Hearing The Word

A weekly newsletter delivering context and insight into the Sunday Gospels.

June 21, 2026

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 10:26-33

Jesus said to the Twelve:

"Fear no one.

Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,

nor secret that will not be known.

What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;

what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;

rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy

both soul and body in Gehenna.

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?

Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.

Even all the hairs of your head are counted.

So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others

I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.

But whoever denies me before others,

I will deny before my heavenly Father."

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What Begins In Secret

Rev. Patrick Brady

Parochial Administrator, Saint Stanislaus + Lansdale, Pa.

“Fear no one.” Three words that cut against the grain of human nature. Matthew places emphasis on this phrase in how he constructs this passage. The command not to fear appears three times in eight verses. Jesus speaks these words in the midst of the Missionary Discourse, offering extended instructions to the Twelve before he sends them out into a world that will not always welcome them. 

The instructions move in a clear arc, from whisper to proclamation. The Gospel cannot remain hidden. What begins in secret must eventually reach the rooftops. The Greek verb for “proclaim” (kēryssō) is the same word used for heralds announcing a king’s decree. 

The mandate to proclaim openly makes persecution likely. “Do not fear those who kill the body.” Stephen was stoned; James, beheaded; Peter, crucified upside down, was killed. Allegiance to Jesus can cost disciples family, livelihood, and even their lives. Jesus does not pretend otherwise. Instead, He reframes fear in the greater truth of Divine love: the God who judges the soul is also the Father who notices every sparrow that falls and counts every hair on our heads. 

The passage reaches its climax in Jesus’ words about acknowledgment and denial. What we confess publicly shapes us inwardly. Faith cannot live forever as a private sentiment. 

Matthew’s community almost certainly heard this as a direct word to their own predicament—a small, sometimes frightened group trying to live the faith in a hostile world. The world hasn’t changed. Nor has the Mission. 

Learning to Live My Faith Without Fear

~Dennis Mueller

Saint Albert the Great Church + Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Jesus gets real about discipleship in this Gospel. He tells us plainly that there is a battle for our soul, and that following Him requires more than casual commitment. I know how easy it is to slip into half-measures or indifference and how quickly that leaves room for the Enemy to work.



I feel that tension every day. I want to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, but I also feel the pressure to blend in, avoid awkward conversations, and keep my faith tucked quietly out of sight so as not to be judged, misunderstood, or rejected.  Jesus knows that about me and speaks into my fears directly with authority and tenderness when He says, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus isn’t offering sentimental comfort. He’s redirecting my gaze; inviting me to see myself the way the Father sees me. The Father knows my intentions, my struggles, and my sincere efforts to be faithful, including the motivations of my heart. “Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed.” God knows who I truly am, even when others don’t, and He loves me just the same.  If God cares for the small, insignificant sparrow then how much more does He watch over and care for me?

The real test is when Jesus calls me to acknowledge Him before others. Love isn’t meant to be hidden. My words, choices, and priorities are meant to reveal who I belong to and who I love. So, I’m challenged to witness my love for Him in my workplace, family, and community, and I am convicted when I don’t – when I give into fear or the culture that prefers faith to stay private.  Jesus reminds me that my witness matters, not just because it’s a testament of my love for Him, but also a real participation in His saving work.

And here’s the good news I think we can all cling to: We never walk this path alone. The Father sees and loves us. Christ stands with us. The Spirit strengthens and accompanies us. Our task is simply to be faithful, not fearful, and let our lives testify to our love for the One who calls us His own.