Daily Gospel Reflection for March 21, 2015

Today's Gospel: John 7:40-53

“Look and see,” say the Pharisees. “Look and see.” In my imagination, I see the group of learned men pointing to the scrolls and shouting at Nicodemus. They are relying on Scripture to help them decide what to think about Jesus, the man from Galilee. Scripture says the Messiah will emerge from Bethlehem, and that, the Pharisees seem to think, is final.

Nicodemus knows Scripture too, but he pays attention to another authority: Jesus himself. The guards, simpler than the Pharisees, perceive the unmistakable authority of Jesus. They have begun to believe. Nicodemus keeps an open mind, looking both to Scripture and to Jesus.

The way Nicodemus looks to Scripture and to Jesus reminds me of the Mass. Our beautiful and ancient liturgy celebrates Jesus in Word and Sacrament. We immerse ourselves in Scripture during the Liturgy of the Word; we receive God himself in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Mass gives us the strength we need to bring the love of Christ to the world. How blessed we are that the Church mothers us along in this way.

Ponder:

How does praying with Scripture every day broaden my mind? How do I pay attention to Jesus in prayer and in the people I meet throughout the day?

Pray:

Word made flesh, Jesus the Christ, we praise you and adore you. You fulfill the Scriptures; you fill us with your very flesh. Keep us close to you always. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Grace Mazza Urbanski