Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
September 26, 2024
Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.
With this passage, I find myself falling back on what I know through my experience as a teacher and an attorney. In both fields, history is essential and provides context; it helps us understand who we are. As an attorney, I strive to understand the context in which laws were written and court decisions were made to comprehend their meaning. That includes looking deeper into the structure of the text. Luke sandwiches three short verses in this passage between the “Missioning of the Twelve” and “The Return of the Twelve and the Feeding of the Five Thousand.” These verses are here for a reason.
This Herod is the son of Herod the Great. Remember him from the story of the three kings? Herod seems to have inherited his father’s wonder, jealousy, and fear of Jesus. Herod won’t let go of this fascination and continues to ask after Jesus. This passage sets us up for the answer in the rest of the gospel—learning who Jesus is through his actions, words, and others’ encounters.
Though Herod finally meets Jesus, Herod never had faith in Jesus—only a selfish curiosity, which doesn’t satisfy. Contrast that reaction with the apostles sent on mission, willing to follow Jesus’ directions, proclaim the Good News, and heal people because of their faith in Jesus. Look at the five thousand who came to listen and be healed. Their lives were changed because they had faith.
The gospel is our story. We benefit from knowing that for 2000 years, believers have read Scripture and followed tradition to practice their faith. That is our history and our story. Let us use that context and story as our foundation to move from curiosity into full faith in Jesus as our Savior.
Prayer
Almighty God, you are the source of our love and our faith. May your gifts help us strive to see your Son and follow him with courage. May our lives reflect the faith of the great women and men who have gone before us proclaiming the Good News. May your strength be with us so that we may stand against whatever storms and terrors may come. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Cosmas and Damian are twin brothers known as the “moneyless ones” because they practiced medicine as a service to humanity, and did not ask for compensation.
They were born in third-century Arabia and were trained in science and medicine in Syria. As Christians, they believed that healing the body was a work of charity. Their example of goodness and their service to the sick brought many people to Christ.
They were known as good and faithful men, and it was impossible for them to hide when Christians faced persecution. They were arrested and beheaded for their faith around the year 283. Miracles of healing were attributed to them after their death, sometimes with the brothers appearing to people suffering from illness and curing them.
Along with St. Luke, these brothers are patrons of doctors and surgeons. They are also patrons of pharmacists, those who work in the chemical industry, people suffering from blindness, and against disease.
St. Damian is depicted in these stained glass windows from the Basilica, where he holds a bottle of medicine. Relics of both brothers rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
Sts. Cosmas and Damian, you were the twin brothers who brought people to Christ by caring for their health—pray for us!
