Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 16, 2022
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus
to put him to death.
When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place.
Many people followed him, and he cured them all,
but he warned them not to make him known.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved in whom I delight;
I shall place my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
He will not contend or cry out,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory.
And in his name the Gentiles will hope.
When people talk about the miracles Jesus performed, they tend to dwell on the show stoppers like turning water into wine or restoring sight to those who had long lived without it. While I feel comfortable ranking the resurrection as tops on the miracle list, I’d have to argue that Jesus’ restraint in the face of vicious, selfish bullies is easily a top three accomplishment during his earthly ministry. We can credit the Pharisees with defending their strict religious code, but, in blunt honesty, they were petty bullies protecting their stranglehold on power.
If you’ve ever been spit on, mocked, or struck in the face with an audience looking on (been there), you know that the immediate reaction to such an attack is embarrassment, shame, and a burning desire to retaliate. However, since bullies, by definition, punch down at those lower on the ladder of strength (physical or otherwise), most victims are left muttering into tear-soaked pillows that their oppressor’s day will someday come.
Because of perennial power imbalances, that day often never comes.
That’s what makes Jesus’ restraint so miraculously mind-boggling. In the realm of power imbalances, he was, and remains, incomparably stronger. The same person who was present at creation with his Father and the Holy Spirit, who could rally legions of avenging angels instantly, simply took it. He took it when the Pharisees disparaged him. He took it when the palace guard scourged him. He took it as he breathed his last on the cross, nailed and pierced, bleeding and mocked. In doing so, he won our salvation.
That’s a miracle I’ll never understand, nor will any of us fully deserve. Christ’s humble success that brought “justice to victory” is what keeps Jesus at the top of the savior list…forever.
Prayer
Merciful Father, you sent your Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with the fire of your grace and mercy. Help us to nurture a spirit of charity and forgiveness towards those who have trespassed against us. May we always find in you the courage and humility to raise up—and not condemn—our fellow sinners as we strive to follow the example of your Son. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is a title given to Mary as patron of the Carmelite religious community of contemplative monks, nuns, and priests.
The original Carmelites were hermits living on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land in the late 12th century. They chose Mt. Carmel because it is the place where the Old Testament prophet Elijah defended the purity of Israel’s faith. The monks built a chapel on the mount and dedicated it to “our lady of the place.”
The Carmelites celebrated a special feast on July 16 to mark the day that Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock and gave him the scapular. By the 1700s, this July 16 feast was being celebrated everywhere in the Church.
St. Simon Stock was an early Carmelite who received a vision of Mary on this date in 1251 in which she gave him the brown scapular. The scapular comes from a two-sided apron that monks wear while they work—a skinny poncho of sorts. In the vision, Mary handed Simon a scapular and told him that she would protect whoever wore it. The garment became part of the Carmelite habit, and appears in many other religious habits as well.
Many people wear a small version of the scapular under their shirts, which looks like two brown, square pieces of cloth that hang on the breast and back, connected by strings around one’s neck. It is worn as a devotional practice—as a way to call to mind Mary’s motherly protection and to ask for her prayerful assistance.
Some of the Church’s greatest saints were Carmelites, including St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese of Lisieux, all of whom are doctors of the Church.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, you gave us the scapular, and you protect and care for us as a mother—pray for us!
Image Credit: Image by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.