Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
March 30, 2023
Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
In reading today’s gospel, it’s easy to roll our eyes at the confused group speaking to Jesus. They cannot make sense of the things Jesus says, who he says he is, and what he says he can do.
But how often are we like the people in today’s reading? How often do we wonder if Jesus really can or will do all he said he could? We may believe he is greater than Abraham and the prophets, but do we trust him more than all the Earthly things we cling to when anxiety and worry come knocking?
I am a type-A, detail-focused, forward-planning perfectionist. Chaos and uncertainty bring me stress, but my husband is in the Air Force, thus our life is chronically full of unpredictability and plans rerouted, and then typically rerouted again.
As I write this, we have just been notified of a hasty coast-to-coast move. There are no movers scheduled. No boxes ready to pack. No home rented on the other end. My instinct is to white knuckle through the seemingly endless to-do list with voracity, an attempt at control of a frustrating situation.
The temptation is there for me to pick up a few rocks and start lobbing them at the last-minute plans. But Jesus invites us to put down our stones and trust in him and his plans. As he reprimands the group in today’s reading, he underscores that trust means putting our money where our mouth is. We can’t just say we know and love God. Our actions and attitudes need to reflect that love in everything we do and who we are.
I unclench my fists as I recall that Jesus never promised us smooth waters, but he did offer us a greater reward: accompaniment through a death-defying love. He reminds us here that despite the yokes, frustrations, and changes of plan on this side of Heaven, the reward of eternal love and life with him is worth trusting.
Prayer
God in heaven, Jesus your Son spoke the truth, a truth rejected by many who heard him. We strive to live in that truth—we want our Lenten observances of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to keep us faithful. Make us ever more aware of the life-giving promises that Jesus proclaimed, that we may live forever in your sight. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. John was a seventh-century monk who was known as “the Scholar” until people referred to him after his famous written work, the Ladder (“Klimax”) of Divine Ascent.
Scholars believe he came from Palestine and was a student of St. Gregory Nazianzen. When John was 16, he joined a community of monks living on Mt. Sinai. He was placed under the direction of an older monk, who helped him master his desires and behavior.
When John was 35, his mentor died, and he went to live in a hermitage. He spent the next 40 years seeking perfection in solitude and prayer and study—it is said that he was one of the most learned of the desert fathers.
Many people sought him out for spiritual direction because of his wisdom. He had a gift for helping people find healing for their troubled and disordered souls.
Over time, he collected his insights into his work, the Ladder of Divine Ascent, which described 30 degrees towards attaining spiritual perfection—the first being renunciation and the last being full incorporation of the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. The work had a profound effect on the development of Christian spirituality. The icon below depicts St. John leading monks up a ladder that leads to Jesus.
When John was 70, the abbot of a nearby monastery passed away, and John was selected to replace him. When a severe drought devastated the region, the people asked him to pray for relief, and rain came. John was so well-known at the time that Pope St. Gregory the Great wrote to him to ask for his prayers, and to send resources to assist the monastery in hosting the many pilgrims who traveled there to be in the presence of the holy man. John died in 649 of old age.
St. John Climacus, you sought perfection in the desert and left behind a profound guide to spirituality, pray for us!
Image Credit: (1) Our featured image of St. John Climacus is in the public domain. Modified from the original. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons. (2) The icon "Ladder of Divine Ascent" is also in the public domain. Last accessed February 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
