Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 26, 2022
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Today’s gospel reading could not be clearer in warning us against those states destructive to our well-being: drowsiness, carousing, drunkenness, and anxiety. Each can lead to worldly traps of despair and a turning away from God.
Yet the Good News is equally clear. Jesus provides the answer and teaches us that our prayers can strengthen us to avoid those destructive states, not by our own strength, but through a relationship with him.
While working on this reflection, my Pandora shuffle play list graced me with Mahalia Jackson’s “I Found the Answer.” Mahalia sings, “I found the answer, I learned to pray. With faith to guide me, I’ve found my way. The sun is shining for me each day. I found the answer, and I learned to pray.”
It’s so simple—to learn to pray—to learn to be in a real, intimate relationship with God. If we know the simple yet profound power of prayer, we have already received a beautiful gift and the help that we need to avoid destructive habits.
Let us contemplate this gift today. Search up “I Found the Answer” and really listen to those lyrics. Whatever struggle we might be facing today, if we pray to Jesus, he is real. With Christ, “[we] will find the way.”
Prayer
O God, our life can be overwhelming at times. We are filled with anxiety, distracted by sin, and fall into complacency. Grant us the grace and strength to be faithful to you. Help us to remember the promise of your kingdom and the glory that awaits us. Keep us ever vigilant in the life that you call us to. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Blessed Gaetana Sterni was an Italian woman who lost nearly everyone she loved, yet she clung to her faith in God, and went on to dedicate her life to serving the homeless.
She was born in 1827 in Italy, one of six children. When she was a child, both her oldest sister and her father died in a short period of time. Then her brother left the family to pursue acting, which left the family poor.
Gaetana stood next to her mother during these difficult times, and took on extra responsibilities to help what was left of the family. Her mother was faithful, and Gaetana grew up with a strong faith that was complemented by solid religious education.
Just before she turned 16, Gaetana married a young businessman, whose previous wife had died, leaving him with three children. After only eight months of marriage, and in the middle of her first pregnancy, her husband died suddenly. When she delivered her baby, the child died after only a few days of life. She thought she would die of a broken heart, yet her grief was buoyed by a firm faith in God’s loving care.
She struggled for a few years to take care of her husband’s children, and she had significant disagreements with her in-laws, who resented the strong connection she had formed with the children. When she was 19 years old, she returned home to live with her mother, and her husband’s family took care of his children.
Even though she argued with her husband’s family, she loved his children, and advocated for their rights. Her patience and generosity eventually brought about a reconciliation with the family.
Gaetana wondered how her life would take shape, and considered marrying again. Through all of the grief and loss, she never lost a regular practice of prayer, and she began to feel a call to dedicate her life to God in a singular way. She joined a religious community of sisters, but when her mother died five months later, she had to depart in order to care for her remaining siblings.
Finally, when she turned 26 years old, Gaetana was free from family responsibilities and sought to give her life to God. She took on a role leading a homeless shelter in the city, which sheltered 115 people. This effort gathered other women, and she eventually shaped the community into a religious order—the Daughters of the Divine Will—which today has houses in Europe, Africa, and the United States.
Gaetana died in 1875 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
Blessed Gaetana Sterni, you clung to your faith through devastating loss and gave your life to serving the poor, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Bl. Gaetana Sterni is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 18, 2024.