Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 21, 2026
Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
Reflection
In today’s gospel, Jesus enters the synagogue and notices a man whose hand is withered. Others notice him too, but probably for very different reasons. The Pharisees watch the scene closely, hoping for an opportunity to accuse Jesus of breaking the law. However, Jesus simply sees a person. He sees a person whose dignity is not diminished by his disability but someone who deserves compassion over scrutiny and welcome more than judgement.
What impresses me most in this passage is Jesus’ invitation to “Come up here before us.” He calls the man from the margins into the center. In a community where disability often led to shame and exclusion, Jesus recognizes and welcomes the man to be served in the house of God.
The silence of the Pharisees, born of fear and rigidity, deeply contrasts with Jesus’ acceptance and love. It is possible to obey every rule and still fail to love. It is possible to be inside a house of worship and miss God standing in front of you.
Many in our communities know what it feels like to be watched rather than welcomed, evaluated rather than embraced. People with disabilities navigate neighborhoods, schools, and institutions built without them in mind. Today, Jesus reminds us that inclusion is not an optional, convenient kindness but rather a moral imperative: “Is it lawful to do good…to save life rather than destroy it?”
When we stretch out our hands toward those on the margins who feel unseen, unheard, or unwelcome, and invite them to the center, God restores more than one person. Our whole community is made anew.
Prayer
Teach us your priorities, Lord Jesus, so that we might have the wisdom to discern what is essential in following you. May we always choose what is good for others, especially those on the margins of society. Let others’ needs come before our wants. When we hear your voice today, soften our hardened hearts. We ask this in your name, Christ the Lover. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Agnes is one of the most famous early Christian martyrs and is mentioned in one of the Eucharistic prayers of the Mass. She is a patron saint of those seeking chastity and purity because of the legend around her martyrdom.
The story is told that Agnes was a stunningly beautiful girl of thirteen who lived in Rome when Emperor Diocletian began violently persecuting Christians in 303. Young nobles asked for her hand, but she declared herself the bride of Christ. Rebuffed, the young men formally accused her of being a Christian, and she was arrested and brought to trial.
The judge first began to entice her to deny her faith; she flatly refused. He soon turned to threats, and when they had no effect, he had instruments of torture brought forth. Agnes only grew in joy.
The judge knew she valued her purity above all, and threatened to expose her in a house of prostitution, that anyone in the city could come to defile her. “You may stain your sword with my blood,” she said, “but you will never be able to profane my body, which is consecrated to Christ.” The men who approached her in the brothel were awed by her holiness and left her alone.
Her suitors were by now enraged at her stubbornness, and they enticed the judge to order her beheaded. It is said that she went to the place of her execution as joyfully as if she were headed to her wedding.
All of this information cannot be proven true, and is likely full of elaboration, but based on archeological evidence, it is true that a young girl of thirteen, a virgin named Agnes, was martyred in Rome and honored for her sacrifice. A church was built over her tomb, and her relics were venerated.
Agnes is often represented with a lamb because the Latin word for lamb, agnus, resembles her name. Additionally, some traditions say that she was killed by being stabbed in the throat—similar to how lambs are slaughtered.
On this date every year, two white lambs are blessed in the church in Rome that is dedicated to her. The lambs are cared for until it is time for their shearing, and their wool is woven into pallia, small round collars. The pallia are laid upon the altar above the tomb of St. Peter and then sent to new archbishops around the world as a symbol of their authority and union with the pope.
St. Agnes is represented in today's featured image of the mural from the walls of the Basilica.
St. Agnes, the courageous young girl who placed faithfulness over death—pray for us!