Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 14, 2021
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
Today’s gospel is a wake-up call for me and a challenging call to action. I have heard this gospel read so many times – but, it is a wake-up call because I needed to take the time to reflect, digest and truly understand what Jesus is telling us today. If only I took the time each week, before/after Mass or each day as I read the Daily Gospel Reflection, to focus on the message and how I can incorporate it into my everyday life, how much richer my faith and my life could be.
In today’s gospel, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is outlining a new way of living which is not meant to contradict the old Law but to explain it and to challenge his disciples to go above and beyond – to confront evil with good and to respond to everyone with love.
So, who is the “one who is evil?” Or rather, who or what confronts us and our families in our daily life? As part of a broader community, we may be confronted by difficult co-workers, pesky neighbors, unhappy store clerks, etc. Yet, we are called to respond to each with love. We may also have struggles that hit closer to home; dealing with an illness, for example, can be unexpected and hard. But, we don’t have to do it alone. We can ask for God’s grace to turn our cheek, to go the extra mile and to respond with kindness, understanding, compassion, empathy – with love.
What confronts you today? What is your call to action? And, how can you respond with love?
Prayer
Lord, please grant us the desire to want to learn how to forgive as you do. When we beg for forgiveness, you readily grant it. All is wiped clean, all is forgotten. We put our trust in your generosity. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Methodius or Methodios was one of the early patriarchs of Constantinople. He was born in Syracuse, Sicily, sometime around the year 790 AD. Methodios was the heir to a wealthy family. He was sent to Constantinople, the capital of the empire, to receive a top-notch education and hopefully land a position in the emperor's court.
But Methodios was drawn, not to the splendor of the court of the empire, but to the monastic vocation. He became a monk and eventually was appointed the abbot of his monastery.
During the ninth century, the iconoclast controversies raged throughout the Christian communities in the East. Due to the influence of the quickly spreading Islam, the question of whether or not Christians were allowed to make and venerate icons swiftly became a fiercely debated topic. Iconoclasts insisted that images of God were pagan and should be forbidden. Iconophiles, who were led by many saints, including St. John Damascene, continued to profess the Christian belief that since God became man it was right for Christians to make images to praise him and remember him.
Leo the Armenian, an iconoclast emperor, reigned from 813-820, During his reign, Methodios served as a member of the staff of the Patriarch Nicephoros. Leo removed the orthodox, iconophilic, Patriarch Nicephoros and replaced him with an iconoclast, Theodotus. Methodios fled and returned after Leo the Armenian died.
Michael the Stammerer, who ascended to the imperial throne after Leo, was a more benevolent iconoclast who softened the penalties against the orthodox Christians. Eventually, however, potentially due to political pressure, Michael resumed the fierce persecution of orthodox iconophiles. Methodios was imprisoned. Michael's son, Theophilus, set Methodios free. Methodios continued to preach orthodoxy without troubling Theophilus, until Theophilus was defeated in an important war with his Arab neighbors. Theophilus blamed Methodios, insisting that God was punishing him for allowing an "icon-worshipper" to remain in his court. Methodios was tortured and exiled to the island of Antigonos.
When Theophilus died, the Empress Theodora ruled for her son. The Empress ordered that all who were imprisoned for icon veneration be set free. She appointed Methodios the patriarch of Constantinople. In 842, a local synod in Constantinople restored icon veneration and instituted a yearly celebration of "the Triumph of Orthodoxy" each year.
Methodios died on June 14, in the year 846 or 847. His feast day continues to be celebrated on June 14 by both the Eastern and Western Churches.
St. Methodios I of Constantinople, ecumenical patriarch who defended true Christian teaching—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Methodios I of Constantinople is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed March 18, 2025.