Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 5, 2025
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.
I think celebrating birthdays is so important. It’s a natural, yearly opportunity to stop and be grateful for your life. In the Spanish languages, we do not say, “I am such and such years old.” We say, “I have such and such years.” It’s a reminder that we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow but we get to be alive today—it’s a gift that has been given and that we have received.
This notion became more profound to me after witnessing my abuelo’s passing. There is something holy and unfathomable about our final moments. Perhaps this is why we pray to Mary about “the hour of our death.”
Today’s gospel reminds me of one thing that I hope is true when I get to the hour of my death: that I will be able to hear and recognize the Lord. The different groups in the passage disagree about who Jesus is. Some wonder if he is Moses or the Messiah or possibly someone else. But the officers have the most clarity.
The officers were sent to arrest Jesus, but after hearing him speak, they did not. They returned empty-handed because they recognized that there was something extraordinary about the man, something unique enough for them to abandon their immediate duties.
This makes me wonder: would I be able to recognize Jesus? And if I did recognize him, would I be willing to change my ways? I think the ability for any of us to recognize Jesus begins with gratitude.
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
St. Vincent Ferrer was the most famous missionary of the 14th century.
He was born in 1350 to an English noble family living in Spain. When he was a child, his parents received an omen that Vincent would become a great holy man, and they taught him prayer and fasting and care for the poor. He joined the Dominican order and became a brilliant student. He progressed quickly through his education and took on a chair in philosophy in the best university of the region at the age of 21. He became known as a great preacher and teacher.
Vincent lived during a great schism in the Church, when rival popes were reigning from Rome and Avignon. He was called upon to serve as confessor and advisor to one of the rival popes, and his pleas for unity were ignored. His role was a great strain on him and he became sick. During his illness, he received a vision from Sts. Francis and Dominic, who told him that he was to go about preaching penance as they had done. His health was restored and he got permission to leave the papal court.
Thousands would gather to hear him preach as he traveled from town to town, and some even started to follow him around. Eventually, those who remained close to him were organized into a religious community; some of the group would stay behind in a place he visited to help people establish greater devotion and faithfulness in their lives.
Conversions and miracles were reported when people heard him preach. He spoke mainly on the realities of sin, death, hell, and eternity, and he preached with such vigor that many sobbed and some fainted. Though he only spoke in Spanish, he could be understood by those who spoke French, Italian, and German, as well as many who spoke other languages.
The disunity in the Church continued to trouble him, and his advice helped finally to bring about a resolution. He died on this date in 1419, during Holy Week, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Vincent Ferrer, great missionary and miracle-worker—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Vincent Ferrer is in the public domain. Last accessed February 17, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
