Daily Gospel Reflection for October 19, 2023

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

Today's Gospel: Luke 11:47-54

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is reprimanding the scribes and Pharisees for how their ancestors treated the prophets and how they continued to treat those who speak in God’s name. Indeed, the scribes and Pharisees were observing Jesus closely, waiting for Him to say something that they could use against Him.

It is hard to speak the truth of our faith. It can be easier to not make waves, to not be attacked for what we believe. Yet Jesus calls us to pick up our cross and to follow Him. Being Christian is not always easy. Sometimes, we will be persecuted for it. We need to pray to the Holy Spirit for the wisdom to live and speak the truth of our faith in love. We also need to love and pray for our enemies, those who speak against us and who seek to cause us harm.

It can also be hard to hear the truth of our faith. Sometimes, though we may not want to admit it, we are the ones rejecting the truth. Our Church has some hard teachings that we may want to pretend simply don’t exist. We may want to ignore the Magisterium and instead make our own interpretations of what God wants us to do. We may speak out against those who challenge us to change our lives in some way. Once again, love and prayer are the answer. We can love and pray for those who challenge us as well as for the wisdom to discern what God truly wants of us.

Ponder:

Are you being challenged to speak the truth of the faith more boldly, or are there teachings that you are struggling with that you need to pray about accepting more fully?

Pray:

Dear Lord, please help me to live and speak the truth of our faith with love and courage.

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We need to pray to the Holy Spirit for the wisdom to live and speak the truth of our faith in love. #DailyGospel

Copyright 2023 Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur