HOMILIES FOR July. 20 to July 25, 2026. (weekdays). By: Rev. Fr. Clifford Atta Anim.

July 20 Monday. Mt 12:38-42

Today’s Gospel presents the Jews demanding a sign from Jesus to prove that He was truly sent by God. They wanted God to reveal Himself through something extraordinary, but Jesus exposes the deeper problem behind their request: they had failed to recognize that God was already present and speaking to them through Him. Often, we too make the mistake of looking for God only in extraordinary events, while failing to recognize His presence in the ordinary circumstances of our daily lives, in His Word, in the Sacraments, in the people around us, and in the quiet promptings of grace.

Jesus gives them the “sign of Jonah.” Just as Jonah was God’s messenger to the people of Nineveh, Jesus Himself is the definitive sign of God’s presence and saving love. The people of Nineveh listened to Jonah and repented, while the Queen of Sheba recognized God’s wisdom through Solomon. Yet Jesus declares that something greater than Jonah and Solomon is present among them. He is the Son of God, the Word made flesh, and the One who calls humanity to repentance and salvation. The ultimate sign will be the mystery of His death and Resurrection, through which He will bring salvation to the world.

The challenge for us is therefore not simply to ask God for signs, but to recognize the signs He has already given us. The important question is not, “What more must God do to prove Himself?” but, “Am I willing to recognize Christ and respond to Him?” Faith requires a heart that is humble enough to listen, repent, and obey.

Life message:

Let us examine our response to Jesus. Do we recognize Him and accept His Word, or do we continually demand signs before we believe? Like the people of Nineveh, may we listen to God’s call and repent. Like the Queen of Sheba, may we recognize the wisdom of Christ. Above all, may we accept Jesus as the greatest sign of God’s love and mercy, and respond to Him by living according to His Gospel. God bless you.

July 21 Tuesday. Mt 12:46-50

Today’s Gospel teaches us that our relationship with Jesus is not based merely on blood or family ties, but on our willingness to hear the Word of God and do His will. When Jesus is told that His mother and relatives are outside looking for Him, He points to His disciples and declares: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (Mk 3:34-35).

Jesus is not rejecting or dishonouring His Mother. On the contrary, Mary is the perfect example of the person who hears God’s Word and obeys it. At the Annunciation, she received God’s message with humility and responded, “Let it be with me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Therefore, Mary is not only the physical Mother of Jesus, but also the model disciple, because she perfectly lived the very teaching Jesus gives in today’s Gospel.

Through Baptism, we become adopted children of God and members of a new spiritual family. This means that Christians are called to see one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Our faith should therefore transform the way we relate to others, making us a family united by love, faith, and obedience to God’s will.

Life message:

Let us ask ourselves whether we are truly members of Jesus’ family. It is not enough to call ourselves Christians; we must hear God’s Word and put it into practice. Like Mary, let us respond to God’s will with faith and obedience. May our families and Christian communities become true spiritual families where Christ’s love, forgiveness, unity, and selfless service are clearly seen. God bless you.

July 22 Wednesday: St. Mary Magdalene

Today’s Gospel presents the beautiful encounter between Mary Magdalene and the Risen Jesus. At first, Mary does not recognize Him. She is so overwhelmed by grief and so focused on the empty tomb that she mistakes Jesus for the gardener. It is only when Jesus calls her by name, “Mary,” that her eyes are opened and she recognizes Him. This reminds us that the Risen Lord is often present to us even when, because of our fears, worries, grief, or spiritual blindness, we fail to recognize Him.

Mary Magdalene then becomes the first witness of the Resurrection. Jesus sends her to announce the Good News to the disciples, and her message is simple and powerful: “I have seen the Lord” (Jn 20:18). Her personal encounter with the Risen Christ becomes the foundation of her witness. She did not merely speak about something she had heard from others; she testified to what she herself had experienced.

Life message: We, too, can fail to recognize the presence of the Risen Lord because of our preoccupations, sins, and spiritual blindness. Let us open our hearts to encounter Him through prayer, the Sacraments, the Holy Eucharist, and the Word of God. Like Mary Magdalene, once we have encountered the Lord, we are called to become witnesses who can say through our lives, “I have seen the Lord.” May the presence of the Risen Christ strengthen us to resist temptation and to serve others through love, mercy, forgiveness, and works of charity. God bless you.

July 23 Thursday. Mt 13:10-17

Today’s Gospel explains why Jesus often spoke to the crowds in parables while giving His disciples a deeper explanation of their meaning. A parable is not merely a simple story; it invites the listener to look beyond the surface and discover the truth about God’s Kingdom. Jesus teaches that understanding God’s mysteries requires more than intelligence. It requires a humble and receptive heart.

The scribes and Pharisees often considered themselves knowledgeable in religious matters, yet their pride prevented them from recognizing Jesus and accepting His message. The ordinary people, on the other hand, were often more open to listening and allowing God’s Word to touch their lives. The problem, therefore, was not a lack of intelligence but a lack of openness. A proud heart can hear the Word of God without allowing it to change anything, while a humble heart listens and responds with faith.

Jesus then reminds His disciples of the blessing they have received. They are privileged to see the Messiah whom generations before them longed to see and to hear the Word of God directly from Him.

Life message: We are even more blessed because we have the Gospel, the Sacraments, and the teaching ministry of the Church to guide us. Let us therefore approach God’s Word with humility, asking the Holy Spirit to open our minds and hearts. May we recognize the living Christ in the Holy Eucharist, in the Scriptures, in the Sacraments, and in the Christian community. It is not enough to hear God’s Word; we must allow it to transform our lives and lead us to faithful action. God bless you.

July 24 Friday. Mt 13:18-23

Today’s Gospel gives us Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower. The sower is God, who continually sows His Word into our hearts through the Scriptures, the Church, our parents, teachers, priests, friends, and the circumstances of our lives. The seed is the Word of God, which has the power to transform and save us. However, the fruitfulness of the seed depends greatly on the condition of the soil, that is, the condition of our hearts.

The hardened path represents those whose hearts are closed to God because of pride, prejudice, laziness, fear, or indifference. The rocky soil represents those who receive God’s Word with enthusiasm but lack the depth and perseverance needed to remain faithful when difficulties come. The thorny soil represents those whose hearts are crowded by worldly anxieties, attachment to wealth, sinful habits, and excessive desire for pleasure, which gradually suffocate God’s Word. The good soil represents those who listen to God’s Word with open and humble hearts, accept it with faith, and put it into practice. Such people bear abundant fruit in their lives.

The same Word of God is offered to everyone, but not everyone responds to it in the same way. The question, therefore, is not whether God is sowing His Word, but whether we are allowing that Word to take root and bear fruit in us.

Life message:

Let us examine the condition of our hearts. Are we hardened by sin, shallow in our faith, or surrounded by worldly distractions? Let us ask the Holy Spirit to make our hearts good and fertile soil for God’s Word. May we listen attentively, meditate prayerfully, and live faithfully what God teaches us, so that our lives may bear abundant fruits of love, holiness, mercy, forgiveness, and service. God bless you.

July 25 Saturday: St. James, Apostle Mt 20:20-28.

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. James the Greater, one of the first Apostles called by Jesus and one of the members of His inner circle, together with Peter and John. James witnessed the Transfiguration, the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Together with his brother John, he was called a “Son of Thunder” because of his strong and sometimes impulsive character. Yet, Jesus patiently transformed James from a man of ambition and temper into a courageous witness who eventually gave his life for the Gospel. According to Acts 12:1-2, James became the first of the Twelve Apostles to suffer martyrdom.

In today’s Gospel, James and John seek positions of honour and authority in Jesus’ Kingdom. Jesus uses the occasion to teach them that greatness in God’s Kingdom is not measured by power, position, or privilege, but by humble service. “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Mt 20:26). Jesus Himself is the perfect model, for He “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28).

Life message:

As Christians, we are called to imitate Christ by becoming servants of others. True greatness is found not in seeking recognition or authority, but in loving, serving, and sacrificing ourselves for others. This is especially important for those entrusted with leadership in the Church. The Pope, bishops, priests, and all Christian leaders are called to lead through humble service. Let us ask St. James to help us overcome selfish ambition and to embrace the way of Christ, the way of sacrificial love, humble service, and faithful witness, even when it demands personal sacrifice. God bless you.