Daily Gospel Reflection

Don’t Fuel the Rumors

Hi, I'm Matthew Kelly and welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where we are exploring the genius of the gospel, the genius of Catholicism, the genius of Jesus, and each day looking for a word or a phrase or an idea that jumps out at us from the daily gospel and allows us to anchor our day in that word phrasal idea and by extension to anchor our day in the gospel itself. Today's reading is from John 21:20-25. And keep in mind, this is the very end of John's gospel. Peter turned and he saw following them the disciple who Jesus loved, who had laid close to his breast at the Last Supper and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?" And when Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" And Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me." The saying spread abroad among the brethren that this disciple was not to die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die. But if it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things and who has written these things. And we know that his testimony is true.

But there are also many other things which Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written? I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. What jumps out at you today? What jumps out at me is that even before the gospel finished being written, the room was already circulating. The speculation was already speculating. And a lot of fascination with, "Okay, when is Jesus coming again?" And this rumor is that John would live until the Second Coming. But of course, as he points out, that wasn't what Jesus said. What rumors are circulating in your life right now? What rumors are you tempted to circulate in your life right now? Gossip and rumors are one of the most insidious parts of our culture and fueled by social media, literally destroying people's lives. And so we need to be extra careful, extra cautious not to participate in those rumors, not to fuel those rumors, not to participate in that gossip, not to start that gossip, because once it begins, it tends to run amok. It tends to never stop running. Have an amazing day. Remember, do not just be yourself. Be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.