Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 21, 2022
Jesus said to his disciples:
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
‘No slave is greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me.”
In the musical Oliver, based on the novel by Charles Dickens, the namesake character is searching for traces of love in his life when he sings the haunting song, “Where is Love?” The song is mainly a wish for what he hopes to experience one day.
We could ask the same question ourselves as the world witnesses war, suffering, death, and destruction between two Christian nations.
In today’s gospel, even Jesus seems to be having a bad day as he is aware of the hatred and persecution that his fellow Jews are leveling against him. His feelings overflow into a warning that those who follow him will experience the same treatment.
As we reflect on this gospel, we could ask the same question, “Where is love?” What is Jesus’ response to this hatred and persecution? In other passages in scripture, we hear his words: “Love your enemies; do good to those who harm you” (Lk 6:35) and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:39)
There are only two primary motives for our actions—fear or love. St. John’s Epistle reminds us that “Love is letting go of fear.” (1Jn 4:18) While fear is a great motivator, it can reduce the fundamental characteristic in being human: our free choice. When we use our free will and act out of love, we share our faith and experience of God, for God is love. How appropriate for the risen Christ to ask Peter who betrayed him out of fear: “Peter, do you love me?”
Eventually, young Oliver from Charles Dickens’ novel does find the parental love he is searching for in his life. Our lives can have an equally happy ending. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is a promise of what lies ahead for we Christians who freely choose to bring Christ into our hearts.
Prayer
Dear Lord, give us wisdom when we are filled with questions. Grant us a grateful heart when we feel discouraged. Open our eyes to the opportunities that await us. Steady our pace so that we can see you in the people and challenges that will come our way today. Let us be pure of spirit so your glory may guide our thinking and acting. 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 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 1937during 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.