A dynamic partnership with Christ

When we consider the people who had a big influence in our lives, often they were the same people who disciplined us the most.  Maybe it was the teacher we disdained for being such a stickler about the rules, even though she probably taught us the most.  Or maybe it was a grandparent who was not shy to let us know when we were not upholding the family name.  We scoffed at their criticisms then, but now, when we reflect on those long-ago conversations, we think of them as sage advice.

So, who disciplines us now?  Is it a spouse who reminds us when we’re not doing what we promised to do?  Maybe it’s a co-worker who nudges us to remember to complete our part of an important project.  It could be a friend who guides us back to our true self when we start to wander.  The answer is probably “all of the above.”  Their comments and shared concerns are valuable advice that help us.  They discipline us, so to speak.

More important is the discipline that we exert upon ourselves each day – not discipline in the sense of punishment, but the self-discipline to do what is right in the eyes of God.  We strive to be the very best Christians we can be, to please and serve God through our compassion for others and serving those in need.

But self-discipline is easier said than done.  Almost all of us make New Year’s resolutions.  We’re firm and committed on the first of January to eating less, walking 10,000+ steps a day, or attending daily Mass.  But truth be told, probably close to half of us are not able to follow through on our resolutions for even a month.

So, how do we improve?  They say that one of the best ways to discipline yourself and to achieve your goals is to team up with someone.  Maybe this is the person you exercise with each day or someone you pick up every morning for Mass. Experts agree that when two people share the same goal, our sense of obligation and commitment increases tenfold, and success follows.

Who better to partner with on our most personal goals and aspirations, than Christ?  Christ is always at our side and more than anyone else, wants us to succeed and be the very best person we can be. 

As we go about our busy lives, trying to become better Christians, take the time to share your thoughts and goals with Jesus.  In prayer, let Jesus know how you want to become better and ask Jesus to guide and influence you through your day, so you can live up to your own expectations and to Christ’s expectations of us.

With this dynamic partnership, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish or overcome.

Just have faith

 

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.” [Mark 5:35–36]  This statement can apply to many situations we experience throughout our lives.  It’s a command of love from our Lord and is a command that we all need to hear, especially when hardships come our way.

Jesus said these words to the father (Jairus) of a young daughter at the point of death, and he came to beg Jesus to heal her.  Jesus agreed.  But while they were on their way, Jesus and the father received the heartbreaking news that the daughter had just died.  As any parent would know, this news must have been incredibly difficult to hear.

As you ponder his grief, try to also ponder the heart, thinking, emotions and words of Jesus.  Jesus had no fear.  He knew that this would end very well.  But because He also had deep empathy and love for this grieving father, Jesus turned to him to give him hope.  Hope in the midst of a very difficult and painful experience in life is hard to come by.  When faced with grief, it’s very tempting to give in to despair.  Despair is a complete loss of hope.  Despair keeps us from God and strips us of faith.  But despair is always avoidable if we follow Jesus’ command of love.  “Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

What is it that tempts you to fear in life?  What is it that tempts you to lose your hope?  Maybe you struggle with the death of a loved one, and you find it very difficult.  Perhaps your grief comes from small sources and is only minor right now.  The truth is that all of us will experience small temptations to lose hope every day.  And most will also experience grave temptations at one time or another.  For these reasons, we must all constantly listen to Jesus’ words and work to dispel every fear in life as we invite God to bestow upon us the gift of hope that comes from unwavering faith in His plan for our lives.

Remember, everything in life has the potential to be used by God for our good.  All we need to do is continually reject fear and “just have faith.”

My compassionate Lord, You consoled this grieving father and instilled within him the gifts of faith and hope.  Please also speak your command of love to me, calling me to trust in You no matter what I struggle with in life.  May I always have faith in You and never fall into despair or fear.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Be free!

 

“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)  He asked him, “What is your name?”  He replied, "Legion is my name.  There are many of us.”  [Mark 5:7–9]

To most people, such an encounter would be terrifying.  This man was possessed by a multitude of demons.  He lived on the hillsides among various caves by the sea, and no one wanted to go near him.  He was a violent man, crying out day and night, and all the townspeople were fearful of him.  But when this man saw Jesus at a distance, something amazing happened.  Instead of Jesus being terrified of the man, the multitude of demons possessing the man became terrified of Jesus.  Jesus then commanded the many demons to leave the man and enter a herd of about two thousand swine instead.  The swine immediately ran down the hill into the sea and drowned.  The possessed man returned to normal, becoming clothed and in his right mind.  All who saw him were amazed.

I believe we all have moments of weakness, those times when we allow ourselves to revert to our pasts and relive moments of sadness, guilt, shame, maybe the pain of living through a life alone.  It can be an overwhelming feeling.

But we must always remember that we see Jesus, always in our path.  We must be aware of His presence, His ability to relieve us of our pains and doubts.  And we need to KNOW that when we’re forgiven, it’s done.  Move on in your life, knowing that a loving and merciful God forgives.  And know that God places in that path people who will help mold you and grow in your faith.  I have been blessed with a marriage to my rock that has sustained almost 49 years of experiences of joys, hurts, doubts, children, and grandchildren!  But God’s magnificent plan has me where I need to be, experiencing what I need to experience for His greater glory.

The Lord wants you free – free to do His will.  So be free.  Forgive, be forgiven, and be free.

My most powerful Lord, I offer to You, this day, the person whom I call to mind who is most in need of Your redeeming grace. May I never lose hope in Your ability to transform their life, to forgive their sins and to bring them back to You. Use me, dear Lord, to be an instrument of Your mercy, so that they will come to know You and experience the freedom You so deeply desire that they receive. Jesus, I trust in You.

Take the risk

 

The word seek, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, can mean to search for; to be in quest of; to ask for something or to achieve something.  Seeking God can mean that we may be lost, or we may be seeking God’s will in our lives, or seeking God to ask for a need.  Seeking God in any of these forms is a journey that takes a lifetime.  A journey that calls us to conversion throughout our lives.  The scriptures, the Eucharist, and personal prayer guides us in this journey.

As with any journey we need to take a few things along.  Matthew’s Gospel gives us the tools we need for our spiritual journey through the Beatitudes [Matthew 5:1-12].  Meekness, showing mercy, being a peacemaker, being hungry for justice and a few others.  And this journey isn’t without its trials and tribulations. We’re warned that there will be insults and persecutions along the way.  Nowhere in scripture does it say that being a follower of Christ is going to be a breeze.  On the contrary, it’s challenging to be a Christian.  If we are walking on the right path it will be hard sometimes not just for us but for those around us as well.  We challenge others not so much with our words as we do with our actions.

Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians also assists us in this journey of seeking God by explaining the difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world [1 Corinthians 1:26-31].  How do we know what is the wisdom of the world and what is the wisdom of God?  Taking time to reflect upon a situation, events, or what someone else says to us or to a larger group is important.  What is going to be my response considering the scriptures or teachings of the Church?  How am I going to grow in my spiritual life because of my response?  Is it going to push me outside of my comfort zone?  Am I willing to take the risk?

Lord of perfection, You call me to journey with You up the high mountain of holiness. May I always see this journey as one that is glorious and fulfilling. I choose the life of perfection to which I am called and pray that I will always be open to the deepest moral truths You wish me to live. Jesus, I trust in You!

Every storm is an opportunity

 

Throughout our lives, we can be assured that at some point we will encounter a storm.  Not just a physical storm but a spiritual one.  It may come in the form of a tragic event, a deep wound inflicted by another, the effects of our own sin or some other painful experience.  And for many people, this will happen more than once.

When such a “storm” is encountered in life, it may seem as if Jesus is “asleep” and not readily available to help us through.  When this happens, the message of Mark’s Gospel is very helpful to prayerfully ponder.

Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.  And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. [Mark 4:36–38]

As this Gospel passage continues, we read that the disciples, in a panic, woke up Jesus and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus got up, addressed the storm and said, “Quiet! Be still!” and all was calm. He then said to the disciples, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” The disciples were left in amazement and wonder.

The key is faith.  When we face a storm in life, we must have faith.  That means that we must know, with a deep certitude, that Jesus is in fact always with us.  We must know, with a deep certitude, that if we place all our trust and hope in Him, He will never abandon us.  We must know, with a deep certitude, that every storm will ultimately pass, and that peace and calm will ensue.

Facing the storms in life with faith is transforming.  And often Jesus appears to be asleep for a reason.  The reason is that He wants us to trust.  Too often we turn our eyes to the storm itself and allow fear and anxiety to dominate our lives.  But every storm we encounter is an opportunity to trust Him on a new and deeper level.  If life were always easy and consoling then we would have little reason to trust deeply.  Therefore, every storm must be seen as an opportunity for tremendous grace as we place all our trust in Jesus, despite how things immediately appear.

My sleeping Lord, help me to always place all my trust in You, no matter what the circumstances are in my life at every moment. Strengthen my faith, especially during those times when I face challenges and temptations. May I never doubt that You are there with me, leading me and keeping me close to Your merciful Heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Transformed by God's grace

Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how.”  [Mark 4:26–27]

It’s beautiful to reflect upon how the Word of God changes people’s lives.  This short passage above analogizes the sharing of the Word of God with the planting of seed.  The Sower goes forth and scatters seed into the ground and then observes how that seed grows into a fruitful plant.  The last 4 words are especially telling: “he knows not how.”  I think the Sower’s lack of knowledge of how the seed grows takes a back seat to his awe at how God accomplishes it.

So it is with the Word of God.  When that Word is received by another, we’re blessed to be able to stand back and watch as that Word takes root and transforms their lives.  Of course, at times we may sow the Word and it doesn’t take root.  This is on account of either the hardness of another’s heart or on account of the way in which we sow.  But when the seed of God’s Word does take root, we should be in awe of how God works in that soul.

Think about this reality in your own life.  How did you first receive the good seed of God’s word?  Perhaps it was through a sermon, a retreat, the reading of Scripture, a book or the witness of another.  Think about how you first received God’s Word into your life and what effect it had upon you.

Once God’s Word has taken root in a soul, it’s a holy practice to “rise night and day” so as to observe this seed as it grows.  Specifically, we must allow ourselves to be amazed at the mysterious way that a life is changed, be it your own life or the life of another.  It’s inspiring to observe the soul of a person as it begins to root out sin, to seek virtue, to establish a life of prayer and to grow in the love of God.

If this is something to which you find it hard to relate, then perhaps it’s time to either allow that seed of God’s Word to fall gently and deeply into the fertile ground of your own soul or to prayerfully look for ways in which God wants to use you to sow that seed into the heart of another.  Doing the latter takes much openness to the working of the Holy Spirit.  It requires that we allow God to inspire us so as to know how we can cooperate with His hand in evangelization.

If you find it difficult to ponder upon the “mystery” of a soul who goes through this process of change and spiritual growth, it may help to turn to the lives of the saints.  The saints are among the greatest witnesses of those who allowed God’s Word to sink deeply into their lives so that they became new creations, transformed by God’s grace.  Ponder this transforming witness and allow yourself to be drawn into gratitude and amazement as you do.

My transforming Lord, I thank You for the way that You have sown the seed of Your holy Word into my own life. I thank You for the way in which You have changed me, freed me from sin and set me on the path to holiness. Use me, dear Lord, to sow that seed in the lives of others and fill me with wonder and awe as I witness Your merciful hand at work. Jesus, I trust in You

Uncovering the light

 

I have always felt that the parables that Jesus used are excellent teaching tools.  We may not understand them at first or second reading, but they engage our minds, are memorable, and invite us to discern a meaning.  They may speak to us of personality, the senses, the nature of light, the perception of things and even interpersonal relations.  Sometimes light is just light; sometimes it's "divine light,” the clarity, or better, the lucidity that is provided by the word of God.  Did Jesus use parables in His ministry to clarify spiritual issues, or did He use them to allow us to personally focus on and analyze His spiritual message?  At any rate, they’re more than just “sayings.”  Mark includes several parables in his Gospel passages that I read today [Mark 4:21-25].  I can only respond with my impressions (reflections) for each parable.  Certainly, many of you may have other, deeper meanings.

Place your light on the lampstand; let it shine.  Let the light of your faith conquer the darkness.

For the early Christian community, being too visible was a dangerous proposition as they were often persecuted for their faith. The Christian community needed encouragement to live faithful lives openly and boldly.

Nothing is truly hidden unless it may again be made visible.

We all have “lights” that need to shine, to brighten our world. Too often, though, we’ve been told not to brag, to be humble.  That false humility is like putting a basket over the light.  And like Jesus in the Gospel story and St. Paul in his letters to Timothy and Titus, we need someone to call us to share our light with others. St. Paul—always on a mission to spread the Word of God—often circled back to those nascent faith communities that often struggled as all human communities do.  Very often he had to encourage the local leaders, like Timothy and Titus, to lead by setting themselves as on a lampstand for their light to shine [2 Timothy 1:1-8, Titus 1:1-5].

Anyone who has ears that are functional should hear but do so with discernment. Be open to the word of God but beware of lies and false prophets.

If we’re open to the words of Jesus, we’ll receive a true vision of the path that God has prepared for us.  Share this with others and we will be even richer in our faith.

“To one who has, more will be given.”

If we have no faith and are not moved by the word of God, we will come away with nothing to give to others. Anyone may be poor in material things, but rich in faith. Our priorities clearly need to be aligned with our ability to discern God’s will for us and our need or duty to share our grace with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you measure a person or a thing, be sure that you expect the same measure to be used to evaluate you.  Another thought may be to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you. “

I can point to important moments in my life where another person challenged me to take my light from under the basket to let it shine.  Sometimes someone saw some trait in me that I couldn’t see for myself.  Other times, a person challenged me to move beyond the safety of my small world and to take a leap of faith.  Still others asked me to help with a project that I would not have on my own volunteered for.  I’m grateful for how others encouraged me to uncover the light within, those gifts that are mine to share.

As we reflect on and are grateful for those who encouraged us to live a life of faith fully and boldly, perhaps we can reflect on the times that we were that encouragement for others.  How can we call others to take the lamp from under the basket so it can light up the world just a bit more?

My glorious Judge, I thank You for Your mercy and forgiveness in my life.  I thank You for freeing me from all sin.  Please continue to purify my soul and free me from even the attachment to all sin.  May I never forget all that You have done for me, and may Your mercy become the cause of my eternal rejoicing and Your eternal glory.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Fears can free us

 God has varied ways to get the attention of certain persons, like us.  The Angel appeared to Mary out of nowhere, except heaven [Luke 1:26-38].   Moses stumbled into a bush which burned [Exodus 3].  Elijah heard whispers [1 Kings 19].  Peter caught a boatload of fish [Luke 5:1-11].  My own revelation came in a dream.  Today we celebrate a knock-over.  Saul of Tarsis hit the ground, stunned.

Saul was a Jewish zealot, a protector of his religious traditions as well as a self-determined persecutor of anything which was different and therefore threatening.  His conversion was quite an interruption in his life, dramatic and up-close and more personal than most conversion narratives [Acts 9:1-22].

Saul sees a flash, but then can no longer visually see.  He is escorted ironically to Straight Street to have his sight returned and to turn him from his old ways towards the “Way”.   Saul’s view of his mission and so his identity is changed, more literally, turned.  He listens and takes in all that speaks of Jesus and the Way.   His name is turned as well and he turns from persecuting the Body to becoming the proclaimer, proponent, the apostle who rises from his being knocked down to his standing up with all he had received.

So there you have it, quite a story and the remainder of his life is spent in forming, by his preaching and ways of living and suffering, the Body which once he tried to extinguish.  What is in this story for us and about us?

There is so much self-formation, self-determination, so much self-certainty which can get us up on our own high horses.  I speak of others, not you nor me of course.  There are also many interruptions from the Spirit of God calling us back to earth, back to seeing ourselves and others in a straighter, more blessed way.  One helpful little suggestion offered here might just be like a burning bush, or little whisper.  Watch for ideas, the new, the different, the bumps in the night, which stimulate fears.  They often knock us backward and yet can call us toward a more blessed way of being His Body.  Fears can blind us, freeze us, imprison us.  Fears can free us to ask the more important questions and maybe there will be new answers inviting us to a conversion to a newness of self and life as with Saul Paul and so many others.

Lord, I do love You and desire to be used by You in the way that You choose. Help me to convert my heart more fully to You so that I can be led by Your gentle and powerful hand. I accept whatever mission You give to me and pray that my life will give You true glory and further Your glorious Kingdom on earth. Jesus, I trust in You.   

Doing the will of the Father

 

Jesus said many things that caused people to pause and think.  I’m thinking about the passage in Mark’s Gospel when Jesus was told that His mother and brothers were outside looking for Him.  After hearing this, instead of going to greet them, He asked those around Him, “Who are my mother and my brothers?”  Then He looked around and answered His own question with “Here are my mother and my brothers.  For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” [Mark 3:31-35]

What may have caused some people to pause and think at that time, and even now when this passage is read, is that Jesus’ comments can easily be misunderstood.  Some will conclude that He was distancing Himself from His own family and that He was even disowning them to a certain extent.  But nothing could be further from the truth.

First of all, we know that Jesus had a perfect love for His dear mother Mary and that she loved Jesus with a perfect reciprocal love.  As for His “brothers,” it was common to refer to one’s extended family (such as cousins) as brothers and sisters.  Therefore, these brothers who were coming to see Jesus were relatives to one degree or another.  And though our Blessed Mother, the mother of Jesus, was perfect in every way, Jesus’ extended family was not.  Recall that some of them thought Jesus was out of his mind and tried to prevent His public ministry [Mark 3:20-21].

Was Jesus disowning His family members in some way?  Certainly not.  Instead, He was establishing a deeper context for His new family in grace.  Though biological bonds are a gift and must be respected and cherished, the spiritual bonds established by our joint conformity to the will of God is of much greater importance.  Jesus simply pointed to this fact, elevating the spiritual family bond over the purely natural.  Of course, it’s also important to point out that Jesus’ mother was first and foremost His mother, not only because she gave physical birth to Jesus, but primarily because she was in perfect conformity to the will of God with Him and, thus, the most intimate member of His family by grace.  And the same can be true for all of us.  When we conform our wills to the will of God, we become Jesus’ “mother” in the sense that He enters our world through us.  And we become His “brothers and sisters” in that we become intimate members of His eternal family and enjoy a profound and spiritual union with Him.

We are called to be so much more than just a physical brother or sister of Christ Jesus.  We are called to the most intimate and transforming familial union imaginable.  And this union is more fully accomplished when we seek to fulfill the will of God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength.

My dear Lord, I desire deeply to become more fully a member of Your most intimate family in grace. Help me to always dedicate myself to the complete fulfillment of the will of our Father in Heaven. And as I conform my will more fully with that of the Father’s, draw me deeper and deeper into union with You. Jesus, I trust in You.

God is the ultimate Judge

As I continue reading Mark’s Gospel today, there are some scribes, who, apparently seeing or hearing about Jesus driving out demons, say, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Then Jesus points out the fallacy of those statements: “How can Satan drive out Satan?” And then, toward the end of the episode, Jesus says, “Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the holy Spirit will never have forgiveness but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” And then we hear, “For they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.” [Mark 3:22-30]

Maybe I’m too caught up with the divisions among us in our day and age, but I wonder whether we are tempted, instead of thinking, “I need to watch out about blaspheming against the Holy Spirit!” to think, “What he/she/they said was a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, and they should never be forgiven!”  In other words, we can be tempted to look for justification for our condemnation of others instead of avoiding condemnation ourselves.

I’m not saying that there isn’t evil being done. There is.  I’m not saying that we should not speak up for what’s right.  We’re called to work for justice.  What I am saying is that God is the ultimate judge, and the question of condemnation is solely up to God to answer.

In this Gospel, the sin against the Holy Spirit was not only the false condemnation spoken by the scribes against Jesus.  First and foremost, their sin was one of obstinacy.  They spoke falsely about our Lord, which is a grave sin, but what’s worse is that they did so in such a way that they remained firmly grounded in their error.  They refused to humble themselves and reconsider their error.  And it’s this stubbornness that leaves them with an “everlasting sin.”

Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from this passage is that we must avoid remaining stuck in our pride in an obstinate way.  We must always be humble and be ready and willing to reexamine our actions.  Humility will help us to perpetually remember that we can easily become misled in life.  And though this will happen from time to time in various ways, if we remain humble and open to change, then we can always receive the mercy of God and find forgiveness.  But if we’re prideful and continually refuse to admit our errors, then we are also potentially guilty of a sin against the Holy Spirit.

In Hebrews [Hebrews 9:15-28], we hear that “once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.”  That wasn’t an act of condemnation, but of salvation.  If we follow Jesus who did that for us, our lives are oriented towards love.  Instead of looking for reasons to hate, perhaps we can call on the Holy Spirit to empower us to love.

My merciful Jesus, I sin every day and will continue to fail to follow You with perfection. For this reason, I thank You for Your abundant mercy. Please help me to always be open to that mercy by regularly re-examining my decisions in life. Give me humility, dear Lord, to always repent and to turn back to You when I stray. Jesus, I trust in You. 

What should it mean to follow Jesus?

 

What should it mean to follow Jesus?  I thought about this question and others as I read Matthew’s Gospel today [Matthew 4:12-23].

In this Gospel, Jesus walked along the shore of Galilee, passing by fishing boats with crews of men working with their nets. “Come follow me”, He said, and they dropped everything and began their journeys as disciples/apostles.  Jesus called, and Peter, Andrew, James, and John responded.  Not grudgingly, not eventually, but “immediately”!  They left their fishing, they left their father, and they were on their way.  Matthew’s gospel has been called a “training manual for disciples,” and shortly after this calling, Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps the greatest manifesto of discipleship in all of the gospels.  As Jesus began His preaching, His words were (and continue to be) challenging but also very hopeful.  By saying that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Jesus stirred interest and holy curiosity among His first listeners.  His call to repentance was softened by His new proclamation about the Kingdom.

But it wasn’t first and foremost Christ’s teachings, but rather Christ’s personal call, that animated those first disciples to leave the shores of Galilee and embark on The Way.

One helpful insight we can take from these first words of Jesus’ public ministry is that this is the best way to share the Gospel with those who do not yet follow Christ.  Oftentimes, when we see someone living in serious sin, we want to judge and condemn.  But usually what they need the most is hope—hope that there is something much greater that comes from repentance.  Certainly we need to speak against sin.  One of the most effective ways to do so is by initially offering the listener hope of something much better than the sin with which they struggle—specifically, the hope of the Kingdom of God.

I think of my life and wonder how I can follow Jesus?  Family, work, life challenges such as health all can push to a secondary consideration my desire to see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly, follow Him more nearly day by day.     

I don’t believe He is asking me to “cast away my nets” in order to serve Him.  My way of serving Him is doing everything while walking with Him each day.  I can embrace every challenge, difficulty, problem, each day as a gift from Him to better myself.  To find all the joys of children, grandchildren, my wife, my friendships in my life as extraordinary of His Love for me.  I must begin and end each day knowing I am trying to follow Him. 

We shouldn’t forget that whatever the immediacy of their response, the disciples didn’t leave their flaws, misunderstandings, or humanity behind.  Nor did the second generation of believers.  To dispel any illusions we may have about the assumed idealism of the early Christian community, it’s a good idea to read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. The scandals, in-fighting, and polarization in first-century Corinth could match anything we see in today’s news headlines!  In this light, St. Paul’s exhortation to that early Church [1 Corinthians 1:10-17] speaks through the ages, because division and rivalry are never markers of the Spirit.  Likewise, we Catholics should not “belong to Pope Benedict” or “belong to Pope Francis,” because we ultimately belong to Christ.  May our church communities strive to exemplify the unity in diversity that Paul labored so mightily to bring about in Corinth.

Lord, as You began Your public ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, You instilled hope and a holy curiosity in the minds and hearts of Your first hearers. Please continue this good work and use me as You will to be an instrument of this hope in those I encounter every day. Jesus, I trust in You.

A different form of suffering

 Jesus came with his disciples into the house.  Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.  When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” [Mark 3:20–21]

When you consider the sufferings of Jesus, most likely your thoughts first turn to the crucifixion.  From there, you may think about His scourging at the pillar, the carrying of the Cross and the other events that took place from the time of His arrest until His death.  However, there were many other human sufferings that our Lord endured for our good and the good of all.

Though physical pain is quite undesirable, there are other sufferings that can be just as difficult to endure, if not more difficult.  One such suffering is being misunderstood and treated by your own family as if you were out of your mind.  In Jesus’ case, it appears as if many of His extended family, not including His own mother of course, were quite vocally critical of Jesus.  Maybe they were jealous of Him and had some form of envy, or perhaps they were embarrassed by all the attention He was getting.  Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that Jesus’ own relatives tried to prevent Him from ministering to the people who deeply longed to be with Him.  Some of His extended family members made up the story that Jesus was “out of his mind” and sought to put an end to His popularity.

Family life should be a community of love, but for some it becomes a source of sorrow and hurt.  Why did Jesus allow Himself to endure this form of suffering?  I think in part, it was to be able to relate with any and every suffering each and every one of us might endure as a result of our own family.  Additionally, His endurance of it also redeemed this form of suffering, making it possible for our family hurt to share in that redemption and grace.  Thus, when you turn to God in prayer with your family struggles, you will be consoled to know that the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, understands your suffering from His own human experience.  He knows the pain so many family members feel from first-hand experience.  And He is able to look at every family suffering with the utmost compassion so as to give each person who asks the grace they need to not only endure that suffering but also to use it for good and for God’s glory.

My compassionate Lord, You endured much in this world, including the rejection and ridicule of those in Your own family.  I offer to You my own family and especially the hurt that has been present.  Please come and redeem all family struggles and bring healing and hope to me and to all those who need it the most.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Called and sent with authority

 He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. [Mark 3:14–15]

The Twelve Apostles were first called by Jesus and then sent to preach with authority. The authority they were given was for the purpose of driving out demons.

Demons are fallen angels.  But even in their fallen state, they retain the natural powers they have, such as the power of influence and suggestion.  They seek to communicate with us to deceive us and draw us away from Christ.  The good angels, of course, also exercise this same natural power for our good.  Our guardian angels, for example, constantly seek to communicate to us the truths of God and His grace.  The angelic battle for good and evil is real, and as Christians we must be aware of this reality.

One of the greatest ways to confront Satan and his demons is to listen to the Truth and to proclaim it with the authority of Christ.  Though the Apostles were given a special authority for their preaching, every Christian, by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, is entrusted with the message of the Gospel to proclaim in various ways.  And with that authority, we must constantly strive to bring forth the Kingdom of God.  Doing so will have a direct impact on diminishing the kingdom of Satan.

Each of us has a duty to share the Gospel with others.  Sometimes this is done by an explicit sharing of the message of Jesus Christ, as I try to do with my simple daily reflections, and at other times the message is shared more by our actions and virtue (I fall way too short in this regard).  But every Christian is entrusted with this mission and must learn to fulfill that mission with true authority, knowing that as that authority from Christ is exercised, the Kingdom of God increases and the activity of the evil one is overcome.

My all-powerful Lord, I thank You for the grace You have given me to proclaim the truth of Your saving message to those whom I encounter every day. Help me to fulfill my mission to preach in both word and deed and to do so with the gentle yet powerful authority given me by You. I offer myself to Your service, dear Lord. Do with me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.

What happened to all those people?

 

As I read the Gospels, it’s fascinating to ponder the enthusiasm that so many people had toward Jesus.

St. Mark goes out of his way to tell us that there were an awful lot of people who wanted to be with Jesus.  He tells us that “a large number of people” from Galilee came, as did a large number from Judea, as did a large number from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan River, from Tyre and Sidon.  People were traveling from north, south, east and west, streaming to hear Jesus, to be with Jesus to touch Jesus [Mark 3:7-12].

In my imagination I can see the constant stream of people gathering from all directions to be with Jesus.   And Jesus was a bit intimidated by the huge numbers because He asked His friends to have a boat ready to give Him an escape route so “they would not crush him.”   And this wasn’t the only time great crowds came to Jesus.  There were the 5000 fed on the hillside [Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-15], the 4000 (not including women and children) fed with 7 loaves and 2 fish [Matthew 15:32-39], and don’t forget the crowds lining the road into Jerusalem who were singing hosanna and laying palms down in front to Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem [John 12:12-13].  Great popularity and adulation!  But, whatever happened to all those people?

We know they receded back into the countryside when the religious and political leaders began to demonize Jesus.  They were nowhere to be seen when Jesus went through His Passion and Death.  But when everything settled down again and the disciples continued to talk about Jesus and witness to His resurrection did many of these people return to their initial interest and become followers of Jesus once again?  It wouldn’t be a surprise to find out that some (many?) of them did.  From Pentecost on the number of followers of Jesus grew rapidly [Acts of the Apostles].  No doubt some of the people who were frightened off came back.

Being a Catholic follower of Jesus can be a difficult thing even today.  Sometimes we’re very fervent but there are other times when our hearts can grow distant.  The disapproval of our neighbors or our society, the scandals that happen in our Church, the experiences of personal disappointment, disillusionment, hurt or anger can all cause us to pull back from our faith, to recede back into the countryside.  The beautiful truth about Jesus is that though crowds of people came and went, Jesus stayed faithful to all of them.  Jesus stays faithful to us as well.

My saving God, I turn to You, this day, and seek to be single-minded in my love and devotion to You. Help me, first and foremost, to listen to Your transforming Word and to allow that Word to become the central focus of my life. Jesus, I trust in You.

“This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’”--MLK, Jr.

 

Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. [Mark 3:1–5]

Sin damages our relationship with God. But hardness of heart is even more damaging because it perpetuates the damage done by sin.  And the harder one’s heart, the more permanent the damage.

In the passage above, Jesus was angry with the Pharisees.  Oftentimes the passion of anger is sinful, resulting from impatience and a lack of charity.  But at other times, the passion of anger can be good when it’s motivated by love of others and hatred for their sin.  In this case, Jesus was grieved by the hardness of heart of the Pharisees, and that grief motivated His holy anger.  His “holy” anger didn’t cause irrational criticism; rather, it drove Jesus to cure this man in the presence of the Pharisees so that they would soften their hearts and believe in Jesus.  Sadly, it didn’t work.  The very next line of the Gospel says, “The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death” [Mark 3:6].

Hardness of heart should be greatly avoided.  The problem is that those who are hard of heart are usually not open to the fact that they are hard of heart.  They are obstinate and stubborn, and oftentimes self-righteous. Therefore, when people suffer from this spiritual ailment, it is difficult for them to change, especially when confronted.

I wonder if Jesus is telling us to always grasp the opportunity to do good, even if it comes across as unseemly or untimely.  I’m reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham City Jail,” in which he tries to explain to the religious leaders who asked him to refrain from the direct action he was leading, why the work for civil rights could not wait: “This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’”

There are many opportunities, both great and small, for us to do good and to save life.  There are many people of good faith, even if their faith is not ours, with whom we can work to achieve good and promote life.  And there is no need to wait.

My loving Lord, this day I open myself to an examination of my own heart and pray that You will help me to always be open to change when necessary. Help me, especially, to see any hardness I may have within my heart. Help me to overcome any obstinacy, stubbornness and self-righteousness. Give me the gift of humility, dear Lord, so that my heart can become more like Yours. Jesus, I trust in You.

Hope keeps us on the right path

 

The Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us “to hold fast to the hope that lies before us.” [Hebrews 6:10-20]  Christianity is unabashedly a religion of hope, and Christians are called to be shining and resilient witnesses of hope, because Christians believe that the God who first blessed us with life wants us to share fully in the joy and love and beauty and goodness that is God.  Our life is an unfolding journey to God—an itinerary to beatitude that culminates in joyous communion with God and the saints—and hope keeps us on the right path.  But the very nature of hope reminds us that we are pilgrims on a journey toward a fulfillment that we can anticipate (and, in some way, already experience), but cannot yet completely enjoy.  Hope orients our lives to a future good that utterly transcends anything we could ever give ourselves, but which, precisely because we do not yet possess it fully, can begin to doubt.

The passage from Hebrews warns us not to become “sluggish” regarding the object of our hope, but instead to keep our attention firmly fixed on it.  It’s a perceptive and timely reminder that affirms not only how easy it is to turn away from the good that God has in store for us, but also to begin to doubt its very possibility.  Or, perhaps more likely, we fill our lives with so many distractions and attach our hearts to so many lesser goods that we gradually forget there is something greater, something far lovelier, and something infinitely more hopeful to which God calls us.

In order to avoid these woeful possibilities, I think there are two things we can do.  First, as Hebrews reminds us, we must remember that we are heirs to the love, goodness, and mercy of God.  God wants to bless every one of us in unimaginable ways by sharing with us everything that God is and God, as the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus testify, is faithful to His promises.  Second, hope will anchor and steady us, keeping us on the right path, if instead of imitating the gloomy legalists in Mark’s Gospel [Mark 2:23-28] who live to find fault with others, we seek, like Jesus, to do good in whatever way we can whenever we can.

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call.

Do something new

 

In St. Mark’s Gospel people come to Jesus and ask Him: “why do your disciples not fast?”  Everyone knew that the Pharisees fasted, as did the disciples of John.  They are curious about the fact that Jesus and His disciples do not fast.  Jesus doesn’t respond as they may have hoped He would.  Rather, Jesus uses the example of a wedding feast.

Jesus tells His listeners that as long as the bridegroom is at the reception, the guests will continue to celebrate this joyous occasion.  The time to fast will be when the bridegroom is no longer with them.

Jesus then uses the image of a cloak that is torn and needs to be patched.  He tells His listeners that anyone with sense would not use a new piece of material to patch the cloak.  Given the difference in the age of the cloths, it would simply make the tear worse.  Jesus then uses the image of wineskins.  He says that one should never put new wine into previously used wineskins because the skins would burst [Mark 2:18-22].

Fasting is a wonderful spiritual practice.  It helps to strengthen the will against disordered fleshly temptations and helps to bring purity to one’s soul.  But it needs to be pointed out that fasting is not an eternal reality.  One day, when we’re face-to-face with God in Heaven, there will no longer be any need to fast or do any form of penance.  But while on earth, we will struggle and fall and lose our way, and one of the best spiritual practices to help us return to Christ is prayer and fasting combined. 

Fasting becomes necessary “when the bridegroom is taken away.”  In other words, fasting is necessary when we sin and our union with Christ begins to fade.  It is then that the personal sacrifice of fasting helps open our hearts once again to our Lord.  This is especially true when habits of sin form and become deeply ingrained.  Fasting adds much power to our prayer and stretches our souls so as to be able to receive the “new wine” of God’s grace where we need it the most.

Maybe Jesus is inviting us to “do something new” rather than simply continuing to live out our old (and perhaps unhealthy) patterns.  I assume that all of us have at least one pattern in our life that we would like to change.  Take a moment and ask yourself: what is one small change I would like to make in my life?  How serious am I about making this change?  I’ll confess right here and now that I have always been woefully inadequate when it comes to fasting, even during Lent and Advent.  I usually fall back on the ”rule” of the Church that “for members of the Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.”  I can’t even manage that!   It is one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2023—to observe the norm of the Church this Lent.

Change is not easy. It’s easy to make a New Year’s resolution.  However, it’s  much more difficult to keep that resolution.  We’ll see how it goes.

Lord, I open my heart to the new wine of grace that You wish to pour forth upon me. Help me to be properly disposed to this grace and to use every means necessary to become more open to You. Help me, especially, to commit to the wonderful spiritual practice of fasting. May this act of mortification in my life bear abundant fruit for Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.

Trust in the Spirit

 

Called.  Beckoned.  Invited.  Encouraged.  Challenged.  Directed.  Pushed.  Pulled.  What incentivizes me, us, to move forward?  Some of these verbs have positive, others negative, personal associations.  For me, the earliest calling I remember is my mother calling my four brothers and me to come home for dinner from wherever she knew we’d be.  We five brothers responded immediately and enthusiastically!  We trusted our past experiences – most days dinner was to our liking.  Not always.  Still, I trusted my mother – always.  I trusted what she offered was good for me, even if hard to swallow.

In the gospel, we hear John the Baptist referring to Jesus say, “Behold the Lamb of God” [John 1:29-34].  Twice in this reading we also hear John the Baptist say in reference to Jesus, “I did not know him”.  However, John trusted “the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one…””.  John trusted the one and same Spirit, who had called him to “…baptize with water…”  John the Baptist trusted the Spirit.

What am I to do?  I desire to listen more closely for the Spirit and to trust.  To respond clearly and honestly, “I am here Lord” [Psalms 40:2-10].  To act in faith.  I desire not to be who I once was, but to recognize the presence of the Spirit in me, with me, in others, in nature and in all expressions of life – even if it is hard to swallow.

Glorious Lamb of God, You have come and taken away the sins of the world through the sacrifice of Your sacred life on the Cross. Please help me to understand Who You are and all that You have done for me, especially every time I come to behold You and receive You in Holy Communion. Jesus, I trust in You.

Words are a two-edge sword

 

The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. [Hebrews, 4:12-13]

Words matter.  What we say matters.

If you’re like me, you can remember words and phrases from your past, even from your earliest moments of awareness.  They came to be in our awareness and now live on forever in our memory.

I remember words that made me smile and words that made me cry.  I remember encouraging words and humiliating ones.  I remember words that made me angry, that offended me, words that left me confused and speechless.  I remember words that invited me to go beyond my personal best and prodded me to go beyond my comfort zone.  I remember words of love and how these words made me feel.  Yes, words are a two-edge sword.

Early on in our lives, we learn to use words to protect ourselves.  We learn to use facile words, careless words.  We may have even become accustomed to speaking falsehoods, thinking that our misstatements and lies can save us from the exposure of our true selves and innermost being.  Falsehoods only lead to false security.  Many of us have learned this lesson painfully.

How does the Word of God touch my life?  How does God’s Word challenge me and call me to conversion?  At what point will I become truly convinced that God’s Word is Truth, the kind of truth that will set me free? [John 8:31-32]  God’s Word is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Most of us will agree that being true to our word can come at an awful price.  To live a virtuous life will demand integrity, honesty and courage.  We need courage to live trustworthy lives, for our yes to be yes and our no to be no [Matthew 5:33-37].  When we give our word, we give our very selves, a child of God.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us! [John 1:14]  Today, at this moment, we are the Word of God in our world.

My dear Lord, thank You for calling us all to follow You without hesitation. Thank You for the joy of being Your disciple. Give me the grace to always know Your will for my life and help me to respond to You with total abandonment and trust.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Faith demands positive action

 

Reflecting on my reading of the Scriptures today, there’s one major theme of "faith" - the absence of it or the presence of it in our lives.

Hebrews 4:1 – “Let us be on our guard while the promise of entering into his rest remains, that none of you seem to have failed.”

Hebrews 4:11 - "...Let us, then, do our best to receive that rest, so that no one of us will fail as they did because of their lack of faith."

St. Paul urges us to be “on guard” in order that we might enter into “his rest,” presumably eternal life.

At one time, being “on guard” entailed scrupulously following every church rule: for Catholics, no meat on Fridays, fasting during Lent, never missing Mass on holy days, and paying attention to the three principal parts of Mass so your attendance “counted” etc.

People of other faiths surely had their own versions of such regulations like Mormons who never drank coffee.  But is the admonition to be “on guard” still just about avoiding sin and following rules or does it demand positive action?

Psalm 78:6-8 - "...so that the next generation might learn them and in turn should tell their children.  In this way, they also will put their trust in God and not forget what he has done, but always obey his commandments.  They will not be like their ancestors, a rebellious and disobedient people whose trust in God was never firm and who did not remain faithful to him.”

This speaks to me about the necessity of having faith at the core of one's life so that life is fulfilled and not a failure.

Mark 2:4-6 – “Because of the crowd, however, they could not get the man to him.  So they made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was.  When they had made an opening, they let the man down, lying on his mat.  Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'My son, your sins are forgiven."

Some stories from the life of Christ lend themselves well to the imagination.  In my opinion this one is close to the top.  I think my imagery is heightened because of all the home improvement shows I tend to watch on TV.

There are several different groups in the scene.  First of all, there’s the crowd that is listening to the words of Jesus.  I see surprise and wonderment on their faces as the paralytic on his mat appears above them.  This was certainly an unexpected interruption, and I’m sure those in the crowd were amazed.

Then there are the four stubbornly determined men who carried the paralytic.  They were so determined to bring the paralytic to the attention of Jesus that they devised an ingenious scheme and went through the roof.  In most homes we’re familiar with today, such an escapade would be nearly impossible without tools and heavy equipment.  But in the Israel where Jesus lived, the homes were adapted to the warm climate of the area.  So it probably wasn’t too difficult for the four men to make the hole in the roof.  The whole scene appears to have happened spontaneously.  The men made the hole in the roof of the house, most probably without asking the permission of the owner of the house.  We know nothing of the owner of the house, but it seems probable that he was not pleased with the unauthorized damage to his roof.

Next there’s the paralytic.  He wanted very much to see Jesus and beg for a cure for his illness.  But he had to really trust the four men who were carrying him.  After they made the hole in the roof, they lowered the mat on which the man was lying into the room where Jesus was speaking.  This must have been a tricky business.  The four men had to lower in concert so that the mat on which the paralytic lay would remain flat and he wouldn’t fall off.  Being paralyzed, he would not have been able to prevent falling, and might have fallen upon and injured others.  Certainly he must have been had some anxiety as this risky procedure unfolded.

But as this scene unfolds, our attention is drawn to Jesus.  And what is Jesus’ reaction to what was happening above Him?  Jesus admires the faith of the paralytic and the other four men.  He sees that the man believes that Jesus can help him.  And so the first response of Jesus is to reward the faith of the paralytic by forgiving his sins.  In doing so, Jesus shows us the importance of the virtue of faith.  I think that Jesus is showing us here the importance of recognizing and knowing and believing in and following Him.  The rest of this Gospel story emphasizes the importance of faith.  Jesus cures the paralytic of his paralysis so that the scribes  and the others in the crowd who didn’t have the faith of the paralytic, could come to know that He is really and truly the Son of God.  In this way He hoped that they could understand how important it was to listen to Him and His teaching.

Throughout the Gospels it seems as though Jesus is always looking for people with an openness to a Presence outside themselves.  He is looking for people who acknowledge they are not the center of the world and that the universe is intended to be lived in harmony with faith in God and loving relationships with others.

Jesus teaches that we need faith to live life fully.  He showers approval, blessings, gifts on those who truly have faith in God.  

On Monday, we’ll commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., a man of great faith in God.  Martin Luther King, Jr. had faith and a dream.  He and others are role models for us to see what can be accomplished because of a strong faith that seeks justice.

Lord, today, we ask for a faith in you that does justice - even when the world is against us. Give us the courage to live faithful lives that do justice in our everyday lives - at home, at work, in our neighborhoods, communities, cities, states, and nation.  Support us with the courage to do your will. Jesus, I trust in you!