Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 13, 2020
After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
The disciples in the gospel model what it means to say “yes”. They hear Jesus’ call, drop what they are doing, and follow him. Today, we have the opportunity to practice saying yes to Christ. We already say yes to getting out of bed in the morning, working hard and late hours, caring for loved ones, and going to Mass. If we practice saying yes to Christ, we can say yes to him when he calls us.
Last year, I began the ascetical practice of taking cold showers. At first, I took pride in depriving myself of this worldly comfort. Then the practice became a nuance because it was demanding and unpleasant. However, by the end, it became a prayer. For nine months, every day before plunging into the cold water I said the simple prayer, “God says yes. Mary says yes. John says yes.” I said yes to God each day by challenging myself to be comfortable with the discomfort of being cold. After months of this simple prayer, I found that I could turn to God in other parts of my life that were unpleasant or uncomfortable with increasing ease.
When the disciples in today’s gospel say “yes” to Jesus’ call to follow him, they had no idea what such a leap of faith will entail. In saying yes, they left their families, their livelihoods, and their comforts behind, yet they were willing to be uncomfortable with uncertainty. They trusted Jesus and his proclamation of the Good News. If we practice saying “yes” to God in the small moments of our everyday lives, then when God calls us, like the apostles, we will also have the courage to say “yes” and run after Christ without hesitation.
Prayer
Almighty God, the first apostles left everything behind when Jesus invited them to follow him. Give us that same courage, so that we might follow you joyfully. Do not allow us to cling to the familiar things of this world, but instead increase our faith in your divine providence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Hilary was hailed by the best minds of his age as an “illustrious” teacher and a “most eloquent man”—high praise from St. Augustine and St. Jerome, two of the greatest theologians the Church has ever known.
He lived in the fourth century and was born and raised in Gaul, what is now France. His family was not Christian, and Hilary came to the faith through intellectual study. His curiosity and reasoning led him to refute polytheism, and when he started seeking one God, he found Scripture. The story of Moses, where God’s identity is revealed as “I am who am,” captivated him, and he immersed himself in the other writings. He was baptized as an adult in his 30s.
Before his conversion, he was married and had a daughter, and his family followed him when the people chose him as bishop of Poitiers. He adamantly refused his selection out of humility, but that just made the people want him more.
As bishop, his learning served the people of his region, and the Church as a whole. He wrote a commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, which still exists, and was an effective orator and poet. He once said that it was the work of his life to use all of his gifts to announce God to the world. He encouraged people to begin and end every action with a prayer.
Hilary fearlessly sought and defended truth—an important quality during his age, which was marked by the Arian heresy, a strain of thought that distorted the nature of Jesus. Because of his opposition to this heresy, and the political forces behind it, he was cast into exile for three years. He departed from Poitiers with an attitude as though he were leaving for a vacation—he welcomed the dangers and hardships he would face and kept his attention focused on God alone.
During his exile, he continued to write; one of his most important works from that time was about the Trinity. The earliest hymns we have in the Latin tradition can be traced to Hilary.
When he was restored to Poitiers, he was welcomed with a great celebration among the people. He was known as a gentle and friendly man, but was unflinching when he faced those who obstinately opposed the true faith.
Hilary died in 368, and was declared a doctor of the Church, a title given to 38 saints who are known for elucidating the faith by their words or example. He is patron saint of children with disabilities, mothers, and sick people; his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Hilary of Poitiers, you are the doctor of the Church who is patron saint of children with disabilities, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Hilary of Poitiers is in the public domain. Last accessed November 14, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
