Daily Gospel Reflection for January 22, 2022

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

Reflection by Leslie Lynch

Today's Gospel: Mark 3:20-21

It’s hard to imagine the relatives of Jesus being so embarrassed by his ministry that they set out to seize him, but that’s what Mark tells us in today’s Gospel. It was the Galilean equivalent of an intervention! As Catholics, we hold the Holy Family in high regard, so we sometimes forget Mary and Joseph were part of larger clans subject to all the dysfunction and conflict of any earthly family.

We see Jesus as shepherd, savior, and sacrifice, but some in His family regarded Him as a black sheep, a blot on their collective honor. The context of this reading places Jesus squarely in the midst of His ministry of teaching and healing; He is also directly confronting Jewish authorities about their hypocrisy in following the letter of the law without mercy. He is a rebel, and He’s not going to back down. No wonder His extended family was appalled! But Jesus knows who He is. He knows the cross awaits Him. He is not out of his mind, as His disbelieving relatives assert.

He is trying to show us all (not just the Jewish authorities) how God’s logic is not our logic. How God’s ways are not our ways. How mercy fulfills the Law.

Today is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children in the United States. The annual March for Life took place yesterday in Washington, D.C. These events are as radically countercultural as Jesus was and is.

This radical Jesus overflows with mercy, an eternal ocean of mercy for all who accept and trust Him. He heals, teaches, challenges, and invites us to delight in His mercy.

Today, let us imitate Him: in radical mercy, without concern for how others regard us.

Ponder:

Can I let go of my need for the esteem of others, in order to radically imitate Jesus?

Pray:

Jesus, please quiet the clamor inside me that desires the accolades of the world. Help me discern Your voice and the Father’s will, so I more faithfully follow the path upon which You’ve set me.

Click to tweet:
This radical Jesus overflows with mercy, an eternal ocean of mercy for all who accept and trust Him. Today, let us imitate Him: in radical mercy, without concern for how others regard us. #dailygospel

Copyright 2022 Leslie Lynch

Leslie Lynch lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and a rescued, feral-turned-sweetheart cat. She’s written three full-length novels: Hijacked, Unholy Bonds, and Opal’s Jubilee; and two novellas: Christmas Hope and Christmas Grace. She is an occasional contributor to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’s newspaper, The Criterion, and holds an MFA in Writing from Spalding University. Learn more at www.leslielynch.com.