Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 18, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, “Then who can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
Then Peter said in reply, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Peter sounds like someone who suspects that he is being overlooked and is not going to get his due share. “Look at all I’ve done! It’s not fair! Where is justice?”
Fair play to you, Peter. We all want to know what return we are going to get for our investment.
Jesus gives two answers. Both of them are cryptic, raising new questions. What does he mean about sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel? How could one receive back “a hundredfold” family members or land? And what is the “eternal life” that his followers are to receive?
Jesus is a good teacher. He doesn’t always answer our questions directly. But his indirect answer often gives us something to think about that invites us to change the focus of our questioning. When we set out to follow him, we are embarking on a learning curve that lasts as long as we live and changes our focus forever.
Peter’s question expresses a focus on his own rights and legitimate needs. Jesus is teaching him ways of shifting the focus from “What about me?” to “What about him?”. In all manner of different ways he leads us, step by step, to surrender–our lives, ourselves, and our wills–totally to him. The grace, freedom, and joy that this brings (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) is the return on our investment.
My community follows the Rule of St. Benedict. St. Benedict is, like his master, Jesus, a great teacher and educator. He calls the monastery a “school of the Lord’s service,” and his “Rule for Monks” is the curriculum. Following it day by day, sometimes struggling and falling, sometimes flying, we are gradually working towards the learning goal of “preferring nothing to Christ” as he calls it, finally shifting our focus from “What about me?” to “What about Jesus?”
Prayer
Christ our teacher, you call each of us to be free of the things that enslave us, and enter into the true freedom of the children of God. Open our hearts, that we may accept your invitation, “Come, follow me.” Give us the grace today to commit our whole selves more fully to you. Help us especially this day to overcome any attachments in our lives that prevent us from following you as energetically as we can. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Helen did more than perhaps any other female saint (aside from Mary) to spread the good news and establish the faith around the world.
She had humble beginnings—she was the daughter of an inn-keeper in ancient Rome. In about 270, the Roman general Constantius Chlorus met her at her family’s inn and married her. When he was made caesar, he was influenced to divorce her; by that time, Helen had already given birth to a son, Constantine.
When Constantius died, Helen’s son, Constantine, was acclaimed caesar by the army. Later, he was declared emperor, and in 313 issued the famous Edict of Milan, which ceased the persecution of Christians and promoted their toleration.
At about this time, Helen converted to the faith. Though she was 63 when she joined the Church, she had great zeal—it seemed as though she were making up for lost time. She wore simple, plain clothes to attend Mass at churches in Rome and supported the poor liberally with the resources at her disposal.
When Constantine’s power spread eastward, Helen visited Palestine to see the places where Jesus lived and died. She wanted to find those places and objects that were sacred to Christians and to preserve them for later generations. She is credited with finding the “true cross” on which Jesus was executed, and she built churches in Bethlehem, on the Mt. of Olives, and over the tomb of Jesus.
She spent the remainder of her life in the Holy Land—praying and supporting the Church there. She continued to live humbly, and when she met pilgrims, she showed them the greatest reverence—even serving them at table and washing their hands.
She used her position of power to support the poor and those who were suffering—wounded soldiers, mine workers, the imprisoned. She built churches and adorned many more. She died in 330.
The relics of St. Helen rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, as does a fragment from the true cross that she discovered. She is depicted there in stained glass.
St. Helen, you discovered the true cross and used your power to support the Church, pray for us!