Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 16, 2025
Children were brought to Jesus
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said,
“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
In just six lines, today’s gospel makes it abundantly clear that children have much to teach us about our spiritual lives. In particular, they call us to ponder trust and wonder.
Children are perhaps the best example we have of trust. A well-loved child rests assured that someone is caring for their needs and carrying their worries alongside them. And from this place of trust, they are able to approach the world authentically, displaying a fearless state of wonder with their incessant questions of “why.”
As we grow out of childhood and strive towards independence, we lose much of this ability to trust. We start to think we must have life under our control, or at least appear to. We forget how to surrender to the truth and to marvel with eyes wide open at the beautiful world around us. We forget how to approach life like a child.
This has been an area of great struggle for me as I’ve moved from college into the real world. I have found it difficult to balance a professional job that demands agency and a faith that demands trust. One of my favorite prayers to recenter my focus in this regard comes from the Litany of Trust: “From the false security that I have what it takes, deliver me, Jesus.”
For me, it does not feel natural to ask for deliverance from self-belief. It is a scary proposition to let go and let God. But recognizing our limitations and trusting that God will provide for our needs is an essential part of our spiritual journey. In an effort to take the next step on this journey, let us ask the Lord today for the trust and wonder of a child.
Prayer
Lord God, you came to us as a newborn child. As a child, you were dependent on Mary and Joseph to care for you, feed you and protect you. Help us understand our dependence on you, our God, father and mother to us, to care for us, protect us, and sustain us. We come to you this day as your children, asking you to be with us throughout this day, no matter what happens. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Stephen was crowned the first king of Hungary in 1001 and united that nation under Christianity.
He established the Church there, erecting churches and recommending bishops to lead in different regions. He commanded tithes to be paid to support new monasteries and parishes, and suppressed pagan beliefs.
He stayed close to the poor. Anyone could tell him their story and find a ready ear, but he made himself especially available to poor people. In one story, he disguised himself to distribute money and goods to the poor himself. A crowd gathered around him, and a small number roughed him up and took for themselves what he had intended to give to many. He laughed it off, happy to suffer for Christ, and resolved to never refuse support to any poor person who asked him.
His son, Blessed Emeric of Hungary, was to be heir to the throne, but he died in a hunting accident. Stephen was grief-stricken and spent the rest of his life amidst bitter disputes about his succession.
He died from a painful illness in 1038. On his deathbed, he raised his right hand and asked the Virgin Mary to be Queen of Hungarians. His right hand remained incorrupt after his death and is kept intact as a relic. Known simply as the Holy Right, it is kept in Budapest to this day as a sign that Mary accepted his offer.
Shortly after his death, healings took place at the tomb of St. Stephen. He was canonized as the first confessor king—a new category of saint—and his relics are on display in the Basilica.
St. Stephen of Hungary, you cared most for those in need—pray for us!
Image Credit: Image by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.