Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
November 24, 2020
While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”
Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”
In today’s world, the ability to focus has become harder and harder as more things vie for our attention. Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu compete for our time when we get home in the evening. The project at work with the big deadline on the horizon consumes our thoughts. The distractions we are subject to seem to increase every day, and often have the effect of numbing us to what really matters. I can’t help but feel that, in this gospel passage, Jesus reminds us that the distractions, although entertaining, can lead us astray from our mission as Christians: to love God and to love one another.
It can be easy to gloss over the cosmic travail that Jesus describes in this reading because we don’t experience that kind of apocalyptic drama in our day to day lives. But perhaps we can consider our ordinary, personal, spiritual turmoil as a small version of what Jesus talks about today. What “beautiful stones” in the temple of our own lives distract us from the hungry person we drive by on the street corner each morning? What things “lead us astray” from taking the time to talk to a friend who seems sad or troubled? What distractions keep us from truly listening to and connecting with our loved ones when we get home at night?
As we approach the season of Advent, Jesus is challenging us to reflect on our own lives. How can we remove or minimize the distractions that keep us from drawing closer to him? How can we more effectively use our time and talents to connect with the people in our lives?
Prayer
Gracious Father, you are our comfort, our guide, and our shield through the turbulent tide of personal trials and humanity’s distress. When the troubles of this world rise up against us, give us firm resolve to speak your truth and share your mercy. May we faithfully cling to your wisdom, made flesh in Christ Jesus and dwelling with us in the Spirit. For you are God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today the Church honors 117 Christians who suffered and died for their faith in Vietnam since the seventeenth century—they stand as representatives for the hundreds of thousands who have suffered for their faith in Vietnam.
The canonized group includes 96 people who were from Vietnam and 21 missionaries from Spain and France; eight were bishops, 50 were priests, and nearly 60 were lay people.
St. Andrew Dung-Lac was a diocesan priest—he was named Dung An Tran when he was born in 1795 in North Vietnam. When he was 12, he moved to Hanoi with his family so his parents could find work. A catechist there offered him food and shelter and helped him receive an education. Dung was baptized, and chose the name Andrew—he became a catechist himself, teaching others the faith, and eventually was chosen to study for the priesthood. Andrew was ordained in 1823 and was known as an effective preacher and a model of holiness for those he served.
When the emperor began persecuting Christians, Andrew was imprisoned several times, but released when his congregation purchased his freedom. Eventually, though, Andrew was again arrested, tortured, and, finally, beheaded.
Dominican and Jesuit missionaries were the first to suffer martyrdom in Vietnam. These religious orders brought the faith to Vietnam in the seventeenth century and planted the seeds of Christianity that have grown ever since. Ever since, Christians have suffered under political regimes that suspected the faith as foreign influence.
The ruling powers forced many Christians to renounce their faith under threat of torture or execution—they were required to trample a crucifix to prove their allegiance to the state. Many hid, but the authorities rewarded those who turned in Christians, giving away large amounts of silver in return for reports of where the faithful were hiding. In return, Christians bribed those authorities to buy their safety. At one point, a third of the budget for a French missionary society was dedicated to buying safety for Catholics in Vietnam.
Christians were martyred in horrific ways in Vietnam, including St. Andrew Dung-Lac—their bodies were mutilated and some were tortured with the use of psychoactive drugs. Many were branded on the face, and whole towns known to hold Christians were wiped out.
An 1862 treaty with the French granted religious freedom to Catholics but did not stop all persecutions throughout the country. Most recently, in the last century, the Communist government tried to purge the nation of religion, and more than 600,000 Christians fled, leaving everything behind.
St. Andrew Dung-Lac and the Vietnamese Martyrs, who embraced suffering rather than renounce your faith—pray for us!