Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 8, 2025
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”
Over the past three decades, as my wife and I have been caring for our son with severe special needs, I’ve often struggled to recognize God’s daily care for me. Countless times, I’ve turned to The Lord’s Prayer, always wishing God would unmistakably provide my daily bread with the directness of manna raining down from heaven.
Yet looking back, I think of how God has sent my daily bread through the many health and educational professionals who not only provided compassionate care to our son but also gently encouraged my wife and me to seek sources of respite for ourselves. I recall friends and family who offered to help so that my wife and I could go out to dinner together, and I remember work associates who covered my responsibilities so I could attend a critical medical appointment.
A particularly strong memory reaches back to one of my son’s early hospital stays. After a very long night, I trudged to the cafeteria for a bite to eat. When I reached the cashier, I learned the woman ahead of me had already paid for my breakfast.
I imagine that woman felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit that led her to such generosity. And then I wonder, how often have I ignored or been oblivious to that same nudge, squandering the opportunity to deliver daily bread to others? I think of times I’ve failed to be patient with my son, been too caught up with my own affairs to be friendly to the clerk at the store, and shared only my frustration with drivers on the freeway by liberal use of my horn.
Today I pray for the grace, not only to recognize God’s providential hand in my own life, but also to be open to delivering the daily bread God longs to give to those around me.
Prayer
Father, we are grateful that you have chosen to have an intimate relationship with each of us, one that is nurtured by the words of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. You seek us out and ask us to be your presence in the world. You also give us the key to your heart, the words to be spoken in our time of prayer. For this we thank you and praise you. 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 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.
