Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
January 23, 2026
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.
Whether cooking dinner, shoveling the walk, completing academic research, or delivering a presentation at work, I’ve often found myself assisting someone who is a master of their craft. To my great good fortune, I’ve just as often found these masters to be wonderful teachers too. Even though they could easily finish the task at hand on their own, they’ve invited me to join them, gifting me their knowledge and their example, and bringing us closer in the process.
To put it another way, the invitation to help is for my benefit, not theirs. We can all picture a parent, spouse, teacher, or mentor who has beckoned us to join them like this. They extend themselves to us, pulling us to extend ourselves. Being in the presence of greatness elevates us.
Recalling moments like these offers us a helpful lens through which to view today’s Gospel. The group that Jesus summoned to a mountain in Galilee two thousand years ago to assist him in his work of salvation was made of flawed human beings. The all-powerful, all-knowing Son of God did not need any help from the apostles to accomplish his work. He summoned them so that, as Mark puts it, “they might be with him.”
Just as he did with the apostles, Jesus beckons us to unite our limited, imperfect efforts to his infinite, perfect love. It’s through these efforts that we grow closer to Jesus. Being in the presence of love itself transforms us into what God meant us to be. Ultimately, it’s how we accept Jesus’ invitation to be with him for eternity.
God, who hung the stars in the sky, wants our company. May we never lose sight of that amazing truth. What a joy it is to serve such a kind and generous master!
Prayer
Loving Father, these are the ones you called to a special role in your church, a role of leadership and ministry and ultimately of suffering, but suffering that leads to eternal life. Whatever our role may be, help us to see it as our personal call to use our unique and individual gifts to make you known, loved, and served. Help us to dwell, not on what we cannot do, but on what we are empowered to do using all the joy, strength, and love you have lavished upon us. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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 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.
