July 19, 2026: Be Intenional

Be Intentional

Remember a few weekends ago, I was gone working on a Men's Retreat. It was a great experience for me and for the men from our parish who attended. While I was there, I talked with a man I know who has lost about 150 pounds. Wow! I asked him how he did it. He said, "I just started eating more intentionally." I like that.

Gee, I know there are plenty of times when I eat without thinking. I grab whatever is available, or I'll snarf down a bag of French Onion Sun Chips—my favorite junk food. But experts say intentional eating is one of the healthiest ways to lose weight—or gain weight, if that's your goal. Be intentional about what you eat and how much you eat. We all know what's good for us and what's not. Try it. This week, be a little more intentional.

But that idea goes far beyond eating. It applies to almost every part of life. Experts say one of the best habits for having a productive day is simply making your bed. Being intentional means watching your speed instead of driving on autopilot. For you teenagers, maybe it’s picking up your clothes instead of walking past them. It means putting your phone away during dinner. It means looking people in the eye when they speak. It means deciding how you're going to live instead of simply reacting to whatever the day throws at you.

That's exactly what we see in today's Gospel. The farmer intentionally leaves the weeds grow with the weeds.

Or intentionally planting a mustard seed, which grows to be the largest of bushes. Or the woman who measures out the flour and yeast for baking bread. This is all done intentionally to explain what the kingdom is like. 

Spiritual writer Matthew Kelly says this to those of us in our senior years: "Intentionality is the key to successful fourth-quarter living. People don't accidentally age gracefully. People don't accidentally die peacefully. And people don't accidentally leave behind legacies of hope, love, and encouragement. These all require intentionality."

It reminds me of the story about a couple planning a vacation to Florida. The husband had to leave a day early because of business, and his wife was going to join him the next day. When he arrived at the hotel, he decided to send her a quick email to let her know he'd arrived safely. Now this was before everyone had laptops or emails on their phone, so he had to use the hotel computer. In his haste, he mistyped her email address by one letter and sent it off without realizing his mistake. Unfortunately, the email went to a woman who had just returned home from her husband's funeral. After the funeral, she sat down at her computer to read the messages of condolence.

A few moments later, her daughter heard a loud thud and rushed into the room. She found her mother passed out on the floor. Looking at the computer screen, she saw the email that read: Subject: I Arrived Safely. 

My Dearest Wife, I just arrived and have checked in. Everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing you then. PS It's really hot down here.

In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that God knows the intention of the Holy Spirit to help us especially when we don’t know how to pray. 

So, this week, don't try to change your whole life. But pick out one or two things that you can do with intention. Maybe it’s how you eat, but maybe it’s giving thanks before eating. Maybe it's telling someone you love them. Maybe it's reaching out to someone you lost touch with. Maybe it's chatting with someone new after Mass.

One intentional choice. One day at a time. Because that's how saints are made—not by accident, but through thousands of small, loving choices made over a lifetime. And every time we gather around this altar, Jesus is intentional with us. He intentionally gives us his Body and Blood. He intentionally fills us with his grace. Then he sends us back into the world to become his heart, his hands, and his hope for others.

So, this week, don't live on autopilot. Live intentionally. Love intentionally. Pray intentionally. Forgive intentionally. And watch what God does through you.