Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 15, 2025
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
If you Google “servant leadership,” you will find books, videos, even a Wikipedia entry, and that’s just the first page! It’s all the rage in human resources and personal development, but do they truly understand where servant leadership all began? Jesus’ humble washing of the apostles’ feet created the foundation of the church, which has lasted for more than two millennia.
In today’s Scripture, Christ says, “If you understand this, blessed are you, if you do it.” It was in this spirit that our pastor asked me to mentor a resident in our housing program for men transitioning from incarceration, homelessness, and addiction. I agreed, thinking this was my chance to give back through servant leadership.
My first mentee, Troy, spent 33 years in prison. While I was apprehensive at first, Troy’s surprisingly gentle nature soon won my wife and me over—he even convalesced at our house following a surgery, and he is now part of our extended family.
Despite all the adversity he had seen, his indomitable spirit shone through. He now teaches youth not to follow his path. This exemplary work freed him from parole in four years, less than half the norm. And last month, at the ripe young age of 57, he received his associate’s degree and is contemplating offers from multiple colleges, including two Ivy League universities, to complete his bachelor’s degree.
While I may have been his mentor, I know that I learned more from him than he did from me. By following Jesus, we are both master and servant. We just have to follow his example as he calls all of us to lead by serving those around us.
Prayer
Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Son and for his Resurrection. Through his life you have brought us new life. Illumine our hearts and our minds with the light of Christ that we may continue to profess our faith in him and receive him into our hearts. Amen.
Saint of the Day
In the 13th century, two ancient marble tombs were discovered in a city near Antwerp, Belgium. Buried inside were the bodies of two saints: St. Dymphna and St. Gerebernus.
When the relics of these two saints became known to the city, a number of healings were attributed to their intercession. Those suffering from epilepsy and mental illness suddenly found health through prayer to these saints.
Little is known of these saints, so popular belief filled in their history. It is thought that Dymphna was daughter to an Irish tribal king and a Christian princess, who baptized the girl and raised her as a Christian.
When Dymphna was a teenager, her mother died, leaving her father beside himself with grief. He searched the civilized world for a woman who looked like his deceased wife, but found none. Dymphna’s own beauty reminded him of his wife, and he made an advance upon Dymphna, but she escaped.
Her spiritual advisor was an old priest and family friend named Gerebernus. He advised her to leave the country, so together they fled to Belgium and found a small chapel near Antwerp. They decided to live there, both adopting a life of solitude and prayer.
They did not know that Dymphna’s father was pursuing them. He searched the countryside for his daughter, and finally caught wind of where she might be hiding. He discovered them and tried to convince them to return to Ireland. When they refused, he killed both Dymphna and Gerebernus.
The relics of St. Dymphna rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus.
St. Dymphna, patron saint of those who suffer from mental illness—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Dymphna is an illustration by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman '06, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.