Today’s Reflection
Gospel: John 19: 25-27 (or Luke 2: 33-35)
September 15, 2025 | Monday

Today’s Gospel

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the mother, and the disciple whom he loved, he said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.

Today’s Reflection

We can ask ourselves when the going gets tough in our following of the Lord, will we leave Him? Today’s readings show us great examples of fidelity to Christ until the end. Paul urges us to be men of peace, pleasing to God, lifting hands in prayer, and proclaiming the testimony that he preaches about Jesus the Savior. In our Gospel, Mary, her sister, and Mary of Magdala show us a strong testimony of being faithful to the Lord even until the cross. Some of the apostles of Jesus left him when the persecution became too strong. But some stayed with him. In our desire to become genuine and faithful disciples of the Lord, we are called to stay with him until the end. During a homily, one bishop shared that all the things we do as ministers of God come from our “remaining in” the Lord. Apart from Jesus, everything that we do becomes mere human endeavor, not salvific. Before we do anything at all, we ought to remain in Jesus. May our baptismal consecration and seal strengthen us in our dedication of life to the Lord so that whenever and wherever we are, we remain in him, never leaving his side, never abandoning his Church.

/Vulnerasti, 2025