Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 19, 2024
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
“Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.”
Reflection
This passage from Luke serves as an invitation to ask ourselves some key questions every day: Are we listening to the Holy Spirit, or are we resisting the way God is trying to guide us? Are we allowing outside distractions to block God’s voice? As I reflect on this passage, I can’t help but be reminded of Fr. Hesburgh’s favorite prayer, “Come Holy Spirit.” So simple yet incredibly powerful.
I am comforted by Jesus’ assurance that the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say in moments of anxiety and despair. Life inevitably brings challenges, especially when living faithfully as a disciple. These verses remind me that I don’t have to rely solely on my strength or wisdom when faced with difficult situations. It also reminds me that I am not alone. The Holy Spirit will provide the words, courage, and insight I need, even when I feel inadequate or afraid.
This is not a call to be incompetent or unprepared for life. It is a call to trust more deeply in God’s presence. It is a call to recognize my finite capacities as a child of God. I can’t anticipate every twist and turn ahead of me, but because of the Holy Spirit, I don’t need to have everything figured out.
May we be open and willing to pivot where the Holy Spirit leads so that God can equip us for whatever comes our way. May we cultivate a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, listening for guidance in all aspects of our lives, not just in times of crisis.
Prayer
Lord God, when we are in trouble and are without words and feel our faith trembling under the pressure of those who would lead us away from you, send your Spirit to build up our faith and to give us the words to say and actions to take. We pray through Our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and that same Spirit. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Isaac Jogues is the first American saint—he was martyred with two other missionaries near the Mohawk river in New York state in 1646.
Isaac was born in 1607 in Orleans, France, to a middle-class family. He received a good education, and at the age of 17 entered the Jesuit community. As he continued his education in theology, he was influenced by superiors and teachers who had served as missionaries among the indigenous people of New France—what is now Canada.
Jogues was allowed to shorten his studies to pursue his interest in becoming a missionary himself. He was ordained a priest in January of 1636 and was immediately sent to New France to live among the Huron and Algonquian tribes. He landed at a settlement on the shores of Lake Huron that fall, but fell sick along with many from the tribe. The people of the village blamed the missionaries for the sickness and threatened to kill them, but the illness subsided before they acted.
After several years at that outpost, Jogues and several others made forays deeper into the wilderness to reach other native tribes. During one of these journeys in 1642, a group of Mohawk warriors captured Jogues, two other missionaries, and a number of Christian Hurons who were accompanying them. They brought the Christians to a village on the Mohawk river, about 40 miles west of present-day Albany, New York. There they tortured and beat the missionaries, and did worse to the Hurons. Jogues had his two index fingers severed, but survived.
Jogues was kept as a slave for some time until some Dutch traders found him and purchased his freedom. He made his way back to France where he visited his family, but his heart was still with the native people of New France. Within a few months, he was traveling back to resume missionary work there.
After a treaty brought peace with the Mohawks, Jogues went to live with them, but they were suspicious of the missionaries. When another epidemic broke out, the Mohawks blamed the newcomers—they killed Jogues and attacked his two companions on the next day.
Jogues and his companions were canonized in 1930 as the North American Martyrs—they included the two who died with him and four others who were killed during that general time. In Canada, their feast day falls on Sept. 26, and in America they are honored on Oct. 19.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born about ten years after Jogues died, in the same village where he gave his life for the faith.
St. Isaac Jogues and companions, as martyrs you planted the seeds of faith in North America—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Isaac Jogues is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 4, 2024.