Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 25, 2021
While they were all amazed at his every deed,
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.”
But they did not understand this saying;
its meaning was hidden from them
so that they should not understand it,
and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
In the chapter of scripture leading up to this gospel, the disciples were sent on their own extraordinary missions, witnessed the feeding of the five thousand, and saw Christ healing more of the sick. It is no wonder that they stood in amazement of “his every deed.”
However, against their expectations, Jesus directs the attention of his disciples away from the hype of earthly glory toward the sacrificial intent of his mission: to be handed over, to suffer, and to die. He reveals the heart of his purpose not to intimidate his disciples into silence, but to direct their imaginations away from amazement into receptivity—that they may not only look at his every deed but also imitate him. He invites us also to “pay attention” so that our amazement does not remain superficial or self-interested but leads us to take up our cross and follow him.
The disciples reacted to Christ’s foreboding words in fear and silence, but their inability to “ask him about this saying” does not mean they failed. The challenge, rather, is whether they will continue to follow Christ to the cross amid their confusion and fear.
The saying that we hear in this passage cannot be understood through assenting words alone. It must also be understood from living it. We must follow Christ, sometimes in silence, and yes, sometimes in fear of the cost of what might be asked of us. Let us pray for the grace that in moments of amazement, confusion, or fear we may continue to journey with Christ in faith, hope, and love.
Prayer
Lord, many of your teachings and acts of love are hidden from us. Nevertheless, we believe that with the aid of the Holy Spirit, our eyes and hearts will be open to the truth of your person and your salvific mission. Send your Spirit upon us that we may see with the eyes of children and thereby see your kingdom as it takes hold here on earth. Enkindle in our hearts a desire for you and your kingdom, and we shall be made new. Amen.
Saint of the Day
While St. Vincent Strambi was a bishop who single-handedly saved a city from Napoleon’s army, he is honored even more for so faithfully loving the Christian flock he was charged to shepherd.
The son of a pharmacist, Vincent Strambi was born in Italy in 1745. As a boy, Vincent liked to play practical jokes. The plucky good nature that inspired him to constantly prank his friends also inspired him to give away his own overcoat or shoes to any homeless child he encountered.
His parents saw his faithfulness, even at his young age, and decided that he would become a diocesan priest. Vincent made a retreat before his ordination, which was led by St. Paul of the Cross, who founded the Passionist order of priests, and he decided to enter that religious community instead. His parents strongly objected, which led to a prolonged confrontation between them and Vincent.
As soon as he was ordained a Passionist priest, Vincent was asked to become a leader by teaching theology and preaching to seminarians and filling administrative roles in the Passionist community. He led the Passionist community for 20 years before being elected bishop of Macareta-Tolentino, Italy.
The virtues which ruled Vincent's life as a bishop were zeal and discipline, and these virtues enriched the lives of the priests and laity of his diocese. As bishop, Vincent was especially attentive to the people in his care during both a typhoid epidemic and when a famine struck the city. In 1808, he was commanded to take an oath of obedience to Napoleon, but St. Vincent refused, and was accordingly expelled from his diocese. He continued to guide his people through correspondence.
Five years later, Napoleon was deposed and exiled, and Vincent returned to his diocese. Soon after, however, Napoleon escaped his imprisonment and, with 30,000 soldiers, occupied Macerata as his headquarters. His troops were defeated in the Battle of Tolentino and returned to sack and loot this city in their path of retreat. But Vincent went into the streets to plead with them—his courage saved the city.
After retiring as bishop, he moved to the Vatican to serve as an advisor to the Pope. He remained faithful to prayer and penance, and he died at the age of seventy-nine in 1824. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Vincent Strambi, you single-handedly saved a city from Napoleon’s army—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Vincent Strambi is in the public domain. Last accessed April 3, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
