Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 11, 2019
Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
During college, I have found that while I normally have a vague idea of where my life is headed, I rarely know the details. Just this past week, I planned the classes I am going to take in the fall, knowing there are countless factors that could alter that plan. Not long after I pick my classes I’ll head home for the summer, over the course of which I’ll spend some time with my family and work. After that, I know (I hope, anyway) that I’ll come back to campus for two more semesters, take the classes I planned or others, and then graduate—and then who knows where I’ll be.
Questions about the future often come up in prayer, but rarely, if ever, do I leave my time in prayer feeling more certain about the details of my future. When the events that I have envisioned for months before finally play out, they often leave me confused, upset, and with basically no idea of where to go next. I have a really hard time approaching the Lord from this place of uncertainty with an attitude of acceptance; I often find myself asking the same question that the people ask Jesus in the Gospel today: “Who do you make yourself out to be?” In other words, who do you think you are?
So often our best-made plans fall apart and we are left with little idea of where to go or what to do next. But if Jesus really is who we profess him to be, then we must humble ourselves and accept his word and his will with obedience, ever hopeful in the promise of the resurrection.
Prayer
God in heaven, Jesus your Son spoke the truth, a truth rejected by many who heard him. We strive to live in that truth—we want our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to keep us faithful. Make us ever more aware of the life-giving promises that Jesus proclaimed, that we may live forever in your sight. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Stanislaus, one of the most famous Polish saints, was born in Poland in 1030. His parents were from a noble family, yet they were childless until their fervent prayers were answered with the birth of Stanislaus. As a result of this gift to their prayer, they dedicated their new baby to the service of God.
He was educated and ordained a priest, and his bishop gave him a prominent position in the cathedral in Krakow. He was an eloquent preacher and a great example of holiness—his words and actions inspired both laypeople and clergy. People came from all over for his advice.
The bishop offered to step down from his office so that Stanislaus could lead the Church there, but the saint would not hear of it. When the bishop died, though, the pope named him bishop of Krakow in 1072. As bishop, he continued his preaching and made regular visits to the people under his care. It is said that his house was crowded with poor people and that he maintained a list of widows and other people in crisis so that he could regularly offer them assistance.
The king of Poland at the time, Boleslaus II, was a cruel man known for his savagery in war and in the way he ruled his people. Stanislaus tried to correct the king, noting the scandal that his behavior caused, but he did not change his ways. When the king forcefully kidnapped the wife of a nobleman, the Polish nobility turned to government and Church leaders to do something. No one wanted to offend the king and incur his wrath, but Stanislaus was not afraid. He threatened the king with excommunication.
When the king did not release the nobleman’s wife, Stanislaus formally excommunicated Boleslaus. When the king tried to enter the cathedral for Mass, the priests would not celebrate the liturgy in his presence by order of Stanislaus. Boleslaus tracked Stanislaus down, found him in a chapel outside the city, and ordered his guards to kill him. They refused, and he entered the chapel with his own sword and killed Stanislaus.
Stanislaus’ body was cut to pieces and thrown about the countryside to be eaten by wild animals. Legend has it that eagles protected the remains until they could be collected and preserved as relics, some of which rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He is the patron saint of Poland.
St. Stanislaus, you are the patron saint of Poland who was not afraid to stand up to a cruel king—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Stanislaus is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed February 21, 2025.