# Finding Jesus in the Gospel
*2016-02-12*

> Bill Young reflects on how daily Gospel reading leads to conversion and a new life in Christ, drawing on Pope Francis’s call to be born of water and the Spirit.

## A Saturday After Ash Wednesday

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young, and welcome to Prayer and Lunch. Today’s episode is recorded on the Saturday after Ash Wednesday, and the theme is “Find Jesus in the Gospel.”

## The Invitation of Pope Francis

In the book *Renew Our Hearts*—a personal invitation to conversion from Pope Francis—we hear the familiar words of John 3:5: “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” Pope Francis reminds us that this birth is not a one‑time event but an ongoing conversion that begins with the Gospel.

## How the Gospel Changes Us

When we read the Gospel with an open heart, many of us are struck by Jesus and experience a conversion of the whole person. The Gospel lets us know the real, living Jesus; it speaks to our hearts and transforms our lives. We may keep the same outward habits, but we become a different person—reborn, filled with meaning, flavor, and light, even in the midst of suffering and death.

## Carrying the Gospel Daily

A practical way to stay in touch with this conversion is to read a short passage of the Gospel each day and keep a small Gospel book in your pocket or purse. When you carry the Word with you, you can pause throughout the day, find Jesus in the text, and let everything you do take on new meaning.

## The Kingdom and Christian Joy

Jesus calls the Gospel the Kingdom of God—the reign of love, peace, and joy in every person. To read the Gospel is to encounter Jesus and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is Christian joy. This joy sustains us as we live out the new life we have received.

*Daily Gospel reading invites us into the Kingdom, where we are continually reborn and filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.*