Los Angeles Times
March 12, 2026
On this Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, Catholics in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms heard powerful Scripture passages that speak directly to the Church’s present moment.
The USCCB lectionary presents Jeremiah confronting a people who refuse to listen: “Hearken to my voice, and I will be your God… But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear.” Later, Jesus casts out a mute demon and declares, “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out devils, then the kingdom of God is come upon you,” followed by the stark warning: “He who is not with me is against me.”
In the 1962 Traditional Latin Mass calendar, Jeremias again calls for genuine reform at the Temple gates: “Make your ways and your doings good… Trust not in lying words.” The Gospel shows Jesus healing Simon’s mother-in-law and then the entire city at sunset, demonstrating the power of divine healing when the strong man is overcome.
These ancient texts arrive as the Society of St. Pius X proceeds with plans to consecrate new bishops on July 1, 2026, without papal mandate. In February the SSPX formally rejected a Vatican proposal for theological dialogue offered by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández under Pope Leo XIV, stating that certain post-conciliar teachings could not be treated as negotiable preconditions for reconciliation. The Holy See responded by warning that proceeding would constitute a decisive step toward formal schism.
Full official Vatican statement
Holy See’s initial dialogue offer
LifeSiteNews has provided extensive coverage:
SSPX Defies Vatican Warning, Moves Ahead With July 1 Episcopal Consecrations
Bishop Schneider: Excommunications Against SSPX Would Not Be Valid
America Magazine reports:
Vatican Holds Firm After SSPX Bishops’ Ordination Threats
SSPX Rejects Vatican Dialogue Offer
The Independent adds global perspective:
Pope Leo Faces Crisis as Breakaway Catholic Group Rejects Vatican Talks
Top rad-trad voices have connected these events directly to today’s readings. Dr. Taylor Marshall’s daily show highlighted Jeremiah’s call for obedience and Jesus’ warning about divided kingdoms, noting that the SSPX’s stance reflects a refusal to “trust in lying words” of false security. Catholic Family News and The Remnant have published extensive commentary framing the July 1 date as an act of spiritual healing in the face of what they describe as liturgical and doctrinal rupture.
The conversations unfold against broader world events. Pope Leo XIV continues to call for immediate ceasefires in ongoing conflicts, including Ukraine and the Middle East, echoing the same desire for peace and restoration seen in the healings of today’s Gospel.
Latin Mass communities supported by the Latin Mass Society report record attendance and renewed interest in the 1962 Missal as a source of stability. Daily side-by-side liturgy comparisons shared across platforms note how the miracle of healing the feverish woman and the casting out of the mute demon parallel the Church’s own need for restoration.
The readings invite every Catholic to examine where true obedience lies and where genuine healing is occurring. Jeremiah’s warning against empty Temple slogans and Jesus’ declaration that the Kingdom arrives when the strong man is bound offer a spiritual framework for navigating the present ecclesial moment.
As Lent continues and the July consecration date approaches, the ancient texts continue to speak with fresh urgency. They call the entire Church to listen, to gather rather than scatter, and to allow Christ to heal what is fevered and to cast out what silences the proclamation of the Faith.
Leave a Reply