Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 15, 2021
At that time,
John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
When the men came to the Lord, they said,
“John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask,
‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”
At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits;
he also granted sight to many who were blind.
And Jesus said to them in reply,
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard:
the blind regain their sight,
the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised,
the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
The repeated question in today’s gospel resonated with all who were present. It echoed both their hopes and their doubts.
Surrounded by civil strife, the people of the time brimmed with Messianic expectations. They knew that “the one who is to come” would save Israel from oppression and usher in an era of peace, but their notions of salvation and peace were too narrow. Jesus was working wonders all around them, but they were still unsure because he was not the savior they expected.
“Should we look for another?”
How often do we fall into the same trap? We imagine the world is falling apart and desperately yearn for someone to fix it. Rather than trusting in Jesus, “we look for another” and put unrealistic hope in different people, policies, or things. We develop expectations of how the world ought to be and how God ought to act.
Jesus answers. He quotes Isaiah, inviting us to ponder and pray with scripture more faithfully. Then he asks us to see, hear, and share. “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”
We must contemplate God’s actions in our lives. There are miracles to be seen everywhere, and God does amazing things in our lives every day. We need not look for another. Jesus has come to save the world, but his salvation is intimate and personal. He redeems it one soul at a time.
Let us turn to Notre Dame, our mother—the first to welcome the Messiah. She, who kept all things and reflected on them in her heart, will give us a heart like her own if we ask.
Prayer
Lord, we are like John the Baptist at times. We wonder if you really are “the one who is to come.” But how can we doubt when we have had the Good News proclaimed to us? Strengthen our faith to recognize you in the miracles you work in our day and in our lives.
Saint of the Day
St. Virginia Centurione Bracelli was an Italian woman in a struggling marriage until the death of her husband freed her to dedicate all of her resources to serving those most in need in her community.
She was born in 1587 in Genoa to a family of nobles. Though she felt a calling to dedicate her life to prayer and service in a religious community, she was given in marriage to a well-known and wealthy young man, Gaspare.
The couple had two daughters, but Gaspare’s attention was divided by pursuits of pleasure. Living harshly shortened his life, and Virginia found herself a widow by the time she was 20. Her father tried to arrange a second marriage, but she refused and made a vow of chastity.
While she remained obedient to her father in other matters, and never disregarded the care of her own children, she began to share her available time and resources with those in need. She felt called to serve God through the poor, and dedicated half of her wealth to those who lacked what they needed for a dignified life.
When her daughters had grown and accepted marriages, Virginia turned her full attention to helping orphans, the elderly, and the sick. War, epidemics, and famine all brought many suffering people to her doorstep. She began to go a step further, traveling to disreputable areas of the city to seek out those in danger, especially women.
An empty convent stood near the town, and she was given permission to rent it to care for children who were orphaned and suffering from a plague and famine. Other women came to join her in service. Within three years, some 300 were receiving care there, and the center was recognized as a hospital. She organized the women who came to help her into a community, and spent the rest of her life supporting their work to serve God through the poor.
Nobles and government officials called upon her to help mediate differences, and she gathered people to find ways to fight systems of inequality in the region. Despite all of these engagements, she never lost sight of the poor—she always had time and assistance to offer them, and continued to seek them out. She died on this date in 1651, and was canonized by Pope. St. John Paul II in 2003.
St. Virginia Centurione Bracelli, you served God through the poor, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Virginia Centurione Bracelli is in the public domain. Last accessed November 21, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
