Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 16, 2026
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
Until now you have not asked anything in my name;
ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
“I have told you this in figures of speech.
The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures
but I will tell you clearly about the Father.
On that day you will ask in my name,
and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you.
For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me
and have come to believe that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world.
Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
Another school year has concluded at Notre Dame. Another graduation ceremony is about to begin. For those of us who have a child graduating, the relationship between our students and ourselves will evolve.
Just over four years ago, thousands of high school students applied to Notre Dame and prayed that they would be admitted to the greatest Catholic university. In many cases, it was likely their most notable prayer to the Father through the intercession of Jesus and Mary. When they received their acceptance letter, it brought them joy they hadn’t seen before.
The following fall, we parents entrusted our children to the university, believing that what they learned both in the classroom and by interacting with others in the unique residential life setting offered at Notre Dame would place them on the proper course to continue to honor the Father once they graduated.
They were given the opportunity to live out the mission of growing as a complete person by further developing their relationship with Jesus. They had numerous opportunities to grow in faith, including attending Mass at both the Basilica and their hall chapel, and by visiting the Grotto.
This weekend is a new beginning. The graduates will leave the world of a student and move on to the next chapter of their lives, but with the knowledge that they can reflect on their time at Notre Dame. Through their experiences, they know deeply that they will always have a direct line to the Father.
Some graduates may think of their time on campus as just a four-year decision, but, in time, they will realize that it was a life-long decision that will stay with them forever.
Prayer
In your gentleness, O Lord Jesus, you never give us more than we can bear. You never ask us to do something without at the same time giving us the needed grace. We thank you for your presence in our life through the Spirit, and pray that we may be a blessing and a life-giver to all whom we meet this day. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Brendan is one of the great saints of Ireland. He is most famous for being the main character in the fantastic Irish sea-tale, the Navigatio, which tells of Brendan and 60 followers embarking on a voyage to find the "Isle of the Blessed"—the Garden of Eden, or paradise.
Brendan certainly was a real person, and it is possible that he even travelled with some followers to spread the good news. He was born in Tralee on the west coast of Ireland and was educated and befriended by several of the other saints of Ireland. He was ordained a priest and shortly afterwards gathered some followers and established a common life with them in a monastery.
The monastery he founded in Clonfert in 559 grew to include some 3,000 monks. It is said that an angel dictated to him the rule that guided that community.
It is possible that his travels took him to some of the British Isles. His Navigatio suggests that he even reached the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa.
A stained glass window dedicated to him colors the chapel in Dillon Hall—it depicts three yellow birds from the Canary Islands.
As we follow God on our journey of discipleship, let us ask Brendan for his boldness in following God beyond the borders of our own maps for our lives.
St. Brendan the Navigator, your faith led you to great adventures at the ends of the known world—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Brendan the Navigator is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed March 11, 2025.