Today’s readings speak to us
about what shapes a faithful heart
over time.

Not in moments of excitement,
but in seasons of testing.

In the first reading from James,
we hear a promise and a warning.

“Blessed is the man
who endures trial.”

Not the one who avoids difficulty,
but the one who remains faithful within it.

James makes something very clear.

God does not tempt us to sin.

Temptation does not come from God.
It arises from within us —
from disordered desire.

This matters.

It means that when faith is tested,
God is not trying to trap us.

He is trying to strengthen us.

Every good gift comes from above.

God is not inconsistent.
He is faithful.

Our hearts are the ones
that waver.

This prepares us
for the Gospel from Mark.

The disciples are in the boat
and they have forgotten to bring bread.

They are anxious.

Jesus speaks about
the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.

But they misunderstand.

They think He is talking about lunch.

Jesus is patient but firm.

“Do you not yet understand?”

They have seen miracles.
They have watched bread multiplied.

And yet they still worry
about scarcity.

Their eyes have seen,
but their hearts have not yet grasped.

This is a picture of spiritual immaturity.

God has already shown Himself faithful,
but fear still whispers.

This is why James speaks of endurance.

Faith grows when we trust God
not just when things go well,
but when they are uncertain.

This brings us to
the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order.

They were seven laymen
in Florence in the thirteenth century.

They were successful, respected,
and comfortable.

But they sensed a deeper call.

They chose to leave everything behind
to serve Christ
and honour His Mother.

They faced misunderstanding,
hardship,
and even opposition.

But they remained faithful.

They were not tempted by wealth.
They were not frightened by lack.

They trusted
that God would provide.

Their community grew not because of strategy,
but because of fidelity.

They did not chase success.

They endured.

This is exactly
what today’s readings are teaching.

The disciples are tempted to worry.
The Servite founders chose trust.

James reminds us
that God gives every good gift.

The Servite founders believed it.

The Gospel warns us
about the leaven of fear and pride.

The Servite founders lived free of both.

This is the difference
between spiritual infancy
and spiritual maturity.

One counts what it lacks.
The other remembers what God has already done.

One looks at the bread.
The other looks at the Lord.

We live in a world
that constantly reminds us
of what we do not have.

But the Gospel asks us
to remember
what we have received.

Faith that endures
is faith that remembers.

Remembers God’s mercy.
Remembers past grace.
Remembers that the Lord is faithful.

The Seven Holy Founders
built their lives on that truth.

So today we ask for their intercession.

That when we are tempted
to fear,
to complain,
or to rely on ourselves,
we may remember the God
who never fails.

For every good gift
comes from Him —
and those who endure in faith
will receive the crown of life.