Monday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr
Saints Laurence Ruiz and his Companions, Martyrs
Gospel: Luke 9:46-50In today’s Gospel, the disciples are caught looking only at what is immediately visible: they argue about who among them is the greatest, and then they want to stop someone casting out demons because “he is not one of us.” Jesus teaches them to see differently. He places a little child beside Himself and says that whoever welcomes this child welcomes Him and the Father who sent Him. Discipleship is learning to see beyond what is obvious. Where the disciples see someone small and insignificant, Jesus reveals His own presence; where they see an outsider, Jesus recognizes someone already working for the good; where they see greatness in status and recognition, Jesus sees greatness in humility and service. Following Christ therefore requires a continual conversion of our vision. We must learn to look beyond appearances, labels, groups, achievements, failures, and first impressions, because God may be present and working precisely where we least expect Him. Saints Wenceslaus, Lawrence Ruiz, and their companions also learned to see beyond what was obvious: beyond persecution they saw fidelity, beyond the loss of earthly security they saw the value of belonging to Christ, and beyond death they saw eternal life. The disciple does not deny visible reality but sees more deeply into it, looking for the hidden presence, action, and possibilities of God. When we learn to see with the eyes of Christ, the insignificant can become precious, the outsider can become a companion, and even sacrifice can become a path to life. Let’s reflect: Do I judge people and situations only by what is immediately obvious, or am I learning, as a disciple of Christ, to see more deeply and recognize where God may already be present and at work?
Don Giorgio