Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 14, 2023
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows him.
But you know him, because he remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me, because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father
and you are in me and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Today’s gospel comes from Jesus’ long farewell discourse at the Last Supper, hours before he
shoulders his cross. Eager to comfort and prepare the disciples, Jesus promises that he will not leave them orphaned.
Jesus offers a profound image for his disciples. Like us in so many ways, these frequently bumbling adults are encouraged to accept the kingdom of God with the trust of little children. Jesus, their Rabbi and friend, who increasingly strives to show them his oneness with the Father, now frames his pledge never to abandon them by adopting a parental perspective the night before his death.
For Jesus to image himself as a parent makes this gospel particularly apt for Mother’s Day. As I reflect on my long-passed mother, I smile as I remember a ritual we developed when I was a young boy in which we each professed to love the other “more.” My mother would always conclude our back-and-forth exchange by resting her case in the future. “Someday, when you become a father, you will understand.”
Reflecting on how much my wife and I love our three adult children, I have come to see the
wisdom of my mother’s claim. Those blessed to have children know the unsurpassed depth of our love for our children.
Perhaps I suffer from spiritual presumption, but understanding a parent’s love, I am more convinced of God’s unfathomable love for me and for everyone on earth. Despite my flaws and nagging self-centeredness, I rest secure in our divine parent’s love for us—God’s children all.
As Christians, what do we do with the recognition that we are all beloved children of God? In scripture, “widows and orphans” serve as emblems of the most vulnerable people in society. How might our conviction that Jesus will not leave us orphaned drive us to be mothers and fathers, as it were, for the most vulnerable people in our world?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, in preparing your apostles for your departure, you promised them that they would not be abandoned but would receive the gift of your Holy Spirit. Give us the grace we need to know that you are with us always, and especially in those times we need you most. We ask this in your holy name. Amen.
Saint of the Day

St. Matthias was the man who was elected to replace Judas as the twelfth apostles after Jesus' Ascension.
Because Judas committed suicide, the Apostles found themselves lacking a twelfth member. The number twelve is important in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures: Jesus had called Twelve Apostles because twelve was a Jewish number of wholeness, represented in the twelve tribes of Israel. It was important for the disciples to find someone to replace Judas.
They gathered after the ascension and had two candidates in mind—Joseph, also known as Barsabas, and Matthias. Both had come from the wider circle of 72 who had been following Jesus since his baptism by John. The disciples prayed, then cast lots; Matthias was chosen.
Soon after his election, Matthias received the Holy Spirit with the other disciples at Pentecost. He preached the good news of Jesus in Judea before going to other lands. Tradition tells of his travels among the Greeks, though the historical record is scant. It is said that he became a martyr for the faith when he was crucified by the people he was trying to convert there.
The relics of St. Matthias rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Matthias, you were elected to replace Judas as the twelfth apostle after Jesus rose—pray for us!