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

Today's Gospel: Luke 9:51-56

Jesus sent His followers ahead of Him to prepare the way for His journey, but they (and Jesus) were rejected by the Samaritans because they were traveling to Jerusalem. Jews and Samaritans did not get along. They wanted little to do with each other. But Jesus does not want His disciples to take any sort of punitive action towards them.

In our own world, people often form alliances. We separate the world into “us” vs. “them.” Whether those allegiances are to a country, ethnicity, political party, religion, or other identity, animosity can grow quickly.

Catholic moms are not immune to this phenomenon. The so-called “mommy wars” are all too real. Whether it is breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding, stay-at-home vs. working moms, homeschoolers vs. those who send their children to traditional schools, those who vaccinate vs. those who don’t, or those who attend the Traditional Latin Mass vs. those who attend the Novus Ordo, battle lines are clearly drawn. We form our groups and, at our worst, look down on those on the other side, sometimes going so far as to exclude them. Whether it is overt or subtle, in person or online, we make our position clear. We may not be raining down literal fire, but it certainly isn’t loving.

This is not how Jesus wants us to act. He came to preach the message of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. His greatest commandment was for us to love God and love our neighbor. Our neighbors include other moms who think differently from us. How can we include them instead of rejecting them? And if we are the ones being rejected, as Jesus was in today’s Gospel, how can we respond with grace?

 

Ponder:

 

How can you welcome another mom whom you might not usually associate with or agree with?

 

Pray:


Heavenly Father, help me to welcome all those I come in contact with today, whether in person or online, even those who think differently from me.

 

Daily Gospel 2

 

Copyright 2024 Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

About the Author

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur has a master’s degree in applied theology and is the author of The Power of Forgiveness, Our Lady of La Salette: A Mother Weeps for Her Children, and The Life and Lessons of St. Zelie Martin. A mother of three, she is the editor of TodaysCatholicHomeschooling.com as well as a freelance writer and editor.