Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 5, 2026
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
I have a friendly, long-standing argument with several friends and family members about packing for trips. I’m firmly in the camp of “Team Carry-On,” but many of my loved ones are “Team Checked Bag.” When I read this gospel passage, I can’t help thinking, “Ha! Jesus agrees with me!” (Like many Domers, I may have a bit of a competitive streak.)
Of course, modern carry-on suitcases and packing cubes (a must, by the way) can fit a lot of extras. I’m pretty sure Jesus isn’t challenging us to cram as much as we can into a small bag, but rather to step out in faith, away from our everyday comforts and belongings. I might be willing to limit myself to two pairs of shoes for a trip, but no food, no sack, no money, no second tunic? That’s scary.
But just as I find freedom in the nimbleness that light luggage affords, imagine what it must feel like to shed entirely all of our baggage and trust in God’s provision! As I read how the disciples were able to accomplish so much with seemingly so little, I know that we are also fittingly equipped to answer God’s call with whatever we have been given today. Such knowledge is more comforting than any earthly possession.
Prayer
Gracious God, you sent the disciples out two by two with little but trust in your word. So too you have sent us—in families, in ministry, in the company of Holy Cross. Remind us that we do not go alone. Give us courage to heal, patience to listen, and hearts that stay rooted in simplicity and love. May the homes and communities we enter feel your presence through us, and may your Spirit guide every step of our journey. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Agatha is one of the most famous virgin martyrs in the Catholic tradition. Like many early saints, it can be difficult to know what aspects of her legend are historically accurate, but her witness to the faith is undoubtedly a source of ongoing inspiration for us today.
It is said that she was a young, beautiful girl from a rich and well-known family in the early Church. As young girl, she resolutely declared herself a Christian in the midst of a persecution and promised her life to God.
A Roman official who admired her beauty tried to blackmail her. He threatened to charge her as a Christian unless she consented to sex with him. She refused, so he placed her in a brothel. There, she denied customers, and was thrown into prison, where she was beaten and tortured.
None of this succeeded in turning her from her faith, and she was sent back to her cell without food or drink for four days. There, she was comforted by a vision of St. Peter, who filled her dungeon with heavenly light.
She was further tortured until death. One of the tortures she suffered was to have her breasts cut off, which is why she is patron against breast cancer.
St. Agatha is named in one of the Eucharistic prayers at Mass and her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. Her image was created by Matthew Alderman '06 and is used here with his permission. In it, she holds a smoldering bowl and a metal snipper. She is honored in Sicily because devotion to her has stopped eruptions of the nearby volcano, Mt. Etna. By extension, she is patron saint of guilds of bell makers, either because fire alarms use bells, or because the casting of a bell involves lava-like molten metal.
Her feast day is a major celebration for the people of Sicily, where she was martyred, both because of her protection and because she is an emblem of the people's struggle against Roman rule. The motto below her image reads, Mentem sanctam spontaneam, honorem Deo et patriae liberationem, which translates to, "A Saintly and spontaneous mind, love of God and liberation of the homeland."
St. Agatha, patron saint for protection from breast cancer and fire—pray for us!
Image Credit: Illustration by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.