Memorial of Sts. Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop

Today's Mass Readings

In our Gospel today, Jesus warns the disciples against false teachings using an analogy about leaven. The disciples are confused by his words, thinking that He is talking about food, which leads Jesus to ask, “Do you still not understand?”

We are often told that the disciples were confused or didn’t understand where Jesus was leading them. It is a common experience in all our lives to be confused about something in the teachings of Jesus or the Church. We all sometimes feel lost or without any guidance. Young people are constantly admonished to “discern their vocations” without any actual instructions in prayer. Sometimes people feel as though they have come up against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Perhaps we say to ourselves, “If only Jesus would tell me what to do, everything would be better.” Typically, upon reflection, one can see exactly how God has been working in their life. Still, in moments of anxiety or confusion, it may seem we are all alone.

We must remember that Jesus never abandons us. His response to the disciples’ confusion was not to throw up His hands and say they were hopeless; instead, He continued to walk with them and encourage them. His constant and reassuring presence caused radical conversion in the hearts of these men and women. Eventually, they came to understand the things Jesus was asking of them.

Discernment is not about discovering the correct answer to life’s questions; it’s about a relationship. We are called to follow Jesus even when we aren’t sure what He’s saying or where He’s taking us because we trust He won’t lead us astray. If Jesus were to answer all our questions about what we should do right away, we wouldn’t learn to trust Him. This trust can only be cultivated through constancy in prayer and perseverance in difficulties. We simply need to keep moving ever closer toward the Lord. Eventually, like the disciples, we will receive clarity in place of our confusion.

Reflection by Kaelob, seminarian