Daily Gospel Reflection
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May 8, 2021
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 my house, we sometimes say, “there’s an easy way and there’s a hard way….”
Usually, this is related to something that our children are going through. Growing up is hard, and kids are constantly faced with challenges in their lives. As they tell us the things they experienced in a day, we ask them how they reacted, what they said, what they did or didn’t do, and what they could have done differently. Sometimes these questions are met with defensiveness or evasion. Our kids know that we will ask them hard questions about everyday events. In the many situations they face, there are different ways to respond. The easy way is going along, ignoring hurtful comments directed at others, or joining in on making fun of their peers. The hard way is standing up for others, challenging behavior that is wrong, and saying what is right.
There’s an easy way and there’s a hard way.
Sometimes, my wife and I talk about our own work lives or relationships and, inevitably, that line will slip into our conversation. It’s always a bit of an inside joke accompanied by an eye roll and a laugh. That’s what we say to our kids, afterall. But, honestly, the same things apply to us as adults. The things that we ignore, the things that we avoid, the things that we let pass by without meaningful intervention, all these things reflect on us and tell us who we are.
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first,” Jesus tells us in this reading. What do we have to fear in being hated by the world if we follow the example of Jesus? Jesus always leads us along the hard way. We encourage our children to try to find and follow the hard way. As adults, do we have the courage to do the same?
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
Peter of Tarantaise lived his vocation as a monk to the fullest.
He was born in 1102 near Vienne and joined a Cistercian monastery at the age of 20. He lived with such modesty, charity, and humility that people were moved and changed when they spent time with him. He was such a great witness of the religious life that many others followed him and joined the abbey as well. In fact, his whole family followed him and joined communities of their own—his mother, father, and siblings!
He was appointed as leader of a new monastery that was established at a crossroads in the desert mountains, and the community became known as a resting place for travelers. Peter began a hospice there for sick and poor travelers.
Soon, against his will, he was elected Archbishop of Tarentaise. He wanted to remain with the community, living a life of prayer and service, but had to be compelled to take on this leadership role. He obeyed, and found his new diocese to be in a terrible state—the clergy there were known for corruption and immorality. In a short time, Peter reformed the diocese—he established a strict rule for clergy, elevated good priests to pastoral roles, established new foundations to care for the sick and the poor, and constantly visited the people he served.
Miracles were attributed to him during this time—healings, and the multiplication of food during a famine. He became widely known as a wonder-worker, which increased his longing for the solitude he found in his life as a monk. After 13 years as archbishop, he one day suddenly vanished without a trace.
He was discovered one year later in a remote Cistercian abbey in Switzerland, where he had joined the community under an assumed name as a lay brother. He was ordered to return, and was warmly greeted when he got back to Tarentaise. He redoubled his efforts at leading the diocese, and took even greater care of the poor—twice he endangered his own life by giving away his own cloak in severe weather.
Religious and state authorities turned to Peter, a man of great peace, in moments of conflict so that he could effect reconciliation with his words and presence. He preached outspokenly and fearlessly in disputes over the papacy and between the kings of France and England, and his words were backed by miracles of healings. He died during one of his journeys for such a cause.
St. Peter of Tarentaise, you tried to run away from your duties as a bishop, but became known as a man of great peace—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Peter of Tarentaise is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed March 6, 2025.