WORKING AS IF GOD IS WATCHING - One Bread, One Body, 07/18/2026

Saturday, July 18, 2026, St. Camillus de Lellis

Micah 2:1-5
Psalm 10:1-4, 7-8, 14
Matthew 12:14-21

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WORKING AS IF GOD IS WATCHING
“The wicked man boasts, ‘He will not avenge it’; ‘There is no God…’ ” —Psalm 10:4

In today’s readings, the wicked believe that God is passive. They assume God does not see their wicked acts, that “He will not avenge” their wickedness (Ps 10:4). They imagine that God stands aloof and hides from the upright (Ps 10:1). “ ‘There is no God’ sums up [their] thoughts” (Ps 10:4). The wicked believe their triumph is complete, that no one can undermine the evil they have done (Mi 2:4).

Jesus reveals Himself as meek and gentle (Mt 11:29; 12:19-20). He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick (Mt 12:20). He waits and shows patience so that all might come to salvation (2 Pt 3:9). Yet the Lord does see (Ps 10:14). The Master has gone on a long journey and has handed over management of His household, His Kingdom on earth, to us, His stewards (Mt 24:45; 25:14). But He most assuredly is coming back, and when He returns, He will demand an account from us (Mt 25:19).

Therefore, let us be busy serving Him, dispensing the ration of grain in due season (Lk 12:42) like Joseph in the Old Testament (Gn 41:47-57). It may seem at present as though God is passive and aloof, as if He is away on “a journey” (Mt 21:33). We might not sense any urgency to serve Him and His people. However, “the time is short” (1 Cor 7:29). The Lord is coming soon. Therefore, serve Him with diligence (Lk 12:36-37).

Prayer: Father, place an urgency in my heart to work for Your harvest (Mt 9:37-38).

Promise: “In His name, the Gentiles will find hope.” —Mt 12:21

Praise: St. Camillus was addicted to gambling until Jesus set him free of his addiction and led him to conversion and faith at the age of twenty-five.

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 12, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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AN OVER-TIME LOSS - One Bread, One Body, 07/17/2026

Friday, July 17, 2026,

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8
Isaiah 38:10-12, 16
Matthew 12:1-8

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AN OVER-TIME LOSS
“I will add fifteen years to your life.” —Isaiah 38:5

God healed King Hezekiah of a terminal illness and gave him an additional fifteen years of life (Is 38:5). How did Hezekiah use this gift? Three years into his extra fifteen years, Hezekiah, who had been childless, fathered a son, Manasseh, who would succeed him as king of Judah and continue the line which led to Jesus (Mt 1:10, 16). You would think that Hezekiah, who had been one of the few good and godly kings, would spend his remaining twelve years of life (2 Kgs 21:1) training young Manasseh in both the Jewish faith and in how to be a good king. Sadly, it seems that Hezekiah passed little on to his son. Manasseh was possibly the most evil king of Judah, and by the end of his fifty-five year reign, a culture of death had been entrenched in Judah.

What else did Hezekiah do with his final fifteen years of life? “Hezekiah...did not discharge his debt of gratitude, for he had become proud” (2 Chr 32:25). He pridefully aligned himself with Babylon and began the downfall of Israel (2 Kgs 20:12-19). He considered it a good thing that evil would fall on his son Manasseh and his other descendants instead of in his own lifetime (Is 39:8; 2 Kgs 20:17-19). “He built cities for himself” instead of teaching his son the faith (2 Chr 32:29).

Did Hezekiah fall into the trap of thinking that, since God spared him, he was in “good shape” with God and no longer needed to live in fear of the Lord? Did he become complacent and assume that Manasseh would just turn out well despite minimal fathering? Could we be just as complacent? “Do not grow lazy” (Heb 6:12).

Prayer: Jesus, each day may I live as if You were returning tonight.

Promise: “It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice.” —Mt 12:7

Praise: Rhonda, a home-schooling mother, brings her three children to Mass every day. She and her husband make the Mass and the Sacraments the foundation of their children’s education.

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 12, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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NOTHING BUT GRACE - One Bread, One Body, 07/16/2026

Thursday, July 16, 2026, Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
Psalm 102:13-21
Matthew 11:28-30

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NOTHING BUT GRACE
“The inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth.”—Isaiah 26:18

Isaiah prophesied that God’s people were like a pregnant woman “about to give birth” (Is 26:17). Her water broke, her contractions became more frequent, and her labor pains increased, as she writhed and cried out (Is 26:17-18). Finally, she delivered. But there was no baby. She gave “birth to wind” (Is 26:18).

The point of Isaiah’s prophecy is: “Salvation we have not achieved for the earth, the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth” (Is 26:18). In other words: “In no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God” (Ps 49:8). Isaiah also prophesied: “All our good deeds are like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves” (Is 64:5). Jesus bluntly stated: “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

We are like babies; we are totally dependent on the Lord (see Mt 18:2ff). St. Paul taught: “I repeat, it is owing to His favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your own doing, it is God’s gift; neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished” (Eph 2:8-9). “Everything is grace” (Rm 4:16).

“From His fullness have we all received, grace upon grace” (Jn 1:16, RSV-CE). Grace to you!

Prayer: Father, I rejoice to live in grace.

Promise: “Your souls will find rest, for My yoke is easy and My burden light.” —Mt 11:29-30

Praise: A group of lay Carmelite families spreads the Word of God by composing music, giving concerts at churches, and sharing God’s Word as they travel.



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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 12, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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THE SPIRIT OR DARKNESS? - One Bread, One Body, 07/15/2026

Wednesday, July 15, 2026, St. Bonaventure

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16
Psalm 94:5-10, 14-15
Matthew 11:25-27

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THE SPIRIT OR DARKNESS?
“Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to You I offer praise; for what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children.” —Matthew 11:25

Jesus rejoiced that His Father had hidden certain things “from the learned and the clever.” This does not mean that learning and education are useless or harmful, but that they are limited. God’s revelation transcends the human mind. Therefore, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not” (Prv 3:5).

Only by the Holy Spirit can we know “what lies at the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:11). Without the movement of the Holy Spirit, the most intelligent and educated people in the world are doomed to ignorance and even confusion, self-deception, and darkness. Therefore, we must cry out for the Holy Spirit to instruct us in everything, remind us of all that Jesus told us (Jn 14:26), and guide us to all truth (Jn 16:13), especially as He speaks through the teachings of the Church and her Bible. The Spirit will not only put ideas in our heads but words in our mouths (see Mt 10:20; 1 Cor 2:13). In the Spirit, we will hear the tiny, whispering sound of the Father’s voice (see 1 Kgs 19:12). “A voice shall sound in your ears: ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ when you would turn to the right or to the left” (Is 30:21).

Repent of your sins, go to Confession, give your life to Jesus. Ask for a renewal of your Baptism and Confirmation. Receive the Holy Spirit and God’s revelation. Receive truth and light.

Prayer: Father, I accept Your grace to stifle my carnal desires and be stirred up in the Spirit (see Gal 5:17).

Promise: “Judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it.” —Ps 94:15

Praise: It was written of St. Bonaventure that “whoever came to know him was drawn to a deep love of him.”

(For a related teaching on Power in the Spirit, listen to, download or order AV 64-1 or V 64 on our website.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 12, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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THE MIRACLE OF REPENTANCE - One Bread, One Body, 07/14/2026

Tuesday, July 14, 2026, St. Kateri Tekakwitha

Isaiah 7:1-9
Psalm 48:2-8
Matthew 11:20-24

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THE MIRACLE OF REPENTANCE
“If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have reformed in sackcloth and ashes long ago.” —Matthew 11:21

“When much has been given a man, much will be required of him. More will be asked of a man to whom more has been entrusted” (Lk 12:48). Jesus applies this Biblical principle to towns in which He did miracles (see Mt 11:20). If more miracles have been done in our towns, more is expected of us.

We who live in the New Covenant have seen countless people become new creations, born again, in the waters of Baptism.  The people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum saw nothing as miraculous as that. Jesus said it would be that way when He promised: “I solemnly assure you, the man who has faith in Me will do the works I do, and greater far than these” (Jn 14:12). The miracle-towns of Jesus’ time also never saw the miracle of people filled with the Holy Spirit. Moreover, no one ever imagined the miracle of Jesus giving Himself to us by turning bread and wine into His Body and Blood. In addition to these miracles, we have witnessed in the new covenant even more healings, deliverances, signs, and wonders than in the old covenant. We live in the presence of daily, frequent, awesome miracles. Because of this, we have a great responsibility to repent.

Prayer: Father, as You extend “Your hand in cures and signs and wonders,” may we repent (see Acts 4:30).

Promise: “Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!” —Is 7:9

Praise: St. Kateri often placed small wooden crosses at places throughout the forests surrounding her village. She loved reminders of the crucified Christ.

(For a related teaching on I Believe in Miracles, listen to, download or order AV 63-3 or V 63 on our website.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 12, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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ADDICTED TO SELF? - One Bread, One Body, 07/13/2026

Monday, July 13, 2026, St. Henry

Isaiah 1:10-17
Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23
Matthew 10:34—11:1

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ADDICTED TO SELF?
“He who seeks only himself brings himself to ruin, whereas he who brings himself to nought for Me discovers who he is.” —Matthew 10:39

To be disciples of Jesus, we must love Jesus more than we love our fathers, mothers, sons, or daughters (Mt 10:37). To some this seems difficult, but many other people feel so upset with their family members that it wouldn’t be hard to love them less.

However, to be disciples of Jesus, we must do something else which is almost unthinkable. We must deny our very selves (Lk 9:23), lose ourselves (Lk 9:24), and bring ourselves “to nought” for Jesus (Mt 10:39). We all are naturally addicted to self. It is impossible for us to stop our chronic narcissism. Yet nothing is impossible with God (Lk 1:37).

Only love can break the spell of self. The Lord proved His love for us by dying on the cross (Rm 5:8). The love of Christ crucified is the only key which can unlock our prisons of selfishness. Fix your eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2) crucified (see 1 Cor 2:2). Totally give yourself to Him. Then say: “I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living  in me” (Gal 2:19-20).

Prayer: Father, may I love myself (Lk 10:27) and hate my addiction to self.

Promise: “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before My eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged.” —Is 1:16-17

Praise: St. Henry and his wife St. Cunegunda are both canonized saints, modeling the graces available in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.



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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 12, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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FROM CLOD TO GOD - One Bread, One Body, 07/12/2026

Sunday, July 12, 2026, 15th Sunday Ordinary Time

Isaiah 55:10-11
Romans 8:18-23
Psalm 65:10-14
Matthew 13:1-23
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FROM CLOD TO GOD
“Thus You have prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, softening it with showers.” —Psalm 65:11

God the Father sends every resource necessary to transform our hearts from hard ground to soft, fruitful ground, drenching them with physical and spiritual showers from heaven (see Is 55:10-11). Jesus is constantly sowing His Word, everywhere and to every person (Mt 13:4ff). The Holy Spirit transforms our hearts from stony hearts to natural, soft, fruitful hearts (Ez 36:26). For rocky ground, the Word of God is “like a hammer shattering rocks” (Jer 23:29), breaking up hard clods of clay into good ground. The Word of God is “living and effective,” penetrating and breaking up rock-hard hearts (Heb 4:12-13).

So why doesn’t everyone melt and bear abundant fruit if the Holy Trinity and the Word are so effective and powerful? Jesus answers by quoting the prophet Isaiah (see Mt 13:14-15; Is 6:9-10), saying that by faithfully sowing an understandable message, it would be as if you were causing obstinacy rather than repentance. Isaiah 6:9-10 is quoted five times in the New Testament (Mt 13:14-15; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:40; Acts 28:26-27).

Jesus reminds us to faithfully spread God’s Word, regardless of the results. We must go out and sow (Mt 13:4). If people don’t receive God’s Word, we are not to be surprised. The New Testament has prepared us five times for this rejection. Like Jesus, we must attempt to reach our hearers on their level, using parables (Mt 13:13), stories, discourses, explanations, etc. In so doing, some will repent, turn back to Jesus, and be healed (Mt 13:15).

Prayer: Holy Spirit, here I am. Use me to sow Your Word to a world that is famished for Your Good News.

Promise: “I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us.” —Rm 8:18

Praise: Praise You, Jesus! With You and in You, we are raised up and given a place in the heavens (Eph 2:6). Alleluia!

(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)

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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant the "Nihil Obstat" ("Permission to Publish") for "One Bread, One Body."

"In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2026, through July 31, 2026. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 12, 2025"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.

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You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at http://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob

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