Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 11, 2019
Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said,
“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,
he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail.
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe
and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me
unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this,
many of his disciples returned to their former way of life
and no longer walked with him.
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
The Diocese of Pittsburgh was already wrestling with massive parish consolidations when the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report on sexual abuse by Catholic clergy was published on August 14, 2018.
The report is rife with gut-wrenching stories of ruined lives. Virtually every Catholic in our six-county diocese knows at least one of the 300 accused priests as a pastor, teacher, or friend. When I attended a listening session with our bishop, I discovered why my grade-school classmate, Peter, had committed suicide, leaving behind a widow, five children, and a successful business: he was abused by one of our parish priests when we were teenagers.
“As a result of this, many of his disciples [no] longer walked with him.”
When the organizations we trust disappoint us so profoundly, we are faced with a decision. Do I stay or do I go? These indefensible actions by many of our spiritual leaders, the shepherds entrusted with our care, have created a crisis of faith in many Catholics. Numbers of Catholics have responded by leaving the Church.
As Peter says to Jesus in today’s Gospel, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Do I feel angry and betrayed? Yes. Am I grieving? Yes. Will I give up my faith? Never. Am I leaving the Church? No.
Even when we decide to stay, we face a decision. Will I stay and grumble about the Church that has let me down or will I work to make a difference, to make things better? I, and many others, have decided to work for needed change. We love the Church, we love our faith, and we are resolved to emerge from this crisis stronger than before, both in our personal faith and as a Church.
Where are we called to stay and work today as we journey toward eternal life?
Prayer
Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,
join to your own suffering
the pain of all who have been hurt
in body, mind, and spirit
by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,
heal your people’s wounds
and transform brokenness into wholeness.
Grant us the courage and wisdom,
humility and grace, to act with justice.
Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors.
Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace in justice.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Francis di Girolamo was tireless in working to convert sinners and reaching out to the poor, winning many people to greater faith. He is known as the Apostle to Naples because that is where he spent most of his time and energy.
He was born in Italy in 1642, the eldest of 11 children. After making his first Communion at the age of 12, he went to live with a community of priests in his town. They could clearly see that he was special, and began to entrust to him greater roles in the congregation, including teaching the catechism.
Francis went to Naples to study civil and canon law, and was ordained a priest there in 1666 (he had to receive special permission because at 24, he was too young). He taught at a Jesuit university in Naples for five years and students there began to refer to him as “the holy priest.”
He decided to join the Jesuit order, and his superiors tested him with many difficulties. He impressed everyone, however, and was sent to do mission work with a famous preacher. He then returned to Naples and finished his education and was appointed to a church there.
Francis desperately wanted to travel to Japan as a missionary—reports stated that every missionary who landed there was killed. It was decided, though, that he should remain in Naples, so he began to train other missionaries.
Large crowds gathered to hear him preach, and many people sought him out for confession. Miracles and wonders were reported from his intercession. Some estimate that he converted 400 sinners each year. He regularly visited the sick in hospitals and the imprisoned, including those waiting for execution. He was fearless in pursuing sinners even on their own territory in places of ill repute—and he was beaten up a number of times for his efforts.
Sometimes he would feel a spontaneous urge to begin preaching in the middle of the street. One night, in the middle of a storm, he felt called to begin preaching to an empty, dark alley. The next day, a sinner came to his confessional who had heard him through an open window.
The most famous sinner he converted was a French woman who killed her father and fled to Spain, where she dressed as a man and enlisted in the army. She sought direction from Francis, and not only repented from her sins but also went on to become known as a holy woman.
St. Francis di Girolamo died at the age of 74, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Francis di Girolamo, you relentlessly sought out sinners on their own turf and won many to the faith—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Francis di Girolamo is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed March 6, 2025.
