Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
May 8, 2025
Jesus said to the crowds:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They shall all be taught by God.
Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me.
Not that anyone has seen the Father
except the one who is from God;
he has seen the Father.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven
so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.”
When I heard this passage as a child, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by manna. That sweet, flaky substance that rained down from the skies must’ve tasted phenomenal to the tired, hungry Israelites (at least before they started taking things for granted). What strikes me is that God nourished his people with something that was not only filling but delightful to the senses. Our God does not do the bare minimum.
God could have made the world desolate and dark, but instead, God gave us reminders of hope all around us so that we might turn to love. We have countless opportunities to see the ways that God has blessed us. Look at the magnolia flowers that fill the trees in the spring in the Midwest. Feel the excitement of long-awaited reunions with old friends. Even in the darkest of times, such as in the death of a loved one, we can thank God for having given us the capacity to love someone so deeply and to have been loved in return.
Perhaps the biggest blessing of all is what God has promised us—eternal life, through Christ, who is the Bread of Life. God extends to each of us the opportunity to live in perfect harmony for all eternity. All other blessings on earth pale in comparison to this. As we continue to journey through this Easter season, let us make use of the fruits of our Lenten sacrifices and focus our hearts on uniting more fully with God.
Prayer
All-powerful God, you are near to us and hear us when we pray. Enliven us with your Spirit, the fire of your love. Through our baptism we share in the life of your son, Jesus the Christ. Sustain your life within us by drawing us often to eat his body and drink his blood in the new and everlasting covenant that gives us eternal life. Grant this through Christ our Lord. 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.