Daily Gospel Reflection for March 10, 2022

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

Reflection by Leslie Lynch

Today's Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12

Today’s Gospel has so much upon which to meditate! Ask/receive; seek/find; knock, and a door opens. The goodness God has for us if only we ask! And, of course, the Golden Rule.

Jesus is asking us to trust God in ways that are foreign to us. Who hasn’t been betrayed by a friend, let down by a parent, left out by a clique? We struggle to be accepted and loved, but are never “enough” on our own.

So how can we do good unto others when our own protective walls often block God out too?

Rather than start with the Golden Rule, perhaps we should look at what we desire. Not being known as the neighborhood’s best mom or the parish’s perkiest volunteer. No, I think we desire mercy more than anything. I fail others when I don’t follow through on an obligation or only give it lip service.

I fail my children when I listen with only half an ear while fixing dinner. I fail my spouse when I shut down instead of talking out a disagreement. I fail God when I don’t bring all these—and more—to Him in prayer and repentance.

More than anything, I need mercy. These verses encourage me to ask God for mercy, to seek His graces, to knock on the door of reconciliation. Only then can I consider how to relate to my fellow sojourners.

Can I see the need for mercy in others? Surely, in their rough edges and shortcomings, and in what they hide behind their walls.

Jesus calls us to be merciful to others, just as He is merciful to us. Not just nice, not just kind, or good, but merciful. We can trust Him enough to let our walls down, let Him in, and let mercy flow out.

Ponder:

Are my walls keeping God out? How can I trust Him more fully?

Pray:

Jesus, it’s hard for me to trust You sometimes. Please help me seek Your mercy and share it with those around me.

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More than anything, I need mercy. These verses encourage me to ask God for mercy, to seek His graces, to knock on the door of reconciliation. Only then can I relate to my fellow sojourners. #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.