--- title: Daily Gospel Reflection for May 19, 2023 description: Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Daily%20Gospel%202.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/dgr-05192023#) [DAILY GOSPEL REFLECTIONS](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/tag/daily-gospel-reflections) # Daily Gospel Reflection for May 19, 2023 May 19, 2023 12:15:00 AM  |  by [Laurie J. Schmitt](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/laurie-j-schmitt) Receive Daily Gospel Reflections in your inbox ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Daily%20Gospel%202.png) *Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.* --- ***Today's Gospel: [John 16:20-23](https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051923.cfm)*** Life is bittersweet at best. In a mix of heartfelt hope and physical risk, babies are born. Mothers watch their little ones grow, celebrating life’s happy milestones, and as she smiles, her heart breaks a bit. Throughout life, this blend of sorrow and joy remains in constant tension. It's tough for us as women, but imagine our Blessed Mother. In fear, she bravely met the angel Gabriel; with a stab to the heart she accepted Simeon's prophecy; after seeking desperately, she held her Son, knowing she must let Him go. In Mary, we witness the perfect blend of joy and sorrow. She knelt at the cradle and at the cross, enduring the pain and endearing the prize. Did our Lady ever smile without tears? How can a heart do that? This is hard enough for we who are looking toward heaven, but imagine how incomprehensible it is for those who are living just for the temporal world. They laugh at us for being pro-life, for pouring ourselves into our family, our apostolates, our vocations. We are ridiculed for striving to be pure, to live simply, to serve others. The more we care, the more we open ourselves to greater suffering. How do we handle it? We cling to Christ’s promises. Christ knows the human condition, because He lived it. He didn’t say that life on earth would be easy, but the opposite. In this world we have trials and troubles. Friends turn away and turn us in. We’re striving, doing the hard thing, the right thing, while the world watches, laughing. Expect ridicule He says, but also expect answered prayer. When your heart starts to crumble, fall to your knees, embracing the cross. Christ promises eternal joy and, laugh as it may, the world cannot take it away.   #### Ponder:   How do you handle the hecklers, the people who ridicule you for striving to live a holy life?   #### Pray: Dear Lord, help me to bear my suffering with joy. Please hear my prayer and answer it according to Your best plan for me.   --- > [Click to tweet:](https://ctt.ac/J39r1) > [She knelt at the cradle and at the cross, enduring the pain and endearing the prize. Did our Lady ever smile without tears? How can a heart do that?  #DailyGospel](https://ctt.ac/J39r1) ![Daily Gospel 2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Daily%20Gospel%202.png?width=2135&name=Daily%20Gospel%202.png)   --- Copyright 2023 Laurie J. Schmitt ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-05192023%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-05192023%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-05192023%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Daily%20Gospel%20Reflection%20for%20May%2019%2C%202023) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-05192023%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-05192023%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Laurie J. Schmitt](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Laurie%20J%20Schmitt.jpg) ### [Laurie J. Schmitt](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/laurie-j-schmitt) Laurie J. Schmitt, a veteran homeschooling mother of nine, is the author of Catholic historical fiction books for children, including *Lepanto’s Lady* (Our Lady of Victory and the Battle of Lepanto), *Champions of the Rosary* (Our Lady of Good Help and the Peshtigo Fire) and *Giorgio’s Miracle* (Eucharistic Miracle of Turin). Picture books coming soon. Follow her at [LaurieSchmitt.com](http://LaurieSchmitt.com) and on Instagram [@LaurieSchmittbooks](https://www.instagram.com/laurieschmittbooks/). ## Related Blog Articles [ Daily Gospel Reflection for January 6, 2023 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/dgr-01062023) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for April 28, 2023 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/dgr-04282023) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for September 1, 2023 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/dgr-09012023) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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