Today's gospel: ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests...'

 


The message

The message of today's gospel is this: Follow Jesus and do not let anything get in the way of that following. Prioritise your Christian discipleship. 



Fox resting in the garden 
on a sunny 'No Mow May' day, 2024,
Newcastle, Co. Down.
Photo: Alan Cousins


Today's gospel: Matthew 8:18-22

Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’  

Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’



Christian Art

You can find a reflection on this gospel here:

https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-8-18-22-2025/


Sacred Space

"There are sayings in the gospels that are not intended to be taken literally, and 'let the dead bury their own dead' is one of them."

You can find a prayer guide and the reminder of this short reflection here:

https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/2025-06-30/


Collect

Almighty God, 
who inspired your apostle Saint Peter 
to confess Jesus as Christ and Son of the living God: 
Build up your Church upon this rock, 
that in unity and peace it may proclaim one truth 
and follow one Lord, your Son our Saviour Christ, 
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever.


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