Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 23, 2026
Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved,
the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper
and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?”
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?
You follow me.”
So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die.
But Jesus had not told him that he would not die,
just “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?”
It is this disciple who testifies to these things
and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
There are also many other things that Jesus did,
but if these were to be described individually,
I do not think the whole world would contain the books
that would be written.
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.
To be honest, I have only been about 90% sure of any of my biggest decisions. I do the research, I gather information, I ask for advice. But a gap clouded by fear and uncertainty and doubt remains. So, I wait. I marinate.
It is easy to feel that this is a sort of reasonable and rational patience. I am allowing the information and my experience to coalesce into the “best” decision. Some might charitably call this discernment, and others who know me better might lovingly call this procrastination. What looks like thinking can easily turn into ruminating, letting the fears and doubts bounce around inside and grow while I work to overcome them alone.
But fear and doubt and uncertainty are not of God. We are not meant to solve these problems alone. Faith bridges the gap.
Years ago, our parish priest gave a homily where he reminded the congregation that faith is not a feeling; it is a decision. This decision to have faith, to trust in God, and to choose to walk the path with God is the biggest decision.
In each of my big decisions, I eventually decided to take what felt like a leap over a massive chasm, having faith that God would provide. Looking back, each leap was more like a child’s hop over a crack. The internal struggle was massive, but it was because I demanded an intellectual certainty that was not coming.
The disciple John began his Gospel by emphasizing the importance of the Word. He then finishes today with the idea that there are so many more words to write, but that what we have is enough. What we have is enough.
You can wait for more information, but at some point you must act. I invite you to fill a gap with faith today. Take that first step. God will walk with you.
Prayer
God of truth, we know the experience of misunderstanding and the harm done by spreading stories that are not completely true. By your grace, give us courage to testify to the truth in our daily lives. Help us today to see your many wonderful works, to celebrate them, and to share them so that your Spirit may grow in us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Julia is a fifth-century saint who is revered as a martyr in the Italian church. Julia was born as a wealthy young heiress or princess in Carthage, but was captured as a slave by Vandals who invaded Carthage.
Her master appreciated her hard work, and Julia became invaluable to him, so he allowed her to continue practicing her Christianity and forego worshiping their native gods. Her master took Julia with him on a trip to Gaul. He landed in Corsica, at a village that was holding a pagan festival, and the ruler of the village asked Julia's master why he had a slave who would not join in their worship of the gods. Julia's master responded that he could not dissuade her from her Christianity, no matter how hard he tried. Because she was such a skillful, hard worker, he could not do without her and needed her as a part of his household. The pagan ruler said he would trade four of his best slaves for Julia, but Julia's master refused. "Even if you gave me all you own, I would not part with her," he claimed.
The village ruler waited until Julia's master fell asleep, then he abducted Julia from where she was resting on the ship and tried to force her to offer a sacrifice to pagan gods. Julia refused. He offered her her freedom if she would just make a sacrifice. "Serving Christ is my true and only freedom," retorted Julia.
The ruler had Julia tortured and crucified. When her master awoke, he ran outside to see his beloved Julia breathing her last. Legend has it that when Julia breathed her last, a dove left her lips and flew into the sky. Her body has remained in Corsica ever since, and she has been the patron saint of the island.
St. Julia, brave martyr of Corsica—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Julia is in the public domain. Last accessed March 11, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
