True love is sacrificial

 

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” [Luke 9:22]

Jesus knew He would suffer greatly, be rejected and killed. How would you deal with that knowledge if you somehow knew this about your own future? Most people would be filled with fear and become obsessed with trying to avoid it. But not our Lord. This passage from Luke’s Gospel above shows just how intent He was on embracing His Cross with unwavering confidence and courage.

This is just one of several times that Jesus began to break the news to His disciples about His pending fate.  And each time He spoke this way, the disciples for the most part remained either silent or in denial.  Recall, for example, one such reaction of Saint Peter when he responded to Jesus’ prediction of His Passion by saying, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you” [Matthew 16:22].

Too often, “love” is understood as a strong and good feeling.  It’s perceived as an attraction to something or a strong liking of it.  But that’s not love in the truest form.  True love is a choice to do what is best for another, no matter the cost, no matter how difficult.  True love is not a feeling that seeks selfish fulfillment.  True love is an unwavering strength that seeks only the good of the person who is loved.

Jesus’ love for humanity was so strong that He was driven toward His pending death with great power. He was unwaveringly determined to sacrifice His life for us all, and there was nothing that would ever deter Him from that mission.

In our own lives, it’s easy to lose sight of what true love actually is.  We can easily become caught up in our own selfish desires and think that these desires are love.  But they’re not.

Jesus had the unwavering determination to sacrificially love us all by suffering greatly, by enduring rejection, and by dying upon the Cross.  Nothing could have ever deterred Him from this love.  We must show the same sacrificial love.

My loving Lord, I thank You for Your unwavering commitment to sacrifice Yourself for us all. I thank You for this unfathomable depth of true love. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to turn away from all forms of selfish love so as to imitate and participate in Your most perfect sacrificial love. I do love You, dear Lord. Help me to love You and others with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Intention more than attention

 

I asked my daughter what time the Mass would start on Ash Wednesday, and she said rather succinctly “It’s not a Mass.  It’s the Liturgy of the Word.”  Way to put your old man in his place and make him proud!  Of course, she’s right.  Instead of the Eucharist on Ash Wednesday, ashes are distributed.  But we still have readings from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Gospel.

The timing of the gospel reading for today from Matthew is curious, and maybe even conflicting Matthew [6:1-18].  The message is straightforward and needs little interpretation.  But the timing of it coming on Ash Wednesday will hopefully give us pause as we attend our Ash Wednesday services.

The message is simple…love others as yourself, but don’t do it to feed your ego. We’re challenged in this reading to do right actions, say right words, and pray rightly, but to do so when others can’t see us, hear us, or recognize us.  If we do what’s right in this way then our intentions rightly match our actions and words.  But, if we do so for the purpose of gaining attention, then the genuineness of our actions doesn’t match our intentions.  Perhaps more clearly stated, it's about giving with our intentions more than receiving the attention.

But what are we to make of this on Ash Wednesday?  More than perhaps any other day within the Church calendar, we seem to do exactly the opposite of what the Gospel of Matthew says.  We attend a church service, receive a clear mark on our heads of what we did, and then go out into the community to show our mark.  How do we come to terms with this seeming contradiction of words and actions?  I think the answer might be somewhere between our intention and attention for attending the service in the first place.

Here’s how I see it, after reflection:  One of the reasons for the ashes is so that we can be a sign and witness to others of God’s love for us. The ashes remind us and others that we have a relationship with a Living God, and part of that relationship is our eventual physical death so that we can rise to new life in God.  Hopefully, when we attend the service and throughout the day when looking in the mirror, we ourselves are reminded of that.  But what about others we encounter throughout the day?  What do they see when they notice the ashes?  I think they see the ashes AND see our actions and hear our words all at the same time.  If our actions and words don’t match the intended message of those ashes, are we being a witness to others of God’s love?

But we don’t need ashes on our forehead to be a sign of God’s love.  We can be a witness to God’s love any day of the year.  If our actions and our words come from the right intention rather than from a form of gaining attention—then we’re a sign of God’s love in the world and one that others can recognize.  The ashes we receive on Ash Wednesday are a good reminder for us that we can be a continual sign of God’s love to others, not just on this particular day, but every day so long as we have right intentions.

My hidden Lord, You desire to come to me in the secret depths of my soul and to reveal to me Your love. May I meet You there every day and grow more fully in an intimate relationship with You. As You come to me this Lent, please also use me in many hidden ways to be an instrument of Your love for others. All praise and glory to You, O Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.

Alone with Jesus, the Greatest Of All Time

In my spiritual reflection today, Mark’s Gospel presents us with three moments in which Jesus taught His disciples privately, directly and clearly: first, while they were journeying; second, when they arrived in Capernaum and entered a house; and third, when Jesus called a child over.  Though the content of what Jesus taught His disciples is significant, it’s also helpful to first reflect upon the simple fact that Jesus spent time alone with the disciples teaching them [Mark 9:30-37].

In many ways, our Lord does the same with us.  Jesus is constantly calling us to various forms of solitude with Him so that we can listen to all that He wants to teach us.  This is difficult for many today.  So many people (especially me) are constantly bombarded with the various noises of the world, are constantly distracted by momentary and passing experiences, and find it difficult to go off with our Lord alone so that He can teach them the most important lessons of life.

As you consider your weekly activities, how much time do you devote to being alone with our Lord?  How much time do you spend in prayer, in the reading of Scripture and in silent meditation away from other distractions?  For many (again, especially me) this is a challenge.

It’s also useful to consider the content of what Jesus taught His disciples in private.  He spoke to them about His coming passion, death and resurrection.  This was the central purpose of His life and was clearly something that Jesus wanted to communicate to His disciples.  Jesus spoke very directly and without any figure of speech as He explained this.  Contrast that with the many parables He told to the crowds.  It appears that when Jesus was able to be alone with those who had dedicated their lives to following Him in faith, Jesus was able to speak His saving message more clearly and directly.

This same Gospel passage in Mark also gave me reason to smile today, even as I continue to mourn the passing of the last of my siblings last week and as I remember my Mother’s birthday today, and her passing nine years ago.  

Of late - perhaps in the last few years – we’ve come to see references to the "GOAT" everywhere.    Since then, it seems the term is used daily - athletics, music, engineering, investing... all across the cultural spectrum.  What I don't understand is what causes we humans to have this need to name 'The One.'  Why does it matter?

Twelve disciples, following our Lord Jesus Christ, had been talking among themselves about which of them would be considered The Greatest.  Can you imagine!?  In the actual presence of Christ, son of God?  Incredible!  What hubris!   

And so our Christ, all-knowing and kind, provided a simple lesson.  Even though all of us are special and precious in the eyes of God, none of us is more special or more precious than the next.  A small child, received by Christ, exemplified that if we open ourselves to such a child, we open ourselves to God.  It is through humility and service that we become "first" to God.  Using the powerful words from the Old Testament, we must be steadfast, patient, sincere of heart and standing in justice, humble, and trusting, among other qualities [Sirach 9:14-29].

Let's not aspire to be "G.O.A.T.s" on this earth; rather let's choose to be the least, so that we can be first in God's kingdom. 

Lord, You have so much to say, so much to teach and so much to reveal.  As I choose to follow You and devote my entire life to You, I pray that You will continuously draw me into greater silence and solitude so that I can receive from You the deep, clear and direct messages that I need to hear, understand and believe.  Jesus, I trust in You. 

True fulfillment

 Sometimes what seems the best and most promising path to take reaps consequences utterly different than we anticipated.  And sometimes the path we initially want nothing to do with is precisely the one that opens to fullness of life.  

There’s a passage from Genesis that recounts the familiar story of the building of the Tower of Babel.  It begins with a scene flush with harmony, unity, and peace.  We’re presented with a people in whom there is no animosity, no conflict, and no disheartening divisions.  “The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words.”  But then everything changes.  They decide to replace God’s vision for the flourishing of the world with an ambitious plan of their own.  They will “build…a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name” for themselves.  Instead of praising and glorifying God, they thirst for glory for themselves.  They forget that they are not gods, but creatures who are forever dependent on God.  Thus, it’s no surprise when their heady project leads not to the security and fame they envisioned, but to chaos and dissolution.  The harmony and peace they enjoyed is forever shattered as they are “scattered…from there all over the earth,” no longer able to understand one another [Genesis 11:1-9].

By contrast, in a gospel story from Mark, Jesus asks us to find life by following a path that goes against the grain of everything we’ve been taught to believe.  “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” [Mark 8:34-9:1]

Jesus invites us to find life not through self-promotion and self-aggrandizement, but by taking up our cross and following him.  It’s a life characterized by self-denial, generosity, sacrifice, and a love that endlessly calls us out of ourselves for the sake of others.

Babel and Calvary. They symbolize two very different ways of life. Which one we choose to follow makes all the difference not only for ourselves, but also for the world.

Lord, You and You alone are the source of fulfillment in life. Please purify my desires so that I ultimately desire only You and Your holy will. Free me from every deception and false enticement in life so that I will find satisfaction only in You. Jesus, I trust in You.

Recognizing God

 

There’s nothing quite as striking or stunning as a rainbow after a deluge of rain that brings life to a standstill.  Even while dark clouds still threaten more rain and there’s only a promise of sun, the rainbow becomes a sign that the storm is finally over and life can begin again.  It’s at these moments that we are reminded of how great God is and how fragile we truly are in this life.

God always looks for ways to prod us to acknowledge the power of God to save.  God initiates the grace and is the One to take the first step and is the One who clearly shows us what life is all about.

The Old Testament describes the covenant that God makes with Noah and his descendants after the devastating floods that almost destroyed the first creation.  In most of Genesis, we find a God who is good, life-giving, long-suffering, revising original plans for us, indeed, a God who never gives up on us, even when we have given up on God [Genesis 9:1-13].

In Mark’s Gospel, we have Jesus, who has preached to all kinds of people, healed the sick, driven out unclean spirits, fed the hungry, opened the eyes of the blind, made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak, and has yet to hear from His disciples a declaration of who He is. He finally has to ask them, “Who do you say that I am?” [Mark 8:27-33]

Our faith is ultimately a realization that we’re in a very personal relationship with God, especially with each of the three Persons of the Trinity, God Creator, Jesus the Savior and the Holy Spirit the Sanctifier. Our faith gets tested when we experience the storms of life, when the cares and concerns of this life threaten to drown us and overwhelm us and when we think of ourselves as irredeemable and without salvation. Even the best of us can point to moments of darkness in our lives, bad choices made, and wrong decisions embraced.

And then there’s a sign from God, a rainbow that says to us that God is good, God is life-giving, God is forgiving and merciful and that Jesus is Love Incarnate.  That’s when the Spirit is truly present in our lives.  Do you not hear God asking you, “Who do you say that I am?”

New Beginnings

 

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. [Mark 8:22–23]

Bethsaida was one of the towns just north of the Sea of Galilee in which Jesus preached.  Later in His public ministry, Jesus condemns the town of Bethsaida for its failure to convert. “Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes” [Matthew 11:21].

It may be because of their lack of faith and immoral living that Jesus led the blind man outside of the city before He cured Him.  And it appears that the people who brought the blind man to Jesus brought him not because of their deep faith, but because of curiosity.  This might also be the reason that, once Jesus cured the man, He sent him to his home saying, “Do not even go into the village.”  Thus, Jesus knew that this miracle would not lead to faith in the hearts of those living in Bethsaida.  So, Jesus instructed the man not to return there. [Mark 8:26]

God has almighty power and can clearly do whatever He chooses, whenever He chooses.  And what He often chooses to do is to exercise His almighty power only in the presence of those who already believe, or at least in the presence of those who have not yet rejected Him.  When Jesus encounters people who have heard Him preach but have failed to come to faith, He refuses to perform any miracles in their presence.

What this tells us is that faith must come first; then, God’s Almighty power flows freely.  Of course, the grace of the Word of God is always given to everyone.  The seed of God’s holy Word is always available to all.  But it’s important to distinguish between the sending forth of His holy Word of the Gospel and the sending forth of His transforming almighty power.  The only way to receive the latter is to first accept the former.  Unless we hear, accept and believe in His Word, we will not receive the grace of His transforming power.

With that said, it must also be understood that God’s “almighty power” can’t be reduced to miracles alone.  We all know that physical miracles are not nearly as prevalent today as they were at the time Jesus walked the earth.  But His almighty power is still at work today; and in a way that’s even greater than when Jesus walked the earth.  Today, His power is one that transforms us interiorly by the fullness of grace and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit.  That is the true miracle that we must always seek and anticipate when we have heard the Word of God and responded with authentic faith.

“Go in peace, lo love and to serve the Lord.”

“And to amend my life. Amen.”

We know these words as Catholics.  Many times, said so completely heartfelt in the moments after receiving the Body of Christ the final words from the priest, and His Absolution in Confession.

But what happens in how we meet the world again when we walk out the door?  Or when we leave the door of confession after laying down the sorrow we carry?  Struggling to follow the ways we so hoped as we move back into the world.

How many times have I left confession truly feeling the grace of what was shared.  Yet the hardest part can be to carry it forward.  I had never seen this until today.  We are asked over and over by so many around us to be a part of the world that in some ways no longer makes sense.

Once we let you in Dear Lord.  Once we welcome You fully.  Once we say “yes”! How then can we remain quiet, patient, trusting and still?  Eyes opened to all You have gifted.

For some, this may take a lifetime of returning.  For others a single day.  But sometimes the gifts are heard when they are not easily seen.   Jesus is already fully open to the wideness of God’s Love.  But we, like the disciples, need to find the courage to see.

“Then He sent one who was healed to his home. Saying, “do not even go into the village.”  This passage I believe had Jesus preparing His chosen apostles to prepare for all to come. 

I imagine Him now saying to me, “I am giving you the Gift above all gifts.  My Love and tender Mercy for each human being on earth.”

How can we learn to fully gift from our hearts knowing I have Jesus Christ truly within me?

After Communion. 

After Confession.

New ways rising always, new beginnings.

All-powerful Lord, You choose to send forth Your almighty power upon those who have come to faith in You by receiving the Gospel You have sent forth. Please open my ears to hear so that I will choose to convert and believe and, thus, be disposed to be transformed by Your abundant grace. Jesus, I trust in You.

Love is just gift. Pure gift.

 I’ve had many thoughts today about love after reading a passage from Mark’s Gospel [Mark 8:14-21], realizing today is Valentine’s Day, and that Sunday was the beginning of National Marriage week!

If you google the phrase “inspiring quotes about love” you’ll find there are over 330 million entries!  I found one particular site that lists over 2000 quotes from some famous (and not so famous) people about what love is.  It was evident that many of them never truly experienced love.  They all described “feelings” and “emotions” and “romance”.  Love certainly contains those things.  But true love is indescribable.  It goes beyond romance and feelings and emotions.  It must be lived.  You don’t think about it, you just do it.

This indescribable love is the love I have for my wife of nearly fifty years.

I think about Marilyn all day every day and about what keeps our love for each other so strong.  I think it’s because we’ve never had to “work” at our love.  It just exists.  You hear stories of people who say, “Our love grows every day”, or “We work hard to keep our love this strong.”  I guess God has blessed us, because my love for Marilyn is just as strong today as it was when I proposed to her, and it’s never been an effort for me to be in love or to stay in love with her.

This indescribable love is the love I have for my children and my grandchildren.

When we arrive in a room with small children, the child looks for the adult with a smile, the one who is open and friendly—the simple detective work of one hunting and searching for love.

Children detect hostility, unfriendliness, and those who are unauthentic in a way that’s beyond words. Their agenda is simple; there is no agenda.  There’s no duality in their thinking, just looking for the one who is most friendly, open, and willing to love.  “Come play with me” is mostly present in their eyes.

How much of this can we learn again in our relationship with God?  How many have fallen prey to following the tradition rather than the love?  Our Catholic tradition without love is meaningless.  Particularly if we start to “preach” tradition in a way that divides us from others rather than unites us in the community of God; the Body of Christ.  The Church is universal.

This indescribable love is the love I have for my fellow human beings.

The word Catholic means universal.  For us, this is universal love, and there is nowhere we can feel and hear that word more soundly than in love expressed by a child.  A child can’t fend for themselves; they survive only with love.  So do I.  Without love, I’m nothing, just someone looking for a cave to dwell in with a warm fire and a loving friend.

The loving friend we seek is the same one the child in the room opens their heart towards.  The love expressed by the adult in the room is filled with the grace of God.  And one willing to communicate it freely, willingly with the smile which requires no repayment.  Just gift.  Pure gift.

Let’s unlearn the prejudices and offer ourselves openly to listen to others, even offer love to those we dislike, without scowls or pretense.  The child in us all brings us back to the “Beginners Mind”, when we didn’t judge, but loved.

And sat silently on the floor waiting for God to come and play with us.  Forever.

The disciples need this reminder in today’s Gospel.  To trust in God.

Forcing a smile today

 

I could use a little Catholic humor today, albeit a martyr’s tale.  But what else does it mean to be Catholic if not ‘assigning’ patronages for obscure reasons?

Saint Apollonia’s Story, courtesy Franciscan Media

The persecution of Christians began in Alexandria during the reign of the Emperor Philip.  The first victim of the pagan mob was an old man named Metrius, who was tortured and then stoned to death.  The second person who refused to worship their false idols was a Christian woman named Quinta.  Her words infuriated the mob and she was scourged and stoned.

While most of the Christians were fleeing the city, abandoning all their worldly possessions, an old deaconess, Apollonia, was seized.  The crowds beat her, knocking out all of her teeth.  Then they lit a large fire and threatened to throw her in it if she did not curse her God.  She begged them to wait a moment, acting as if she was considering their requests.  Instead, she jumped willingly into the flames and so suffered martyrdom.

There were many churches and altars dedicated to her.  Apollonia is the patroness of dentists, and people suffering from toothache and other dental diseases often ask her intercession.  She is pictured with a pair of pincers holding a tooth or with a golden tooth suspended from her necklace.  Saint Augustine explained her voluntary martyrdom as a special inspiration of the Holy Spirit, since no one is allowed to cause his or her own death.

Reflection

The Church has quite a sense of humor!  Apollonia is honored as the patron saint of dentists, but this woman who had her teeth extracted without anesthetic surely ought to be the patron of those who dread the chair.  She might also be the patron of the aging, for she attained glory in her old age, standing firm before her persecutors even as her fellow Christians fled the city. However we choose to honor her, she remains a model of courage for us.

Saint Apollonia is the Patron Saint of:

Dentists
Relief from Toothache

For Heaven's sake!

“If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you; if you trust in God, you too shall live.” [Sirach 15:15-20]

“Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!  You have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept.” [Psalms 119:1-34]

“For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.” [1Corinthians 2:6-10]

“Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.  But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 5:17-37]

As I reflect on my Bible passages today, I think they’re all about options—good and bad, right and wrong.  With free will, we have actual options.  We can choose, but those choices come with ramifications and outcomes.  We have what we need to make good choices.  We have the commandments.  These laws are not capricious or onerous.  They are appropriate and eternal.  Don’t kill.  Don’t cheat.  Don’t steal.  They come down to treating each other respectfully and showing that we love God by loving His creation.  It’s really simple at its basis: love God and love one another.

We can and should choose to do that.  Unfortunately, not everyone does.  We can choose to do the right thing.  We can choose to treat others decently and respectfully, but unfortunately not everyone does.  Even some who call themselves Christians prove that by not loving God’s creation and following the commandments.  Jesus says in the gospel that we can choose to be good.  We can choose to do right. We can choose to respect others and their property.  But if we choose not to, even though we may gain some benefit here on earth, we will not gain a place in heaven.  We know what we should do.  We know how we should act.  It’s no secret, and it’s really basic decency.  This is an informed choice.

We can choose to do what’s right.  We can choose to do good.  And we should do it for its own sake, but if we do right, we’ll get a heavenly reward as well.

Lord of all grace, You came and not only taught us about the heights of holiness, but You also lived it and have bestowed upon us all we need to imitate Your every virtue. Please fill me with Your mercy and strength so that I may live a new righteousness of the fullness of love. Jesus, I trust in You. 

Essential workers

 What were Jesus and His disciples to do with a large crowd in a deserted place, and very hungry after spending three days with them?  There just wasn’t enough bread for them [Mark 8:1-10].

Jesus was “moved to pity for them…If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way.”  Incidentally, in the early days of the Jesus movement, Christians were simply known as “people of the way, or on the way.”

Something strikingly similar occurred in March 2020 with the onset of pandemic Covid 19.   All work abruptly stopped, businesses closed, people lost jobs.  The most vulnerable were the hardest hit.  Funds dried up for non-profit organizations serving the poor, homeless, the elderly and homebound.  There just wasn’t enough bread for them, so to speak.  So many of God’s people surely would surely “collapse on the way” for lack of food or spiritual nourishment.  How will today’s disciple respond?  By ignoring them?  Too many people, not enough bread?

Jesus challenged His disciples to stretch their faith.  In Eucharistic fashion, Jesus blessed the seven available loaves, broke them, and gave them to His disciples to distribute to the hungry crowd.  Rather than distributing the loaves Himself, Jesus directed His disciples to take up this ministry of service.  And “they ate and were satisfied.”

Throughout the darkest days of the pandemic, many “essential workers” were the de facto disciples of Jesus in this Gospel.  Restaurants continued to cook nourishing meals, many of them donating free meals to the homeless and homebound.  These meals nourished, not only bodies, but souls in need of hope of those on the way that looked so dark.  Grocery stores and other retail outlets continued to serve the public through special home delivery or self-serve pick up programs.  Countless health care workers put in millions of overtime hours without regard to increased paychecks and at the cost of lost time with their families.  The examples go on and on.  The number of people who generously donated money and volunteered time are legendary.

Not too long ago, Pope Francis was asked: “How does prayer work when people are hungry?”  “You pray for the hungry,” the pope responded. “Then you feed them.  That’s how prayer works.”

The pope was echoing the words attributed to St. Augustine: “Pray as though everything depends on God.  And work as though everything depends on you.”

Just so.  In faith, Jesus will bless and break our seemingly meager bread.  And in faith, we are to go out and share this bread of life with all in need.

My providential Lord, You know my every need and are concerned for every aspect of my life. Help me to trust You so completely that I always put my love of You as my first priority in life. I do believe that if I can keep You and Your will as the most important part of my life, all other necessities in life will fall in place. Jesus, I trust in You.

“Ephphatha!” (Be opened!)

 

Back when I was working, my friend (and boss) Todd and I had to make frequent business trips out of town.  As was often the case, we’d get our work conversations out of the way first, then we would talk about our families and the daily triumphs and struggles attendant to those.  He’s not a “religious” man, but he does believe in God.  I have a feeling he’s “searching” for answers, but not aggressively.  We used to talk and laugh about and pray earnestly for our families, especially our children and grandchildren.  One time, he brought up a topic that reminded me of that day’s Gospel that dealt with forgiveness.  That got me started on a 30-minute discourse about forgiveness and mercy and how I needed to work on my lack of both to others who I feel have hurt me or my family or my friends, whether in a big way or a small way.

The next day, when our business was concluded, I was tapped to drive a different vehicle back to the office and Todd was to follow me.  He said, “It’s going to be a long drive back without someone to talk to.  No offense, but I like your occasional “sermons”.  They always get me thinking about how I can improve myself.”  I didn’t respond.  I didn’t think I had said anything special the day before.  I had just explained my understanding of the Gospel that I received through my Catholic faith and my relationship with the Holy Spirit.  I told him that any good that came out of our conversation would have to be credited to the Holy Spirit, because I was just relaying what I was inspired to say, without any foreknowledge we were even going to have the conversation.

I thought of this episode today when I read the story of Jesus healing a deaf man who also had a speech impediment.  The man was brought to Jesus, Jesus took him off by himself, cried out “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”), and the man was cured [Mark 7:31-37].  And though this was an incredible gift to this man and an act of great mercy toward him, it also reveals that God wants to use us to draw others to Himself.

On a natural level, we all lack the ability to hear the voice of God when He speaks.  We need the gift of grace for this.  As a result, on a natural level, we are also incapable of speaking the many truths that God wants us to speak.  This story teaches us that God also desires to heal our ears so as to hear His gentle voice and to loosen our tongues so that we can become His mouthpiece.

But this story is not only about God speaking to each one of us; it also reveals our duty to bring others to Christ who do not know Him.  The friends of this man brought him to Jesus.  And Jesus took the man off by himself.  This gives us insight into how we help others to come to know our Lord’s voice.  Oftentimes when we want to share the Gospel with another, we tend to talk to them and try to rationally convince them to turn their lives to Christ.  And though this can bear good fruit at times, the real goal we must have is to help them to go off with our Lord by themselves for a while so that Jesus can do the healing.

If your ears have truly been opened by our Lord, then your tongue will also be loosened.  And only if your tongue is loosened will God be able to draw others to Himself through you.  Otherwise your act of evangelizing will only be based on your effort alone.  Therefore, if you have people in your life who don’t appear to be listening to the voice of God and following His holy will, then first and foremost commit yourself to listening to our Lord yourself.  Let your ears hear Him.  And when you do hear Him, it will be His voice that, in turn, speaks through you in the way He desires to reach out to others.

 Think of the friends of this man as they were inspired to bring him to Jesus.  Ask our Lord to use you in a similar way.  Prayerfully think of those in your life whom God wants to call to Himself through your mediation and place yourself at the service of our Lord so that His voice can speak through you in the way He chooses.

My good Jesus, please open my ears to hear all that You wish to say to me and please loosen my tongue so that I will become a mouthpiece of Your holy word to others. I offer myself to You for Your glory and pray that You will use me in accord with Your holy will. Jesus, I fully trust in You.

The evils within us

 

Jesus speaks quite clearly to us about the evils within us.  It reminds me of that old saying, “we are our own worst enemies” because we all have a problem with our dark sides.  It’s part of our heritage, way back in the Genesis story [Genesis 2:4-17].  By ourselves, we’re powerless to resist our evil thoughts and deeds that creep up on us when we least expect them.

Jesus knows well about these problems of the human condition.  He says they harm us more than anything that happens to us from outside [Mark 7:14-23].  Yet, I think his warning is not about the evil we have within, but how we think about it and deal with it.  That’s where the real danger lies.  If we assume that we’re basically pure and then spend so much time and energy trying to protect ourselves from what we perceive to be external threats, we don’t take time for self-examination and reflection on what really threatens us deep inside ourselves.  The main thing I’ve learned in these last few years of retirement spending lots of time taking seriously contemplating my spiritual life is that we don’t get very far if we won’t honestly reflect on our sins, repent for them, and resolve to better follow Jesus.   Jesus gives us a good list of sins to reflect on in Mark’s Gospel:  unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly.  Some of them are bad ones.

But even if we’re not that bad, and most of us aren’t, folly is particularly condemning for all of us.  It means a lack of good sense in terms of the right thing to do.  I find it helpful that the “Confetior” prayer recognizes folly in what I have left undone: “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do…”  Even though this confession doesn’t list all those sins that Jesus lists in his lessons for today, it implies them by recognizing what we have done.  But even if we’re incredibly vigilant and aren’t possibly even guilty of envy or arrogance, we’re still highly likely to be so occupied with seeking our own perfection that we have left too much undone.  We will not have loved our neighbors as ourselves and that is a big sin against God.  That condemns about all of us.

The good news is that we don’t have to deal with the follies of our lives by ourselves.  When we confess our sins, whatever the words we say, all Christians believe we are forgiven.  I pray today that we are all honestly serious when we repent and genuinely grateful for forgiveness so we can address our folly and leave less undone as we move closer to our calling to follow Jesus.

My merciful Lord, help me to see sin for what it is. Help me, especially, to see my own sin—that sin within my own heart that defiles me as Your dear child. As I see my sin, give me the grace I need to reject it and to turn to You with all my heart so that I can become a new creation in Your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You!

Taking the time to be holy

 

As I was reading the Bible today, I was reminded of the importance of having an interior disposition towards God in my life.

There’s something humbling about a vast star-filled sky, the Pacific Ocean breaking against a rocky coastline, and the mountains of Yosemite.

They remind us of the power and majesty of God’s creation and can cause us to ponder the significance of our lives [Genesis 1:20—2:4].  Are we “little less than the angels” with dominion over the wild beasts [Psalms 8:4-9], or just a small part of God’s very large plan or both?

Contemplating these root questions leads us to the central message that Jesus teaches in Mark’s Gospel.  Do we focus so much on trivial and transitory demands (rules/requirements) that we “disregard God’s commandment and cling to what is human tradition?” [Mark 7:1-13]

It’s a matter of keeping things in perspective—of developing an overriding sense of how God wants us to live.

Sometimes, it helps me to take 10 minutes to think about what I’d like my obituary to say.  Not one version has led with “attended countless work meetings,” “kept his lawns mowed” or “loved to spend hours alone working crossword puzzles.”

I strongly suspect that God’s priorities for our lives have more to do with taking time to be kind to others and even (or especially) to ourselves.  Perhaps the most important line in the passage from Genesis I read today is “so God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.”

This reminds us that God’s plan for our lives mandates time to rest, and time to think—time to become holy by getting in touch with Him and our deeper selves.

So go to the ocean or mountains or a place where you can see the stars or take a walk around your block and enjoy the flora and fauna that God gave us dominion over.  Get in touch with God and yourself even if it means neglecting or delaying something you think you should do.

Five years from now, will anyone care if you finished every item on your “to do” list on time?

My divine Lord, You and You alone are worthy of all worship, adoration and praise.  You and You alone deserve the worship I offer You from the depths of my heart.  Help me and Your entire Church to always interiorize our exterior acts of worship so as to give You the glory that is due Your holy name.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Jesus doesn't disappoint

Today, modern medicine, with its ability to treat so many illnesses, has lessened the fear and anxiety over getting sick (Covid aside).  But in Jesus’ time, serious illness was of far greater concern.  For that reason, the desire of so many people to bring their sick to Jesus so that they could be healed was very strong.  This desire drove them to Jesus so that “they might touch only the tassel on his cloak” and be healed. And Jesus didn’t disappoint. [Mark 6:53-56]

I like to place myself in the scene sometimes when reflecting on a reading.  I imagine being near the shore of the Sea of Galilee and hearing the waves lap gently against the shore.  I can see the surrounding green hills and fell a sense of calm.  I hear that the healer from Nazareth will soon be in our village.  He is reputed to have miraculous powers to ease our physical burdens.  I’ve suffered greatly from a lame arm for many years and believe He can cure me.  My neighbor also has a terrible skin affliction but is skeptical Jesus can help him.  When I ask him to join me in going to see this prophet, he says “Touch His hem?  Bah, how can that help?  But sure, why not – after all, it can’t hurt.”  We move along with the crush of the crowd but become separated as we approach Jesus.  The crowd pushes me away, while my friend is able to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, and he is cured of his illness.  I couldn’t get near, and as Jesus moved away, my chance was lost.  I wonder about the fairness of this when I, and others like me, who do believe strongly, also didn’t get close enough to touch His robe, and so we were not cured.  Why was this skeptic cured and we weren’t?  I have mixed feelings.

Though Jesus’ physical healings were unquestionably an act of charity given to those who were sick and to their families, they obviously weren’t the most important thing Jesus did.  And it’s important for us to remind ourselves of that fact.  Jesus’ healings were primarily for the purpose of preparing the people to listen to His Word and to ultimately receive the spiritual healing of the forgiveness of their sins.

In your own life, if you were seriously ill and were given the option to receive either a physical healing or to receive the spiritual healing of the forgiveness of your sins, which would you choose?  Clearly, the spiritual healing of the forgiveness of your sins is of infinitely greater value.  It will affect your soul for all eternity.  The truth is that this far greater healing is available to us all, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  In that Sacrament, we are invited to “touch the tassel on his cloak,” so to speak, and be spiritually healed. For that reason, we should have a much deeper desire to seek out Jesus in the confessional than the people of Jesus’ day had for physical healing.  And yet, too often we ignore the priceless gift of God’s mercy and healing offered so freely to us.

Think about the desire in the hearts of the people in this Gospel story. Think, especially, about those who were seriously ill and about their burning desire to come to Jesus for healing.  Compare that desire in their hearts to the desire, or lack of desire, in your heart to run to our Lord for the spiritual healings your soul so desperately needs.  Seek to foster a greater desire for this healing, especially as it comes to you through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

My healing Lord, I thank You for the spiritual healing You continually offer me, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins on account of You suffering on the Cross.  Fill my heart with a greater desire to come to You so as to receive the greatest gift I could ever receive: the forgiveness of my sins. Jesus, I trust in You. 

Glorify God by becoming a light in the darkness

 

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” [Matthew 5:14–16]

A few months ago when my family was up at our cabin in the mountains, the entire city lost power.  Thankfully, it was in the afternoon while it was still light, but we were told the power would be out until well after midnight.  We’ve all experienced a time when the lights went out and we were in darkness.  In our case, we lit several candles and placed them in the center of the room, and their light made quite a difference.  I’m not sure we needed as many candles as we had…one candle in a darkened room transforms a room, making it a more comfortable dwelling place.

Using that image, I reflected on the first line in Jesus’ metaphor above. “You are the light of the world.”  I tried to see myself as that single candle in the darkness.  That’s our mission.  Just as a single candle can give light to an entire room, so we are capable of being a source of light for many others.

One of the primary missions we have all received in life is to allow the light of God’s grace to “shine before others.”  The result of fulfilling this mission is that others will see our good deeds that were inspired by God, and they will, in turn, glorify the Father in Heaven.  Thus, your mission of radiating the light of Christ for others results in God being praised and glorified.

This full statement of Jesus is especially helpful to consider when we struggle with pride.  Pride is a way of pointing to ourselves.  It’s an act of selfishness by which we place ourselves in the spotlight as a way of trying to become the object of others’ praise.  But what Jesus tells us is that when we properly fulfill our role of being the light of the world, when we radiate the Light of Christ, others will be inspired not to praise us but rather to glorify God as He acts through us.  This is quite a difference.

With that being said, the beautiful thing about God being glorified is that God often wants us to share in that glory.  That means that if you were to do an act of charity for another, and they were deeply grateful to you and thanked you, their “thank you” is an act of glorifying God when it is understood that you acted out of a love of God.  God is praised when we, His children, give and receive love and honor between each other on account of our faith.

During my reflection, I first thought about those upon whom God has called me to shine His light.  Who is it in my life who needs an act of love, charity, mercy, forgiveness or compassion?  I need to commit myself to becoming God’s light for them in their darkness.  Second, I thought about those who have shone the Light of Christ upon me, and how I responded when it happened.  Hopefully my response was one of a gratitude that not only returned love to the other but also glorified God through my gratitude. Be the light of the world to a world in need and seek out that light as it shines brightly through others. This is the only way to step out of the darkness that constantly tries to pervade us.

Lord, You are the true Light Who dispels every darkness in life.  You are the Light of my life and shine brightly for all to see.  Help me to see Your light as it shines on others and to glorify You for that gift.  And help me to be an instrument of Your light to those who need it the most.  Jesus, I trust in You.

The Great Commandment

 

The Great Commandment is a name used in the New Testament to describe the first of two commandments cited by Jesus in [Matthew 22:35-40, Mark 12:28-34], and in answer to him in [Luke 10:27] ... and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He [Jesus] said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. Love God above all else. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The Letter to the Hebrews issues a call to “offer God a sacrifice of praise” …to “do his will” …and to “give God glory forever and ever.”  [Hebrews 13:15-21] At a most basic level, we’re encouraged:  Love God!

The letter also encourages us to “do good and share what you have”.   Most likely this encouragement flows from the prime example of Jesus and His apostles as related in Mark’s Gospel [Mark 6:30-34].  The apostles gathered with Jesus to report on their tireless activities in sharing the Good News, and Jesus invited them to go to a deserted place and rest a while…a welcome respite for any busy, hardworking person!  Off in a boat, to a deserted place, a mini retreat…Love yourself!

Eager for healing and the message of mercy and love being offered by Jesus, the crowds continued to pursue them – so much so that their needed rest and apostolic debriefing was put on hold while Jesus’ heart was moved, and He reached out in love for those in need.  These “sheep without a shepherd” were loved…Love your neighbor!

In our 21st Century world we’re often overwhelmed with vivid stories of mistrust, violence, greed, poverty, discrimination, exclusion – you name it.  The rested, more contemplative spirit encouraged by Jesus helps provide a new and necessary perspective on our Christian faith meeting the needs of today’s world.  The Great Commandment is today’s rally cry, helping us provide a prophetic outreach to our needy brothers and sisters – with the supreme example provided by Jesus Crucified.

Take a few moments; step aside from the hoopla and hype of Super Bowl prep, the warm fuzzies of the upcoming Valentine’s Day, the cold and frosty weather of the Northern Hemisphere.  Join Jesus for a few special moments of peace and perspective in some “out of the way place”.  And, let these moments be a welcome breather, a life-giver – we need God’s love that is offered to us all.  Find comfort in those reassuring words: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want…He refreshes my soul…He guides me in right paths.” [Psalms 23:1-6]

My generous Lord, You gave of Yourself without reserve. People came to You in their need, and You did not hesitate to serve them out of love. Give me a heart that imitates Your generosity and help me to always say “Yes” to the charitable work to which I am called. May I learn to find great joy in serving others, especially in those unplanned and unexpected circumstances of life. Jesus, I trust in You.

Perplexed by the Truth

 

John the Baptist was probably quite annoying at times.  We can almost imagine Herod talking to him, afraid, yet inexplicably drawn to John by a sense of passion and direction that was missing in Herod's own life.  When John confronted Herod about his illegal marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife, Herod threw John in jail.  But he kept pondering John's many messages, perhaps wondering what place John had in his own life.  We can imagine that Herod would sometimes have John brought up from his cell and they would have conversations that Herod never had with anyone else in his life.  As Mark tells us [Mark 6:14-29], when Herod heard John speak, "he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him."  But John was like a fly, buzzing persistently around his face and Herod did his best to continue on with his life, trying not to let John's words nag at his heart.

On his birthday, when Herod threw a party for himself, Herodias' daughter danced so wonderfully that Herod, maybe after many glasses of wine, jumped to his feet, leading the applause.  As he stood there, weaving slightly, he looked around the room at his friends and with a slight swagger, promised the girl, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom."  When prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist.

Herod was devastated.  Not John, he thought.  But he had promised in front of the entire party, and he didn't want to look like a fool, after all.  He tried to ignore the gnawing in his stomach and waved for the executioner, as if it was nothing.  Soon, the head of John the Baptist came back.

Herod didn't go back on his extravagant promise in front of everyone.  He did not "break his word" but he had lost much more.  Herod had ignored the part of his heart that John was able to touch - the truth about his life.

We all have those nagging prophets in our lives, people who want to confront us with a truth we don't want to hear; people whose words put a gnawing in our stomachs as we redouble our efforts to ignore them; or sometimes simply messages we simply don't want to listen to.  Why can't they just leave us alone to live our lives?  Why do they keep pushing at us about justice, hunger, living simply, drinking less?  Who are the prophets in our lives who tell us it isn't enough to go to Church on Sundays if we’re not cherishing our vows and our spouses?  How much do we want to ignore those who suggest we need a balance in our family lives or the person who tells us that our jobs shouldn’t be the center of our lives?  What are the prophetic messages we are not listening to?

Who stands at the edge of our lives, pushing, nagging and confronting us with a truth we don't want to hear?  What is the invitation for us today?

My Lord of all Truth, Your Word and Your Word alone brings grace and salvation. Please give me the grace I need to always listen to Your Word and to respond generously with all my heart. May I repent when I am convicted by Your Word and may I wholeheartedly return to You. Give me courage when others reject Your Truth and wisdom to know how to share that Word with love. Jesus, I trust in You.

Do you see Him today?

 

Even though I consider myself prayerful and mindful, I sometimes find it difficult to recognize Jesus in the many ways He shows up and is presented to me.  I especially find it difficult to recognize Jesus in front of me when I am so deep in the hurts of life that hope seems far away.  I also find it difficult to recognize Jesus when the world around me seems unfair, unjust, and unstable.  Sometimes I’m even surprised that in my quest for success, acknowledgment, love, peace of mind, and happiness, I’m ultimately seeking, desiring, and waiting for Jesus to show up.  I desire Jesus to be visible and present.  I desire to see Him clearly, know Him, and rest in the knowledge that His presence means freedom, joy, and salvation.

Neither Simeon nor Anna were in an easy place in their life, yet they were so open to the Spirit of God that they could see clearly.  They could see Jesus the Savior in the baby presented by His parents, Mary and Joseph.  Simeon and Anna recognized Him immediately.  They saw Him and knew He was the savior they had been waiting for [Luke 2:22-40].

But do we recognize Him?  It’s easy to recognize Jesus when the communion host is presented and offered to us for spiritual nourishment.  We receive Jesus with gladness at that moment because we had waited and longed for Him before we walked into Church.  It’s easy to recognize Jesus on the cross because we remember He loved us enough to die for us.  It’s also easy to recognize Jesus in a smile we receive from another, a hug, or an act of kindness.  Then suddenly, Jesus comes to us in a different way, a way that requires us to see through God's eyes, a way that requires us to trust the Spirit.  How well do we do then?  How clearly can we see?

I would like to say that I recognize Jesus in the face of everyone I meet, including those I find challenging to be around.  I would like to say that I recognize Jesus in the moments when I’m disappointed, heartbroken, angry, ill, rejected, uncertain, or sad.  I would like to say that I could identify Jesus as soon as He comes into the room as a newborn, the homeless, or different in any way.  I would like to say I recognize Jesus immediately without a doubt, but that would be a lie.  I do try, but I fail most of the time.

Maybe it’s not enough to just recognize Jesus or the presence of God.  Maybe we also have to bear Christ as the word of God so that we may see clearly and also help others recognize Jesus when He is presented to them.  The one whom we seek and the message we long to hear in Luke’s Gospel are presented to us today.  Do we recognize Him?  Can we receive Him?  Are we ready to bear Him?  Are we ready to pay the price of discipleship?

Merciful and loving God, You are here.  Help us see Your face and grant us the grace to rejoice in Your presence amongst us. Jesus, I trust in You.