Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 23, 2021
Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Will there be enough for me?
As the youngest of five children, I remember sitting at the family dinner table waiting for the basket of dinner rolls to be passed around and anxiously wondering, “will there be enough for me?”
In the spiritual life, there is always enough; in fact, there is an abundance!
Jesus is the lamp on the lamp stand, the Light of the World. He is the source of all joy, all goodness, and all that we need.
Today, Jesus is encouraging us to consider how we can find abundance by reflecting his light to those we encounter.
I once made a retreat at Cloisters on the Platte in Gretna, Nebraska, where I was encouraged to make a spiritual accounting of the gifts and talents I have received from God. I wrote a list of all that is good in my life, recognizing Our Lord as the source of this abundance. Later, I was encouraged to list ways I could use my gifts and talents to be the “lamp” of Christ for others.
Thinking less often about our own needs and more about filling the needs of others does not always come naturally. When we fix our gaze upon the face of Jesus faithfully each day, however, this attitude becomes more intuitive.
We are called to reflect Christ’s radiance for everyone in our lives. It doesn’t have to be heroic. It can be phoning a relative just to say “hello”, visiting an elderly friend, or simply being fully present when engaging with family at home. As we make shining Christ’s light a daily habit, each day will bring us new opportunities to detach from our needs and care for others’.
When we put our focus into using the goodness we have received for others, we find that there is truly always enough.
Prayer
Father of all goodness, each day we discover anew the glory of your divine wisdom in the beauty of the earth and the opportunity to use our human gifts for your honor and glory. May these also be a sign of the unforeseen beauty and promise of your eternal kingdom where you live and reign with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Saint of the Day
St. Marianne Cope, known as St. Marianne of Moloka’i for her work with the lepers of Hawaii, was canonized on Oct. 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI.
Marianne was born in Germany in 1838, and one year after her birth, her family emigrated to Utica, New York. She attended her parish school until eighth grade when her father fell ill and she went to work in a factory to support the family. Her father died in 1862, and, when her siblings were all old enough to help support the family, she left her home to pursue a religious vocation.
Marianne joined an order of Franciscans and spent time educating children of immigrant families. She also helped open two hospitals in the area.
By 1883, Marianne had become Superior General of her order. She received a letter from the King of Hawaii asking for help for those who were quarantined on the leper colony of Moloka’i. The king had asked some fifty other religious organizations for aid and had been declined by all of them.
Marianne accepted the request and took six sisters with her to Hawaii. There, she managed a hospital for victims of leprosy and established another. She cared not only for those with leprosy, but for those impacted by the disease: orphans whose parents had the disease, and clergy who contracted leprosy while working with patients.
She worked tirelessly for these people, even into her old age. Even when Marianne grew old and needed a wheelchair to get around, she still managed to support the lepers there. Despite her many years in close contact with this highly contagious disease, Marianne never contracted leprosy herself. She lived to the ripe old age of eighty, finally passing away in August 1918. Soon after her death, several miracles were attributed to her intercession. St. Marianne Cope is the patron saint of those suffering from leprosy and HIV/AIDS.
St. Marianne Cope, you spent your life caring for the outcast lepers on Moloka’i—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Marianne Cope is in the public domain. Last accessed November 15, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
