Daily Gospel Reflection for January 23, 2024

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

Today's Gospel: Mark 3:31-35

Today’s Gospel may come as a sort of a shock, at first glance, for faithful Catholics who honor and love our Blessed Mother Mary.

However, it need not be so, according to St. Augustine. In a homily he gave once on the subject, the famous bishop of Hippo explained that Mary was more blessed in her discipleship than in her motherhood.

That’s quite a statement!

We know that Mary certainly did the Father’s will, she who was without sin for her entire life, from conception to assumption, and who responded to Gabriel’s pivotal message with the words: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be it done to me according to your word.”

Today’s Gospel passage, with help from the great St. Augustine, can really be an inspiration to each of us, mothers (spiritual or physical) and disciples.

If Mary was so blessed in her following of her Son and her faithfulness to the Father’s will, then we can certainly imitate her in our own lives. We don’t have to have a “special” or exalted role in the Church or society to be named blessed by Jesus.

It actually, in large part, comes down to how we treat those whom He calls the least of my brothers. At the Final Judgment, He will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you . . . ” (Matthew 25:34), to those who treated those “least ones” with mercy.

That is something we can each do, with His grace, every day of our lives.

Ponder:

How can I be inspired by our Blessed Mother today to show mercy and follow the Father’s will?

Pray:

Lord Jesus, please help me to be faithful as Your Mother was and always follow close to You through her intercession.

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Today’s Gospel may come as a sort of a shock, at first glance, for faithful Catholics who honor and love our Blessed Mother Mary. However, it need not be so, according to St. Augustine. #DailyGospel

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