Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 26, 2026
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
As I read today’s gospel, I laughed out loud when I saw the line “the Pharisees did not realize what [Jesus] was trying to tell them.” Of course, they didn’t! But it’s not just the Pharisees who miss the point. I feel like a Pharisee almost every day. What is God trying to tell me? What does God want me to do? Which way do I turn next, Father?
Jesus offers us a second chance to understand, even within this gospel. I can just imagine him taking a deep breath, starting with the second parable, and trying to make it even clearer to those around him. Jesus tells us, “I am the gate… I came so that they might have life.” What an incredible blessing during this Easter season. God doesn’t just leave us alone to figure it out by ourselves; God sends Jesus to make it clear to us, to talk to us like children, to remind us of the mercy of God.
Spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year. During spring, we look around and see growth everywhere—new buds on the trees, flowers pushing their way up towards the sun, and baby animals being born. It seems so appropriate that the Easter season in the Catholic Church takes place in the spring and lasts 50 days. This is our chance to be reborn and to re-examine what God is calling us to do. What new growth can we open ourselves to this Easter season? Where can I hear God’s voice in my daily life? How can I try to follow God like Jesus reminds me to do in today’s gospel?
Every Easter season, we are given the opportunity to follow Jesus. What will you do with your chance this year?
Prayer
Lord, we know that you are our true hope. Help us to know the sound of your voice and to recognize it in others. In tuning our ear to your sound, may we work to share your life with those whom we meet. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel began as devotion to a particular image of Mary in Genazzano, Italy.
For many years, the town of Genazzano dedicated its tithes to the construction of the beautiful basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore, in Rome. In return, a church was built in Genazzano, and the Augustinian friars took charge of the church in 1356. Many pilgrims flocked to the church to pray to Mary.
The image of Our Lady of Good Counsel, shown here, purportedly appeared miraculously on the wall of the church when it had fallen into disrepair.
Art experts say that the image is from the early fifteenth century, the only surviving portion of a much larger fresco that had covered the church walls.
As pilgrims flocked to Genazzano and asked for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel, they attributed miracles and cures to Our Lady's intercession, and devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel spread throughout Italy. In 1903, Pope Leo XIII added the title to the Litany of Loreto, which honors Mary.
Popes, councils, and leagues of women have invoked her patronage and guardianship. She is the patron of the town of Essen in Germany and many of her devotees wear a white scapular as a sign of their trust in Mary.
One of the mottos inscribed on the scapular is a quote of Pope Leo XIII: "Child, listen to her counsels." Our Lady of Good Counsel is an apt title for Mary that reminds us that we can look to her as a wise mother to guide us. As Mary offered herself completely to God, to bring the divine plan of Salvation to completion, she is an excellent guide for us as we seek to make Christ's plans for us complete in our own lives.
Mary's counsel will always lead us back to her Son, our God, and therefore we can always trust that it will be very, very good.
Our Lady of Good Counsel, our mother and guide—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Our Lady of Counsel is in the public domain. Last accessed February 21, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
