Daily Gospel Reflection for August 24, 2025

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

Today's Gospel: Luke 13:22-30

Today Jesus reminds us that we need to be alert and pay attention to what is happening around us. He offers us salvation. Are we accepting it? Of course, in a broad sense, we accept the salvation offered, and our actions show that. We go to Mass, pray, raise our children Catholic, care for others, give to the poor, and do our best to evangelize.

Today, though, Jesus is telling us that we cannot take our salvation for granted. Many years ago, a young woman I did not know stayed at our home during a hurricane. She was an Evangelical Christian who wanted to talk to me about heaven. Did I believe I would go there when I died? I told her I hoped so but since I do not know the mind of God, I would not presume I would. She took that to mean I lacked faith or maybe I thought I was not good enough to go to heaven. Neither is true.

I have great faith and my fervent hope, as I think is yours, is that one day we will be in heaven. Why do I say hope? For the sake of humility, to remind myself that God is God and I am not.

Each day I do my best to live as a woman who loves the Lord. But no matter how much work any of us do in building up the Kingdom, it is not our way into heaven. The minute we think we have it all figured out, humility leaves us.

The last line of today's Gospel,“For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last, (Luke 13:30) tells us there will be surprises in heaven. While on earth, let us love as best we can.

Ponder:

Am I hopeful in my life and faith? 

Pray:

Lord, please help me to live out my faith with hope and humility. 

Copyright 2025 Deanna Bartalini