Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
April 18, 2022
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
When I was asked to lead a rosary at the funeral Mass of my best friend’s mother, I froze in fear. My first impulse was to run away so I could deny the truth: I didn’t know how to pray the rosary. Staying would mean exposing myself as a fake. If I could have devised a cunning plan to hide the truth like the chief elders from today’s gospel, I would have.
To lead a resurrected life with Christ, we will be asked to do things that challenge us. I was insecure in my faith life. I went through all the motions to overcome my insecurities by overachieving in other service areas, but, truthfully, it was exhausting to keep up.
I was active in multiple outreaches of our parish. I was a lector and a Eucharistic Minister. I volunteered and served on the board at our children’s Catholic schools. But at the very core, I didn’t know my faith intimately.
Approaching the tomb of my insecurities, I searched for a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. I learned the rosary from my priest. I spent time reading daily scripture to better understand the heart of my faith. I read FaithND for thoughtful insights.
My insecurities challenged me to overcome my fears. Most importantly, I was no longer afraid as I grew in my understanding. Much like Jesus meeting his disciples at Galilee, I met him as I recited my very first rosary for my best friend’s mom.
The Risen Christ dwells within us. Allelujah.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the Easter joy with which you have blessed us. Drive this joy ever-deeper in our hearts, that our fears may dissolve and that we may find strength to give witness to our encounters with the risen Christ. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Marie was a French mother and wife who achieved sainthood in her heroic efforts to support and protect the faith among her family and fellow citizens.
She was born to the family of a high government official in Paris in 1566. Her aunt was head of a convent, and that’s where Marie received her education. She impressed the nuns at the convent, and would have joined them, except her parents wanted her to marry. She was their only surviving child.
She obeyed, and at 17 was married to Peter Acarie, an aristocratic lawyer who held an important position in the national treasury. Peter used his position to help Catholics who were fleeing England because of Protestant oppression.
Peter and Marie bore six children—three girls and three boys. All three girls entered a convent, in time, and one of the boys became a priest. All retained the piety and devotion they learned from their mother.
Peter was a strong supporter of a Catholic political party in France that opposed Protestant factions. When the political climate suddenly changed, Peter was on the wrong side of the new king, who exiled the family and confiscated his property. The family was reduced to poverty and nearly starved.
Marie took on the family’s cause and represented her husband before the court. She was able to prove his innocence, and he was granted permission to return to Paris. Their fortune had diminished, but she had won back his good name.
Marie was known for her charity, and many wealthy patrons—including Mary of Medici and other royalty—entrusted their almsgiving to her. She fed the hungry, assisted the elderly and forgotten, and helped the dying.
Marie was a mystic, even in the midst of her busy life, and she received two visions from St. Teresa of Avila, the nun who reformed the Carmelite order in Spain. The visions encouraged Marie to use her position to introduce these reformed Carmelites into France, which she did. Several convents were established, and Marie herself helped train young women for life as Carmelite sisters, even though she was a married laywoman.
When Peter died in 1613, Marie joined the Carmelite nuns for the last four years of her life. She took the name Mary of the Incarnation and joined a convent she helped to found, which was led by her daughter. Marie promised her daughter obedience and took on a role helping to wash dishes. She died of natural causes on Easter Sunday in 1618, and she is depicted in this stained glass window from the Basilica. She carries the banner of the Carmelites reformed by Teresa of Avila, and is also shown receiving a vision from Teresa.
St. Marie Acarie, you attained holiness as a busy wife and mother, pray for us!