Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 10, 2022
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
“It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
The sixth and ninth commandments say: “You shall not commit adultery,” and “… You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife…” (Ex. 20:14,17). Christ baffles his listeners in today’s gospel by combining both—lusting for another person is to commit adultery without any physical contact.
Whoa, wait. Shouldn’t we be credited for remaining faithful to our commitments regardless of hidden feelings or desires? It depends on how honest we want to be with ourselves.
People have relied on hero and villain images to portray the best and the worst in us in every time and place. The simplest tales tell us that, while the hero is always good the villain is always evil. More complex stories admit that sometimes heroes can make bad choices while villains can make good choices. The most realistic, complex stories tell us that the virtues of a hero and the vices of a villain can be at odds inside the same, honest person.
It turns out that Jesus likes complex, honest stories.
Christ’s harsh words dare us to look deep inside to notice the subtleties of desire, purpose, and, yes, the sin leering within us. We may be startled by the severity of tearing out an eye or cutting off a hand, but these images compel us to consider the deeper meaning of removing things from our lives that can damage something far more precious—our hearts.
So much of the time, we resist Christ’s call. We gravitate to the simplest narratives of ourselves and others. All good? Look to the high priest in the community, who must be a saint. All bad? Judge the blind man or leper who must be very sinful to have such a physical curse.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus continuously challenges us with this idea of the hidden person of the heart because if we are brave enough to acknowledge, offer up, and cut out those parts of ourselves led by fear and lust, hope and love will grow there instead.
In this, we may be whole in Christ.
Prayer
Dear Lord, you remind us that it is not just our actions, but our attitudes and thoughts that can lead us astray. Be with us this day; send your peace into our hearts and minds so that throughout this day we are ever more aware of your gentle and loving presence in our lives. For we know our awareness of your presence within us keeps us from those thoughts, actions and attitudes that can too easily lead us astray. We pray this to you, Our God, forever and ever. Amen.
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!