Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
January 10, 2025
It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.
It seems so important that we make a positive difference in the world. For example, I hope I make a difference through my work as a teacher or in volunteer service. However, making a positive impact can’t be the only criterion of success.
When my wife and I volunteer at a nearby prison, it doesn’t change the oppression perpetuated by a flawed justice system. It doesn’t remove the challenges these men will face when they seek dignified employment outside of prison.
At work, I sometimes lack the bandwidth to help my middle schoolers through a difficult assignment or to listen as attentively as I should to understand their behavior. Furthermore, we encounter many people only fleetingly, never knowing how our actions helped or hurt them. Basing decisions purely on impact leads to impossible calculations and endless second-guessing.
Fortunately, today’s gospel shows that for Jesus and his followers, “impact” is not the metric that we must maximize. Jesus’ actions prioritize radical, incarnate love and intentional, humble prayer. Jesus took the time to speak with and touch one leper, though healing many with just a word would have been more efficient. He then carves out time for prayer, re-centering his work on the Father’s will.
This passage reminds us that our desire to do great, big things can never overshadow God’s call to love the neighbor he places in front of us, the individual in whom God is present. Furthermore, it invites us to shift from thinking, “How can my work make a difference?” to “How can my work be based on God’s will?” St. Teresa of Calcutta reminds us that we are not called to be successful but to be faithful. God will use our faith—maybe not to make the impact we desire, but to accomplish the work that God wills.
Prayer
Lord, to those who do good and are upright you, show your saving power. Help me to find your way of sincerity, patience and truth. May I always be humble in seeking your way and enable my faith to be filled with the blessing of charity in all things.
Saint of the Day
St. Agatho was born in Sicily, Italy, sometime around the turn of the sixth century and spent most of his life as a married businessman. In his later years, he felt God calling him to become a monk, and with his wife’s blessing, he left the business world to become one.
Because of his business acumen, he was given responsibility for the treasury of the Church in Rome. He was later elected pope in 678. He only served as pope for three years, but accomplished several important things during that time. He resolved a dispute between clerics in England and convened an ecumenical council to articulate the nature of Jesus’ will, which was in dispute and the cause of several schisms. The council reunited the eastern Church in Constantinople with the Church in Rome—the representatives recognized that “Peter spoke by Agatho.”
St. Agatho was known as a kind and sweet man—his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He lived in difficult times, as barbarian invasions constantly interrupted life. Many people did not have the luxury of a refined education, such as he had, because they spent their time fighting or working to provide food and shelter. “But we preserve,” he said, “the faith that has been handed down to us.”
Pope St. Agatho, you left your life as a married businessman to lead the Church and heal divisions, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Agatho is in the public domain. Last accessed November 14, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
_-_cropped.jpg){kind=link}