Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 27, 2025
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.”
“Where are you going?” In today’s gospel, Jesus poses this question to the disciples about himself just moments before his arrest in Gethsemane and subsequent crucifixion on Calvary. In response, Jesus gives a more profound answer than the disciples could imagine: “to the one who sent me.”
When Christ admonishes his followers in their collective failure to ask the right question, our Lord highlights a missed opportunity to live with knowledge, joy, and hope of life after death. The disciples fill their hearts with grief over the imminent departure of Jesus, and they miss the bigger picture. Having not yet understood the cross, the resurrection, and the Advocate that is to come, the disciples are rightly afraid.
My friends, we are blessed to see the spiritual world in light of Scripture and Catholic tradition. Our minds should be informed, and our hearts should be filled with joyful hope for what is to come. And yet, are we hopeful this day?
I often find myself anticipating, daydreaming, or worrying about what comes next in my life. I preoccupy my thoughts with earthly possibilities and material gain instead of advancing in my spiritual battles and turning my attention to the Most High.
A faithful disciple must be redefined by the belief that the greatest knowledge is the knowledge of the love of God (Eph 3:19). This love of God is the Holy Spirit, promised in today’s reading to be sent out by Jesus Christ from the depths of an eternal reunion between God the Father and God the Son. What a joyous homecoming that must have been after Christ endured the horror of his cross.
Truly, our Father in heaven has a reunion planned for each one of us. I pray that we have the courage to accept our hardships and the presence of mind to allow the Spirit of God into our lives, as we righteously await and duly long for our spiritual homeland.
Prayer
Jesus, you tell us that the ruler of the world has no power over you. Oh, to have that freedom! We are too enslaved by appearances the expectations of others, and it wears down our spirits. Loving God our Father, doing God’s will, and knowing that we are beloved of you and the Father—ah—there is true peace. May we have more of your peace and less of the world’s in our lives. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Augustine of Canterbury was a missionary who re-evangelized England in the late sixth century through his administrative skills and miracle-working faith.
When the Romans withdrew from England in 410, the English were left vulnerable to attacks from the Germanic Saxon tribes. The faith had come to England with the Romans, and it went underground when they left.
In 596, Pope St. Gregory the Great decided it was time to re-evangelize England, having received news that the Church would be welcomed among the kingdoms there. He sent 30 missionaries from the monastery to which he belonged, including the community leader, Augustine.
The group arrived in the north of France and was vehemently warned against crossing the channel to England because of the danger of the voyage and the savagery of the people there. Discouraged, Augustine and the group returned to Rome, but Pope Gregory sent them back.
They landed in Thanet and were received by the local king, who would be baptized and later crowned a Saint himself—St. Ethelbert. He was open to their mission, gave them the use of a local, unused church, and permitted them to teach the faith.
Their work helped the faith take root in the region, the king himself was baptized, and Augustine was raised to the position of archbishop. Ethelbert gave Augustine land in Canterbury for a church, where he built Christ Church and an abbey that now bears his name. The Church spread through England, and new dioceses were established in London and Rochester.
Augustine spent his last years consolidating the faithful communities that had been underground and administering the growing Church. Under Gregory’s guidance, he did not destroy pagan temples, but consecrated them for Christian use; and retained local customs and festivals, using them as occasions to celebrate the Christian faith instead.
His detailed correspondence with Pope Gregory described miracles worked through his intercession. Gregory warned Augustine of pride and told him to stay focused on the inward realities that the outward signs pointed to.
St. Augustine of Canterbury, you re-established the faith in England—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Augustine of Canterbury is available for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Last accessed March 11, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons. Modified from the original.
