Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 10, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.
“Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
“The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
“Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”
This reading reminds us that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus, but there are many ways that we come to know Jesus. On this Mother’s Day, we are delighted to offer a reflection together as mother and daughter. We remember today that Mary, Our Lady, is a bridge to her Son and that our own earthly mothers likewise give guidance toward a relationship with Jesus. Our mothers prepared a place for us in the house of the Lord in so many ways. They created our homes to be homes that pray, that ask the Lord for grace and hope, that seek relationships through the sacraments, Bible study, and reflections on the saints. We were both lucky enough to have mothers who brought us to the Notre Dame campus so many times that we felt at home under the dome, around the lakes, at the Grotto, and in the Basilica. We learned early in life the importance of empathy, service, and generosity to the least of our brothers and sisters. Our mothers modeled the unconditional love that the Lord Jesus has for all of us by the love they showered on us.
When Ellen and Tim were expecting their first baby, they lived in an 875 square foot apartment. The only place for a crib was a small storage closet right outside the bedroom. Together with their parents, they prepared a place for this little one: moving shelves, painting walls, removing the door, and decorating a special little nook to welcome Clare. The closet became a space for the next generation to grow and learn to rejoice in being children of the light.
Now, when the light is sometimes very hard to see, we must cling to the first verse in this passage, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” The call to fearlessness among his people is the Lord’s most frequent exhortation, appearing over 350 times in different versions throughout Scripture. Today, together with our mothers, both far and near, let us cling to his call to be brave in the face of the unknown. Our faith in Jesus is greater than any worldly fear because it does not ignore our anxiety and worry but overcomes it, and it reminds us we are daily saved and sheltered in the palm of his hand.
Prayer
God of all strength and consolation, you hear those who cry out to you in their need. Even though the world’s evils are many, never let your faithful be overcome by hatred and vengeance. Sustain us with the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation. Let your face shine upon us and we shall be saved. Grant this through Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Solange is patron saint of victims of sexual assault because she died insisting on her faithfulness to Jesus while refusing the advances of a young man.
She was born in ninth-century France to poor parents who were field-workers in a vineyard. At an early age, she dedicated herself to God and took a vow of chastity. Her job on the estate was to tend the sheep. She would spend her time in the pastures in prayer, and had a caring and gentle touch with animals. Several miracles of healing were attributed to her.
A young nobleman—the son of her family’s landlord—heard of her beauty and holiness, and he rode his horse to the pastures where she would tend sheep alone. When she resisted his advances, he grabbed her and placed her on his horse and began to ride off. She wrestled her way free and fell from the horse. Despite being seriously injured, she tried to make an escape, but the young man caught her and killed her with his hunting sword, which she holds in this image from a stained glass window in the Basilica.
St. Solange is also patron of the province of Berry, France, which explains her presence in this Basilica window. Father Sorin and the Holy Cross brothers who founded the University came from France, and brought with them their French devotion—she was popularly venerated in her home region. In the smaller window shown here, she is shown in prayer in the sheep pastures.
St. Solange, patron saint of victims of sexual assault—pray for us!