Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
May 4, 2026
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name —
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”
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.
Christ instructs us today that those who love him will keep his word, and those who do will be loved by the Father and have the Father dwell within them. Jesus also addresses the disciples’ questions as to why he has revealed himself as the Messiah to them, but not to the world, referring to those who reject Christ’s offer of salvation by their actions.
As a senior on the precipice of graduation, Christ’s declarations particularly resonate with me as I envision my faith life outside of this university. Notre Dame is wholly unique in its promotion of Catholic identity, and, more profoundly, in its ability to guide its students toward lives of keeping the Word as discussed in the gospel.
I have been unbelievably blessed to have been surrounded by peers, professors, and faculty over the past four years who have routinely motivated me to grow closer in my relationship with God. My friends and I often joke that we have an “all-star team” of priests here at Notre Dame, and I am fortunate to have had my religious life strengthened by many of them.
As I move on to a postgraduate life, I look forward to the challenge of working to uphold Christ’s Word in my newfound reality and demonstrating that I truly do love him. While intimidated, I am equally inspired by the foundational faith development I have undergone here at Notre Dame. This university has allowed me to forge an irrevocable relationship with my Catholic identity and left an indelible mark on my religious consciousness. As I step outside of its walls, I feel confident that I can continue to submit to Christ’s Word, principally because of the tools Our Lady’s University has provided me.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, you promise to be with us through the presence of your Spirit, our Advocate. Bless us with your presence and the gift of your guidance. May our efforts bring you glory. Amen!
Saint of the Day
For 150 years during the 16th and 17th centuries, England was at war with Catholicism and the pope. Hundreds of men and women, Catholic and Protestant, were killed during this dispute. Today, the Catholic Church remembers about 300 martyrs who were killed for their faith in England and Wales between 1534 and 1681.
A brief history: Mary I, queen of England and Ireland from 1553-1558, restored Catholicism and papal authority to England. She was known as “Bloody Mary” for having some 300 Protestants burned at the stake for heresy against the Catholic faith.
Mary’s sister and successor, Elizabeth I, reversed this Catholic restoration and denied papal authority in England. In 1570, the pope excommunicated Elizabeth and called Catholics in England to rebel. Fearing invasion by a Catholic nation assisted by English Catholics, Elizabeth repressed Catholicism harshly. To be Catholic was to be a traitor, and it was forbidden by law to attend Catholic Mass.
Catholics in England and Wales were arrested and imprisoned, and many were executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered. Some 300 Catholic men and women are honored today in separate lists for having died for their faith. They include bishops, priests, religious, and lay men and women.
A list of the Protestant martyrs who were killed during the reinstatement of Catholicism can be found here. Some relics from Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and a complete list of their names can be found here.
Martyrs of the English Reformation, you faced persecution and were killed for your faith—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of The Martyrdom of the Priors of the English Charterhouse of London Nottingham and Axholme is in the public domain. Last accessed March 6, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
