Daily Gospel Reflection for May 26, 2025

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

Today's Gospel: John 15:26-16:4a

Human beings, and women in particular, are relational beings. We are made for communion, made to be with each other, care for each other, be cared for by each other. The other side of the coin is that we can take it as quite a blow when someone rejects what we offer out of love. 

Taking It Personally
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that we all have someone (at least someone) in our lives who is in need of mercy, love, and healing, but who refuses what the Lord offers. We can slip into the trap of taking this personally, of feeling that we have somehow failed in being an example or in serving the other. Perhaps there are ways we could have loved more like Jesus. 

In today’s reading, Jesus tells His followers that people are going to mess with them and think they’re justified in doing so. Our Lord basically tells them, it’s not about you; it’s Me they have a problem with. 

Serve Anyway
We are called to serve others, but we are first called to serve the Lord. We can’t see inside other people’s hearts, and it is only ourselves for which we can answer. In a famous poem written on the wall of one of St. Teresa of Calcutta’s homes, we read, “People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.” This is what Jesus is asking us to do today. 

We are called to love, even those who don’t love back. We are called to forgive, even those who won’t accept forgiveness. If we are truly going to live a Christian life, we’re going to face rejection. If we are truly going to live a Christian life, we will never face it alone. 

Ponder:

Where have you faced rejection for following Christ? What was your response?

Pray:

Dear Jesus, hold me close to You today and help me to unite my sufferings to what You endured on the cross for love of the whole world.

Copyright 2025 Lindsay Schlegel