Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 29, 2024
At that time, John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'”
When I read this passage, the physicality of it all was a shock to my system. The hand and the foot cut off, the eye plucked out, the crippled body—this is all very severe! What is it for? I am drawn to this line: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
What I notice most amidst the severity is Jesus’ reminder that our sins do not end with us. Perhaps this is the reason for the severity. When we fail to choose life over death, the consequences are not for ourselves alone. My own failure to love causes harm to the littlest ones, to the most vulnerable, and to all beloved children of God.
As a mom to a young toddler, I’ve been reacquainted with what it means to be a little one. This summer, having a toddler boy has meant that we now watch the traffic in front of our house with the utmost fascination: every dump truck, semi-truck, or fire truck that rolls by is a special occasion. Franklin, my son, waves with gusto to each truck that drives past us. More often than not, the truck driver will wave back and—to our great, great joy—honk the deep, resonant horn. Franklin never tires of this, which is unsurprising for an almost-two-year-old.
What surprised me was that I never tired of it, either. Each time, it reminds me that we get to choose, daily and in the smallest of ways, connectedness over selfishness, generosity over stinginess, and life over death. The consequences are not for ourselves alone. Jesus’ severe reminder of this is, for me, a mercy.
Prayer
Christ our Lord, you take joy when others perform mighty deeds in your name. Take joy in us by giving us the grace to perform good works for others in your name. May others come to know of your love and your healing presence through the charity that you inspire in us. Amen.
Saint of the Day
On today's feast, the Catholic church honors three great angels—Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael—for the role they play in salvation history.
The word “angel” comes from the Hebrew word for “messenger.” As a category of spiritual being, angels are unique to the three Abrahamic religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In the Catholic theological tradition, angels are purely spiritual beings who possess intellect and will. Angels in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures appear as messengers of God and often announce new developments in God’s saving plan, and help to bring it to fulfillment. The archangels celebrated liturgically are the angels who are given names in the Hebrew Scriptures. No new angels are named in the canonical New Testament, rather the writers of Christian scriptures used the names of angels found already in Hebrew sacred texts. In Christian angelology, there are generally nine choirs of angels, although different theologians rearrange the hierarchy of the choirs slightly. The archangels are a choir within the third sphere of angels, comprised of the lowest three choirs.
In Hebrew, the name Michael means, “Who can compare to God?” Michael appears in Scripture four times—twice in the book of Daniel, once in the letter of Jude, and once in the book of Revelation leading the battle in heaven:
“Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.” (Rev 12:7-9)
Traditionally, Michael is understood to be the prince of the heavenly host of angels, and is invoked by Christians in spiritual fights against temptation and the devil. Michael is also the patron of soldiers, paramedics, and police officers. Saint Michael is depicted in several places on Notre Dame's campus, but most prominently above the east door of the Basilica, as part of the memorial that honors students who fought and died in World War I. Today's featured image is of this depiction.
The archangel Gabriel’s name means, “God is my strength,” and this angel appears three times in Scripture as a messenger: in the book of Daniel to explain a vision, and in Luke's Gospel, announcing the births of John the Baptist and of Jesus. In Islamic tradition, Gabriel brings the beginning of the Quran to Mohammed. Gabriel is the patron of those who deliver messages for a living, such as diplomats, broadcasters, postal workers, communications and public relations professionals. Gabriel is depicted on campus in several places, including this Basilica window that shows the Annunciation.
Finally, the angel Raphael’s name means, “God has healed,” and we know of Raphael from the book of Tobit, where the angel travels with the young Tobias as a healer and companion. Tradition holds that Raphael also was the angel who stirred the waters at the famous healing pool in Bethesda, outside the temple in Jerusalem. Raphael is the patron of travelers, of the sick, and of medical personnel. Raphael has also been invoked to protect young people, especially those leaving home for the first time. A figure of Raphael stands on the exterior of Notre Dame's student medical center, St. Liam's Hall, as shown below.
Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels of God—pray for us!
