Daily Gospel Reflection for June 13, 2020

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel:  Matthew 5:33-37 - Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua

Her tiny body lay in the hospital bed, overrun with tubes and wires. “If You get her through this, I’ll be forever grateful. I’ll be patient with her, I’ll never be frustrated with her, and I’ll love her with my whole being for the rest of our lives,” I vowed.

My “heart baby” is now almost three years old. She’s a beautiful example of the miracle of modern medicine. Much of the time, I even forget she has a defective heart valve.

Which means my yes to her sometimes evaporates in the heat of my temper flaring. My vow to never lose my patience with her dissolves in a moment of human weakness and typical two-year-old behavior.

Which is why Jesus doesn’t want an oath from me. He doesn’t want me to make promises I can’t keep. He doesn’t bargain, and He doesn’t make deals.

He just wants a yes that admits it needs Him to follow through.

My yes takes on meaning as I sit quietly by my daughter’s side, resting in the hope of God’s plan. My yes truly means yes when I stop to take a breath, and then patiently have my daughter help me clean up her mess. My yes retains a simple depth when it reflects the faithfulness of Mary following her Son’s journey to the cross, relying on the strength of God when life just gets too hard.

My yes should be a habit, a way of life. It should nurture a raw honesty that instills trust in everyone I encounter. Yes, I will fall, but yes, I will also get up again, seek forgiveness, and continue to pursue the path to holiness.

And that is what I want my daughter to see anytime I look into her eyes and say, “Yes!”

Ponder:

How can you make your yes less about the words you speak and more about your way of life?

Pray:

Mother Mary, please help me to say yes as you did -- with simple faith, unquestioning trust, and actions that required no oaths to convey their authenticity. Make my yes as simple as yours: a fiat that gives my life to your Son.

Copyright 2020 Charisse Tierney