Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 28, 2020
Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said, “This is really the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
Then the guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” The guards answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!”
Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.”
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?”
They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.”
A friend told me once that she’d sat on a cloud. I didn’t believe her. But later I was at her house, and I saw a painting she’d done of herself, sitting on a cloud. It dawned on me that she had, in a way, sat on one. I only had to see things a little differently to understand.
Jesus’ words are difficult because they mean something totally different than what we’re used to. When people in the crowd were pointing out where Jesus was from, they meant his birthplace. When Jesus was talking about where he was from, he meant a spiritual realm accessible only through belief in him. The ones who ended up believing he is the Messiah must have been willing to hear the words on Jesus’ terms, not their own. They must have been willing and able to see things a little differently, and so they understood.
To accept Jesus’ words, we have to step outside our usual way of thinking. We have to sit with the words for a while, not forcing a meaning on them but letting them be signposts for a very personal exploration.
Sometimes the pharisee in us blocks us from the exploration. Maybe it’s because we want power and control, maybe it’s out of fear, maybe it’s that we fear losing power and control.
Jesus’ challenge is to let go of these things, to empty out our words and thoughts to make space for new meaning and verve to come into them. We must shed our old ways of thinking and open ourselves to the radical message behind Jesus’ words. We need to see things a little (or a lot) differently, and understand.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you know well that our spirits are willing to follow you, but we are often overwhelmed by worldly desires. In your great love, send your Holy Spirit to drive out all that separates us from obeying your holy will. May we always see in you the way, the truth, and the life that leads to heaven, and may you give us the courage to help lead our brothers and sisters to eternal happiness with you. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Conon is a popular local saint in Sicily. He was born in the middle of the twelfth century and is credited with saving the town of Naso from famine.
St. Conon was a monk, most accounts say of the order of St. Basil of Caesarea. The most colorful tale of St. Conon tells the story of a miraculous vision he had while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Conon traveled from Italy to Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem, Conon dreamed that a priest he knew back home in Sicily was being strangled by a snake. This disturbing nightmare apparently stuck with Conon.
Months later, upon his return home to Sicily, Conon told the priest about the dream. Feeling the pangs of a guilty conscience, the priest instantly confessed to Conon that he had been stealing funds from the Church and using the money for his own selfish desires.
Conon died on March 28, 1236, in Naso, Sicily, which has honored him as its patron since.
In 1571, the people of Naso were suffering from a terrible famine. A ship appeared in the nearby port, bringing a hold full of precious grain to the hungry villagers. The captain of the ship credited his rerouting to Naso to a miraculous vision of Conon, telling him to sail there. Thus, the people of Naso were saved.
St. Conon of Naso, pilgrim and miracle-worker—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Conon of Naso is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Modified from the original. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
