Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 7, 2020
A demoniac who was mute was brought to Jesus. And when the demon had been cast out, the one who had been mute spoke; and the crowds were amazed and said, “Never has anything like this been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “By the ruler of the demons he casts out the demons.”
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
There is certainly a lot going on in today’s gospel with multiple overlapping images and metaphors. Demons, sheep, shepherds, laborers and the harvest all feature in this short passage. At the center of this reading Jesus is described as carrying out the main actions that define his ministry: teaching, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing.
What really stands out to me is not just the actions of Jesus’ ministry, but the way he carries them out. The reading says, “when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them.” Some of the folks in the crowds were the same ones who accused him of casting out demons by the power of demons just a few lines earlier. Some of the folks in the crowds just wanted to try their luck at a quick fix for their problems from this local miracle worker and some of them were just there to see the show. And yet Jesus had compassion for them.
This reminds me of a concept in psychology introduced by Carl Rogers called “unconditional positive regard.” It is pretty much just what it sounds like: the foundational acceptance and support of a person regardless of his or her negative attitudes or actions. This is not an “I’m okay, you’re okay… it doesn’t really matter,” kind of attitude. It is fundamental openness towards others that is offered without condition. I think this type of openness is what Jesus is modeling for us in today’s reading. And I think this type of openness is sorely lacking in our society right now.
Jesus says that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Can we gather the harvest of Christ in our own time? Can we be laborers of compassion?
Prayer
Lord, you gave the human tongue power to give voice to our real thoughts and feelings. The crowds spoke words of praise and awe. The Pharisees spoke words of criticism and judgment. May our voice be raised in praise, always. And in the spirit of the second part of the Gospel, we pray for vocations to religious life and the priesthood. We pray too for the growth in holiness of all our sisters, brothers, and priests. May they continue to help us find our home in your heart. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Blessed Maria Romero Meneses was a modern-day social reformer who brought about a “revolution of charity” in Costa Rica.
She was born in Nicaragua in 1902, one of eight children who grew up in an upper class family. Maria received a very good education at a school staffed by sisters in a religious community founded by St. John Bosco—they were known as the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians.
When she was 12 years old, Maria fell sick with rheumatic fever, and struggled all year to regain her health. She was completely paralyzed for six months, but was patient and prayerful in her suffering, which she saw as a gift from God. Doctors reported that her heart was damaged from the sickness, but she appealed to Our Lady, Help of Christians, and received some sort of assurance that she would be healed.
When a friend from school visited her, she said, “I know that the Blessed Virgin will cure me.” A few days later, she regained her health and returned to school, fully recovered.
A spiritual director helped her sort through and better understand the mystical experiences she was having, and she realized that she was being called to religious life. She joined the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians—the nuns who staffed her school—and closely followed the spirituality of John Bosco.
In 1931, she was sent to Costa Rica, where she taught at a school for girls from wealthy families. She also went into the poor neighborhoods to teach the faith there, and to help people acquire practical skills for work. Her example moved students at the school, and many girls joined her work to improve the lives of the poor.
Maria began to understand her purpose in life—to encourage social development by helping wealthy people see how they could change the lives of poor people. She gathered resources and established recreational centers and food distribution organizations. In 1961, she opened a school for poor girls; a few years later, she opened a clinic and supported it by recruiting doctors and finding donations for medicine.
She had a vision to build a village for poor people that contained all they needed to flourish. In 1973, the first seven homes were built in a new development outside of the city named Centro San Josè—it grew to include a farm, a market, and a school where people could learn the faith and find job training. It also included a church dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians.
Maria knew that she was participating in God’s work, so she had every confidence that her efforts at social development would grow. She died of a heart attack on this date in 1977, and she is buried in the chapel in San Josè. She is the first Central American to be beatified.
Bl. Maria Romero Meneses, you brought about a revolution of charity in Costa Rica in the 1970s—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Bl. Maria Romero Meneses is in the public domain. Last accessed March 19, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
