Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
June 10, 2026
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.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
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.
As a child, I loved playing baseball. Although my playing days are over, the game taught me so many invaluable life lessons that I still carry with me today. Perhaps the most profound of these rules comes from my father, who taught me that regardless of how well I hit the ball, I should always run as fast as I can through first base.
At first, this seemed illogical: why should I waste my energy running when I hit a ground ball right to the shortstop or a weak fly ball to the right fielder? Well, I soon figured out something my dad already was aware of—baseball players under the age of twelve are capable of making errors! As a result, hustling to first base often resulted in me being safe and putting my team in a position to score a run.
In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds his disciples of a simple truth: following rules matters. Throughout the entirety of the Bible, countless rules are given to Christians that we are called to follow: go to Mass every weekend, give to the least of our brothers and sisters, and treat others as you want to be treated. Although many of us understand that these rules are good, we often lose sight of why they are good. As the gospel insists, doing so leads us into greater communion with God.
Therefore, today’s gospel provides an excellent opportunity for us to reflect on our own lives. Are we running hard to first base regardless of the circumstances, giving our full effort in prayer, generosity, and love for our neighbor? Or are we merely watching and going through the motions, waiting to see if it matters? Through proper observance of the commandments and realization of their purpose, God promises to keep us safe and bring us home.
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. 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 not to fit in.
When Henry got old and could no longer work, a citizen sheltered and fed him. Henry secretly gave 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 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!