Daily Reflection – 7/15/2026
Sacred Scripture
At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:25-27)
Reflection
If we were to list what we consider to be of value in our lives, we would all agree that our relationships are at the top of our list. We value relationships. We could not get through life without the people who are important to us.
In this morning’s scripture, Jesus speaks about the relationship which is most important to him — his relationship with his heavenly Father. He speaks of this relationship in terms of a mutual knowing: ‘no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son.’ There is a unique intimacy to this relationship. Yet, there is nothing closed about this special relationship; it is open to us as well.
Jesus speaks of himself as choosing to reveal the Father to others and he speaks of the Father as revealing these things to children. As God drew Moses to himself through the burning bush, the Father and the Son seek to draw us into their mutual love, so that we can reflect that love to others. For this to happen, we need the openness and receptivity of the child, rather than the self-assurance of the learned.
Too often maturity and the ways of the world harden people’s hearts. Some become so full of their own intelligence and understanding that they are closed to the great wisdom from God that Jesus has come to reveal. Truth is that we can’t get to know the Father as Father unless we see ourselves not just as children, but his children. Doing that only requires that we be open like children — we need to be receptive and trusting, we need to learn from Jesus, who is the revelation of how to relate to the Father as a beloved Son.
So let’s stay on that thought and relate it to our life. Whenever we give life to anyone, we can do things that others cannot do and that others cannot understand. Whenever we give life to another person, we are connected to that person forever. However it is done, whenever life is given, connections are formed — and those connections are essential for us. Because when life is given and connections are formed, two things invariably emerge: worth and sacrifice.
It is only when we give life to one another that we really understand our own worth. It is in the process of being connected to others that we see who we are and what our true value is. When we are connected, our life has meaning.
Connections also lead us to sacrifice. If we are connected to others, we feel their pain. When others to whom we are connected make bad decisions or are in danger, we suffer with them. Because once we begin to love someone, it is only a matter of time before we suffer with them. Once we are connected to someone, we will, in time, also be hurt.
Whenever we give life to someone, we must be willing to lay down our life, time and again. Both worth and sacrifice flow from the connections that support us — the connections that come from life that is shared. This is nothing new. It is our experience. It is simply the way things are.
The good news found in this scripture is this: this giving of life that leads to a connection out of which worth and sacrifice flow, is not limited simply to us. It also applies to God. God is the one who gave us life and so God is bound to us by bonds that cannot be broken. Just as the Good Shepherd cares for the sheep and is willing to lay down his life for the sheep — God cares for us and is willing to do all that is necessary to help us.
Because of this, we should never doubt our value in God’s eyes. Because of this, we should never think that God has forgotten us, no matter how difficult our life becomes. God has given life to us and like a parent, can never stop caring for us, can never fail to save us. We can doubt our own value, but we should never doubt that God cares for us.
Others can look at us and see us as expendable or worthless. They can point to us and ask God: “How could you love these people? They are so selfish, so judgmental, so wounded. How could you care for them? How could you be willing to lay down your life for them? We could never do it.”
But to that question, God would simply shrug and say:
“They are not your children.”
Prayer of The Day
“Lord, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission.”
Daily Note
Knowing Jesus Christ as the Son is also knowing the Father, because he is the one who reveals the Father. The Son has so much power — power over sin and death. As it said in today’s gospel, all things have been handed over to him by the Father. Knowing him, we can rest assured that we are in good hands and he will take full and good control of our lives.
