July 1, 2012

Bulletin July 1 ’12 13 Sun Ordin B

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9 13-15; Mark 5:21-43
What has the Lord done for me? I’m reflecting on this as I look at the readings.
In the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, the author is sharing how God does not delight in death: God delights in life. All around me, the world is bursting out in life: the flowers in gardens and flower boxes and the wild flowers along the road; even weeds have blooms. In the recent storms, I’ve seen a number of rainbows; and then there is the smiles and happiness of people enjoying the beginnings of summer, especially the precious little ones. God has made each person for life and each person is asked to share life and love just as Jesus did throughout His life. I reflect on how I am sharing from my joys, blessings, love and even hurts?
And then Paul is telling the Corinthian community to come to the assistance of less fortunate Christians: to give from their abundance. I look at how God has blessed and gifted me and it’s a constant reminder to give from this abundance and also to give of my time, perhaps one of the most precious gifts that often is hoarded and not shared. Paul also uses the unique phrase that makes me stop and pay attention. He tells me that I should excel in graciousness. This is what Jesus did, am I doing this? And he tells me to look at how generous God has been in His gifts to me and each person: “Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less” – so what am I doing with what I have because I have been given a perfect amount for what God has planned for me to be. Am I hoarding…being restrictive in sharing…thinking more of me or being Jesus? Paul says, “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Immediately I look at Jesus total giving of Himself. Then I was curious and looked up ‘gracious’ in the thesaurus. It showed a number of adjectives for gracious: cordial, courteous, kind, merciful. And this brought me to hum to refrain, ‘The Lord is kind and merciful’ and that is what the Lord has been to me over and over. So what am I doing?
Mark in the Gospel recounts two of Jesus’ healings to two desperate women. One had been hemorrhaging fro twelve years and because of this she was ‘unclean’ according to the Law and therefore could not be in any contact with friends or family or even worship with others. Alone, afraid, maybe angry and lost; yet to Jesus, like each and every one of His creation, she was important. The other was a twelve-year old girl whose frantic father had come to Jesus for healing. She was important, everyone is important and valued and loved by Jesus. What did Jesus do; he healed them and showed the graciousness of God and brought them to life so that they may be filled with life to love others. The same healing God gives me and everyone in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation: He heals me to love.

In Mark, A devotional Commentary, which is a meditation on Mark’s gospel, the author shares these beautiful, challenging words, “How do we stand? How do we look at Jesus? Is He some wonder-worker of the past? Was He perhaps a very holy man, an outstanding combination of generosity and humility? How deeply do we believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, our perfect and complete salvation? Many of our attitudes about faith and the Christian life are formed by the world, and if we were to look around, it would become clear to us that this world functions with little recourse to faith.  Yet, it is this environment that often forms our thoughts about God.

When we act in envy or bitterness, does this is not signify a lack of faith? Are we not, in effect saying: “I have a right to be angry because nobody (not even God) is looking after my interests”? When we repent of a specific sin, but resign ourselves to the fact that we will probably go ahead and commit it again, is this not a sign that we do not believe that Jesus’ blood has cleansed us and won us freedom from sin? When we find ourselves restless in scripture or prayer, is it not oftentimes because we don’t’ expect that Jesus will speak to us and give us peace and joy in His presence?

These are but a few of the many ways in which our unbelief can manifest itself. Jesus wants us to put aside thoughts like these so that our faith can become more like that of Jairus and the hemorrhaging woman. He wants to tell us ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ (Mark 5:36) He can say this only if we have begun to put off our old attitudes and mind sets and take on a new mind that is formed in His image. We need to come before God in humility today and ask Him to increase our faith. Let us renounce the attitudes of the world and beg the Holy Spirit to fill us with His truth instead.” So I reflect on:

• What am I asking the Lord to heal in me?
• In what situations in my life now is the Lord asking me to trust and have faith in Him?
• When Jesus says, ‘Don’t be afraid’ He is being very practical because fear doesn’t help me grow or add to my spiritual development and it certainly hinders my looking at God as a loving God. If I trust deeply I will see my fears vanish. What hinders me?
  

Lord, help my unbelief and help me believe.