Courtesy NGA Washington.
