Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 2, 2023
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
“Don’t let your hearts become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness”—that seems easy enough. I’m a bit past the age for “carousing” or “drunkenness” anyway.
But then the following line—“and the anxieties of daily life”—touches a nerve. Who among us has not been distracted by the anxieties of daily life? It’s all too easy to be consumed by the stressors we confront each day. From jobs and families to errands and chores, our lives are so full of busyness that we leave little space for God. At least, I know I do.
If we were honest with ourselves, we would admit that the priority we give these tasks and anxieties is our own choice because ultimately we make time for what and whom we love. We lose the forest for the trees because the trees feel imminent, distracting, and urgent. But Christ tells us today that we need to zoom out and recognize that what really matters is our relationship with God and whether we are doing God’s will.
One of my favorite songs of late is “30,000 Feet” by Ben Rector. In the chorus, he says, “It seems like you end up getting what you need. Yeah, looking down from 30,000 feet. Life’s been good to me.” Perhaps Jesus’ message today is similar: get some perspective. Don’t let the trivialities of our lives distract us from what matters from the gaze of eternity.
Let us pray today that we will not allow the “anxieties of daily life” to prevent us from seeing Christ. When we cut out the noise and truly pay attention, we can recognize that God provides all we need.
Prayer
O God, our life can be overwhelming at times. We are filled with anxiety, distracted by sin, and fall into complacency. Grant us the grace and strength to be faithful to you. Help us to remember the promise of your kingdom and the glory that awaits us. Keep us ever vigilant in the life that you call us to. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
The ancient Roman Martyrology, which lists the early Christians who died for the faith, contains the names of St. Bibiana and her family. Aside from this early testament, we do not know much for sure about these martyrs.
The stories that have been handed down tell of a Roman family—the couple Flavian and Dafrosa, and their two daughters, Demetria and Bibiana, all of whom were Christians who lived their faith with zeal, and were arrested in one of the persecutions of the Roman empire.
Flavian was marked on the face with a hot iron and banished from Rome to a labor camp, where he died from exertion, and his wife, Dafrosa, was beheaded. Demetria and Bibiana lost everything that they owned and were forced to live in dire poverty for five months. They stayed in their house and used the time for fasting and prayer.
Finally, the sisters were brought into court. Demetria confessed her faith before the judge, then collapsed and died on the spot. Bibiana was sentenced to “reformation” under a mentor of sorts, who tried to convince her to denounce her faith. Bibiana stayed faithful, and was then tortured and killed. Her body was left in the open for wild beasts to tear apart, but it was not touched.
The relics of Bibiana and her father, Flavian (whose feast day is Dec. 22), rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. A basilica named after St. Bibiana was dedicated to her in the fifth century and still stands in Rome today.
St. Bibiana, who suffered and was killed with her family for her faithfulness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Bibiana is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Last accessed November 21, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
