Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 29, 2019
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark. I am reminded of a few days ago, as I sat in a dark church, waiting in silence for the Easter Vigil to begin. In many ways this is such an odd scene. Hundreds of people sitting quietly, expectantly, in the darkness. What would a passerby think as they walked by? How odd we must have looked. We are not unlike Nicodemus who set out in the dark many years ago. What were we really waiting, watching, hoping for?
Then, a voice breaks the silence, and slowly, the light of Christ fills the room, illuminating the faces of the children of God in our midst, waiting to say yes to the very thing that completely confused Nicodemus. Yes, we do believe in a God that lives. Yes, we do believe in a God that calls us out of darkness. Yes, we do believe in a new birth through baptism, and yes, we do believe in a life beyond this one. As we are bathed in this light that spreads from one Easter candle, I marvel at what a beautiful reminder this is of Christian life.
As Christians we say yes to the light.
As my brothers and sisters in this dark church, were saying yes to a second birth and life of radiant light, other Christian brothers and sisters were being killed. The darkness at these times seems so powerful, but even as our hearts are heavy and our minds confused like Nicodemus, I think of the shining faces of the newly baptized. Christ receives us in this darkness and transforms the darkness of this world and our own lives into light. So that, even in the darkness of grief, we may lift our faces to the light and proclaim: Christ is Risen, yes truly he is risen!
Prayer
Lord God, when we find ourselves approaching you timidly, like Nicodemus, guide us like Jesus did him to recognize how we have been born from above in water and the spirit. Empower us to live with courage, wisdom, and love. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Catherine, from the time she was a child, had an extraordinary and mystical sensitivity to the divine. It was this dynamic relationship with God that propelled her to become one of the greatest female saints we honor.
She was born in 1347 in Siena, Italy, the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa. At the age of 6, she received a vision in which Jesus reached out and blessed her. This encounter encouraged her to give her life to God, and even as a child, she would spend much time alone in prayer.
Her parents were concerned that she was not behaving like other little girls. They imposed punishments so that she would abandon her preoccupation with the spiritual life. She retained her sweet demeanor through it all, and did not waver in her devotion. Finally, they gave in and acknowledged that she had a special calling to follow.
As she grew into adulthood, her prayer life became even more intense. She would receive tremendous consolations in prayer, but also fierce temptations. At times, God would seem altogether absent, but would always be revealed to be with her in hidden ways.
Her life was marked by several visions and manifestations when she was visited by the Lord—usually, these apparitions preceded a turning point when she was to take on a new role. In one vision towards the end of her life, she received the stigmata, which became visible to other people only after she died. She never married, nor did she ever join a formal religious community, but a small group of people began to follow her in imitation of her way of life.
She began to spend her energy caring for the sick, and took on especially difficult patients. One woman she served suffered from a disfiguring cancer and another was a leper, and they both insulted her to her face and spread rumors about her behind her back. She persisted in her charity, though, and over time, they both changed their ways and came to respect her and accept her care.
When an outbreak of the plague struck Italy, Catherine cared for the sick and dying, and buried the dead, with great compassion. She became so well-known for her holiness and compassion that many people started to seek her out for wisdom and advice. Three priests were assigned to her so that they might hear the confessions of all of those who were converted to change their lives after speaking with her.
Her counsel was also sought amidst the division in the Church when the papacy was split between Rome and Avignon, France, during that period of history. She spent the last part of her life working to heal this division.
Catherine has been declared a doctor of the Church, a title given to 37 saints who are known for elucidating the faith by their words or example. Her letters and a treatise called “A Dialogue” are considered among the treasures of Christian spirituality. She is depicted in this image from the Pasquerilla East Hall Chapel, and her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus.
St. Catherine of Siena, doctor of the Church and bold preacher of Christ who advised popes—pray for us!
To learn even more about Saint Catherine of Siena, watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame