Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 29, 2025
Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘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 answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
Simple but pressing questions lie at the core of this interaction between Nicodemus and Jesus. We can learn a lot by reflecting on Nicodemus’ approach in his questions. In particular, I am struck by three features of his questions that can be instructive for our own spiritual growth.
Nicodemus seeks to understand with a genuine pursuit of truth. In other encounters in the gospels, Jesus faces questions grounded not in a desire to understand but rather in a devious plot to deceive. Nicodemus gets it right. His question in today’s gospel demonstrates his deep desire to understand, not to trick. The simple pursuit of truth should embody our questions as we seek to learn and grow in our faith.
Nicodemus goes to the right source with his question. It can be easy for us in an era of hyperconnectivity to be distracted and divert our existential or spiritual questions toward the wrong source, but Nicodemus reminds us that we need to discern the sources we consult and trust carefully.
Nicodemus says little, asking his question directly. Nicodemus’ humility is clear. He does not offer a verbose prelude to his question but instead knows that his job is to ask and listen. The four-word question he asks (“How can this happen?”) is a reminder that we do not need to seek to fill the empty space in our silent prayer in Eucharistic Adoration or at other points in our day. Our job simply is to seek and listen for those quiet movements of the Holy Spirit in our prayer.
May we ponder the character of Nicodemus today and pray that we might emulate his earnest, direct, and humble ways.
Prayer
Loving God, your Son, Jesus, was lifted up on the wood of the cross to bring spiritual healing and new life to those suffering from sin and death. Help us to always be mindful of those who suffer physically and spiritually. 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