Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 7, 2023
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
In today’s profound gospel, Jesus touches on three emotionally charged topics: pride, hypocrisy, and humility.
Jesus suggests doing what the hypocritical pharisees say, but not what they do. This is a challenge even today. It can be easy to discount a group or organization because not all of their leaders or followers consistently live out the stated ideals.
I bet we all know people who have drifted from our faith because of something a church leader said or did that was not felt to be congruent with the teaching of the church. However, Jesus makes it clear that the truth is never invalidated by any one person’s hypocrisy in living it out.
Pride often gets in the way, though. We all like to protect our egos, feel important, accomplished, and in the right. I remember years ago when after doing a service project, I swore off doing it again because no one said thank you to me.
It took me awhile to realize that my attitude suggested I was doing the project to feed my ego, rather than serve Jesus and my fellow man. I was being hypocritical and prideful in that moment. Now, I understand that doing the right thing should never be contingent on someone’s response to it, how it appears, or how it affects me. Jesus urges us to be humble and to serve others rather than exalt ourselves.
What can we do every day to obtain the peace of Jesus by losing our prideful selves and being humble, truth-seeking disciples of Christ?
Prayer
Jesus, you taught the crowd and your disciples that whoever was to be the greatest among them would be their servant. May all leaders be inspired by your example of humility, seeking not to exalt themselves at the expense of others, but rather to serve and support those under their care. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Saints Felicity and Perpetua were famous martyrs from the early Church—they are the saints who appear the most on ancient lists of saints and calendars for veneration. In fact, their story was read publicly in the churches of North Africa, and the great St. Augustine himself had to clarify for his people that these accounts were not of the same stature as Scripture, which indicates just how important people found their story.
Carthage in 203 was a Roman city and enforced the persecution of Christians who failed to worship the image of the emperor, which was a hallmark of the imperial religion. Five catechumens were arrested, and among them were a slave, Felicity, who was pregnant, and Perpetua, who was 22 years old, wife of a well-to-do citizen, and mother of a young child herself. The catechist who had taught these people who were seeking baptism was not arrested but turned himself in because he did not want them to suffer alone.
The Christians were tried and gave witness to their faith by refusing to honor the Roman gods. They were all condemned to execution, except for Felicity—Roman law prevented the execution of any woman who was pregnant. Felicity, however, wanted to join her fellow Christians with the witness of her life and gave birth in prison during her eighth month. The child survived and was adopted by the Christian community of the city.
Perpetua’s child was still nursing at the time of her arrest, and she received permission to have him join her in prison. He weaned before her execution and was raised by her family.
The group was taken to a stadium and killed by wild beasts in front of soldiers on a Roman holiday. Felicity and Perpetua faced a bull, who wounded them but did not kill them. The crowd called for their death by sword, and they exchanged a sign of peace before being killed.
The relics of these two martyrs rest in the reliquary chapel and their story and images are used by high school students who come to campus for a summer conference with the Notre Dame Vision program.
Sts. Felicity and Perpetua, the mothers who faced your martyrdom with courage that inspired faith in others—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Sts. Felicity and Perpetua is an illustration by Julie Lonneman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of her art. Used with permission.