Daily Gospel Reflection for April 22, 2026

I am an old mom. I didn’t have my first child until I was 38, and I had my last at 44. As my kids age, they’re getting more willful. As I age, I’m getting more beaten down. When two boxers step into the ring to go twelve rounds, their energy levels are supposed to match. I barely get my leg over the ropes and I want to lie down for the count.

 

John 6:39 is God’s pep talk to me to get back up and keep fighting. My children are His gift to me. He doesn’t want me to lose a single one of them. Whether it takes twelve rounds or twenty, I need to keep on fighting to keep them in the faith.

 

It doesn’t all have to be through verbal sparring though. I can also lead my kids to Him through my example. If they see me turn to God in my exhaustion or my boiling point and watch me transform and rejuvenate, it speaks volumes about how God is my strength and my equilibrium. When I cook for a sick friend while they’re in the kitchen or write a check to a worthy cause in front of them  they witness works of mercy up close and in action. Making them aware of the fact that I pray while doing both helps them realize I’m doing more than just being a kind neighbor; I’m trying to live out life as God’s hands and feet on earth.

 

Yes, all of this still requires more energy than I get from my morning coffee. But with God as my strength and my source, watching my kids walk the straight and narrow is worth it all.