Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 4, 2023
John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher),
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.
Advent and Christmas are full of family narratives—Mary and Elizabeth, Elizabeth and Zechariah, Jesus and John, and, of course, Joseph and the Holy Family.
Today’s gospel similarly weaves together family themes. John the Baptist and his friends spot Jesus. One of these friends, Andrew, invites himself to Jesus’ place, excitedly bringing along his brother Simon.
In an afternoon, the siblings’ lives transform as they become followers of Christ. During the brothers’ first encounter with Jesus, Simon receives the name Peter, foretelling his foundational role in the church.
My older sister Grace and I lived in Ryan Hall as undergraduates at Notre Dame. After evening homework, I often invited myself to Grace’s dorm room futon, where we would converse over tea and chocolate-covered pretzels.
Even now, over 2,000 miles apart, Grace and I talk all the time, sharing news, concerns, and stories. Not infrequently, our conversations grapple with the complexities of the church and Catholicism: questioning, discussing, and expressing hope or frustration.
Even though we never have all the answers, my sister embraces the journey of faith and life alongside me, helping illuminate paths forward. During Jesus’ ministry and in the early and uncertain days of the church, the siblings Simon Peter and Andrew probably exchanged countless questions and conversations.
Undoubtedly, the plan of salvation seemed unfathomable to them. After Jesus’ death, I imagine they supported one another in silence, rocks of stability for one another. They saw each other through uncertainty to the wondrous joy of the resurrection.
Our families—chosen or biological—invite us to share in their discoveries and help nudge us along the right paths in faith and life. May we all follow Simon Peter and Andrew’s example, seeking out the divine alongside those we love.
Prayer
Good and gracious God, when the apostles responded to Jesus’ invitation to come and follow him, they recognized him as the Messiah. Grant each of us the grace to follow Christ, who calls us each by name. We ask this in his holy name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized.
Born Elizabeth Bayley, today's saint was born in 1774 and came of age with our young nation during the tumultuous years of the American Revolution. The Bayley's were part of New York City high society, and Elizabeth was raised with all the comforts of a young heiress. In 1794, Elizabeth married a wealthy man named William Seton and their first years were full of happiness. The memory of that happiness would remain with Elizabeth in the hard years ahead.
William’s father suddenly died, and the young couple took on the care of William’s seven brothers and sisters. Soon after, William’s business failed and he contracted tuberculosis. In a desperate move to save William, they sailed to Italy for a warmer climate, where William had business partners, but he died there.
Elizabeth had a life-long love of Scripture, and the Word of God sustained her in these difficult years of her early widowhood. It was during her time in Italy that she awakened to Catholicism—especially the Eucharist—and she began taking instruction in the faith there. In 1805 she joined the Church, alienating many of her Episcopalian family members.
To support her family as a widow, and to provide for the education of her five small children, Elizabeth opened a school. At the invitation of Archbishop John Carroll and with the help of two other women, she opened a school in Maryland, one of the first free Catholic schools in America.
The small community was known as the Sisters of Charity and they adopted a common rule of life, which made an allowance for Elizabeth to continue to raise her children. Over time, the community would grow to six groups of nuns and grew rapidly, establishing many other orphanages and schools throughout the United States.
Elizabeth herself contracted tuberculosis but continued to guide her five children through her illness. She died at the age of 46 in 1821, after only sixteen years as a Catholic. Elizabeth was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI, the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is the patron saint of widows, the state of Maryland, and of Catholic Schools. A statue of St. Elizabeth sits in the Knott Hall Chapel on Notre Dame's campus. The Notre Dame Archives in the Hesburgh Library collects and maintains records that document the life of the Catholic Church and her people as lived in the American context—which includes material from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, patron saint of Catholic schools in the United States—pray for us!