Daily Gospel Reflection for June 23, 2015

Today's Gospel: Matthew 7:6, 12-14

Am I crazy? I have caught myself wondering that from time to time. Everywhere I look, I’ve witnessed many people who have said they were Christians fight for things such as abortion, same sex marriage, birth control and more. When I find myself speaking out and spreading the church’s teachings on these things, I am often scolded, ridiculed, and sometimes downright outcast. The general consensus is the thought, “How dare you tell someone how they should live!”

I suppose this isn’t such a new problem. The saints and martyrs before us endured this and so much worse. However, when you see it in your own community among people who were taught the Church’s teachings, it makes one wonder: Don’t they get it?

At first glance, it may seem like we are “crazy” or “over religious,” but Jesus once told His disciples that we are “in the world, not of it.” There may be many people around us who live contrary to God and his Church’s teachings; however, we are called to live differently.

Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when He said, “How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” We may “hear” the teaching, but do we believe it? Do we live it? That “road” to life may be hidden behind bushes of temptations, the blinding light of worldly success, and the weeds of secular lies. It is up to us to cut through those obstacles, find the road to life, and stay on it.

Ponder:

How am I living my life today? Have I found the “constricted road” Jesus mentions to His followers? Have I chosen today to follow the narrow path, which leads us to eternal life?

Pray:

Dear Jesus, let me always follow the narrow road. Stay by my side during the journey of life and watch over me. Help me to realize if I have strayed from the path, and help me find my way again to You.

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 Jennifer Gladen