Daily Gospel Reflection for August 10, 2023

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

Today's Gospel: John 12:24-26

Jesus is the purest and most all-encompassing example of dying to self. As Catholics, our faith is built on the blood of martyrs who died to self for life as Jesus talks about in the Gospel. Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Lawrence, a deacon of Rome who was martyred in 258. Happy feast day to our deacons and families. St. Lawrence died to himself when he became a deacon and then gave his life when martyred. He took the call to serve as far as possible.

If we are to produce fruit, we must die to ourselves. In the Christian life, there is no room for selfishness, vanity, self-righteousness, and the need to be right. Instead, our call is one of service to others. We are asked to put others’ needs before our own. Our call is to think more of others than ourselves. This is certainly counter-cultural.

Jesus says we must, like the grain of wheat, die to bear fruit. I don’t think this means Jesus does not want us to care for ourselves or not have any desires or dreams. We care for ourselves so we can care for others. And our desires and dreams can come from God. We can ponder those, discern where they came from, and then, walk with God to realize them.

Few of us will be called to die as St. Lawrence did, but we are called to die in many other ways each day. To cook one more meal, change another diaper, take an aging parent to the doctor, be kind to a co-worker, say yes when we’d rather say no – all of these are ways we can die to ourselves. The true beauty in the Christian life is to surround ourselves with others who do the same. So, when we can’t, they can and do.

Ponder:

What makes it hard to die to myself, even when I know it will bear great fruit?

Pray:

Dear God, St. Lawrence was faithful and dedicated to You to his death. Today, help me to be just as faithful and dedicated in the small dying to self You put before me.