Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 26, 2025
Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Today’s reading illustrates the costs that come with following Jesus. Through the many stories of saints and martyrs, we learn that the dangers could be physical and include separation from families and communities. We hear Jesus say several times that we may be rejected by others, including family. Depending on where we live today, we may take for granted that the choice to follow one’s faith no longer means physical danger, but, in certain circumstances, it can separate us from others.
As I work with young people, we often discuss the choices they make. Sometimes those choices set them apart from others. At other times, their choices to live differently from the world’s narrative help to raise the consciousness of others, prompting them to make better choices. These faithful young adults are models of faith for others, just as we are also called to be in our families and communities.
As we near the end of this month, which began with All Saints Day, there are many stories to reflect on of the heroes and legends of our faith who faced the real consequences of following Jesus. Hopefully, these stories of our faith not only influence our lives for the good but also help us to raise the consciousness of others to make choices that make us kinder, more compassionate disciples of Christ.
Prayer
O, Christ, our lives pattern your own. You were beaten and spat upon for loving a world unused to love. We, however, expect not to be hated by the world, but admired by it; not to be betrayed, but to succeed. Save us from the lie that your name, Jesus, will bring us only success, praise, and power. Give us the endurance to suffer because we have become such great lovers of the world that we bear you in our very bodies. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. John Berchmans did not found churches or perform miracles, but he was diligent and attended to his life of faith; he prayed faithfully and worked on perfection in little things. His life reminds us that holiness can be found in our everyday life. "My penance," he would say, "is to live the common life. I will pay the greatest attention to the least inspiration of God."
John was born the eldest son of a shoemaker in 1599 in Belgium. He loved being an altar boy as a youth and spent much of his time caring for his mother, who was in poor health.
He read the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga and decided to become a Jesuit. He went on to university studies and had a dream that he was helping and teaching migrants from many different parts of Europe, so he began studying all the major European languages.
He was chosen by his teachers to defend the faith in a public debate and afterwards became quite ill with a fever. He died holding his rosary, crucifix and the rules of the Jesuit order. He did not live to be ordained. St. John Berchmans is patron saint of altar servers, and his relics rest in the Basilica reliquary chapel.
St. John Berchmans, you sought perfection in your ordinary, everyday life, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. John Berchmans is in the public domain. Last accessed November 15, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
