Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 23, 2025
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.”
Humility rescues us from our pride. It keeps us grounded and continually reveals the powerful essence of our faith.
Last summer, I spent two months in Frankfort, Kentucky, volunteering at a residential school for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Immersed in life alongside them, these individuals showed me the true meaning of joy. I gained perspective, understanding that, despite our differences, we are all united by our faith and called to be stewards of God’s love.
Oftentimes, we lose sight of what truly matters and become obsessed with worldly things. We hyper-fixate on what other people think of us, which can make us oblivious of the reality that “the greatest among [us] must be [our] servant.” In other words, it can become a habit that “all [our] works are performed to be seen.” Yet, in this passage, Christ reminds us that “[we] are all brothers.” Rather than doing good in search of praise and recognition, we must do so out of love.
Upon arriving in Kentucky, I was, at first, overwhelmed with sadness at the sight of it all. I couldn’t bear to witness the suffering these individuals endured daily. I felt guilty for being exempt from their pain. Yet, over time, my feelings were transformed from pain to purpose, hurt to hope. I began to see Jesus in all of my encounters, and I was filled with gratitude.
Looking back, I realize this change in heart was driven by love—a love that humbled me and kept me grounded. A love that rescued me from my pride and encouraged me to surrender so that I might experience life through a lens of faith.
Prayer
Jesus, you taught the crowd and your disciples that whoever was to be the greatest among them would be their servant. May all leaders be inspired by your example of humility, seeking not to exalt themselves at the expense of others, but rather to serve and support those under their care. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Rose of Lima was given the name Isabel when she was born in Peru in 1586. She was such a beautiful baby, however, that people could not help calling her Rose.
Her beauty grew as she aged, and she became the subject of much admiration. She decided to devote herself fully to Jesus, however, and the admiration became a distraction to her. She feared her beauty would distract others as well, so she would rub crushed pepper on her face to produce rashes and blisters.
Her devotion led her to take on severe mortifications, but she was devoted to those around her with similar intensity. When her parents fell into poverty, she worked to grow food in their garden and took on sewing jobs at night. She dedicated a room in her family’s home to care for orphans and the poor.
She wanted to enter a convent, but her parents would not give her permission because they wanted her to marry. She was obedient to her parents and did not join a convent. She did convince them of her vow of virginity, however—she clung to her single-hearted devotion to Christ and remained at home for her whole life, giving herself to prayer and good works. (She became a third-order Dominican, meaning that she took on the spirituality of the Dominicans as a private lay person.)
She is the patron of the Americas, the Philippines, and of florists. She is depicted, among other places, in a mural and in a window in the Basilica, wearing a crown of roses, and a number of her relics are kept in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Rose of Lima, your beauty transcended your body as you stubbornly sought holiness—pray for us!
To learn even more about Saint Rose of Lima, watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.
