Claire Smith

Scripture:

Hebrews 6:10-20
Mark 2:23-28

Reflection:

Today’s reading from Hebrews exhorts us “to hold fast to the hope that lies before us.” 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 is 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, 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 our gospel today who live to find fault with others, we seek, like Jesus, to do good in whatever way we can whenever we can.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family.

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
John 1:29-34

Reflection:

Is it really true?  We’re already in ordinary time!  What happened to Christmas and all those special feasts that helped us celebrate the wondrous mystery of the Incarnation, the birth of Christ?  Yet, here we are, firmly planted in these many Sundays known as “ordinary time.”  Still, as I have heard so many times, there is nothing ordinary at all about “ordinary time.”

In our readings for this Sunday, we hear the words spoken by the Lord to Isaiah: “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”  A ‘light to the nations,’ what amazing words, words that are spoken not only to Isaiah but to all of us who are people of faith, as well.  These words remind us of the star shining in the heavens, calling the Three Kings to the birthplace of the Messiah, wise men guided by the light, touched by the light, and, even driven to change their lives, by God’s holy light.  And many years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah is told that, he too, would become a light, a “light to the nations” as he fulfills the mission given him by God, to restore faith and hope in Israel.

On this ordinary Sunday we, too, receive this message from the Lord.  We are called to be a light to the nations.  And how do we do this?  By witnessing our faith and sharing with all whom we meet the good news that Jesus is Lord.  We are invited to remind everyone that, when we walk in the light of Christ, it can make a real difference in day-by-day life.  Isn’t this what St. Paul means when he tells us in his letter to the Corinthians, that we have all been sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, even as we call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ?

And lastly, our beautiful passage from the Gospel of John, narrating that special moment when John the Baptist first saw Jesus walking toward him by the Jordan river.  We do not know if Jesus ever really knew his cousin as they were growing up before this extraordinary baptismal event, but we can only imagine how moved the Baptist was to finally see the one who was “filled with the Spirit,” the one who is truly “the Son of God!”  Here is Jesus, in plain sight!  Surely John’s heart would have been filled with the words spoken by his own father, Zechariah, when he cried out his song about his beloved child, John: “You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way, to give His people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.”  An extraordinary moment we are invited to think about on this ordinary Sunday!  We can all fall to our knees and cry out with John the Baptist:  “Behold, the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world.”

Fr. Pat Brennan, C.P. is the director of Saint Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Hebrews 4:1-5, 11
Mark 2:1-12

Reflection:

One of the things I learned early on in my association with the Passionists is their ability to see new and deeper lessons and insights into the same Gospel time after time. I would have largely believed that there was one lesson from each story and had it all sewn up from the first hearing. Today’s Gospel would have been a prime example of the way I used to slot it into place in my mind from the very first word. “This Gospel is about the faith of friends who tore back a roof to see that their friend was healed.”

I was hearing it proclaimed every time, but I was not listening to the new insights. Somehow, I missed the reality of the Living Word of God that is constantly moving and inviting us into deeper relationships. It inspires us in every stage of our life as long as we are truly listening.

I will forever be grateful to those wonderful men—and women—who opened up Sacred Scripture in ever changing and new ways for me. It inspired me to pursue classes on my own and to trust in each message, daily given.

While today’s Gospel is about a deep faith in Jesus to heal and to forgive, a new insight for me is the whole drama. The bigger picture. We are invited to understand Jesus’ destiny as he lives between the tension of healing—and forgiving—and the “legal experts” judgments of his actions. They judged him to be blasphemous and just a traveling preacher. How could he forgive sins in the name of God?

A closer look at the text reveals there is no mention of any specific friendship, “they came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.” (V.3) This might suggest that the whole community was involved in this act. Might it have been the faith not just of the four but of the whole community? Perhaps this offers us one of the blessings of belonging to a faith community. And, what about Jesus’ words of forgiveness of sin? One commentary I read recently suggested that forgiveness was a sign of weakness in the ancient world. One might add, what has changed? We still have wars and strife and needless suffering. Lest we get too bogged down in the negative, we see that Jesus did heal the paralytic; he gave hope to his darkness. We know that Jesus obliterated sin—our sin—and opened up heaven for all. It is our choice to follow him and do likewise—forgive—and bring peace into our hearts and our world.

Sometimes we don’t hear that message very well. We may listen and assume we have the lesson already learned. Paul touches on this in our first reading. In the chapter before our reading, Paul goes into a bit more detail about the ancestors who didn’t hear and therefore may not enter into the Sabbath rest spoken of in Genesis. In a way, I was like that before my eyes were opened to the truth of our ever-changing and ever-new Word, even as he –the Word incarnate—never changes. We are the ones who need to change to whatever life offers us through the lens of faith.

The inspiration I heard today is the blessing of our faith community, to the gift of belonging and strength. We are not perfect, yet we journey together in faith, hope, and love.

May we always remember that we belong to God and each other. May we strive to listen to hear his voice in our hearts. He cares for us. We are worth everything because of his love for us. May we ultimately enjoy his rest. Amen

Jean Bowler is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the Office of Mission Effectiveness Board of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Hebrews 3:7-14
Mark 1:40-45

Reflection:

Today’s first reading can aptly be described as a warning to periodically check the condition of our hearts lest, in ways we are scarcely aware, they turn us away from what is true, holy, and good. The passage from Hebrews speaks of “hardened” hearts, “erring” hearts, and “evil and unfaithful” hearts, suggesting that though it may be easy to develop each of these pathologies, such conditions of heart are fatal to our relationship with God and one another.

A hardened heart is a dangerous spiritual predicament because when our hearts are hardened nothing can touch them, nothing can enter into them; hardened hearts are closed to God’s spirit and life, closed to any possibility of healing and hope. Our hearts harden over time—sometimes so gradually that we have no idea what is happening to us—when we shut our lives to others, when we settle into self-serving routines that suck life from us and those around us, or when we become so comfortable with who we are and what we believe that we are no longer willing to grow and to change. With erring hearts we slip slowly away from God by letting other things (other persons, our own pleasures, money and possessions) take the place of God. With erring hearts it is not that we suddenly begin to love the wrong things, but that we love them in the wrong ways, giving lesser goods far more attention than they deserve. And with evil and unfaithful hearts we act as if we ourselves are gods, doing whatever we want and getting whatever we want no matter how much hurt and harm it brings to others.

And so maybe it is time for a heart checkup. Like people who are sick long before they receive a proper diagnosis, we need to periodically check the condition of our hearts to be sure we are not denying ourselves the love, healing, mercy, and wholeness that God wants to give us and that we need to truly live.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family.

Scripture:

Hebrews 2:14-18
Mark 1:29-39

Reflection:

Women in the Gospel of Mark

Today’s gospel depicts Jesus healing Simon’s mother-in-law who was seriously ill with a fever.

So much is packed in this brief episode, not the least of which Jesus is honoring women by making Simon’s mother-in-law the subject of this gospel’s first miracle.

A fever may not seem serious to us today, but it was different in that pre-penicillin world.  People died of fevers or the infections they caused.  The mother-in-law’s illness was no minor matter.

We are told that Jesus “came and took her by the hand and raised her up.  The Greek word for “raised” in the gospel is “egeiren.”  Mark uses this same word when he tells of Jesus raising the Jairus’ daughter from the dead (5:41-42), and Jesus’ resurrection (14:28; 16:16).  In each case, it is God’s power that makes resurrection possible. 

Mark continues with the story of Simon’s mother-in-law.  “The fever left her, and she served them” (vv. 31-32).  One might understandably find this story offensive because of the woman’s servant role.  However, Mark may be conveying a theologically rich message here.  The word “served” in the Greek is “diekonei” – from “diakonia,” and from which we get the word “deacon.”  The mother-in-law took up her role as deacon to the people of God in the way Jesus comes in his servant role, “not to be served but to serve” (v. 10:45), and calls his disciple to do the same.

The disciples, however, consistently fail to understand Jesus’ servant role – and theirs.  Mark portrays his female followers in a far better light.  At the temple, a poor widow gives more than anyone (v. 12:43).  A woman who pours expensive nard on Jesus is prophetically and symbolically anointing his body for burial (14:8).  When Jesus is crucified, Peter will deny him (14:72), and the other disciples will run away.  Nevertheless, several women will remain present with him (15:40-41).  Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome will bring spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body (16:1).

It is true that at the end of Mark’s Gospel, the women run away from the tomb, terrified to say anything to anyone (16:8), but we also know that announcement of the Good News, that Jesus has been raised to new life, is dependent on their witness and discipleship.

Today’s gospel with the story of Simon’s mother-in-law signals that Jesus takes women – and so many others who have been shoved to the margins of life – and call them to a special servant role in the mission and ministry of Jesus. 

This is what the coming kingdom will look like.  Servanthood, diakonia will be found, not in the centers of power, patriarchal and otherwise, but at the margins, among the anawim, the poor of God.  In Jesus’ mission, we can catch a glimpse of the new creation and the servant role we all are exhorted to embrace.  It is a role that is, time and again, given witness by the determination of the women in Mark’s gospel.

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.