Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 21, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.”
Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying to us, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” They said, “What does he mean by this ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.”
“What does he mean… what does he mean?” After spending years at Jesus’s side, being told time and time again of the things to come, the disciples still struggle to grasp the gravity of what will happen when Jesus returns to the Father. I was reminded of this when I opened my Bible to reflect on today’s gospel and found written in the margins, “Apostles couldn’t handle it after 3 years, so it’s OK that we’re journeying.” We don’t have to be perfect.
We don’t have to know what ‘a little while’ means. We aren’t expected to comprehend how God will guide us in unexpected situations. We certainly aren’t expected to follow him blindly without questioning. It’s okay to struggle, and it’s okay to wonder where he is in the midst of the struggle because our faith is a journey. We are reminded today that it’s not about knowing and understanding everything, but about learning to trust in the Lord’s promises and align our will to his.
This life is full of weeping and mourning, and a lot of confusion. We cannot know what will come next or what God intends to do with all of this suffering. All we can do is trust in Jesus’ words, believing that our pain will turn into joy.
Prayer
Eternal and ever-living God, you created daylight from darkness and ordered the sun, moon, and stars to guide us through time into your eternal salvation. Help us to always trust in you even when others reject your Word. May we find sustenance in your saving power and praise you joyfully throughout the seasons of life. In a little while, grant that we will see you face-to-face and in your light know the fullness of life forever, you who live and reign with the Son and Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Cristobal Magallanes is one of 25 Saints who are honored for refusing to be intimidated by the anti-Catholic policies of the Mexican government. They were killed for leading the faithful during the persecution of the Church in that country at the start of the 20th century.
Cristóbal was born in Mexico in 1869 to a family of farmers—he grew up working as a shepherd, and entered the seminary at the age of 19.
After his ordination, he was assigned to a parish in his hometown. There, he started schools and helped the people initiate public works to benefit the town, such as a carpentry shop and the building of a dam. He also began a mission in a nearby village to reach the local indigenous people.
A secularist and anti-Catholic Mexican government took shape during the Mexican Revolution, and in 1914, it closed the seminary where Cristóbal studied. He offered his parish as a relocation site for the seminary, and soon 17 students were (illegally) preparing for the priesthood there.
During the revolution, Cristóbal spoke out against armed rebellion. Still, he was accused of supporting the Cristero rebel fighters. On this date in 1927, he was traveling to a farm to celebrate Mass and was arrested. He was executed four days later without a trial.
After his arrest, he gave away his possessions to those who were about to execute him. Just before he died, he shouted this statement from his cell: "I am innocent and I die innocent. I forgive with all my heart those responsible for my death, and I ask God that the shedding of my blood serve the peace of our divided Mexico."
On this date in 2000, Pope St. John Paul II canonized St. Cristóbal Magallanes along with 24 other martyrs who were killed between 1915 and 1937 during the Mexican Cristero War. Twenty-one were priests who were killed for attempting to offer the sacraments under the anti-clerical rule of the government, and three were lay people. These Saints of the Cristero War all share today’s feast date.
St. Cristóbal Magallanes and companions, you offered the Sacraments to the Mexican faithful under threat of death—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Cristóbal Magallanes is in the public domain. Last accessed February 21, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.