Daily Gospel Reflection for August 30, 2023

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

Reflection by Holly Novotny

Today's Gospel: Matthew 23:27-32

Most of us have family history we would rather not claim, from awkward grandpa jokes to hypocrisy, murders, and everything in between. I won’t reflect here about my family history from which I’d rather distance myself, but when I consider this passage, I know there must be a message for us from the Lord beyond simple condemnation.

In my own experiences, and in those I’ve encountered in ministry, many of our wounds are inflicted by others in our families, and often by those closest to us. If we are honest about our own behaviors, we can see sins we most often struggle with stem from our deepest wounds. Do I regularly confess yelling at or lecturing my children or husband when things go awry? Did I feel I wasn’t heard or understood as a child, so often that I believed I wasn’t worth hearing? Seeing the connection between my inexplicable struggles with sin and disordered beliefs about myself helps me to invite the Lord into those areas of my heart and mind, which leads to transformation and healing. Bringing these things into the light helps us to acknowledge the truth, admitting our need for a Savior to change the course of history. Jesus wants us to see the past with honesty, not to condemn us for the sins of our ancestors, but to free us and our children from the same woes.

This hard work of healing, laying bare our souls to Christ and to ourselves, allowing Him to show us the ways our ancestors have shaped our life through learned coping mechanisms (in stressful times, did our parents pray or scream?) and begging Him to loosen the bonds of sin, is the work of redemption for us and for our families.

Ponder:

Is a sin I struggle with tied to a false identity I believe about myself?

Pray:

Jesus, give me the grace to look honestly at my sinfulness, to allow You to show me those places that need purification,  that I might live in freedom.

Click to tweet:
This work of healing, laying bare our souls to Christ and ourselves, begging Him to loosen the bonds of sin, is redemption for our families. #DailyGospel

Copyright 2023 Holly Novotny

Holly Novotny is a wife and mother of two young adult daughters. The Lord’s mercy and grace continue to transform her, much to her astonishment and joy. She is a Lifetime Marian Servant and as a graduate of the Cenacle School of Spirituality offers spiritual direction in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Podcast: numinous.fm/redeemer