Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 6, 2020
When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
He went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
What strikes me about this passage from Matthew is the arc from John being arrested to the tremendous growth in Jesus’ ministry.
We know from other Gospel writers that John’s arrest and beheading hit Jesus in a very personal way, but Matthew chooses to move quickly into how John’s arrest is a turning point for Jesus’ ministry. Jesus becomes significantly more active when John is forced to be inactive. Then Matthew demonstrates the exponential growth in how Jesus’ ministry immediately inspired “great crowds” to come to him for healing.
It can be hard to let go of disappointment in order to make room for something new to flourish. The old maxim “when God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window” rings true in hindsight, but standing in a room with no apparent open doors or windows can be a test of faith.
I have experienced this feeling many times. I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but when I gave up my salaried job, our finances didn’t work. I had to return to my knees and ask what God wanted of me. Slowly, God helped me see that I had been given a particular gift for Catholic education: God wanted me to serve there and to raise my kids.
Opening my heart helped me find a school with a daycare for teachers’ kids so that I could both serve in the classroom and be near my own children. Since then, God seems to help me grow more every year, taking on more committee work, becoming a department chair, and entering the Notre Dame’s Remick Program for Catholic School Leaders. This is truly the God of surprises!
Jesus was willing to step out in action when he heard his Father call. But there was also John’s willingness to die to self that allowed Jesus’ presence to grow. Similarly, when we are willing to let go of ourselves and our short-sighted desires, to truly listen to God’s voice, the Holy Spirit can guide our lives into something new.
The exponential growth of grace we see in this passage can also happen in our own lives, if we are brave enough to say yes to God.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you sent your Son as a Light to all people living in darkness and under the shadow of death. Open our minds and hearts so that we might hear and answer Jesus’ call to conversion in our lives. May we know the healing and mercy that Jesus came to bring, and may we take up our part in proclaiming the Good News of your kingdom to everyone we meet. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. André Bessette is the first saint from the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious community that founded the University of Notre Dame. In the United States, his feast day falls on the date of his death, January 6, but in the Congregation of Holy Cross and in Canada, his memorial is perpetually transferred to January 7.
Alfred Bessette was born in the town of Mont-Saint-Grégoire in Quebec on August 9, 1845, and he was orphaned by the time he was 12. He had to work to support himself and had little formal education, but from an early age, he had a lively faith and a strong devotion to St. Joseph. After a few years trying to find work in the United States, he returned to Quebec, where his childhood pastor encouraged him to consider a vocation to religious life. He sent Alfred to the Holy Cross Brothers with a note that said, “I am sending you a saint.”
Upon entering Holy Cross, Alfred took the name André and was assigned as doorkeeper of Notre Dame College in Montreal. Among his many duties, he greeted visitors and tended to their needs. Eventually, many people began to experience physical healings after praying with Brother André.
His reputation began to spread. So many people flocked to see him that the Congregation allowed him to see sick people at a trolley station across the street. The crowds got larger, more cures were reported, and Brother André became increasingly well-known. Through it all Brother André remained humble, often seeming confused that people would lavish such praise on him. He knew that the real source of these miraculous cures was St. Joseph’s intercession.
His desire to increase devotion to St. Joseph inspired him to found a shrine to his favorite saint across the street from Notre Dame College. He saved the money he earned from giving haircuts at five cents apiece, eventually earning the $200 he needed to construct a simple structure. This shrine opened in 1904, and in 1909 Brother André was released from his duties as doorkeeper and assigned full-time as the caretaker of the Oratory of St. Joseph.
The Oratory attracted large numbers of pilgrims, and plans were made to construct a large basilica. Brother André’s full-time ministry for the rest of his life was to receive the long lines of sick visitors who flocked to the Oratory to see him. He became known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal”, and thousands of miraculous healings were attributed to his intercession over the following decades.
Brother André died on January 6, 1937, at the age of 91. During the week that his body lay in state outside of St. Joseph’s Oratory, it is estimated that one million people braved the bitter Montreal winter to pay their respects. The basilica was eventually completed and remains a major pilgrimage site, attracting more than two million visitors a year. The side chapels are filled with the crutches of people healed through St. André’s prayers.
The reliquary chapel on campus contains relics of Br. André, and he is depicted in statuary and stained glass in many parts of campus. Our featured stained glass image is in the chapel in the Stinson-Remick Building. The first statue of St. André is from the chapel in Columba Hall, the residence for Holy Cross brothers on campus. The second statue adorns the front of the Eck Visitor's Center, the home of the Notre Dame Alumni Association and FaithND. His presence there reminds us that we carry out his ministry of service and hospitality to the Notre Dame family and the world. The image of the statue is from 2010, when it was adorned with wreath and garland on the occasion of his canonization. The portrait of Br. André is the work of Holy Cross priest, Ron Raab, '78, '82 M.Div.
St. André Bessette, C.S.C., who was devoted to St. Joseph and who welcomed the sick with the hospitality of Christ—pray for us!
To learn even more about Saint André Bessette, C.S.C., watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. To view, personalize, and share a digital card with a prayer to St. Andrè, click here.