Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 10, 2025
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck
and he be thrown into the sea
than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Be on your guard!
If your brother sins, rebuke him;
and if he repents, forgive him.
And if he wrongs you seven times in one day
and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’
you should forgive him.”
And the Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
“I didn’t know you were Catholic.” These six words, which would today feel like a gut punch, haven’t always had that effect on me.
I used to be proud of the fact that I could blend in with the world, being Catholic and loving the Lord privately while living my life in a way that was not always reflective of my Catholic faith nor of my inherent value as a daughter of God. It was not until my senior fall semester at Notre Dame that I began to reflect on the words from today’s gospel passage in light of my own life.
If I, who profess to love Christ and desire to serve his church, were to speak or act in a way that did not reflect that love, it could sow confusion in the hearts of others and their understanding of the faith. While Christ is the ultimate mover of all hearts, it was important for me to realize that my witness truly matters in building the kingdom of God.
In the words of Teresa of Avila, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours…Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.”
While it may seem daunting to go into the world and be a witness to Christ, often at the expense of our comfort, he assures us that even our smallest but genuine efforts produce much fruit because God does the heavy lifting. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, or if you offer your life to God as a humble witness, no matter how small it may seem, he can work wonders through you that you may never even see.
I invite you today to pray, “Lord, give me courage to witness to your love today.” How can we all take a small step to be a greater witness of Christ?
Prayer
Gracious and forgiving God, grant me the wisdom to recognize and rebuke the sin I may cause and often do not see. And may your loving forgiveness which has been repeated so many times in my life, inspire me to treat with enduring patience and kindness those whose actions provoke the same. Amen.
Saint of the Day
The great Pope St. Leo did not back down from any challenge to the faith of the church—he guided our understanding of Jesus’ human and divine natures at a critical moment in history, and even faced down Attila the Hun in person.
Leo was born at the end of the fourth century to a family from Tuscany, Italy, though he called Rome his home. He received a good education and was selected to serve the church in Rome as a deacon. He was raised to positions of responsibility under two popes.
In 440, rival generals in the Roman army had a feud that threatened the security of the region of what is now France. Leo was sent to reconcile the two generals. While he was away, the reigning pope died, and messengers had to fetch Leo to tell him he had been elected to replace him.
Leo quickly became known for his edifying homilies, and his systematic and instructive preaching became a model for pastors in Rome and beyond. He was a prolific correspondent, sending letters far and wide to correct and encourage the faithful.
Leo became pope during the Christological debates of fifth-century Christianity. As the church worked through the message of the gospel in light of contemporary philosophy, different theologians proposed various models for how to understand the person Jesus Christ. The Catholic church attempted to define orthodox Christology, that is, a theological-philosophical account of who and what Christ is. During Leo's reign, the church called the Council of Chalcedon in 451, which is one of the most important "Christological Councils," as it formulated the Chalcedonian Creed, which stated Christ is "two natures [human and divine] unconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably united in one person."' The Chalcedonian Formula, as it is known, is the foundation for Christian orthodoxy to this day.
The following year, Attila the Hun was making his way with his army into Italy, pillaging their way as they traveled across the country. After burning Aquileia, sacking Milan, and razing Pavia, Attila and his forces turned towards Rome. The people panicked, and the general of the army was too terrified to encounter Attila that they could not act, so the emperor and senate turned to the strongest and wisest person they knew—Pope Leo—and ordered him to negotiate with Attila.
Near present-day Peschiera, Leo and Attila met face-to-face. Leo convinced Attila to accept an annual payment in exchange for the safety of the city, and Rome was protected for the moment. Three years later, however, Vandal invaders approached, and again Leo was called upon to negotiate. He was only able to obtain a promise from the Vandals not to kill the people and burn the city. They had their way with everything else, leaving Rome with captives and much treasure.
Leo responded to the crisis immediately. He collected money to serve the people enslaved in Africa and sent priests to serve them. He also did what he could to replace the sacred vessels and objects that had been taken from churches. It is said that he was never discouraged—even in the most troubling circumstances, he trusted God above all, which gave him a steady heart and strong judgment.
Leo died on this date in 461 and has been declared a doctor of the Church—a designation given to only 39 saints for their efforts to teach the faith and the great example of their wisdom. To honor his prolific leadership, Leo is known as “Leo the Great”—a designation given to only three other popes (Gregory I, Nicholas I, and John Paul II). Some of Leo's relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus.
Pope St. Leo the Great, fierce defender of the faith and of your city—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Pope St. Leo the Great is in the public domain. Last accessed October 10, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
