Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
October 23, 2024
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Reflection
I have been awake through the night a handful of times: a term paper deadline, a restless baby, a red-eye flight. Most recently, it was a 100 km trail race around Mont Blanc. For months, I had prepared my body for this endeavor by taste-testing bars, heart rate monitoring, training in downpours, and hiking with a baby in tow.
Twelve hours into the race, I knew the part of the race I most feared was approaching—the night. How would my body respond when forced to continue into the mysterious blackness?
In today’s gospel, Jesus encourages us to be prepared like the attentive servant. One definition of prepared is readiness for a particular end. My mind goes to the runners who were overcome by physical or mental exhaustion during the night and slept on the side of the trail. It was hard not to lose motivation and join them, especially without certainty that I would finish. Was I prepared enough to reach my particular end?
Often, the Lord does not allow us to know the end, only how to prepare. It is this work that surpasses physical readiness and strengthens the mind and heart. I was grateful to be physically ready with a backup when my headlamp went out without warning. But what was more valuable was preparing my mind for the long night, no matter the obstacle. A quote by St. Junípero Serra became my mantra: “Always forward, never back.” This helped me finish the race.
May we each cultivate an unrelenting hope that we can enter into times of obscurity with confidence, thanks to the Lord’s quiet work on our souls during faithful times of prayer and service. Then, we need not grasp at just anything to move forward but wait for the Lord, our spiritual headlamp, to illuminate our path ahead.
Prayer
Taking you for granted, dear Father, is as dangerous as taking any of our important relationships for granted. There’s too much at stake, and Jesus has promised that there will be repercussions for those who are lackadaisical—not just towards you, but to everyone who depends on us. We are honored that you would entrust so much to us, yet we are aware of our weaknesses and fears. We need your help and that of your Spirit so that we can fulfill your needs and desires. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. John of Capistrano, nicknamed the “soldier saint,” helped liberate Belgrade from a military siege at the age of seventy.
John was born in Capistrano, Italy, in 1385, and studied law. After practicing as a lawyer in the courts of Naples, he was appointed the governor of Perugia. During a war with a neighboring city, he was imprisoned. During his imprisonment, John began to study theology, and when he was released in 1416, he forswore his secular profession and entered a Franciscan community at Perugia.
John studied with St. James of the March and St. Bernardine of Siena, and, through their guidance and his theological training, grew into a brilliant preacher. John's reputation as a charismatic and powerful preacher grew. John traveled throughout Europe and Russia preaching to large crowds and helping to establish Franciscan communities.
When John was well into old age, at the age of seventy, the Holy Roman Empire was facing the daunting military power of the Ottoman Empire. Both Rome and Vienna were under threat of siege. Thus, John was commissioned by Pope Callixtus III to incite in his enthralled audiences' interest in a crusade to oppose the invasion. Extending his leadership beyond simply the pastoral sphere, John also served as a leader in the defense of Belgrade and marched at the head of 70,000 soldiers who won a decisive victory in Belgrade in 1456. John died only three months later.
St. John of Capistrano has a unique presence in the New World as well. In 1776, Spanish Franciscan missionaries built a mission in southern California and named it San Juan Capistrano. The stone church they erected is the oldest building still in use in California. It is the only surviving structure that has documented proof that St. Junipero Serra celebrated Mass here. For a long time, that church was the largest building in Southern California. One unusual tradition surrounding the mission church is a celebration involving the American cliff swallow. The church was located next to two rivers, providing an abundance of insects for the birds. Each year, the swallows journey six thousand miles to Argentina for the winter and travel back in the spring. Their return is welcomed with a famous celebration, Fiesta de las Golondrinas, which takes place on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph.
St. John of Capistrano is the patron saint of military chaplains and of those who work as judges and in various legal professions. Some of his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
St. John of Capistrano, patron saint of military chaplains and judges—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. John of Capistrano is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 4, 2024.