Daily Gospel Reflection for June 12, 2023

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

Reflection by Colleen O'Dowd

Today's Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

There have been beautiful homilies preached, meaningful songs composed, poetry written, and thoughts thunk about Jesus and the beatitudes.

I’m not really going to try to reflect on any of that. I'm going to leave the smart stuff to the smart people. Instead, I’m just going to declare — with great earnestness — that I really desire to be a saint. And to be a saint, I need to become holy. I need to become like Jesus.

A good friend and I fantasize about how we want to be saints. How brave we would be if chosen to give up our lives for Jesus and His Church. But then, we think about the facts.

We seriously can’t even be kind to people some days. Like at all.

And we pontificate about how God must have put us in the wrong spot. Because we really wanna be saints.

God has asked her to wash dishes and do laundry and love her family. God has asked me to serve and love my community with humility and obedience.

And if I read today’s Gospel, I know — we both do — that God’s plan and God’s timing are perfect for my salvation. My individual salvation. And hers. And yours.

And Jesus’s “blessed are’s” are not only clues but the practical steps to holiness. To sainthood.

So check the list. And check it twice. I don’t have to tackle everything at once. But I really desire to be a saint. So I must become holy. I must be like Jesus.

Ponder:

Which of the beatitudes can I work on today to get on the path to sainthood?

Pray:

Lord Jesus, give me the courage to ask in what areas I need to work on becoming more holy. And help me become like You. I desire sainthood.

Click to tweet:
I really desire to be a saint. And to be a saint, I need to become holy. I need to become like Jesus. #DailyGospel

Copyright 2023 Colleen O'Dowd

Colleen O’Dowd is a parish missionary at Our Lady of Ransom in Niles, IL. She loves being Catholic; her Converse all-stars, socks, and Crocs are always liturgically correct; and she is a super saint-geek! She blogs ultra-occasionally at www.ourheartswereburningwithin.wordpress.com and can also be found at @catholiccolleen on Twitter and Instagram