Daily Gospel Reflection

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November 5, 2023

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mt 23:1-12
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Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,
“The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people’s shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’
As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’
You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father;
you have but one Father in heaven.
Do not be called ‘Master’;
you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Reflection

Katie Mascari '22, M.A. '24, M.T.S.
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Some of my favorite childhood memories involve the baby goats we had on our small family farm. I learned at a young age that there was an art to catching a baby goat: I couldn’t be too eager.

Trying too quickly or forcefully to catch one typically resulted in it running farther, faster, and with more creativity than before. Instead, the best tactic was to wait, spend time in their pen, and let them grow comfortable with my presence. With enough patience, some baby goats would eventually come to me, allowing me to pick them up. This time-consuming tactic wasn’t always practical, but overall, more patience, not force, led to more success.

Reflecting on today’s gospel, it struck me that trying to grow in humility can feel like trying to catch a baby goat. Jesus teaches that we should humble ourselves and avoid being like the Pharisees in the passage who do good deeds just to be seen. But if I set out to grow in humility on my own to be the best Christian possible, do I risk falling into pride as I try to ascend the ranks of Jesus’ humble servants?

Like the baby goats, perhaps one aspect of Christian humility is patient receptivity. We can ask the Lord to show us when and where we ought to grow in humility, and we wait. It’s easy to recall opportunities for humility that have come to us when we didn’t ask for or want them. These moments seem particularly fruitful for growth in the humility Jesus prizes if we respond to these opportunities out of true love for God over our image or reward.

As we hope to turn away from pride and toward humility, it’s comforting to know we can ask for the opportunity and, in the meantime, ask for God’s help to attend humbly to the ordinary demands of the Christian life.

Prayer

Br. Pablo Quan, C.S.C.

Jesus, you taught the crowd and your disciples that whoever was to be the greatest among them would be their servant. May all leaders be inspired by your example of humility, seeking not to exalt themselves at the expense of others, but rather to serve and support those under their care. Amen.

Saint of the Day

Sts. Elizabeth and Zechariah

Elizabeth and Zechariah were the parents of John the Baptist. Elizabeth was the cousin of the Virgin Mary, and Zechariah was a priest in Jerusalem. As depicted in this stained glass window from the Basilica, an angel visited Zechariah in an incense-filled vision when he was in the temple. The angel told him that Elizabeth, who was well beyond child-bearing years, would have a son and they should name him John.

Zechariah doubted the news and the angel struck him mute. When their child was born, he was consulted as to what name their son should be given. When he wrote on a slate that the boy shall be called John, his speech was restored.

After the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel told Mary she would bear the Son of God, Mary traveled to be with Elizabeth as she prepared for motherhood. Upon hearing Mary's greeting, Elizabeth cried out:

"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed in the fruit of you womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

— Lk 1:42-45

We celebrate this moment on the Feast of the Visitation, which is held on May 31 each year to mark the end of the month dedicated to Mary.

Elizabeth is the patron of pregnant women. Relics of both Elizabeth and Zechariah rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, as does a piece of the house they lived in.

Saints Elizabeth and Zechariah, parents of John the Baptist who prepared the way of the Lord—pray for us!