Daily Catholic Lectio
Fri, 8 Aug ‘25
Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time, Friday
Deuteronomy 4:32–40. Matthew 16:24–28
The Whole World
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet lose their soul—their life? Or what can one give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26)
When St. Francis Xavier stepped out of his classroom after delivering a lecture, Ignatius of Loyola whispered this very verse in his ear. That moment changed the direction of Xavier’s life forever.
This world and everything in it cannot give us lasting life.
We eat well in the morning, but feel hungry again by noon. We wear new clothes in the morning, but by evening they are dirty. We read a new book in the morning, only to find a better idea or feel outdated by night. We spend time with loved ones, laughing and enjoying their company—yet an unexplained emptiness creeps in by the evening.
Our body, our mind, and even our emotions often leave us unsatisfied. Even when they appear to give us fulfilment, it fades quickly into restlessness or emptiness.
Only the Soul-Centred Life Brings Fulfilment
Today’s Gospel invites us into something deeper—something beyond the body, beyond the mind, beyond our emotions. It calls us to a soul-centred, God-centred way of living. Only there can we find true and lasting fulfilment.
To begin this journey, Jesus says we must first lose something.
While the world tells us to add—food, clothes, degrees, relationships—Jesus calls us to subtract. Life is not in gaining more, but in letting go.
Think of it: when we came into the world, we brought nothing. We came from the fullness of God. As we grow, we begin to accumulate—clothes, food, shelter, education, people.
But near the end, all these begin to fall away: we lose appetite, live in smaller spaces, eat simpler meals, wear simpler clothes, have fewer friends, and lose bodily strength.
In the end, we return to the fullness of God.
Live with the End in Mind
Those who live with this end in mind will never lose their souls. They focus only on what truly matters. To give priority to the essential—this is the cross we are called to carry.
God’s Choice and Our Cross
In the first reading (Deuteronomy 4:32–40), the Lord recounts His mighty deeds for Israel. He reminds them that He chose them—not because of their strength, but because of His free will.
Those who accept God’s free choice must be ready to carry the crosses of daily life with joy.
Prayer
Lord, help us to value our soul above all. Teach us not to cling to the things of this world, but to hold fast to You, who are the source of true life. May we live each day remembering our beginning and our end—in You. Amen.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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