Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 13, 2021
Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:
Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Wow. This reading is full of woe for places I don’t know. Jesus is angry. In this excerpt, he seems to be the opposite of what we would expect from the Good Shepherd. My first inclination was to give up on this reading. All the reproach, sackcloth, ashes. I didn’t understand it—couldn’t relate to it.
Or could I? There must be something here I need to see.
The places we live reflect who we are. What do we want that reflection to show? Comfort, beauty, joy, and peace all come to my mind. How can I bring these to my community in my daily life and interaction with others? The face of God is in my neighbors all around me—in the taxi driver, the baker, the gardener, the jogger. Their faces remind me that “God is in this place.” In this way, the humblest space becomes sacred. That is no small miracle.
When we fail to recognize such things or bring about God’s presence where we live, our communities can become places like those Jesus criticizes in today’s gospel. Perhaps we need to live more consciously. We’ve become desensitized to the miracles that are all around us every day—in birdsong and breeze, sunlight through the trees, the laughter of children, the wave of a neighbor from across the street. We need to accept these small gifts with grace and a sense of wonder.
Our towns can be humble or grand on the surface, but that is not what matters, what defines us. What does is how we inhabit these spaces, how we live. Awareness of God’s presence can help us to live in truth and freedom, grace and kindness, justice, and holiness. May we all strive to build communities where Jesus would feel at home and would bless if he came to visit.
Prayer
Forgiving God, help us to repent of our sins and failings, and renew our lives by our imitation of you Son. May we be always grateful for the mighty deeds you have done for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Henry was the most important ruler of his time, and is remembered for his virtue and his careful tending of the Church and his people.
He was born in 972 to royalty in Bavaria, and was well-educated. At the age of 30, he was chosen emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. As emperor, he was surrounded at all times by honor, power, and wealth, and he fought pride and selfishness with constant attention to prayer, which gave him humility. He understood that his position was an opportunity to serve God and the people he led.
Still, he was an effective and savvy politician, and expanded the territory and influence of the empire. Along the way, he helped further establish the Church, restoring churches and monasteries in regions where it had been neglected. He wanted to spread the faith and support the poor, and the institutions he founded ensured that this work would continue past his own lifetime.
In one of his excursions against the Greeks, he fell sick and took rest at Monte Cassino, where it is said that he was cured through the intercession of St. Benedict. The illness left Henry partly disabled for the rest of his life.
Much of what has been passed down to us about Henry has been exaggerated because of his position, but it seems that he took as much care to govern himself as the empire. He helped in efforts to reform and renew the Church, and is considered the most important ruler in Europe at the beginning of the 11th century.
St. Henry’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Henry, you were the king who governed yourself with as much care as you did the empire—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Henry is in the public domain. Last accessed March 20, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
