Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
February 16, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples: “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more than this comes from the evil one.”
As we move to the middle of February, and the follow through on those New Year’s resolutions starts to fade, the last paragraph of today’s gospel grabbed my attention. Whether it’s working out more, or promising not to let my prayer life wane, sometimes my “yes” isn’t always a lasting “yes” and my “no” isn’t always a lasting “no”.
But how comforting it is to know that although our own “yeses” and “nos” might be fleeting, conditional, or inconsistent, the love, forgiveness, and strength we receive from God is not. His ‘yes’ is always ‘YES!’
Yesterday was my son’s 6th birthday. When he was born prematurely and battled through significant issues in the neonatal ICU, God answered my prayers, despite my inconsistent “Yeses.” My wife and I could feel the comfort of the “YES!” he blessed us with as we placed a “Fighting Irish” sticker on his incubator and asked God to instill a fighting spirit into this tiny little child of ours.
I also think about the young men and women that answer the call to serve and defend our nation with a resounding and unwavering “YES!”. Last year, my wife and I were privileged to accompany a group of wounded, ill, and injured service members on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, known as Warriors to Lourdes. Many of these service members are hurting physically, emotionally, or spiritually. How beautiful it was to touch the stones of the Grotto that inspired Notre Dame’s own special and hallowed place of prayer. Alongside these Warriors, we witnessed Our Lady fill their hearts as she responded to them with a “YES—I feel your pain. YES—I love you. YES—I will protect you”.
May we all open hearts to this wonderful, everlasting, and unconditional “YES!”, and may we seek to do the same for others.
Prayer
Lord, you know all too well that it is so easy for us to hold on to resentments, to live with anger even at the slightest of offenses. Help us to forgive and reconcile with each other, so that we may come to know and accept your mercy in our lives and extend that same mercy to others. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today we honor a group of martyrs in the early Church who demonstrate the power of fearless witness of faith to inspire courage in others.
In the year 309, when the Roman empire was persecuting Christians, a group of faithful Egyptians traveled to Cilicia (in modern-day Turkey) to visit Christians who had been condemned to work in mines there because of their faith. On their return journey, they were stopped by guards in Caesarea. They willingly declared their status as Christians and the purpose of their trip.
They were immediately arrested, hung on the rack, and examined. The judge asked for their names and they offered names they had taken at their baptism: Elias, Jeremy, Isaiah, Samuel, Daniel, and Pamphilus. When they asked about their homeland, Elias answered that they were from the heavenly Jerusalem. The judge ordered them tortured and beheaded.
A young servant of Pamphilus named Porphyry requested that the new martyrs be buried, but the governor arrested him and, discovering that he was a Christian, had him tortured as well. Porphyry was martyred by being burned in a bonfire.
A man named Seleucus witnessed the burning of Porphyry and lauded the courage of the young man, who did not cry out during his beating or martyrdom. Soldiers nearby heard his comments and arrested him, and he, too, was beheaded.
It is easy to see the ripples of courage that spread through the community of faithful from the faithfulness of a few Christians imprisoned in a far-off mine. Their constancy and hope in suffering inspired others who faced death—it gave Elias and his friends the courage to cling to their faith no matter what. May it be so with us today.
Relics of Sts. Pamphilus, Jeremy, Samuel, Daniel, and Porphyry all rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica on campus.
St. Elias and his friends, you adopted the courage you saw in other martyrs who preferred death to renouncing faith, pray for us!