Daily Gospel Reflection for August 10, 2022

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

Today's Gospel: John 12:24-26

Twenty years ago today, on the feast of St. Lawrence, my dad was ordained a permanent deacon. I clearly remember the day because I got a front-row seat as I was asked to photograph the liturgy. Part of me didn’t want him to be a deacon because I knew he would be involved in various ministries and wouldn’t be home as much. My dad and I were pretty close and I had just gotten home from my years as a missionary in Mexico a little over a year prior. Yet, I was also proud of him for all his years of study and taking this step to serve God’s people.

His answer to God’s call truly embodies today’s Gospel passage:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”

My dad had eight children, a full-time job and was involved in other ministries, yet my mom encouraged him to answer the call to be an ordained minister. Over the years, this has been a blessing to many, as together they have dedicated countless hours to mentoring engaged couples, visiting the sick, and getting more involved at their parish.

Is God calling you to do something that feels like it might cause you to “lose” your life or alter it in a major way?

Often we are not called to move mountains or relocate to foreign lands but rather to serve God in the small ways of everyday life.

“Whoever serves me must follow me. . . . The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

Ponder:

What is God calling me to do that might feel like a small “death” or sacrifice?

Pray:

Lord, may I die to myself in order to serve you each and every day.

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Often we are not called to move mountains or relocate to foreign lands but rather to serve God in the small ways of everyday life. #dailygospel

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