Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 10, 2025
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”
This summer, I was blessed to go on a pilgrimage to Mexico City with Notre Dame Campus Ministry. As I entered the city of Our Lady of Guadalupe and roamed the streets of San Juan Diego, I could not help but think of my own mother.
Growing up, I often heard my mother’s immigration story; how she left Queretaro to seek a better life in the U.S. What always struck me was the sudden nature of her decision. She began by starting the story with “If you had told me, I would not have believed you.” I believe this is the very spirit of openness and vigilance Jesus shares with us today in this passage.
Jesus challenges us to have a pilgrim heart, an immigrant heart. He challenges us to be open to the suddenness of life and trust that whatever occurs, whether that be good or bad, he will use it for our sanctification. Nevertheless, it is easy to fall into routine and comfort and forget that we are not made for this world.
God purposely shakes us to keep us on guard and remind us that we are travelers; we are not yet home. When faced with the unexpected, we cry to God and ask why, and become frustrated when we do not get an immediate answer. Though with further reflection, we are later able to see why certain events had to occur. Yet, had we known at the moment, we would not have believed.
Let us pray that God continues to shake us out of finding home in this world, so that we may always have a pilgrim heart, constantly journeying towards heaven.
Prayer
Taking you for granted, dear Father, is as dangerous as taking any of our important relationships for granted. There’s too much at stake, and Jesus has promised that there will be repercussions for those who are lackadaisical—not just towards you, but to everyone who depends on us. We are honored that you would entrust so much to us, yet we are aware of our weaknesses and fears. We need your help and that of your Spirit so that we can fulfill your needs and desires. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Lawrence is one of the most venerated saints among the Christian martyrs, and his manner of death has inspired cooks to ask for his prayers.
He was one of seven deacons who served the Church in Rome. His role was to manage the material goods of the Christian community and to distribute financial support to the poor. In 257, the emperor ordered the suppression and persecution of Christians. The pope was arrested and killed, and Lawrence followed him four days later. This is all we know for certain of this saint’s life.
Other details have been filled in by the faithful. St. Ambrose and others have offered more details about his life, but it is unclear if these are embellishments or facts. The most prominent of these stories involves Lawrence’s clever retort to a greedy Roman official.
The official imagined that the Church held great wealth, and wanted to seize anything of value, such as the precious metals used in sacred vessels and candlesticks. He ordered Lawrence to hand over all of these things.
Lawrence replied to him, “The Church is indeed rich—the emperor has no treasure equal to what it possesses.” He asked for a few days to take an inventory and to set everything in order.
Then Lawrence went through Rome, seeking all of the poor people who were supported by the Church. On the appointed day, he lined them up—people who were disabled and blind and sick with leprosy, as well as widows and orphans. Then he invited the official to come and meet him.
When the official arrived and saw this collection of suffering people, he asked Lawrence what this meant. Lawrence replied, “What are you displeased at? These are the treasures of the Church.”
The official was infuriated and threatened to kill Lawrence slowly. He ordered a gridiron prepared over a bed of hot coals and had Lawrence roasted upon it. St. Ambrose tells us that while Lawrence’s body was subject to fire, his spirit was set aflame with divine love. In fact, it is said that after roasting on one side, Lawrence said to his executioner, “Let my body be turned; this side is broiled enough.”
Lawrence is certainly one of the most venerated martyrs of the early Church and is included in one of the Eucharistic prayers in the Mass. With an ironic nod, he is the patron saint against the threat of fire and of those who prepare food. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel of the Basilica, and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art holds this sketch of his martyrdom by Luigi Gregori. The image at the top is a detail from a fresco by Blessed Fra Angelico and depicts Lawrence distributing alms to the poor.
St. Lawrence, courageous martyr and patron of chefs and cooks, pray for us!
Luigi Gregori (Italian, 1819-1896), The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, n.d., graphite, ink, and wash on laid paper. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art: Gift of Luigi Gregori, AA1972.031.094.
