Daily Gospel Reflection

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January 13, 2024

Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 2:13-17
Listen to the Audio Version

Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Reflection

Erin Cain '11
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Just two words from Jesus are enough for Matthew to leave his whole life behind and begin anew. I imagine the warmth that must have been present in Jesus’ words, “Follow me.” In that instant, Matthew would have recognized not only that he was being called to change his ways, but also that he was loved and chosen. Jesus made him feel seen in the best and worst way, and he chose to follow.

Last summer, I went on pilgrimage with the Frassati Fellowship of NYC. On our journey in the footsteps of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, we hiked the Alps, taking in breathtaking landscapes. It was an incredible experience, though not one I would ever have sought on my own. I am not an outdoorsy person nor particularly athletic.

Before our hike, we reflected on the question: “Why do you climb mountains?” Perhaps it was to appreciate nature, push oneself to achieve more, or reach toward the heights. My honest answer, however, was that I climb mountains because my friends climb mountains. If it weren’t for their presence calling me on, I wouldn’t have been there.

Through being part of the Notre Dame community and the Frassati Fellowship, I’ve been blessed to have spiritual friendships that call me higher, literally and metaphorically. Yes, I was grateful to have taken in those mountaintop views, but what drew me up there were the friends who accompanied me. In their presence, I felt seen, known, and loved. Just as they led me up the mountain, they also led me closer to Christ. Something that would normally have been a heavy burden for me was made light. I wanted to remain in their company, so if they were climbing a mountain, so was I.

In the same way, whenever Jesus calls us, it is not without that sense of loving friendship that makes it possible for us to take the leap and dare to follow where he leads.

Prayer

Rev. Matthew Kuczora, C.S.C.

Loving God, you came to call us—we who are not perfect—and you came as the physician of our souls. Heal us, loving Lord, and inspire us to join the crowd of the imperfect who follow you to perfection in eternal life. Amen.

Saint of the Day

St. Hilary of Poitiers

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 37 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.