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Scripture:

2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17
Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7
Mark 6:1-6

Reflection:

Do you ever wonder what Jesus was like as a kid? I do.

I wonder if he walked around in flowing robes blessing people. If Mary and Joseph ever ran out of food, did Jesus just miracle up all the wine and fish and bread he wanted? When one of his buddies hurt himself in the playground, did Jesus touch and heal the sore? And in school, when asked a question, did he answer in eloquent and perfectly crafted parables?

Or, I wonder if he was the Class Clown, like me?

I imagine Jesus had to learn to walk, like the rest of us. He probably made mistakes growing up. Maybe he lost some friends, and even had to deal with human emotions and fears. I can hardly begin to understand what he must have had to process as he himself began to understand who he was, and what he could do, and what he was going to have to do.

He must have had a hard time accepting who he was, and his mission.

The Gospel has Jesus in his hometown, revealing himself to the people who know him best. They’ve seen him grow from that little guy learning to walk and making mistakes, and now he’s calling himself a prophet and teaching in the synagogue with great wisdom and might! The people in his city, his neighbors, know him as the kid down the block… just an ordinary carpenter, and yet he teaches in the synagogue as one with learning and power. He could not possibly, in their eyes, be a prophet. Their lack of faith, though, limits his ability to perform any “mighty deeds” that reveal the presence of God’s kingdom in their midst.

I’ll bet they had a hard time accepting who he said he was, and his mission.

The people in today’s Gospel were a lot like me. Here is the Son of God himself, standing right in front of them, talking to them. God comes to heal the sick, bring sight to the blind, shower peace and love to all people, share the message of Eternal Life, and these folk were just too closed to see him at work in their lives. In fact they were so angry, they refused to let him do any mighty deed there, tying the hands of God, refusing all the love and grace Jesus offers!

There’s quite a foreshadowing of Jesus’ end of life in today’s Gospel. It begins with people praising him and being amazed at his speaking and depth, but ends with them taking offense at him. First loved and accepted, but then pushed away. It’s like those who praised Jesus on Palm Sunday, and became the same people that would scream “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

And yet, even fully knowing what would happen, God still pursued us. He sent his Son as one of us to reach out, to call us home, even though he knew we would tie his hands and turn our backs on all the healing and love he has to offer.

Such love. Such amazing love… to hold out a hand of care and forgiveness, even though those very people would slam a spike through it.

Pursuit. Chase after. Hound. Dig for. Leave no stone unturned. Do whatever it takes.

How has God pursued you?
How have you turned your back on Jesus?
What was it that led you to finally accept God’s hand reaching out to you, waiting for you?
And, how have you been God’s hands, reaching out to others?

God waits for us. Jesus is right here, in our midst. The signs and messages are always there… if only we could be open enough to recognize him.

The refrain of a pop song, which was recorded by the artist Richard Marx, titled “Right Here Waiting,” says it pretty well.

Wherever you go, whatever you do,
I will be right here waiting for you.

What a perfect description of God. All we have to do look, listen, and be God’s beloved.

Dear God, thank you for the gift of your most amazing and ever available presence. Please grant us the grace to always open the door and let you in. Amen.

Paul Puccinelli is Director of Liturgy & Music at St. Rita Parish in Sierra Madre, CA, and a member of the Retreat-Team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center.

Scripture:

2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30-19:3
Mark 5:21-43

Reflection:

From the poem, Concord Hymn, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, we have the words, “The shot heard ‘round the world.”  These words refer to the pivotal shot that occurred at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, where the first British soldiers fell in the battles of Lexington and Concord.  It was the beginning of the Revolutionary War.  It warned all tyrants around the world that now begins the great battle against them for the cause of freedom.

In Sunday’s gospel we heard of the cure by Jesus of a man with an unclean spirit.  This cure could be called “the cure heard ‘round the world.”  It was Jesus’ initial cure in Mark’s gospel.  It warned all the demons that now begins the great battle against them for the cause of holiness.

In yesterday’s gospel we heard of the cure of another man possessed by a demon.  In today’s gospel we hear of the cure of a sick woman and the raising of a little girl thought to be dead.  Mark’s gospel continues on at a fast pace reporting battle after battle. On the one hand there are diseases, demons and death.  On the other hand there is Jesus healing, driving out demons, and giving life.

That same battle between good and evil continues to this day.  “Demons.”  That’s a good word to describe the power of evil in our world today.  There are the demons of abortion and doctor-assisted suicide.  There are the demons of racism and immigration phobia.  There is the demon of terrorism.

There are demons like greed that has plagued our world since the beginning.  The desire for power and riches, for land and oil, has nations obsessed with the demons of war and violence.  Building weapons has replaced feeding the hungry.

Where are the cures?  Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”   If we want to drive out demons from ourselves, our family and friends, and from our world, where do we start?

First we need to light of humility, knowing that without God we can do nothing.  From humility follows the light of forgiveness, seventy-time seven times.

Secondly we need the love that is unconditional hospitality, welcoming all into our hearts.  We need a love that is self-sacrificing, always looking for ways to bring joy to others.

What is the message of the gospels that is “heard ‘round the world?”   In the end, God wins.  Evil loses.  Come, let us join in the victory celebration that is the Mass.

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.   http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Mark 1:21-28

Reflection:

God promised to send a prophet like Moses to lead his people.  He made it clear to those listening that when this prophet speaks God’s message, he will be blessed.  But if the prophet goes away from the word of God and presumes to speak as a false prophet, he will have to answer for it.  The prophets of the Old Testament paved the way for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  The New Testament is filled with the accounts of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  Many people followed the messages told by the prophets and allowed the message to lead and guide them in becoming the good and holy people God created them to be.

Today we honor those men and women who act as prophets in our own time.  Some have reached the status of notoriety and fame for their good works.  Others work side by side with us each day and ask for nothing in return.  I am thinking of colleagues who give of themselves daily so that the good news of Jesus becomes known by those who need to hear it.  I am thinking of the many religious and ordained whom I call friend, who have challenged, affirmed and supported me over these past several decades in ministry.  I am thinking of my parents and other family members and friends who worked and sacrificed so that I could experience a loving and generous God through each of them.

Take a moment this day to remember and thank God for those prophets that have crossed your path and have helped you to become the person you are today.  If they are still in your life in some way, you may want to drop them a line, call or text them and say thanks for having the courage to accept the call of the prophet.  Remember prophets are never without honor in their own time and space.  Your gesture of gratitude may be that thread of hope that makes their day!

Theresa Secord is a Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

2 Samuel 12:1-7a, 10-17
Mark 4:35-41

Reflection:

We all have times in our lives when the sea seems to be washing over the sides of our boats!  In today’s scripture reading Jesus is awakened by his disciples, awash in fear of their boat capsizing into an angry sea.  Jesus tells the sea to quiet and calms the fear and distress of his companions.  His calming of the sea seems to leave the disciples more afraid of what Jesus did than of the storm He calmed!

Lately I have been overwhelmed, like many of you at times, by the seas around me.  The requests for prayers from family, friends and acquaintances have been rolling over me.  I’m sure we all have been in the same situation, when illnesses, untimely deaths, divisive words and events around us have left our own boats rolling in the seas!  I’m reminded of the lyrics from “All is Well” by Horatio G. Spafford.

“When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

The challenge is to let the Lord of Peace calm my soul when the seas get rough.  But it isn’t easy to let go of control in my life; never has been, never will be.  To let go is to recognize my own limits of power.  To let go is to give up my own efforts to build walls.  To let go is to open my heart to new understanding.  To let go is to sit quietly with only questions God can answer.  To let go is to watch as Jesus calms the sea and marvel in awe at the peace only God can give.

I find myself today wanting to sing along with Spafford’s old hymn.

“Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed His own blood for my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul”

Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of our Passionist Family in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5
Mark 4:26-34

Reflection:

The Gospel for today begins with Jesus telling the crowds, “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God.” He proceeds to share two parables about seeds. First the seed that, seemingly without any help other than us scattering it, sprouts and grows. The other parable is the familiar story of the tiny mustard seed. In both these parables, Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of God begins simply. It emerges in unexpected ways and from unexpected sources.

I’m not sure I ever really paid much attention to Lois and Eunice mentioned in St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, the first option of readings on this feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. These women, Timothy’s grandmother and mother, were clearly early believers. Paul says that Timothy’s faith  “first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice.” Just like the small seed of Jesus’ parables, faith took root in the hearts of these women and from there spread to Timothy.

Nothing more is known about these women. They are not famous but for this brief mention. Yet it is in these women that the Kingdom of God found a place to take root and grow. So often we look around for the grand appearance of God. We look for the miraculous event. We search from the heroic saint. We long to see God revealed in extraordinary revelations.

Perhaps God might be better sought by paying attention to the ordinary lives of people like Lois and Eunice. Can we look back over the day and see the Kingdom of God sprouting in the most unlikely of places? In the kindness of a stranger? The smile of a co-worker? The vulnerability of a new born child? Let us look into our own hearts to see how faith has taken root in our lives. Sure, there are some annoying thistles and rocky ground in there, and it may need some nurturing, but it is there and it is growing.

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and was the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

2 Samuel 7:4-17
Mark 4:1-20

 

Reflection:

The Word

“The sower sows the word”     When I was stationed at our monastery in Sierra Madre, CA, I often took my daily walks in the beautiful Huntington Gardens close by our Retreat House.  The Gardens have a museum there which contains a beautiful copy of the Gutenberg Bible.  Because of its historical importance it is among the most valuable books in the world.   Although no Gutenberg Bible has been auctioned in more than 35 years it has an estimated to be worth at around $35 million dollars.  Some pages have been sold at $20,000 and $100,000 for a page! Seeing this valuable book, I have often thought, how precious is the Word of God!

The Word of God is worth far more to us than $35 million.   The Word comes from the mind and heart of God and is spoken to our mind and heart.   There is no closer union among rational beings.   Any passionate desire for God is deeply concerned about the mind of Christ and desires to be a person after the Heart of the Lord!  St Gregory the Great said it elegantly: ““To know the Heart of God through the Word of God”      Heart to heart, ear to ear, from God’s lips to my heart.

After 52 years of constant preaching, I have been long convinced there is a powerful force in proclaiming the Word of God that we find in the Sacred Scriptures.   “For the word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit.” Hebrews 4:12  I love this text. His Word is alive (zaō) and full of energy (energēs).

I think our preaching is often on the dead side rather than being “alive”, on the weak side rather than full of energy.  They said of Jesus that: “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.” John 7:46 The listeners of Jesus were ”were amazed at His teaching”  Mk 1:22  The word amazed in original Greek is ekplēssō (Hit) which means  “to be exceedingly struck in mind, to be astonished”.  Another word used in response to words and deeds of Jesus is existēmi  which means to stand beside or outside of ourselves.  Our word ecstasy comes from this word.  No wonder people who heard Jesus said: “What a word!”

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

2 Samuel 6:12b-15, 17-19
Mark 3:31-35

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading from Mark, Jesus’ mother and relatives are asking for Him as He is addressing the crowds. When He is told this, He looks at the people around Him, and says, “Who are my mother and my brothers? Here are my mother and brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

For me, I have always read between the lines in this exchange, and that is because of how Mark sets this up. Earlier in the Gospel (Mark 3:20-21), Jesus’ family hears that the crowds around Jesus have gotten so big that it was impossible for He and the other disciples to eat. And when the family hears this, they decide to go get Jesus and bring Him home because they have figured that “He is out of his mind.”

So, when Jesus says what he says, I hear Him calling us to go beyond family and tribe, so to speak, and see each other as Jesus sees us. But I also imagine Jesus telling His family that He cannot go back with them. He has to keep doing what He is doing, speaking to crowds about the love of God, and working miracles of healing. This is for what He has been sent, and so He cannot return to a former life that would prevent Him from proclaiming the kingdom of God.

In many ways, we may be called to leave former ways of thinking and doing in order to fulfill the mission we have been given. May we see each other as mother, father, sister and brother, and may we come together to continue sharing the Good News we have in Christ.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10
Mark 3:22-30

Reflection:

Be honest now.  Do you hear voices?  Not just one voice but a great many voices?  Actually, before we venture to answer that question, we may want to inquire what is meant by “hearing voices”.  Who of us, when confronted with a choice for good or for ill, doesn’t hear our mother say “Don’t go that way?”  Perhaps we hear a spouse say, “What a great idea, go with it!”  Even though it is a great idea, we may hear another voice say “We cannot afford to choose that at this time.”  If we are honest, we are being bombarded with voices all the time moving us to choose one way or another, think this or that, speak in one manner or another or act in a particular way.  The voices come to us from a multitude of directions and we must decide which we will listen to and which we will take to heart and allow to influence us.

In the Second Book of Samuel, we are witness to the political convention of the tribes of Israel.  After years of civil tensions and conflicts, David has fought to the point of bringing them all together so that all voices were able to be heard.  The author wants us to understand clearly that God’s voice is being heard in the conversation as well.  Finally, all the voices converge on one possibility – David should be anointed King of a united Jewish state.  God’s choice here is confirmed in the dialogue and David becomes King of Israel.  The voices were heard, accepted and what was said became fact.

In contrast, Mark relates a moment when contrary voices are heard.  Jesus is accused of performing His good deeds by the power of Satan.  Jesus’ voice clearly lays out the inherent contradictions in such a claim.  How can a house divided against itself continue to stand and prosper?  Healings and forgiveness which form the essence of Jesus’ ministry are the exact opposite of evil powers.  A single instance of healing or forgiveness clearly manifests the reality that the powers for good will defeat the power of evil.  Jesus then gives voice to the underlying reality of this moment.   To claim such a distortion of reality – to say that works which are obviously the works of God – are evil is a sin against the Holy Spirit.  Such a person has listened to a voice that says stay out of the light and remain in the darkness.  Refuse to acknowledge contradictory voices and remain deaf to all but death, darkness and destruction.  Such a sin is unforgiveable not because God’s forgiveness is limited but because such a person has turned a deaf ear to the voice which calls him to salvation.

Our scriptures today invite us to consider which of the great many voices speaking to us in our faith, in our Church, in our country, in our way of life and in the world reflect the values of the mind and heart of Jesus.  It is our baptismal challenge to allow ourselves to be conformed to the mind and heart of Jesus.  This can seem to be a relatively simple review of life for us.  However, in today’s circumstances, we are contending with a great many more voices than ever before.   There is a cacophony of voices vying for our attention and our allegiance.    Some voices say we are number 1, we are better than others; we deserve the cream while others are lucky to get rain water.  Some voices say some groups of people are more desirable than others.  Some voices say we should shun strangers, refuse them dignity and respect when speaking of them, and concentrate solely on our self-interest.  Other voices remind us to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, provide care for the sick, and afford every person his / her dignity regardless of color, religion or ethnic origin.  Still other voices encourage us to keep our heads down, stay out of such confusing issues and focus only on taking care of self and family.   The voices abound from every circle of life.  Today, Second Samuel and Mark invite us to consider how we are doing in responding to these voices.  How are we doing in measuring these voices against the teachings and the deeds of Jesus in the Gospels?   Essentially, today, we are asked to review our listening to the voice of Jesus, our accepting the message of Jesus and our making the voice of Jesus the foundation of our speech and our choices in life.

Fr. Richard Burke, CP, is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Province.  He lives at St. Ann’s Monastery in Scranton, Pennsylvania.