Daily Gospel Reflection for September 7, 2021

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

Today's Gospel: Luke 6:12-19

As a young tween, I was commissioned to weed the grounds of my parish church. I was so proud that my pastor asked me to perform this tedious task that I imagine I felt just like the apostles did when they were called by Jesus in today’s Gospel.

But perhaps that “honeymoon phase” was brought to a swift end, just as mine was, once they saw the enormity of the task before them, the multitudes and how much they were in need. My “multitudes” came in the form of myriad pesky weeds.

Now, I was brought up doing chores and had delivered newspapers since I was nine, so I was no stranger to hard work, but this task was in a class all by itself. The sun beat down on me, my bottom ached from my very uncomfortable “seat” and my fingers consistently scratched against hard surfaces. I would return home tired and sore after just a few hours.
But one thing I learned is how to pull out each weed: which ones were nearly impossible to uproot and which ones came out rather easily. It makes me think about our vices. There are those that if we simply get a good hold of them and pull straight up (heavenward), they come right out; and there are others that we can yank every which way only to fall on our backside empty-handed. This uprooting can cause us to get our hands dirty, wear us out, and make us dizzy when we finally stand up straight.

Yet we are called, just as the first Apostles, to leave our disordered tendencies behind in order to serve others. Perhaps today we can continue trying to uproot the vices in our lives, weed by weed, in order to be the voice and the healing touch of Christ to those around us.

Ponder:

What are the "multitudes" you are called to minister to?

Pray:

Lord, I know You are calling me, just as you did the first Apostles. Lead me to the ways You would like me to minister and fill me with your Holy Spirit.