Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 21, 2022
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
Whatever the circumstances around our individual birth, we are all meant to be here. Each human life has value. As Psalm 139 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” So what does that mean for us as we go through each day?
I always think of what Catholic public speaker, Matthew Kelly, says, “Make the next right choice.” For our gospel today, I think this means to be present to those around you in the ways you can make things better for others. With all the signs of divisiveness in our culture, be the person who helps diffuse a situation without giving up on Godly principles.
Christ admonishes us to understand the signs of the times. Perhaps by patiently discerning the signs of distrust, hopelessness, and heartache around us, we could meaningfully work towards the type of emotional and societal forecast we want to see in the future.
In example, my sister founded a non-profit, Theology of the Body School. Her goal is to help educate children from their early years in the dignity of body and soul, consistent with Saint John Paul II’s famous teachings.
She helps young people learn about their intrinsic value and ways of expressing their gifts as they grow up. In this way, she is working today for what she wants to see in the future, using her time on earth to help lead others towards greater respect for life in all its stages.
May we each be present in the present, discerning the signs, and making our lives a gift to others.
Prayer
All-knowing God, we see all around us the signs of your will in our lives. At times it may be difficult for us to recognize for ourselves what those signs point us towards. Grant us the grace we need in order to know your will, the wisdom to understand it, and the strength to carry it out. May our efforts to know your will lead us not into pride and self-importance, but give us an ever greater love for you, who reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Ursula's legend has its origins in an ancient stone in a church in Cologne, Germany. How an image of this obscure German saint ended up in a stained glass window in a basilica in northern Indiana is its own unique story.
In the church of St. Ursula in Cologne, there is a stone with a Latin inscription from c. 400. The inscription indicates that a senator named Clematius received divine visions directing him to rebuild a ruined basilica on that very spot in honor of several women who had been martyred there. The visions did not specify the names of the women who were martyred.
But, as the visions seemed to indicate, a number of women had been martyred in Cologne, and they must have been highly revered by the community to have a church built in their honor. How the church had fallen into ruin was unclear. Since the church was named for a Saint Ursula, one of the women, one can deduce, must have been named Ursula.
Legend has filled in the gaps in this record. Ursula, the story goes, was the daughter of a Christian king in Britain, and betrothed to the son of a pagan king. Because Ursula wanted to remain a virgin, she asked for a three-year delay to the marriage. Thus, Ursula took her ladies-in-waiting and escaped from England. Eventually, Ursula and her companions ended up in Cologne, where they were captured by Attila and his Huns and killed for their faith around 383.
When Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World, he named the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean in honor of the virgin St. Ursula and her companions. St. Ursula is also the patron saint of the Ursuline Order of nuns, who founded schools for the education of girls and women throughout Europe. She is the patron saint of Catholic education, of students and teachers, and of the University of Paris.
When the Congregation of Holy Cross established Notre Dame, St. Ursula was one of the patrons invoked by the French priests and brothers of that order in intercession for the success of the University.
St. Ursula's relics rest in the reliquary chapel of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. In one stained glass image from the Basilica (above), St. Ursula holds the flag of England in one hand, and the flowering palm of martyrdom in the other.
St. Ursula, patron saint of Catholic education—pray for us!