Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
August 20, 2022
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
“Professor Heeder, you believe in me more than I believe in myself.” Most of my students are surprised when I tell them they are a gift, and each has a gift to share with others. When I comment on their exceptional work, they often say, “No one has ever said that to me.” My response is, “Well, no one must have been listening very closely to you.”
As a passionate educator in a university setting, I have thought for many years about how I might solve the college retention puzzle. A few years ago, I was walking by my church and had a eureka moment—the solution is in the humble service and love offered by our church.
We have heard the message in today’s gospel many times during the liturgical year: God is in charge, we are to serve, we are to be humble. Many of us, however, struggle to do these words. How might we bridge the gap between our intention to live these words and actually living them?
To go beyond the intellectual ascent to these foundational teachings of our faith, I recently selected three behaviors that I want to become habits: to listen more—because each person has value and worth; to believe others more—because we should not judge first and ask questions later; to love more—because this is how hearts connect in our daily encounters.
My hope is that as I practice these faith-inspired habits, my students in the university setting and others with whom I interact realize that they matter, belong, and can make a difference.
Today, let us all contemplate adopting a behavior or two that align with service, humility, and love—the kind of love that can inspire others to recognize that they are a gift and that they have gifts to give away.
Prayer
Dear Lord, today, you talk about being with people who put on airs, who think themselves more important or more knowledgeable than they really are. Oh, how we want to puncture them with a few well-chosen words! Yet in reality they may be the most frightened and lonely people around. Help us to serve them, to ease or grow out of their fear instead of condemning them.
Saint of the Day
St. Bernard of Clairvaux had words sweet as honey, and he used them to reinvigorate monasteries where men and women gave their lives to God in prayer.
He was born in 1090 in France and excelled in his education as a child. As a youth, he was well-loved by many—he was witty, attractive, and the depth of his character shone. Gradually, the idea formed in his mind that he was to leave the world for life as a monk. A community of monks had recently formed a monastery nearby and lived a strict life together. Bernard wondered if he might be called to join them.
One day, filled with anxiety about this decision, he went into a church and prayed that God would direct him to discover and follow God’s will. He received the firm resolution to enter the monastery. His many friends tried to dissuade him, but in conversations with him, they suddenly discovered a desire to join him in giving their lives to prayer—even those who had never considered religious life before. Because of his influence, 31 men in all followed him into the monastery. His eloquent appeals were irresistible.
Bernard entered the monastery wanting to disappear and be forgotten so as to only attend to God. After a few years, the abbot, seeing his extraordinary abilities, asked him to found another monastery with a dozen other monks. His holiness and witness encouraged others to join, and soon 130 lived in the monastery in a valley that came to be known as Clairvaux.
Healings and miracles began to be ascribed to him, including the restoration of the power of speech to a converted nobleman who was dying so that he could properly confess his sins. Bernard was sought after for his wisdom—princes and popes asked for his counsel in their affairs, and he struggled to meet the needs of those around him and still maintain a healthy prayer life, which he most desired. He never refused a challenge.
He was known for his preaching, especially his commentary on the Song of Songs. Bernard’s Clairvaux community spawned many more monasteries—nearly 70— ranging as far as Ireland.
Bernard died in 1153 and 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. St. Bernard was given the title Doctor Mellifluus—the “honey-sweet doctor”—for his eloquence. He is the patron saint of beekeepers and candlemakers and is depicted in stained glass in the Dillon Hall chapel (top image). The library of Moreau Seminary also depicts St. Bernard in stained glass, along with the symbol of a honey-producing beehive. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Bernard, the honey-sweet doctor, you convinced 31 of your friends to enter the monastery with you--pray for us!