Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 2, 2022
Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
“This is truly the Prophet.”
Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?”
The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.”
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,
“Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?”
They answered and said to him,
“You are not from Galilee also, are you?
Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
Then each went to his own house.
Today’s dialogue takes place amid a large crowd. Some believe Jesus of Nazareth to be a prophet. Others believe he is the Christ—the Messiah promised by their ancestors. Not surprisingly, many in the crowd dispute the Messianic claim because Jesus was a Galilean. It was a divided group, to be sure.
The Pharisees and the chief priests wanted Jesus arrested and were surprised when the guards did not bring him before them, but the guards had personally experienced the authenticity of Jesus. There was no sense denying the truth.
Nicodemus also came to the aid of Jesus, reminding his brothers that Jewish law did not allow for someone to be condemned before listening to the individual’s defense. He was criticized and reminded that he had no authority over them. Moreover, they must have been confused by Nicodemus. As a Pharisee himself, he surely should have understood that Jesus could not be the Messiah, as “nothing good ever came from Galilee.” (Jn 1:45–46)
Of course, they would never be satisfied because Jesus was becoming a threat to the Pharisees, as more and more people began listening to his words and following him.
How often do we, like the Pharisees, find ourselves questioning and doubting truth for the sake of comfort or convenience? Maybe we should consider the times we are tempted to criticize those we disagree with and instead seek a deeper understanding of our differences with patience and discernment.
Jesus always invites us to be still and listen to our conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit. Imagine what we could discover in the depths of our hearts? Perhaps, the next time we want to instinctively judge others for whatever reason, instead, we pause, acknowledge the difference in our hearts, and offer love.
All things can be achieved through Christ.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you know well that our spirits are willing to follow you, but we are often overwhelmed by worldly desires. In your great love, send your Holy Spirit to drive out all that separates us from obeying your holy will. May we always see in you the way, the truth, and the life that leads to heaven, and may you give us the courage to help lead our brothers and sisters to eternal happiness with you. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Francis' parents were childless for many years until, through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, they were granted three children. When he was born in 1416, the couple named their first son after the great saint, and Francis came to emulate the man from Assisi throughout his whole life.
Francis went on a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi with his parents when he was a teenager. When they returned to his hometown of Paola, he took on the life of a hermit by living in a cave outside of the city, with the permission of his parents—he was barely 15 years old. He began to attract followers and he organized them into a religious community built around penance, humility, and love. The people of the surrounding area loved the brothers so much, they helped build a monastery for the community. Several other monasteries in this order sprang up in Italy—known as the Minims, their community still serves people today.
As he grew and matured, he was given the ability to read people’s minds and hearts, and worked many miracles. He cared greatly for the poor and those who were oppressed, and he spoke out against rulers in Italy, though they cared little for his advice. The king of Naples sent to have him imprisoned for speaking out against his sons, but when the guard met Francis, he was overcome by the man’s holiness and humility. He returned and convinced the king to leave Francis alone.
The king of France, Louis XI, was on his deathbed, terrified to die, when he heard about Francis, and thought that perhaps Francis could cure him. He petitioned the pope to have Francis travel to France, and Francis obeyed, but was unable to cure Louis. “The lives of kings are in the hands of God and have their appointed limits,” he told the king.
Francis did help the king prepare for death, however, and the king died in the arms of the holy man. Charles VIII, son of the king, kept Francis close for his wisdom, and helped build several more monasteries for Francis’ order. Francis used his position to influence the politics of his day—his counsel helped France restore peace between England and Spain, for example.
Francis lived the rest of his days in the monasteries Charles built for his order in France, and died there at the age of 91 on this date in 1507, which happened to be Good Friday.
In 1562, Protestant dissidents broke open his tomb, and found his remains incorrupt. They burned his body, but Catholics gathered his bones and preserved them as relics, some of which rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Francis of Paola, you advised kings and could read people’s hearts, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Francis of Paola is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Last accessed February 17, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
