--- title: Daily Gospel Reflection for August 18, 2025 description: Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/DGR%20CM%20daily%202025.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-08182025#) [DAILY GOSPEL REFLECTIONS](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/tag/daily-gospel-reflections) # Daily Gospel Reflection for August 18, 2025 Aug 18, 2025 12:15:00 AM  |  by [Maria Morera Johnson](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/maria-morera-johnson) Receive Daily Gospel Reflections in your inbox ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/DGR%20CM%20daily%202025.png) *Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.* ---   ***Today's Gospel: [Matthew 19:16-22](https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081825.cfm)*** What good must I do to gain eternal life? It’s a loaded question, and suggestive of a quid pro quo approach to faith. If I do this, then I get that. It doesn’t work that way. The young man in today’s Gospel was probably earnest when he asked Jesus what he had to do to attain eternal life. But Jesus, as usual, asks a probing question to get the young man to think about his request.  The exchange doesn’t go well for the young man, who learns that to be a follower of Christ requires sacrifice. When Jesus tells the young man that more than obeying the commandments, he should also sell everything he owns to follow Him, the stark reality of the commitment, and the sacrifice that entails, ends the man's hope. Perhaps the young man wasn’t ready in that moment. I don’t think I am ready to hear that, either. To sell everything, literally, flies against those things I strive for as a mother. I want to provide a safe and comfortable home for my family, feed them well, provide basic necessities like healthcare and educational opportunities. How could Jesus be asking me to give up all these things? It seems at odds with my vocation as wife and mother. We, like the young man, are caught up in what Jesus says at the end: “if you wish to be perfect.”  Oh.  Jesus does answer the young man that to attain eternal life he must keep the commandments. However, to do so perfectly, he must sell everything and give to the poor. I think I understand. Jesus has already given us the means of eternal life. In order to follow him more perfectly, we need to be detached from earthly things, and that requires sacrifice.    #### Ponder:   We live in a society with many creature comforts. What can you do to live a life of detachment from things that may stand in the way of living more perfectly for Christ?   #### Pray: Lord Jesus Christ, we love You and earnestly desire to follow You. Help us to grow in detachment to earthly things and grow in faith.   ![CM DGR daily sq](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CM%20DGR%20daily%20sq.jpg?width=1080&height=1080&name=CM%20DGR%20daily%20sq.jpg) --- Copyright 2025 Maria Morera Johnson   ### 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-08182025%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-08182025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-08182025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Daily%20Gospel%20Reflection%20for%20August%2018%2C%202025) [![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-08182025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-08182025%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Maria Morera Johnson](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Maria%20Johnson%202022.jpg) ### [Maria Morera Johnson](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/maria-morera-johnson) Maria Morera Johnson, author of *My Badass Book of Saints*, *Super Girls and Halo*, and *Our Lady of Charity: How a Cuban Devotion to Mary Helped Me Grow in Faith and Love* writes about all the things that she loves. A cradle Catholic, she struggles with living in the world but not being of it, and blogs about those successes and failures, too. ## Related Blog Articles [ Daily Gospel Reflection for September 27, 2020 - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-september-27-2020-26th-sunday-in-ordinary-time) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for December 5, 2020 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-december-5-2020) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for January 27, 2021 Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-january-27-2021) ## 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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