Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 8, 2022
While Jesus was speaking,
a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”
Today’s short but powerful gospel calls to mind the blessed mother, Mary, with only two sentences. I at once connected deeply as I thought of my mother, who carried and brought me into this world.
My mom, or as my siblings call her, “mum,” is the holiest and most spiritual person in my life. Born in Sydney, Australia, and appropriately named Mary, she raised six boys and one girl in rural northern Wisconsin, surrounded by the richness of faith, hope, and love.
Like the blessed Mary, my mum raised us children to live God’s word and model our faith to our children spanning three continents and seven states—21 grandchildren! As the passage suggests, my mum truly hears and observes the word of God while evangelizing it in her life and to the lives of others around the world.
Inspired by my dad, who was a highly decorated Naval Aviator—earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and two Purple Hearts—I am learning to fly an airplane. As a student pilot, I must recognize and manage the fundamental forces of flight—thrust, drag, lift, and weight—acting on a plane while navigating the head and tailwinds.
In life, we face forces that bring opportunities and challenges. We cannot necessarily see these forces but seeking Jesus strengthens our faith while enabling us to experience life’s joy while gaining the will to overcome challenges.
The Good News is God’s desire for us is deep within each of us to hear and observe.
The gospel reading inspires me to remain hopeful that, like my mum’s faith-filled impact on my family, we can collectively, as a human family, help each other bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth. With Jesus at our side, we can fly higher towards the heavens on eagles wings.
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you chose to be born among us, and you became like us in every way but sin. As a merciful and faithful high priest, you make atonement for our sins. Help us to hear your word every day, and in listening to you, may we come to the knowledge of what is good and true. Stir your spirit within us to practice what we discern from your word. We ask this in your name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
There are several legends associated with the name Pelagia. Various legends recount the story of a former dancer who eventually became a hermit in Jerusalem, disguising herself as a monk to escape an unwanted marriage.
The historical Pelagia was a young Christian woman in Antioch, who is now celebrated as a virgin and martyr. Both St. John Chrysostom and St. Ambrose refer to her in their preaching as an example of Christian faithfulness. They tell the story of Pelagia, who was only just fifteen, leaping from a roof of a building rather than offer a sacrifice to pagan gods during the persecution of Christians under the emperor Diocletian.
Yet, over time, the faithful Pelagia, virgin and martyr, has become confused with this first Pelagia, also known as “Pelagia the Penitent,” who was, for a brief moment, Antioch's most prominent actress. The theatre at Antioch, as John Chrysostom notes constantly in his homilies, was neither the recreation of classic Greek tragedies nor a thoughtful presentation of story-telling, but more like a burlesque show, full of tantalizing sights for idle urbanites. Thus, Pelagia's reputation as a famous actress was certainly for performances that were measured on criteria other than artistic merit. Pelagia was renowned for her wealth, her entourage, and her meticulous care for her body even in the midst of her hedonistic lifestyle.
After an Antiocene priest named Nonnus condemned himself and his brothers-in-Christ for ogling at Pelagia, Pelagia appeared at Nonnus' church next Sunday. After Nonnus preached a powerful sermon, Pelagia instantly desired to become Christian. She prostrated herself before Nonnus, begging for a baptismal robe, until he agreed to let her be baptized. After three days, Pelagia's legend claims that, after giving away all her possessions, she fled to Jerusalem and lived in extreme poverty in a cave on the Mount of Olives, eventually dying as a result of her harsh, penitential lifestyle.
This confusion between the two stories has left St. Pelagia with the title of patron saint of actresses. Although the confusion of their legends is responsible for their patronage, the faithful Pelagia's leap from the roof of a building to prevent herself from being forced blasphemy is certainly a theatrical gesture of holiness, and perhaps would earn her patronage of the theatre on its own. Relics of the historical St. Pelagia, virgin and martyr, rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Pelagia, martyr and patron saint of actresses—pray for us!
Image Credit: (1) Our featured image of St. Pelagia is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed September 27, 2024. (2) The detail from Lives of the Saints is in the public domain. Last accessed September 27, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
