Weekly Gospel Reflection

In this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus comforts his disciples by calling on them to trust in him and his teachings. He asks them not to be troubled but to believe in him, promising that he will prepare a place for his followers in his Father’s house and return to take them away.

Trust may seem like a simple concept to understand and practice on the surface. However, in reality, trust is perhaps one of the most challenging things for people of faith. In a world filled with war, dire poverty, and sickness, it can be hard to trust that all of this is part of a grand plan. Indeed, we are called to have the ultimate leap of faith in life after death.

Even in our daily lives, we are constantly protecting ourselves and limiting how much trust we place in strangers. Despite trusting our neighbors, we still lock our homes and cars. We are unlikely to share private information with people that we do not know too well. Far too often, we think of the small minority who may cause us harm rather than thinking of the vast majority whom we can trust.

This week’s Gospel challenges us to cultivate a strong message of faith in Jesus and to trust in his teachings. We can do this by showing compassion to others, as well as living with integrity and honesty. By doing so, we can help create a world that is more peaceful and just. Furthermore, we can allow ourselves to find hope and comfort in the promise of Jesus Christ, knowing that we can turn to him through challenging times, and he will guide us through them.

As we enter the month of May and think about Mary, we can see her as an example of someone who trusted in Jesus completely. Mary's faith and obedience to God's will allowed her to play a crucial role in the story of salvation and bear witness to the love and mercy of God. We can look to her as an example of someone who lived her life in accordance with the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus.

This week, we are encouraged to strive to be ‘optimists for Christ!’ We should try to assume the best in people rather than the worst, believe someone on face value, give someone another chance to prove themselves, and take time out this week to say a prayer to God, trusting in his plan through difficult times.

Dear God, as we reflect on the words of Jesus , we pray for the strength to trust in him completely. Help us to have faith in his teachings, to seek out the truth, and to follow in his way. We pray for the courage to trust in him even in the midst of adversity and uncertainty, and to find hope and comfort in the promise of eternal life with you.

As we enter the month of May and think of Mary, we pray that we may learn from her example of faith and obedience to your will. Help us to emulate her unwavering trust in Jesus, and to live a life that is guided by his teachings.

We pray for the wisdom to discern your will for our lives, and for the grace to follow it faithfully. We thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus, and for the promise of eternal life with you. 

St John Vianney, 

Pray for us 

By Jonathan Rooney REL