Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 12, 2026
Jesus went to the district of Tyre.
He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.
She came and fell at his feet.
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,
and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.
For it is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied and said to him,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.
The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed
and the demon gone.
How often do we find ourselves in prayer asking God for things like a fair exam for a difficult class, green lights on a rushed morning commute, or even guidance in a practical decision? Now, how often do we find ourselves beseeching our Lord for the healing of a soul? The soul of one very dear to us, or our own?
Perhaps we tell ourselves, “I don’t really need help,” or “I can handle it myself,” but this passage from Mark reminds us that Christ desires neither our curated and unproblematic lives nor our self-sufficiency. Rather, he desires our hearts, freely given in an act of absolute trust, withholding nothing for ourselves. Not even withholding the strength that we want to believe is ours, for that too returns to the one who gave it to us in the first place.
Look at the woman. She is tired—she falls. She begs this man, this Jew about whom she has heard wondrous things, to heal her daughter, whom she loves. Such is her longing for healing that not even the reminder that she is a Gentile and therefore not one of the chosen descendants of Israel stops her from approaching Jesus again in humility. Would not the smallest crumb of this man’s care save her daughter from her distress? She is persistent: even so, Lord, even so, be mindful of the littlest of these. And so Jesus smiles and casts the demon from her daughter’s soul. She who is poor in spirit was blessed.
Jesus desires us, and he desires that we desire him. It is by humbling ourselves like the Syrophoenician woman that we ask him to lift us up. His arms are strong; they carried the cross. Obey his request, and let him help you carry your cross, too.
Prayer
Almighty Father, the woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit fell at the feet of Jesus with great devotion. With the same faith, may we also trust and commend ourselves to your healing grace. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Julian’s story has inspired people for generations. We have no date associated with his life, and even a location is difficult to pin down (somewhere in Europe—either in Italy or southern France), but his legend made him famous as patron saint of hospitality and entertainment workers.
The story goes that he was a nobleman and while he was out hunting one day, he received a vision that warned that he would kill his parents. He was horrified by the idea, and secretly moved far away.
He came into the service of a king, and grew to be a trusted advisor, marrying a wealthy widow and gaining knighthood. His parents set out to find him, traveling throughout the land. While Julian was out on a hunting party, they came upon the castle where he lived and inquired about him.
His wife told them that Julian was out hunting, but offered her bed to them for the night. When Julian returned that night and found two bodies in his bed, he assumed that his wife was being unfaithful, drew his sword and struck both bodies. His wife had been in the church saying her night prayers, and Julian met her when she returned. He was devastated to learn that his vision had come true.
He resolved to leave and give himself to the service of others until he gained assurance from God that he had performed a fitting penance for his sin. His wife joined him, and they traveled until they came to a river crossing. There they built a hospice to welcome weary and sick travelers, and Julian assisted people in crossing the river.
After many years, in the middle of one night, Julian heard a voice asking for help to cross the river. He found a leper nearly frozen to death, and helped him into the hospice to warm him and give him food. Seeing that the man would soon die from his exposure, Julian gave him the comfort of his own bed. The man was revealed to be a messenger from God, who announced that Julian’s penance was over.
St. Julian is patron saint of travelers, ferry workers, and hotel keepers. He is also patron of childless people, carnival workers, fiddlers, jugglers, murderers, and pilgrims.
St. Julian, your fantastic story inspired your patronage of innkeepers and fiddlers, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Julian the Hospitaller is in the public domain. Last accessed December 5, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
