Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 20, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
“He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
Reflection
On February 29, we gathered in joy for a family dinner in our dining room to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. At the table were three of our adult children, their spouses or significant others, our grandson, and my parents. Our daughter-in-law was pregnant with a girl scheduled to arrive in May. We laughed, broke bread, and gave thanks.
My mother did not share that she was experiencing severe back pain. Two weeks later, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Then came the pandemic and shelter in place. Shockingly, the day after Easter, our neighbors of more than twenty years directly across the street were found upstairs in their home, both having been brutally murdered. The police apparently still have no significant leads. Because of the pandemic, as a precaution, we have yet to hold our (gratefully healthy) infant granddaughter. My mother is in the midst of aggressive chemotherapy. Because her immune system is compromised, my father is the only person permitted to be with and care for her to minimize the risk of her getting the virus.
Like the apostles at the Last Supper, if we had been told on February 29 what was to happen, we would not have been able to bear it. Yet, as Jesus promised, the Spirit has been present to guide us through suffering and darkness. We talk on the phone to my mother and bring her dinner. Our neighbors gather every evening to sing a different song then visit a safe distance apart. Our family paraded cars decorated in pink by our granddaughter’s home. Spring came, and we planted in our garden. Trusting and waiting, we do the next right thing. And we appreciate just a bit more the mystery of how beauty and happiness are so deeply intertwined with suffering.
Prayer
Loving God, Christ promised his disciples the gift of the Spirit who would guide them to all truth. In these often confusing and difficult times, many “truths” are spoken. Open us up to the gifts of your Spirit to be able to discern your truth so that we may more faithfully speak it to others and embrace it more fully in our own lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Bernardine of Siena was such an effective and prolific preacher, the crowds who came to hear him speak would be moved to spontaneously exchange the sign of peace in Mass reconciliation.
He was born in Tuscany in 1380, the son of a regional governor. His parents died when he was a child, and he was raised by a pair of aunts. He was a joyful child whom friends found entertaining and merry.
As a teenager, he dedicated his life to prayer and the care of the sick. When the plague hit Siena, the biggest hospital in the city threatened to close because of the overwhelming need and the lack of help. Dozens died there every day, and many of the doctors and nurses themselves became sick.
Bernardine rallied some friends around the idea of giving their lives, if needed, to offer care for the suffering. He offered to take over the administration and care of the hospital and was granted that authority. For four months, the band of men worked day and night to care for the sick. Even though several of them died, the group restored order and cleanliness to the hospital and gave consolation to hundreds of suffering people.
Bernardine did not get sick himself, but was exhausted by the work, and after the epidemic, he returned home to rest. He eventually discerned a call to enter a Franciscan monastery, and in 1403 he was accepted to the order and ordained a priest.
During the following decade, not much happened to Bernardine—he spent his time in prayer and doing the work of the community. His focus on maturing in his interior life would bear fruit in the preaching for which he became famous.
He began preaching in Milan, a city in which he was a complete stranger, and soon he became known for his eloquence, insight, and the energy with which he spoke. Crowds began to gather, and soon he had to preach outside to accommodate all of the people.
He began to travel throughout Italy, always on foot, and covered nearly the entire country during his lifetime. He would preach for hours at a time, sometimes more than once a day. Everywhere he went, he encouraged people to turn from sin.
The effects were extraordinary. In towns that were divided by long feuds, people were reconciled. People who had stolen or swindled goods returned them. He urged people to rely on the mercy of Jesus, and they listened.
He wore himself out with his preaching, and even when it was clear that he was dying, he continued traveling and encouraging conversion. He died in 1444, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus.
He is the patron saint of public relations professionals and advertisers, and his image is used here with permission from the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art on Notre Dame's campus—it is a sketch from Luigi Gregori, the artist commissioned to decorate the interior of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
St. Bernardine of Siena, because your preaching moved crowds to convert, you are the patron saint of public relations professionals—pray for us!
Image Credit: Luigi Gregori (Italian, 1819-1896), Saints Dominic, Joseph, Bernard of Siena, Margaret of Cortona, (detail) n.d., graphite and ink on paper. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art: Gift of the Artist, AA1995.082.011.