Daily Gospel Reflection

Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.

May 19, 2023

Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Jn 16:20-23
Listen to the Audio Version

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

Reflection

Tim Slentz '93
Share a Comment

Though we are preparing to celebrate the Feast of the Ascension this Sunday, today’s Gospel takes us back to Holy Thursday.

In today’s and prior verses, Jesus’ words undoubtedly confused and weighed heavily on the Apostles. He tells them he will leave them and speaks of an Advocate who will come to them only after he departs.

Then, as if to say, “Pay attention!” Jesus drops “Amen” twice, letting them know struggles and difficult times are ahead. It was, most certainly, not the Passover commemoration the disciples expected. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus also offers his friends comforting words and promises their hearts will be filled with unquenchable joy when he sees them again.

Saying goodbye to loved ones is hard. For 27 years, I served as a Navy pilot. I deployed to sea multiple times. Each goodbye was heartbreaking, especially as our family grew and our children got older. Though I knew my wife was incredibly capable and strong, there was still anxiety and worry about leaving them alone.

Beautifully, however, they were not alone. Family, friends, teachers, and our parish community helped fill the gaps in my absence. Christina and I remained connected in the Spirit through our attendance at Sunday Mass, at home and on the ship. When homecoming finally arrived, it was a day of incredible joy.

As the Easter season comes to a close, I pray while we rejoice in the Resurrection, we simultaneously embrace the outpouring of God’s grace in the Holy Spirit, both felt in our hearts and through our actions and the actions of others. And may this Spirit always keep our Notre Dame community united, no matter how far apart we are or how long our goodbyes might stretch.

Prayer

Rev. Thomas C. Bertone, C.S.C.

Gracious God, you remind us that sometimes we must bear the pain of trials and tribulation before we come to the new life you promise us. Give us patience we need to bear the suffering that may come our way, hope in the joy that awaits us at the end of our trials, and trust in knowing you are present with us through it all. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint of the Day

St. Dunstan

St. Dunstan is one of the foundational saints for the English Church; many of England's oldest churches are named after him and, throughout the centuries, the British people have written many stories about his holiness.

St. Dunstan was born sometime between 910 and 924, most historians think it was around the year 910. Dunstan's mother was a Saxon noblewoman. An early legend of Dunstan's life indicates that his spiritual status in the Church was foretold from the very beginning.

When his mother was pregnant with Dunstan she was in the church of St Mary on Candleday (the feast of "Candlemas," the Presentation of the Lord), and all the lights were suddenly extinguished in the church. But the candle held by Dunstan's mother, Cynethryth, was just as suddenly relighted. Everyone in the church approached her and lit their own candles from the miraculous flame of Cynethryth, thus foreshadowing that the boy "would be the minister of eternal light" to the Church of England

After Dunstan was born, he was sent to Glastonbury Abbey, an ancient, revered English abbey, where Dunstan was educated in the liberal arts. He was sent to the court of the king, but his stint at court was far from blissful. The other courtiers were wildly jealous of Dunstan, and they attacked him and tortured him, even throwing him into a cesspool. But Dunstan escaped to Winchester, where his uncle, who was a powerful bishop, convinced him to become a monk.

After some initial reluctance, Dunstan joined the monastery of Glastonbury. Eventually, he was asked to become abbot of the community. Dunstan used this powerful position to institute a series of reforms in Glastonbury. He instituted the Benedictine rule in Glastonbury, rebuilt the cloister, and preserved the monastic enclosure, keeping the monks devoted on the work of the community rather than too much involvement with the town outside. But Dunstan did not ignore the needs of the community. He opened a school for local children, which became a famous monastic school throughout England.

Falling out with the new king, Dunstan fled to Cluny, the center of monastic reform in France. As kings came and went with more rapidity in 10th century England, Dunstan was recalled from exile and received a boost in status as he was appointed the Bishop of London. In 960, Dunstan received the pallium of the episcopacy for his new diocese. Several churches in London still bear his name.

After serving England's capital city for almost twenty years, Dunstan retired to Canterbury, where he lived for the remainder of his life until he died on May 19, 988. He was canonized in 1029, and is the patron saint of silversmiths, goldsmiths, bellringers, and Canada.

St. Dunstan, abbot, bishop, and cornerstone of the Church in England—pray for us!

Photo Credit: Stained Glass of Dunstan located in Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York (circa 1920) Photo by Randy OHC via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)