Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 12, 2020
Jesus said to his disciples, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.”
Pumpkin Spice Lattes–now available at the LaFortune Student Center. If South Bend’s increasingly cloudy days and cooler air doesn’t point to the fact that summer is coming to an end, let Starbucks be the one to break the news to you. If you are like me, then you are protesting the seasonal transition that is taking place.
Transitions, whether they be seasons, moves, new jobs, losses, or even daily interruptions, typically require some kind of adjustment or change. For me, I see change as an unwelcome disruption to the familiar routine and comforting steadiness I seek. And yet, if routine is overridden by complacency, and steadiness with stagnation, then we risk remaining unchanged by the spontaneous spirit of God that works in moments of newness.
Today’s gospel is the reminder we need in moments of transition. Instead of retreating behind the walls of security we build or clinging to our own efforts to remedy our unease, Jesus’ words direct our hearts to anchor ourselves in him. Come to me, hear my words, and act on them. Jesus draws us towards himself where we are invited to rest in divine intimacy. Jesus speaks to us in our unique contexts, reshaping our reality so that we might see our circumstance anew. We are then capacitated to go forth and walk in newness. No matter the change, transition, or disruption, a life lived in friendship with God serves as the rock to which we can anchor our lives. Living out of this truth means that any change, transition, or disruption becomes a new context in which we can recognize the faithfulness of a God who is present to us and remains with us…always.
While I still may be protesting the cooler temperatures, I’ll admit that not all change is bitter. Each changing season is a new beginning.
Prayer
Lord, you are the true foundation upon which we are meant to build our lives. Give us the faith to be able to see you and your will in our lives so that we may always build on the firm foundation of your love. May the fruits of our labor reflect the love you have for us and for all your children; may they serve as small reminders of your great care and compassion. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today marks the feast of the Holy Name of Mary, a Marian feast day that has experienced several reversals in popularity. The feast of the Holy Name of Mary was first celebrated in Spain in 1513 but removed from the calendar by both Pius V and Benedict XIV. It was finally reintroduced by Innocent XI in 1683 after the Holy Roman Empire’s victory in the Battle of Vienna on September 12, 1683, which gives the current feast day its calendar date.
So what does Mary’s name mean, and why is it worth honoring?
The name “Mary” is the anglicized version of the Hebrew name Miryam, often written in biblical Greek as Mariam. Miryam is the name of Moses’ sister who praises God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and their safe passage through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20-21), a psalm similar to Mary’s powerful hymn to God’s saving power in her Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55). As Jesus is rendered in the Gospels as the new Moses (Mt 2:13-15, 7:29, JN 6: 48-51), so Mary is portrayed as the new Miryam, the helpmate of Israel’s savior and a leader of her people. Interpretations of her name by biblical scholars and theologians vary widely—some notable examples include Source of Light, Scent of the Sea, and Star of the Sea. Developed in the 16th century in the Italian town of Loreto, the Litany of Loreto catalogs many devotional titles Catholics have applied to Mary, celebrating both her unique role in Salvation History and the beauty of her love for God, from which so many graces flow to us.
Names have a sacred status in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The second of the Ten Commandments requires Israel to keep holy the name of the Lord God. A name is more than just a label; it is part of the person who bears it. Our reverence for the person is reflected in our reverence for his or her name. Our names contain our identities and represent our mission—who and what we are to the world. Mary’s name holds the meaning of her own mission: to lead the world to the light of the world. Mary’s name given in the scriptures reminds us of God’s works of love and deliverance in history and speaks powerfully of who God desires her to be for us.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux writes that Mary is a “clear and shining star, twinkling with excellencies and resplendent with example, needfully set to look down upon the surface of this great and wide sea.” In life, we are constantly “battered to and fro by the gales and storms of this life’s ocean.” In the midst of life’s hurricanes and stormy waves, Bernard enjoins us to “look to the star, call on Mary. ...If she lead thee, thou wilt never be weary. If she help thee thou wilt reach home at last.”
As we pray to and with the name of Mary, as we call to mind her name, may we remember that we are not on the journey of faith alone. And when the storms are particularly troublesome and the night is especially dark, may we look to the Mary, the star that perpetually shines and ceaselessly guides us to the source of her light, her son.
Mary, Star of the Sea and light who guides our way to Christ—pray for us!