Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
October 16, 2020
At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
“Fear him,” yet “Do not be afraid”?
My initial reaction to this bit of Luke’s Gospel was utter bafflement. In one breath, we are told to beware because our sin will be known; we must fear the one who can cast us into hell. In the next breath, we are reminded that we are valuable in the sight of that same God—left with the comforting impression that our God is one of mercy who will ultimately cast away all our sin. How is it, I wondered, that these two realities could be part of the same narrative? Ought I fear God, or ought I not be afraid?
With my initial puzzlement at the passage simmering away at the back of my mind, I found myself at Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher. The earth seemed to drop off. In one direction was the greenest of countrysides speckled with hundreds of yellow dandelions—an old castle in the distance and a native Irishman playing away at his accordion. In the other direction—a drop straight down to a partially mist-obscured sea that seemed to stretch on forever.
Surveying all this, I was overcome with a kind of incredulity. I was simultaneously struck with fear at the immense power of all the elements mixing within this place and at the precariousness of my seemingly small and insignificant presence among them. At the same time, however, the beauty filled me with wonder and with some kind of inexplicable confidence.
I think that an awe like this is what this passage seeks to elicit from us. God is incomprehensible and powerful in a way that we cannot understand. Yet God’s mercy and tenderness towards us knows no bounds. We both fear and find comfort in God’s presence in the same, though rather amplified, way as we might in the presence of nature’s majesty.
Prayer
Almighty and ever-loving Father, you know us better than we know ourselves. Too often, we place our trust in things of this world, failing to place our full trust in you. Your Son proclaimed to us that you know even the number of hairs on our heads. Help us to behold the great love you have for us, and all of our brothers and sisters, that we may more faithfully place our trust in you. We ask this through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Hedwig was a strong mother and wife, and is honored for the faith that she brought to her husband and the people that they governed.
She was born in Bavaria in 1174, and was aunt to St. Elizabeth of Hungary. As a girl, she was placed in a monastery for her education, and when she was 12, she was given to marriage to a duke named Henry. Together, they had seven children.
When her husband succeeded his father, and gained the governance of his region, Hedwig encouraged him to establish a monastery of Cistercian nuns. Together, they founded more monasteries, which helped develop the faith among their people, and also preserved and enhanced their culture. Both Henry and Hedwig founded hospitals, which they took personal interest in.
As their children matured, they gave the couple much trouble. Several bickered bitterly over land rights, even battling one another. Hedwig tried to intervene, but eventually resigned herself and moved to one of the monasteries she had founded. There, she spent her time in the prayer and manual labor of the community, and was known for her austerities that helped her sharpen her will. For example, she would often travel to nearby villages for Mass without wearing shoes, in any kind of weather.
She assisted her husband, urging peace at every opportunity. He fought several major battles, and at one point, Hedwig had to ransom him when he was captured. When Henry died, she permanently joined one of her convents that was led by her daughter, and gave away all of her possessions to the poor.
Even when she was alive, St. Hedwig was given the gift of miracles, and she healed a nun who was blind by making the sign of the cross upon her. Several other miraculous cures are attributed to her. She died on this date in 1243, and is patron saint of brides. Her relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Hedwig, you are the patron saint of brides who gave away all of your possessions to the poor—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Hedwig is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 3, 2024.