Daily Gospel Reflection

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January 19, 2024

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 3:13-19
Listen to the Audio Version

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Reflection

Teddy Whiteman '22
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The opening line for today’s reading invites us to consider God’s call for our lives and our response. We begin by extending Jesus’ invitation beyond the twelve apostles to Christians today.

The Latin word used for Christ’s call (vocavit) connects with our English word, vocation, designating this act as a new vocational role given to the disciples rather than merely a new title or singular responsibility. The apostles become participators in the divine will.

This vocational call extends to us Christians today. Let us not forget that vocations do not signify mere occupations. As a high school theology teacher, I experience frequent temptations to “check the boxes” of grading, instruction, and classroom discipline. In a sense, my vocation can devolve into an occupation, something to keep me busy throughout the day. Yet, today’s reading reminds us that Christ calls each of us to fulfill our vocation, not our occupation.

The above message may intimidate us, given that Christ’s call comes with the responsibility to respond well. This anxiety over fulfilling God’s will may poison our daily experience by forming a sentiment of vocation petrification.

In my own ministry, I know the worry of failing to show teenagers God’s love outpoured—feelings of inadequacy surge at the first sign of a frustrated or failing student. Yet, today’s reading reminds us that Christ chose who he wanted. Those select few included betrayers, deniers, power-hungry brothers, and doubters. If we were picking Christ’s disciples, most of us would view his selection as the bottom of the barrel, not the cream of the crop! Yet, Christ desires precisely the broken and the lowly to fulfill God’s vocation invitation.

Today, let us respond generously to God’s call for our vocation, even while we recognize our inadequacies.

Prayer

Members of the Holy Cross Novitiate

Eternal God, as we await the coming of your Son in glory, raise up men and women to bring your message of hope to a waiting world. Instill in them an unshakable trust in your divine providence and a zeal for ministry to inspire your people to a deeper confidence in your saving power. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Saint of the Day

St. Canute

As king of Denmark, St. Canute expanded the Church’s reach and power, and he is remembered as the first Danish saint—and the namesake of Notre Dame’s most famous football coach.

He was born in 1042, and ascended to the throne in 1080. He was ambitious and devout—he appropriated land for the Church and arranged for the support of clergy by enforcing tithes. He was generous in building churches and schools.

Canute was the grandson of another king Canute, who reigned over England, Denmark, and Norway in his age, and the young Canute imagined himself the rightful heir to this territory. He assembled his fleet to invade England in 1085, but was delayed by infighting and the attack was eventually abandoned.

Though he made the Church into a strong ally, he alienated his subjects by strictly enforcing tithes and the observance of feasts. A rebellion arose, and at one point, Canute was cornered by rebels in one of the churches he built. Canute received Communion and confessed his sins, even as bricks were being thrown through the windows. The rebels eventually broke through the doors and stormed inside, slaying Canute at the altar, along with his brother and 17 others.

Though he is noted as a martyr, it is not clear that he died for the faith, and his cause for sainthood might have been politically-motivated. Nevertheless, there were reports of miracles happening at his tomb. He was canonized in 1101, and as the first Danish saint, he is patron of Denmark. St. Canute is also the namesake of Notre Dame football coach, Knute Rockne (who immigrated from Norway).

Relics of St. Canute rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and the image of his slaying is used here with permission from Catholic.org.

St. Canute, patron saint of Denmark and Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne—pray for us!


Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Canute is in the public domain. Edited from the original. Last accessed November 22, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.