Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 22, 2026
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
When a fellow ND Alum and mentor recommended I write a daily reflection for Faith ND, my first thought was, “I’m not worthy.” As someone who left marketing over a decade ago, my writing skills feel a bit rusty. But even more so, the last year has also been challenging for my faith after dealing with ongoing health issues, in addition to the usual busyness many of my ND peers face with family, professional, and community responsibilities. How could an out-of-practice writer with wavering faith complete this daunting task?
After the Faith ND staff kindly reassured me that, yes, even folks with questions of faith could write a reflection, I agreed to move forward. And here is where God spoke to me, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” This passage reminded me that not only am I worthy, but Jesus wants and invites me to be part of his family. Not by having a seemingly perfect, unquestioning faith, but by listening and acting with humility and perseverance.
Hearing the word of God has been a struggle for me, but listening to this gospel led me to seek out God’s word. I found a daily devotional to guide me with recommended verses. I also began to end my days reading the New Testament. Truly, in those hard times when I felt God wasn’t listening, perhaps I was not taking the time to hear God.
Let us all slow down today, take a moment to listen, and be open to the word of God. Jesus is closer to us than we realize.
Prayer
God, Father of all people, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may we recognize the unity of all the baptized. Do not allow us to be distracted by the superficial distinctions drawn by the world. May we instead hear you call us all your mother and brothers and sisters. We are one in your Body. Help us to live as one. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Sts. Maurice, Exuperius, and Candidus were leaders of a legion of Christians in the Roman army who were killed for their Christian leadership and complete allegiance to Christ.
Around the year 287, the Roman army marched out to suppress a revolt in what is now Switzerland. The emperor, Maximian, led the army, which was composed of troops conscripted from various parts of the empire. One legion of 6,600 soldiers was recruited from northern Egypt and was composed entirely of Christians.
When the Roman legions arrived on the battlefield, Maximian ordered all soldiers to offer sacrifice to the gods for the success of the enterprise. The Christian legion withdrew from the army and refused to participate in the rites.
Several times, Maximian ordered them to obey. They refused, and he ordered that the other soldiers decimate the Christian legion—every tenth, randomly-selected soldier was executed. Maximian threatened to continue the decimations until the legion obeyed—he warned them he was willing to execute the entire legion.
Maurice, Exuperius, and Candidus led the legion, and they responded to Maximian by saying, “We are your soldiers, but we are also servants of the true God. We owe you military service and obedience, but we cannot renounce God who is our creator and master… We have arms in our hands, but we do not resist because we would rather die innocent than live by any sin.”
Maximian ordered the other legions to surround the Christians and kill them all. The ground was covered with bodies and blood, and the other soldiers looted what they could from the slain legion. One soldier, Victor, refused to participate in the massacre and looting. Soldiers asked him if he was Christian. When he answered that he was, he was killed as well.
A shrine was built above the ground where these brave soldiers died, and miracles began to be attributed to the intercession of these martyrs.
The traditional story of these martyrs has been scrutinized for its historical accuracy. As there is little supporting evidence for the slaughter of an entire legion of Roman soldiers, the account of the martyrdom has probably been exaggerated. What seems historically likely, however, is that a soldier named Maurice and a number of his companions were martyred in the third century. What remains unknown is the number who were killed; perhaps the story of the martyrdom of a small, brave squadron of Christian soldiers, over repeated tellings over many years, became the slaughter of a legion.
Relics of Sts. Maurice, Exuperius, Candidus, and Victor all rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. The bust of St. Maurice pictured above stands in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art—it is designed to be a reliquary vessel itself, although today it stands empty in the museum’s medieval gallery.
St. Maurice is patron saint of the Pontifical Swiss Guards at the Vatican, and also of soldiers, swordsmiths, and weavers.
Sts. Maurice, Exuperius, Candidus, and Victor, you faithfully led your legion to martyrdom—pray for us!
Image Credit: Italian, Reliquary Bust of Saint Maurice, ca. 1530, Gilt wood. Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame. Art Purchases Fund, 1962.030.