Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 10, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Like most Catholics, I had to attend classes in first and second grades to prepare for my first Communion. At that age, my favorite lesson was learning how to hold my hands to receive the crackers we used to practice for the Eucharist. We would also memorize prayers, like the Our Father and Hail Mary. For our final test, we had to recite the Ten Commandments.
At that age, the Ten Commandments didn’t seem applicable to everyday life: Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not commit adultery. These rules don’t apply to thoughts that cross the mind of a 7-year-old. If we keep the Ten Commandments as simply a list we have memorized, we might have a stunted understanding of how we are to live as Christians.
In today’s gospel, Jesus is calling each of us to take the Commandments to heart. Do we take the time to read the Commandments and go deeper into what they mean? Fulfilling the Commandments takes more than just avoiding what they prohibit.
Jesus is also challenging us to teach the Commandments to others. This might be the most difficult part of this gospel—to love others authentically is to want heaven for them, no matter who they are. How do we share the truth of our faith with other people?
We are all made for heaven. We can get there and help others do the same by fulfilling what we find in Scripture.
Prayer
God, we long to enter the kingdom of heaven. We know that there, every tear will be wiped away and all will be made joy and light. Help us to follow the law and the prophets and your loving example. You promise us that in doing so we will be with you in the kingdom where you live and reign forever and ever.
Saint of the Day
Henry was a man who did everything he could to get to heaven.
He was born in northern Italy around 1250 to very poor parents. He never received an education, and could not read or write. He lived as a day worker in a city called Treviso, and this is how he provided for his wife and child.
When both his wife and child died, Henry dedicated himself to prayer and service to the poor. He continued to work as a laborer, but gave away everything he earned to people living in poverty. He sought only to serve God—if he wasn’t working, he was in a church attending Mass, praying, or having his confession heard.
Some biographies go out of the way to note that he was an odd-looking man—thick-set, short, with sunken eyes, a crooked mouth, and a long nose. Mean people and children would see him as an easy target and sometimes tease or mock him, but he responded only by praying for them. Most other people noticed him as a holy man, even if he wore ragged clothes and seemed to not fit in.
When Henry got old and could no longer work, a citizen sheltered and fed him. Henry secretly would give away to the poor most of the food that was intended for him. Even when he was extremely weak, he would continue to walk through the region to visit churches every day.
When he died on this date in 1315, the people of Treviso crowded to his room, seeking some artifact or relic. They found very little, however: some straw on which he slept, a log that served as his pillow, and a hair shirt that he wore as penance. When his body was moved to the cathedral, people broke into the church seeking some contact with Henry. At least 276 miracles were recorded within a few days of his death.
The reliquary chapel in the Basilica contains relics from two holy men named Henry—one is St. Henry, king, whose feast day is in July, and another is simply denoted with the name Henry and might be from this man.
Blessed Henry of Treviso, though you worked as a simple day laborer, you gave away all you earned to the poor—pray for us!