Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 28, 2026
The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem.
It was winter.
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe.
The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.
But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”
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.
Two years ago, I received a phone call from Notre Dame telling me that I would be moving 2,000 miles away to teach middle school math for the next 24 months. Leaving home made me uneasy; yet, I also felt an unexpected sense of peace. I have always thrived when having a clear plan, and this opportunity gave me a sense of purpose, even far from everything I knew.
Now, nearly two years later, after countless breakfast tacos and forming deep connections with more than two hundred new people, I find myself discerning what comes next. As I prepare to graduate from my master’s program, the decision is entirely mine, and that freedom feels both exhilarating and daunting.
In the gospel passage for today, the Jews wrestled with whether Jesus is truly the Messiah, despite the miracles they had witnessed. Their hesitation inspires something innately human: the desire for certainty on our own terms. I recognize that same restlessness; I know God has a plan for me, yet I catch myself asking what or when it will happen. I behave as if clarity should arrive on my terms. However, faith is not built on perfect answers; it is built on quiet willingness to remain open, even in the face of the unknown.
Today’s Scripture calls us to examine how much we approach God amidst uncertainty. Do we listen patiently, or do we demand immediate answers? Faith asks us to surrender the illusion of control and believe that God is already at work. Perhaps the deeper call is not to solve the future, but be present with the gifts unfolding now. Let us receive each moment as enough, and trust in God’s timing.
Prayer
Christ our Good Shepherd, you tirelessly seek out the lost, and you give strength to the weary sinner. In your unfathomable mercy, you never cease to pour out blessings upon those who despair of finding you. Help us to extend this same spirit of consolation to our brothers and sisters in need, and may we always imitate your example of tender care towards the poor. We ask this in your name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Even though he was born in a small village in the eastern part of France, St. Peter Chanel is the patron saint of Oceania because that is where he was martyred as a missionary.
Peter was born in 1803 in eastern France and was a shepherd boy until the family’s parish priest convinced Peter’s parents to let him attend the small school the priest had just opened. Peter was clearly both smart and faithful, and he was sent to a larger, Church-sponsored school.
There, he read letters from missionaries who had left France and come to America, and he was inspired to follow them. He continued to succeed in school, and entered the seminary.
He was ordained in 1827, and asked his bishop for permission to become a missionary, but the bishop denied his request, assigning him to a parish. Peter applied himself diligently to his ministry—he was known for his zeal and for his care for the sick—and within a few years, the parish was revitalized.
During this time, Peter came into contact with a group of priests gathering into a new missionary order dedicated to Mary. In 1831, he joined these Marists with the hope of finally reaching the missions, but they assigned him to be a spiritual director at a seminary. He stayed there for five years, helping the new order ground itself and receive official recognition.
Then, in 1836, the Marists were asked to send missionaries to islands in the south Pacific. Finally, Peter was allowed to follow his life’s longing, and he set out that year with seven others. After nearly a year’s voyage, Peter settled in Futuna, a small Polynesian island that is now part of the French-administered territory of Wallis and Futuna.
The group was welcomed to Futuna, and Peter set out to learn the local culture. After struggling with the language, he came to master it, and applied patience and courage to the isolation and poverty he met there. Slowly, his mission started to bear fruit among the local people.
Then, Futuna’s king came to fear Peter and Christianity because he saw that it would threaten his power and status. When the king’s own son sought baptism from Peter, the king decided that was enough. He enlisted his leading warrior, Musumusu, to kill Peter, and the soldier took a group of others to attack the missionary. They surprised Peter and clubbed him to death on this date in 1841.
It is said that Peter’s death led to many conversions, and that the whole island adopted Christianity soon after his death. The warrior who led the attack on Peter eventually claimed the faith for his own, and humbly asked that he be buried outside of the church that held Peter’s relics, so that anyone who came to honor Peter would have to walk over his grave to do it. Other relics of St. Peter rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica on campus.
St. Peter Chanel, you are patron saint of the south Pacific because you gave your life to bring the faith there—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Peter Chanel is in the public domain. Last accessed February 13, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
