Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 13, 2026
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
Today’s message appears to promote division and conflict. On further reflection, however, I don’t think Jesus is actually promoting division. Instead, he’s highlighting how following him can be hard and have difficult consequences.
Jesus is encouraging his disciples to fully invest in their faith, even though it could result in their closest family members being in conflict. In this passage, Jesus is teaching us about the true cost of discipleship. Following God’s word may cause hardship in this life. At the same time, Jesus is affirming that, where one is willing to follow his path—even where it is uncomfortable, or worse—there is an eternal reward. He affirms that when we receive him, when we spread his Word, and when we follow his lessons, we will receive salvation.
We can try to plan our lives, but it is God’s will that ultimately governs. God’s plan calls us to help others in ways that challenge us and are not easy for us. Jesus also says, though, that helping others could be as easy as giving someone a cup of cold water. It is then that we surrender our heart and soul to God’s plan and will, and that true life and the kingdom of heaven are found. Heaven is not found when we live out our plan through self-preservation or self-interest.
We are called by God to follow him on a path designed by him, and along our way to help others with the understanding that that is what we are called to do. We are called to stretch ourselves to help others with our whole heart and soul, and not to put ourselves before the needs of others.
When we do this, we are living the Good News.
Prayer
Lord, why are your commandments so hard? Please help us to take up our cross and follow after you, to lose our lives and so find them. We know that following you without reservation, we will receive more than we could ever imagine on our own. Even giving a cup of cold water is enough to demonstrate our love. Yet we seek to do much more. And so, help us in our struggles and help us as we struggle to serve and follow you. 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.
