Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 31, 2019
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
The last verse of today’s Gospel, at first, confused me. In fact, it seemed contrary to everything I thought I knew about Jesus. “To those who have, more will be given, and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” I thought those who “have” were to give to those who “have not.” Isn’t that what Jesus teaches? He repeatedly asks his followers to sell their belongings, give to the poor and follow him. So why would those who “have” get more, and those who have nothing lose even the little they have?
In our materialistic world, it’s easy to focus on “stuff.” But the “having” Jesus talks about is not about “having stuff.”
The meaning of this verse became clear when I added just one word—faith. “To those who have (faith) more will be given, and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” Now the Gospel begins to make more sense.
Jesus is the light that illuminates the entire room. He challenges us to step into his light. If we have enough faith to open our hearts to his light, that small faith will grow to an ever deeper and more lasting relationship with him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, through the incarnation of your Son, the Church bears the divine light of the anointed one. Let each of us bear the infinite measure: Christ alive in us. Overflowing with infinite grace, may we offer more than our life’s work. Give us courage to share the living Christ for all to see, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen
Saint of the Day
When he was just nine years old, St. John Bosco had a vivid dream that revealed to him the vocation that would shape his life: serving children.
John Bosco was born in 1815 in Northern Italy, and his father died when he was only 2. As a boy, John dreamed that he stood in a crowd of children who were fighting and cussing and he was failing to quiet them. A mysterious lady appeared and told him, “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows, but with gentleness and kindness. Take your shepherd’s staff and lead them to pasture.” As she spoke, the children turned into wild beasts and then into lambs.
John was disturbed by the dream, as he felt that what it commanded was an impossible task. Still, he could not let the vision go, and as he matured, it led him to minister to the poor and neglected boys who lived in Turin, Italy. He would perform magic tricks and juggling and acrobatics in order to gain their attention, and then he would teach them about the faith and invite them to attend Mass with him.
He soon had a constant crowd of several hundred boys following him around. When other priests or nuns tried to help, they tired or became frustrated. He had little money and many thought him to be out of his mind.
He opened several centers where young people could come to play and pray but was set back by finances and many people’s unwillingness to let a crowd of unruly children run through any property they owned. Don Bosco was undeterred and even began to let some of the children live in his home with his mother.
Money started to come in for his cause, and he opened a church for these children as well as a home and school. He encouraged boys to learn trades to become shoemakers and tailors, and persuaded many who had a vocation to the priesthood. Soon Don Bosco was serving, training, housing, and educating hundreds of boys, all with a gentleness and patience that these lost boys found nowhere else.
He became known as a popular preacher because of his eloquence and there were reports of miracles attributed to his intercession. At the height of an anti-clerical movement—when even the Jesuits had been expelled and several convents suppressed—he founded an order of priests to assist in this work with children. He named it the Salesians, after his favorite saint, St. Francis de Sales, and founded another order of women to work with girls, called the Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. The Salesian family also includes a community of brothers. The work of these orders continues today.
St. John Bosco died on January 31, 1888, and is honored as a patron saint of children and magicians. His story and image are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.
St. John Bosco, who loved neglected and unruly children with patience and gentleness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. John Bosco is an illustration by Julie Lonneman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of her art. Used with permission.