Daily Gospel Reflection on Veritas Catholic Network

Jesus Challenges the Pharisees

Today’s Gospel Reading is Matthew 23:13-22. Jesus challenges the Pharisees, those blind guides.

The Bread of Life Discourse

Today’s Sunday Gospel reading is John 6:60-69. We continue the Bread of Life Discourse.

The Feast of St. Bartholomew

Today is the Feast of St. Bartholomew , the Gospel reading is John 1:45-51. Nathaniel and Bartholomew are generally agreed by scholars to be same apostles, just different names from different language.
Here we see Nathaniel under the fig tree. Jesus knows him, not just where he is, but that he is a true child of Israel, a faithful son. Nathaniel believes instantaneous. What do we learn? That through Nathaniel’s (and our) reception of the Gospel, many will come to know Jesus.
Let us follow the apostolic example of St. Bartholomew so we might be witnesses to the Gospel to all we meet!

The Feast of St. Rose of Lima

Today is the Feast of St. Rose of Lima, the Gospel reading is Matthew 22:34-40. When asked which commandment is the greatest, Jesus gives a powerful answer, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
St. Rose of Lima lived out this commandment beautifully. She wanted to love God above all things, and despite the fact that her desire to be a nun were denied, she lived a life of prayer, penance, and service to others out of love for Christ.
The whole law and the prophets is that if you put God above all others, we will have no other choice than to love others. 

Mary, Queen of Heaven

Today is the feast of the Queenship of Mary and the Gospel reading is Matthew 22:1-14. Mary who has been assumed into heaven, who shares first in the glory of her Son’s Resurrection, has been crowned the Queen of Heaven. This reminds us that God has set her as an intercessor and as a guide.
In the Gospel, the king throws a wedding banquet and the invitation is negated over and over. A trend that begins with Adam and Eve, continues with Israel, is placed before us. Do we choose to attend the wedding feast or do we spurn it?
God always sends his servants to call the people back. Finally, He sends His Son. Will we receive His word?
Through the intercession of Mary, Queen of Heaven, let us pray for the grace to say yes to the Lord’s invitation.

The Feast of Pope St. Pius X

Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 20:1-16, it is the feast of Pope St. Pius X. It is the parable of the landowner who goes out, hires laborers for his vineyard throughout the day, and pays them all the daily wage, even those who have only worked for an hour. So it is with our Heavenly Father, God the Father gives us His gifts and blessings equally and the same.
Pope St. Pius X understood that this grace was always being offered in a particular way in the Eucharist. He wanted everyone to be able to receive the Eucharist more frequently.
Through the intercession of St. Pius X may we have the grace to respond to the Lord’s invitation to work in the vineyard with a yes!
Praised Be Jesus Christ! 

We Are Called to Give Up EVERYTHING to Follow Jesus

Today’s Gospel Reading Mathew 19:23-30. For the rich it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples reply that they’ve given up everything, but Jesus reminds them it’s not about the stuff they have, but rather the disposition of heart.
So many saints have given up everything to follow Jesus in order to dedicate their whole being to following the Lord. One of those great saints is St. Bernard of Clairvaux, whose feast day we celebrate today.
When the call feels to difficult, let us ask for the grace to return to the Lord in the fullness of discipleship.
 

Jesus Never Revokes the Invitation of Discipleship

Today’s Gospel Reading is Matthew 19:16-22. A rich young man approaches Jesus to ask what he must do to inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, which the young man meets with enthusiasm because he’s already doing that. But Jesus tells him there’s one thing he lacks. To sell all he has, give it to the poor, and follow Him. The young man goes away sad, for he has many possessions.
Remember, Jesus looks at this man with love even though he lacks something. He offers the young man an invitation, and even though he walks away saddened, take note that Jesus doesn’t revoke his invitation. There’s no such thing as too late.
Jesus continues to look at us with Love and to invite us to follow after Him, let us today pray for the grace to respond to Jesus’s merciful invitation by following Him.    

Let Us Grow in Our Eucharistic Piety

Today’s Gospel Reading is John 6:51-58, continuing the Bread of Life Discourse. We are reminded that Jesus, the Bread of Life, is God’s food for the world. God desires us to be fed. He doesn’t want us to be alone and starving he truly desires us to be taken care of.
Part of God’s providence is to provide us with what we really need. In the Eucharist we find the spiritual food that is necessary.
As we grow in Eucharistic piety and devotion may we grow in this gift and more fully live out Jesus’s love for us.

"Let the Children Come to Me"

Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 19:13-15. Jesus says “let the children come to me”. Fr. Sam shares his experience of the amazing faith of the young people with whom he has worked. We should do nothing to stand in the way of young people coming to Jesus. As such, we need to encourage & support them, reminding them that their youth is not a liability but a gift.
Let us pray that young people would have a true fervor for Christ! 

Jesus Teaches on Divorce and the Indissolubility of Marriage

Today’s Gospel Reading is Matthew 19:3-12. Jesus is presenting his teaching on divorce and the indissolubility of marriage. It is so important to recognize, especially in our culture, that Jesus is teaching that marriage is holy, between a man and a woman, and is permanent.
Regardless of this truth, the Church still desires to be close to those who have marriages that are broken down, those that struggle because of these realities.
Let us pray for those in need of healing in their marriages.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. We read Luke 1:39-56.
There in the hill country, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy and Mary is called Blessed by her cousin. This is the day that Mary, the Woman who carried Christ into the world, was brought into heaven both body and soul. She tastes already what we hope to experience because she is the Ark of the Covenant that brings the Christ into the world. She was Immaculately Conceived and lived her life in perfect Communion with the Lord.
Let us ask for her intercession that we might share in the fullness of eternal life, body and soul, the same eternal life she already participates in.

The Amazing Story of St. Maximillian Kolbe

Today’s the feast of St. Maximillian Kolbe, we read Matthew 18:15-20. Jesus teaches us how we are to correct a brother that sins against us and how often we are to forgive.
St. Maximillian Kobe, beautifully devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, helped give hope to the people in Auschwitz.  Maximillian offered himself in the place of a man that was going to be killed because the man cried out that he had a family. It was in the starvation chamber, where “two or three were present”, that Jesus was present with these individuals. St. Maximilian Kolbe was the last to survive, praying for the souls of those who had gone before and for the forgiveness of his captors.
St. Maximilian offered his life as a witness to the Good News of the Gospel. Through his intercession may we have the courage of our convictions, that we might bring the light and peace of God to all we meet.
St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us!

There is More Rejoicing In Heaven Over 1 Repentant Sinner Than From 99 Righteous People

Today’s Gospel is from Matthew 18. The disciples are asking Jesus who the greatest are in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus teaches them about being like a little child and about the lost sheep that returns to the fold. This is a good reminder that when we fall, God desires us to return to the fold. We are constantly invited back.
If you’ve wandered far, remember the words, “there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who remain faithful”.
No matter where we are on this path, let us remember this truth, if we wish to enter the kingdom of heaven, we must become like little children, take up our cross and follow Him, and that God’s mercy is for us all.

An Example of Hope for Those Who Suffer - Saint Jane Frances de Chantal

Today we read from Matthew 17:22-27, it’s the feast of St. Jane Frances De Chantal. St. Jane is a fascinating figure. She was married to a nobleman and they had six children together. Unfortunately, her husband was killed 7 years into their marriage, which lead St. Jane into a deep depression.
It was after her husbands death that she encountered St. Francis De Sales. He encouraged to her to continue to live a life of holiness.
Her story is so fascinating because her life was truly one that had difficulties. Through the intercession of St. Jane, may we come to understand our call to live in companionship with Jesus through every consolation and every difficulty.

The Story of St. Lawerence Deacon & Martyr

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Lawerence. We read from John 12:24-26. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains just a single grain. But if it falls to the ground and dies it will bear fruit.
This the beauty of what happens with the blood of the martyrs. St. Lawerence was instructed by the procurator of his government to gather the treasure of the Church and bring it to him, so St. Lawerence brought him the poor. The true treasure of the Church is the souls of the redeemed.
St. Lawerence in his great witness inspired so many to faith. 

The Feast St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein!)

 
Today’s gospel reading is Matthew 16:24-28, it is the feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Jesus instructs us to pick up our crosses and follow him. St. Teresa Benedicta does this an accomplished manner. Prior to becoming a Carmelite sister she lived as a Jewish woman, named Edith Stein. Further, she was a profound philosopher developing aspects of the philosophy titled phenomonology. This philosophy had a profound impact on Pope St. John Paul II.
Most of all, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was ultimately sent to a concentration camp during World War II, where she gave her life caring for those who were suffering.
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us.

Even Peter Made Mistakes

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Dominic, we read Matthew 6:13-23. Jesus asks the apostles who people say he is and Peter gives his great confession. Jesus then names Peter the Rock, and yet Peter still struggles.
It is said that St. Dominic had the Gospel of Matthew memorized. He would have known that Peter struggled. Further still, he would have known to be wary of how personal traits could potentially stand in the way of the preaching of the Gospel.
Nonetheless, from St. Dominic, some of the great Dominican saints and theologians that followed him, the Church has received amazing insights into the Divine Logic. Let us pray today that our thoughts would be more aligned with God’s.

Jesus's Flesh is True Food and His Blood is True Drink

We continue, today, reading John 6. In the Gospel Jesus teaches that His Flesh is true food and His Blood is true drink. What happens when we come before Jesus in the Eucharist? We are given new spiritual life.
Receiving Jesus in the Eucharist and remaining before Him in Adoration is a profound blessing. Let us pray for the gift of deeper devotion to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. 

Jesus Said WHAT?!

Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew 15:21-28. The Canaanite woman comes to Jesus to beg for healing for her daughter. She asks for a gift and Jesus engages in some wordplay.
Jesus is using the stereotypes from His own era to call forth her faith. While Canaanites were looked on as “dogs”, as “less than”, Jesus uses this stereotype to show that everyone, even those who are considered to be “less than”, are capable of great faith!
Ultimately, the Canaanite woman ends up making an act of great faith! She is both humble and faithful enough to say “I’ll take even the leftovers”. Jesus wants us to come to Him with the same courage and humility. Do we pray with presumption or humility? May we today have the faith, the humility, and the courage of the Canaanite woman as we approach Jesus with our requests.