Week of July 12, 2026

Peace be upon you!
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This week, we have released a new faith formation video exploring why the Anointing of the Sick may be considered the sacrament par excellence of Christ’s healing ministry. This may be surprising, especially because the sacrament is sometimes treated as something reserved only for the final moments of life. Yet the Gospels repeatedly show Jesus drawing near to those who suffer, healing the sick, restoring dignity, and revealing the compassion of God through both word and touch.

At Saint Oscar Romero Ministries, we want to participate in this healing ministry of Christ. We are committed to praying with and for those who are sick, suffering, preparing for surgery, living with chronic illness, or carrying emotional and spiritual burdens. We also offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to those who request it. Through prayer, the laying on of hands, and anointing with oil, the Church asks Christ to bring strength, peace, forgiveness, healing, and hope.

This Sunday’s homily reflects on the demanding message found in Romans 6:3–11 and Matthew 5:20–26. Baptism is a beautiful entrance into the life of the Church, but Saint Paul reminds us that it is also a participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. In baptism, the old self is called to die so that a new life may begin. The Christian life is therefore not simply a matter of “praying, paying, and obeying,” nor can the kingdom of God be fully identified with any earthly church or institution. Our communities may point toward the kingdom, but the kingdom always transcends them.

Jesus also warns us not to dismiss the seemingly small sins of anger, contempt, and judgment. When we call another person a fool in our hearts, nurture resentment, or refuse communion, we wound both the other person and ourselves. Our own righteousness will never be enough, and we cannot save ourselves. Only God saves. Yet through grace, we can forgive as we have been forgiven and allow Christ to form within us a new pattern of patience, love, gratitude, mercy, and hope. As we celebrate the Eucharist, may we be transformed by what we receive and drawn more deeply into the healing and reconciling life of Christ.

Peace,
Rev. Ben