Daily Gospel Reflection for September 13, 2023

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

Today's Gospel: Luke 6:20-26

Have you felt blessed when you’re short on cash? How about when you haven’t eaten in a while? What about when people are mad at you or make you feel left out? If you’re like me, you feel far from blessed in those circumstances. In fact, that’s often when we feel farthest from God and His blessings. Even though I’ve heard the words of this Gospel countless times, they still sound strange to me.

As strange as they sound to me now, just imagine how strange they must have sounded when He spoke these words for the first time. At the time of Jesus, earthly wealth, health, and admiration were seen as rewards from God for living a holy and blessed life. If you had an ailment, it was common to see that as a consequence of your sin or the sin of your parents. The poor, the sick, the sad, and the hungry were cast aside as sinful, not cared for as precious creations.

But Jesus helps us to see the way God sees - with the eyes of a loving father. Our Father in heaven sees us in our suffering and pain. He knows and loves us and gives us a reminder of what it will be like when His kingdom is fulfilled. Jesus blesses us with the hope of God’s kingdom and the blessings we will be given despite the suffering that we experience in this world.

Jesus doesn’t promise that our life on earth will be without suffering. He of all people, knew that wasn’t the case. But He does promise us that we will be taken care of and that we are seen and valued regardless of our sufferings in this world. He gives us His presence, His attention, and His hope.

Ponder:

When times are hard, do I forget that God sees me in my suffering and is with me? Do I lose sight of the hope that Jesus gives me in this Gospel?

Pray:

Jesus, thank You for this reminder that I am seen in my suffering. Help me to grow in the virtue of hope so that I may not fall into discouragement when times are hard.

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Our Father in heaven sees us in our suffering and pain. He knows and loves us and gives us a reminder of what it will be like when His kingdom is fulfilled. #DailyGospel

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