Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 23, 2025
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”
And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”
This might sound like a strange way to start a reflection, but as a child, I looked forward to going to the dentist. I loved coming home with pearly white teeth and receiving another “gold star” for my clean record of zero cavities. Fast forward to my twenties, I sat in the chair at the dentist with that same expectation, only to be crushed by the news that I had not only one but three cavities. “Impossible!” I thought.
I think sometimes we have the same expectation for our spiritual lives—that things will always remain the same as they were when we were children and that we won’t have to adapt to what life calls us towards today, right here and now.
I was brought up by a wonderful family, have received solid faith formation throughout my life, and am surrounded by many opportunities to grow here at Notre Dame. And yet, this does not guarantee perfection or that there won’t be real challenges ahead. God gives us all the means, but if left untouched or taken for granted, we can lose that vitality in our souls.
When this happens, God is so patient with us. Like the gardener in the parable who pleads with the owner to wait one more year, God gives us time for a new conversion. The fig tree is not left alone, expected to bear fruit with the same level of care. The gardener promises to cultivate the soil.
Jesus gives us the sacraments, knowing that we need his grace to have true life. In the Eucharist, we receive profound supernatural nourishment each and every week, and even every day if we want it. Frequent confession helps us continually refine our love for God and gives us strength to keep up the fight.
As I learned the hard way, no matter how well we brush our teeth, we still need to go to the dentist. Similarly, we will always need the spiritual care that comes from Jesus, through the Church and his Blessed Mother.
Prayer
Our sinful actions, words and omissions make us like barren trees. They deserve harsh consequences. And yet, you, Jesus, offer us hope and healing, a hand of reconciliation and restored relationship. Your love for us must be incredibly great because you never tire of forgiving us. Help us to appreciate that forgiveness, not taking it for granted, but not shying away from it either. Thank you for your patience with our weakness and your healing forgiveness of our sins. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo was a 16th century Spanish missionary to the new world who defended the rights of Latin American natives.
He was born to a noble family in Spain, and capitalized on a very good education by studiously developing a sharp intellect. He went on to teach law at the famous University of Salamanca. His virtue and wisdom led him to appointments from the king, and he was ordained a priest.
In 1578, he was sent to Peru and named Archbishop of Lima. He often traveled throughout the immense diocese on foot, engaging anyone he met. He learned the local dialects in order to converse with the native people there—he instructed and baptized them. He traveled alone and was exposed to extreme weather, wild animals, tropical diseases, and even threats from hostile tribes.
He was a powerful voice for reform in the new world. The conquistadores exploited the indigenous people, and the clergy were often complicit in this oppression. He was known as a staunch defender of the rights of natives against the Spanish settlers, and though he met powerful opposition from Spanish governors in Peru, he persisted in his advocacy.
In Peru, he built roads and churches, schools, and hospitals, and opened the first seminary in the western hemisphere. It is said he welcomed 500,000 people into the Church in Peru, and among those he confirmed were St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres.
He died on this date in 1606 from a fever. Relics of one saint named Turibius rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica on campus.
St. Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo, who defended indigenous people from Spanish conquistadores—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo is in the public domain. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
