Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 17, 2026
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Reflection
When I teach Algebra to high school students, I often work with students who struggle with the fundamentals of mathematics, like working with fractions. My students often grow discouraged and downtrodden at the seemingly impossible tasks. Many times, my students want to throw in the towel, declaring, “I will never understand this! Mr. Betterly, why do you make math so difficult?”
This also discourages me, as I know I have given them tools for success. Thankfully, my students always persevere despite these challenges. After taking a moment to reset and attempt again, my students find success. I admire their commitment to learning and to growing beyond their challenges.
In this gospel passage, Christ the Teacher attempts to enlighten his students, the apostles, with a reminder of what he has taught them. The apostles grew hardened, much like a struggling Algebra student who is facing a challenging math problem. Jesus admonishes them, saying, “Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?” Jesus knows that he has taught the apostles and all of us everything we need to know.
Today, we are invited to reflect on the challenges we face in our lives. Do we have hardened hearts, like the apostles, who were unable to see and hear what Jesus had led them to discover? How can we approach these challenges like students in a math classroom? This gospel provides us with hope. The prophet Ezekiel says, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Let us pray that God will help us overcome our challenges to find true peace in Christ.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you multiplied the loaves so that your disciples would be one and would know that you are the bread of life. Give us today this daily bread: your flesh for the life of the world. Consume in us whatever prevents us from being consumed in you. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Alexis Falconieri was a wealthy noble in one of Italy’s most wealthy and cultured cities, yet he left that life behind him when Mary visited him and asked him to dedicate his life to God. The spirituality he helped forge continues to shape the world, and even reaches to Notre Dame.
He was born in Florence in 1200, the son of a wealthy merchant. Even as a child, he was known for his piety and humility.
As a young man, he joined an organization dedicated to honoring the Blessed Virgin, and in 1233, he and six other men from this group received a vision of Mary. She asked these seven young nobles to dedicate their lives to God, and they did, founding a religious order. They took up a common life together, and were later again visited by Mary, who held a black habit and told them, "I have chosen you to be my first Servants, and under this name you are to till my Son's vineyard. Here, too, is the habit which you are to wear; its dark color will recall the pangs which I suffered on the day when I stood by the cross of my only Son.”
They named the community the Order of the Servants of Mary, now known as the Servites. The order spread, especially through Germany and France, and within a few years, some 10,000 had joined their community.
The Servites were the first to promote a special devotion to Mary under the title, Our Lady of Sorrows. This devotion had a great impact upon Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross—he placed the Congregation under her patronage. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Sept. 15, remains an important day in the lives of the priests, brothers, and sisters of Holy Cross.
After receiving his vision of Mary, St. Alexis left all he had, took on a vow of poverty, and depended upon others for his food and shelter. Just months earlier, he had been seen as one of the most prominent nobles of Florence, and now he was wandering the region begging alms for the support of the Servite community.
His humility remained a defining characteristic—he thought himself unworthy to seek ordination to the priesthood. Alexis lived for 110 years.
St. Alexis Falconieri, who left a life as a prominent noble to become a humble servant of Mary—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Alexis Falconieri is in the public domain. Modified from the original. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
