Daily Gospel Reflection

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November 14, 2022

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lk 18:35-43
Listen to the Audio Version

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Reflection

Tyler Ancona ’21, ’22 M.S.A.
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Learning about my Catholic faith as a child and more deliberately during my years at Notre Dame, I found it easy to focus only on what my faith could do for me. Divine joy and fulfillment, the promise of eternal life—how could a young person not quickly become swept up in such possibilities?

It can be difficult at times to remember the true goodness that our faith brings is not directed toward the individual. Instead, the true gift of our faith is the good it can do for all in our community who need it. This is Jesus’ message from today’s gospel that must not be forgotten.

As Jesus leads his disciples to Jericho, those walking in front—seemingly the most advanced—deny the blind man’s call to aid, casting him aside as a distraction and a hindrance. In doing so, Jesus’ followers prioritize their interest in God but nothing more.

Without Jesus’ guiding presence, the blind man would have been ignored, and the true power of Christ would have been missed. This story is a solid call to remember that our faith becomes a dynamic, more powerful tool for good only when it includes others.

The proof of our love for Christ is to take on the struggles of others as our own. Our communities are only as strong as they are united; an immoderate individualized focus fuels a disjointed world.

As personal as our relationships with God are, our wish to follow the Lord can only be fully realized when we actively seek to use our faith in dialogue with the common good.

Prayer

Rev. Herb Yost, C.S.C.

Lord Jesus, the blind man knew what he needed, and wasn’t afraid to keep asking aloud. Grant us his persistence and courage. You know we have many needs. In voicing them, we give voice to the needs of all, and thus bring your healing to all. Remove our fear and timidity, please, so that we can bring your healing to others. Amen.

Saint of the Day

St. Laurence O'Toole

St. Laurence O’Toole was archbishop of Dublin, Ireland, and a great force for peace during a tumultuous time.

He was born 1128 and named Lorcán Ua Tuathail (his name is anglicized to Laurence O’Toole). He was the son of Murtagh, the chieftain of the Murray clan. When a neighboring king invaded, Murtagh was forced to give up Laurence, then only ten years old, as a hostage.

For two years, Laurence lived in a barren and stony region and was poorly treated. When Murtagh heard of this, he threatened vengeance unless the boy was handed over to the Bishop of Glendalough. Laurence was delivered to the bishop, and Murtagh hurried to visit him there. In thanksgiving, Murtagh vowed to God that one of his four sons would serve the Church. He asked the bishop to cast lots to decide which son should join him, but Laurence laughed and told him not to bother—he had already decided to do so.

Laurence was raised and educated by the bishop, and when he turned twenty-five, he was asked to be the Abbot of Glendalough Abbey. Laurence was a charitable and wise leader. When a famine struck the area during his first four months as abbot, he generously supported the villagers with extra food from the abbey.

Outlaws and robbers hid in the hills surrounding Glendalough and often threatened anyone who traveled through them. Laurence boldly spoke out against these robbers, and they responded to his rebukes by spreading lies about him. Laurence responded to the slander with silence, content to let the truth bear itself out.

When the archbishop of Dublin died in 1161, Laurence was elected to replace him, his election was supported by the High King and the community of Glendalough, but also warmly welcomed by the population of Dublin itself. Laurence's first plan of action in the city was to reform the clergy who worked with him in Dublin. Laurence asked the clergy to truly commit to a life of regular prayer and fasting, and he led the clergy in these disciplines with his own example—he wore a religious habit, ate with the clerical community in a common dining area, and observed hours of silence and vigil prayer. Every day, Laurence shared a meal with the poor and destitute of Dublin, and he sustained many others by paying for their housing.

Various Irish kings and chieftains allied with the Norman King Henry II of England and conspired to seize Dublin. The citizens of Dublin begged Laurence to parlay with the Norman troops for them, but Laurence was unable to prevent the Normans from entering the city. He did, however, succeed in stopping the massacre of Dublin citizens the Norman knights were beginning to carry out. In the ensuing years of political turmoil, Laurence continued to negotiate between the Normans and the Irish chieftains.

During one trip to England, Laurence visited the tomb of St. Thomas Beckett, who was murdered for disagreeing with the king and honored as a martyr. The next day, as Laurence was celebrating Mass, a man attending Mass thought Laurence would inspire the people as a martyr as well, and struck him on the head. Laurence fell to the ground, and the horrified congregation thought he had died. When Laurence regained consciousness, however, he washed the wound on his head, bandaged it, and continued with Mass. The man who struck him was sentenced to hang, but Laurence asked for his pardon and saved his life. (Seven hundred years later, when Laurence’s relics were examined, his skull carried the mark from this blow.)

Laurence fell sick while traveling to England to meet with Henry II and returned to Ireland in very critical condition. Before he died, Laurence was asked what he wanted to leave to his heirs in his will, and he replied, “God knows I have not a penny in the world.” Laurence had truly embodied the care and stewardship of a shepherd and had given all he had to his beloved people of Dublin. Laurence died on November 14, 1180.

St. Laurence O’Toole, Irish bishop who endured violence to lead the Irish people to deeper faith—pray for us!


Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Laurence is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 10, 2024.