December 30, 2018

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
1 Samuel 1: 20-22, 24-28; 1 John 3: 1-2, 21-24; Luke 2: 41-52
On this feast of the Holy Family, it is good to remember our family of birth. We all come from different
places, cultures, situations. We come with our own backpack of memories of what it was like growing
up with our parents and siblings. Was it a happy experience? Was it sad? Was it filled with growing
experiences that brought our relationships closer or did these bring more entanglements and antagonisms
coupled with jealousy? Was our family unit able to ‘roll with the punches’; able to grow healthily with
the pitfalls, hardships and heartaches that are a part of family living? Were we able to learn about God’s
love and have our faith nourished in our developing years? Were we able to ‘survive’ these years and
walk away without a bitter taste in our mouths? Where did we learn about love? When were we aware
that God loves us all the time? Who were the primary teachers and examples of God’s unconditional
love? How easy was it in passing on these positive legacies?
Today we are celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family. I remember learning in my early years from the
good nuns of the ‘perfect family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph’. It seemed a little bit too hard for me to
understand? Weren’t they cold in the manger? They were all alone, how did they find stores to shop in,
where did they get the money to shop, where was their family while this was going on? So being the
‘perfect family’, left a big gap in my thinking. Today’s reading looks at ‘growing up’ in three different
perspectives: from parents side…child’s side…from God’s side. The bottom line is that of God’s
unconditional love; no matter what were the experiences of our early years, we are born from God’s
gracious, all-consuming love for ME. Family life is rooted in the unconditional love of God as
witnessed by the Holy Family.
In the first reading from First Samuel, Hannah had prayed long hours at the altar at Shilo which predated
the Temple’s building at Jerusalem. She longed for a child. In their culture it was looked at a ‘penalty’
or curse from God if one was childless. Hannah’s prayer was that if she was graced with a son, she
would surrender him to the temple at Shilo. “After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his
mother, approached Eli and said: ‘Pardon, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here,
praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.’ Hannah left Samuel there.” This certainly sounds staged
to us, but do we look at it from the faithfulness of both Hannah and from God, both of whom honored
their promises? I love you this much…I promise to do…and I have! I look at the power of prayer; and
the need to be totally willing to give up what is so longer for and so precious…what faith! Where have I
encountered that faith in my life? What impression did it make on me? How did I view these faithfilled
people? Have I been a witness to this type of faith in my life? Where did I receive the strength to
do what had to be done? How grateful was I?
John in this his first letter views the community as the children of God. We see this in John’s beautiful
Prologue to his Gospel explaining Jesus’ preexistence with the Father and how He came in the world to
us. “He was in the world, and the world came to be through Him, but the world did not know Him. He came to what
was His own, but His own people did not accept Him. But to those who did accept Him He gave power to become
children of God to those who believe in His name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice
nor by a man’s decision but of God.” (John 1: 10-13.) So how is one to live as a ‘child of God’? We are to
keep His commandments and do what pleases Him…we are to love one another…we know we are
living as His disciples when living this way. We fail…we keep trying…the Holy Spirit continually gifts
us to live in love. Jesus at the Last Supper said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me. If you know Me, then you will also know My Father.” (John 14: 6-7)
We follow what Jesus taught and lived.
In the gospel we hear the only story that portrays Jesus as an adolescent. Luke is not giving us a
historical account but theological. Jesus is identified with God because the scene takes place in the
Temple. It is here, for the first time, that Jesus pronounces who He really is. It shares every parent’s
nightmare: where is my lost/late child…they aren’t home yet, they are long overdue…I haven’t heard
from them…are they lost…was there an accident…did they get kidnapped…are they OK? Mary and
Joseph did what many of you did: they investigated. Jesus is engaging the skilled teachers and experts
in questions and conversation. They are definitely impressed. Now Mary and Joseph obviously are not
aware of Jesus’ divine status. They were afraid, and Jesus gives a theological response to their question.
They don’t understand. I wonder if Mary thought how she was going to survive the rest of the teen
years with their extraordinary son. In the alternate second reading from his letter to the Colossians, Paul
describes what virtues we hopefully learned and must have been taught Jesus by Mary and Joseph. “Put
on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and
patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord
has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the
peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be
thankful.” (Colossians 3: 12-15)
“And His mother kept all these things in her heart.” And Mary reflected on these things in her heart. How
often do I just sit and think? I try to place myself in the scripture scene and let them surround me and
teach me that I am called to live what I am witnessing.
So I reflect on:
• I name what my family taught me about faith, love, and life…both the good parts and the not so good.
• How do I teach others to love and recognize the dignity of every person?
• I take time to remember the times I honored my parents. How did I do that? Was it difficult or
natural?
• Can I name personal examples of putting God before family?
• Do I realize that many elderly no longer have family to visit them? How will they hear these readings
today and celebrate this feast?
Sacred Space 2019 states:
“In My Father’s house.” Do I believe that the Father’s house may be found within myself? If I do, I can perhaps
open myself to an even greater wonder: ‘Those who love me will keep My word, and My Father will love them, and
We will come to them and make Our home with them.’ John 14:23
Let me take in this scene slowly. Jesus is coming of age, entering His teens, and is an eager student questioning
His teachers. To His mother’s query—‘your father and I’—He points gently to another paternity: ‘I must be in My
Father’s house.’ No Gospel scene shows more clearly the gradual process by which He grew into a sense of His
mission. Let me savor it.”

December 23, 2018

4th Sunday of Advent C
Micah 5: 1-4; Hebrews 10: 5-10; Luke 1: 39-45
By now, we have been involved in a massive decorating of our homes. More than likely, the
Christmas cards and greetings have been sent. More than likely those of us who are making those
special holiday treats and recipes from ‘ancient times’ are covered with flour and sugar, etc…but
they are true labors of love. Do we have time? Not much…but we enjoy just taking quick moments
to review our love and devotion to Christmas. So the reflection is what is this season all about?
If Mary had said ‘no’ or if Joesph had said ‘no’ the course of history would have been changed. If
the prophets had not been concerned with passing on God’s will to the people, where would we be?
If the people hadn’t remained faithful during all their enslavements in other lands and in the
persecutions that foreign nations inflicted on them, would the outcome have been different? God’s
will did come about…do we express our gratitude for this? So what is God’s will for each of us?
We can learn so much in these special days.
Micah was a prophet about seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth. Like the other prophets, he
challenged the people of his time. This wasn’t an easy task because following the king’s lead, the
people had become complacent in their worship of God. They didn’t care about others and
providing hospitality. They neglected the poor and the hurting, being more concerned with
themselves and what they wanted. God had a plan to heal the nation: from the line of David, God
will raise up a king dedicated to God’s way—what is good and just, caring and loving. Micah tells
that this will originate in Bethlehem which seemed strange since it was “too small to be among the
clans of Judah.” A woman will give birth to a son and through His influence, “…the rest of His kindred
shall return to the children of Israel…He shall be peace.”
Paul tells the Hebrews twice of Jesus’ words, “I come to do Your will, O God.” Paul is showing how
Jesus is quoting the prophecy in Psalm 40: 7-9 explaining God’s will: “Sacrifice and offering You do not
want; but ears open to obedience You gave Me. Holocausts and sin-offering You do not require; so I said,
‘Here I am; Your commands for Me are written in the scroll. To do Your will is My delight, My God, Your law is in
My heart!’” This sacrifice of Jesus surpasses all the sacrifices that were contained in the Old
Testament. Jesus offered Himself “once for all.” The same is true for all of us: God has a plan that we
live God’s will…that we are people who love and care and are conscious of the hurting and the
needy. Is this going to be easy? Sometimes…more often it will be hard because anger and
meanness, selfishness and ‘it’s about me’ lie within us, a remnant of original sin. We have this
constant pull daily but the Holy Spirit continues to fill us with helps to choose the good.
Sunday Homily Helps from Franciscan Media shares four guidelines:
1. “The Ten Commandments tell us how to relate with God and our neighbors
2. The two great commandments show us to: Love the Lord God, Love your neighbor as yourself.
3. In the Eight Beatitudes, Jesus listed moral qualities that mirror God’s qualities: Be pure in
spirit; mourn; be meek; hunger and thirst for righteousness. Be merciful, clean of heart, peacemakers
and be willing to suffer for the kingdom.
4. In Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus talks about the Final Judgement, He tells us to put those ‘being’
qualities into ‘doing’. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Welcome strangers. Care for the
sick. Visit prisoners.”
The gospel scene of Mary visiting Elizabeth sets the urgency. Even though Luke did not give any
motive for this visit, it seems very evident that Mary is a woman on a mission. ‘I have to go…I have
to visit…I have to help…I have to share…Whatever the hardships or fears present, I must go.’ Mary
greeted Elizabeth and there is no mention that Elizabeth knew Mary was pregnant. Before Elizabeth
says a word, Luke tells us that she was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the driving
force within each of us all the time. We have a notion that we should go visit someone, and we do.
We give to that beggar on the street. We reach out to the hungry donating to a food pantry. We don’t
do these all the time…but when we are DOERS…when we are GIVERS, something is urging us on.
The Holy Spirit is gracing us to be DOERS of God’s will at that moment. It has nothing to do with
the guilt feeling that we should do this all the time…AT THAT MOMENT, we put ourselves in
second place, and reach out to those in first place. We love…care…share. Each time we do this we
connect to God’s will and a pattern develops, a pattern of love. This is a goal for each of us: to learn
to respond to God’s touches of love to love.
Thomas Merton has a wonderful prayer I say every day…it is a prayer of help to God who loves me
just the way I am now. It is entitled, The Road Ahead:
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I
cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I
think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that
the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I
am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know what if I
do this You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore
will I trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not
fear, for You are ever with me and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
So I reflect on:
• I look back at time when Jesus has visited me in ways I did not expect. Did I see a message in
any of these?
• I look back at what I felt was God’s will for me this Advent and look now on what God did for
me.
• How am I blessed? Am I a blessing for others?
• Why did God fulfill His promise of a savior in Jesus, a teacher who preached compassion and
love, rather than in a warrior king as the Jews anticipated? Could a warrior king have reached
across cultural and political lines the way Jesus did?
• When I feel the ‘urgency’ as Mary did, what enables me to respond positively?
Sacred Space 2019 shares:
“Two women meet, and each has received special blessings and calling from God. Perhaps this is what drew
them together, what made Mary feel an urgency about visiting her cousin. This is but one example of God
showing us how His holy will is accomplished not by a single person but in the context of community.
Have I recently spoken confirmation of another person’s gift or role in a good endeavor? Whom have I called
‘blessed’?”

December 16, 2018

3rd Sunday of Advent C
Zephaniah 3: 14-18; Philippians 4: 4-7;
Luke 3: 10-18
Can one love without smiling? Does
developing a sense of humor and laughter
help one be in touch with God’s love? Is
God more concerned with rules or living a
life of love? Am I more aware of God when I
follow rules or when I am living love? Have
we ever spent time looking at our ability to
laugh and our sense of humor? Do we tend to
be much more serious with ourselves? A very
serious question and even larger reflection is
what makes me happy? Is it material things?
Is it companionship and relationships?
Today’s readings are about happiness. All of
us want to be happy. Why is happiness so
elusive? What is the secret of happiness?
Have we ever considered Jesus as being a
happy person? Have we ever seen Jesus’
sense of humor in Scripture stories?
Numerous times I have had masses where I
have spoken just to the little ones. Often I tell
them that Jesus talked about love and I asked
them what was Jesus face like when He
talked about love? Was it mean looking? No,
they say? Was it sad looking? No, they
responded? They said No He was smiling
and laughing. ‘Out of the mouth of babes…’
Psalm 8:2 states “Out of the mouth of babes and
infants you have drawn a defense against your
foes, to silence enemy and avenger.” Matthew
21:12 recounts the Cleansing of the Temple.
“And Jesus said to them, ‘It is written: My house
shall be a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a
den of thieves.’ The blind and the lame
approached Him in the temple area, and He cured
them. When the chief priests and scribes saw the
wondrous things He was doing, and the children
crying out in the temple area, ‘Hosanna to the Son
of David,’ they were indignant and said to Him, ‘Do
you hear what they are saying?’ Jesus said to
them, ‘Yes and have you never read the text, ‘Out
of the mouths of infants and nurslings you have
brought forth praise’?” (Mt 21: 13-16)
This third Sunday of Advent is traditionally
called Gaudete Sunday - a rejoicing reflected
in the rose vestments and the choice of
Scriptures. We are more than halfway
through our season of vigilance and
preparation and prayer. We are looking
forward once again to both celebrating the
coming of Christ in history and looking
forward to His return in glory. For us
Christians, we readily understand how
rejoicing is at the heart of our faith. Even if
we are struggling with life’s issues, we are
called to be people of joy and to share that joy
with others. Do I do this? What holds me
back? Now what does this ‘spirit of joy’ look
like? How can I ‘get it’? Spiritual joy
emerges from our interior life…our
relationship with our Loving God.
Zephaniah twice in today’s short reading
announces that God is in the midst of His
people. Countless times, Moses told the
people journeying to the Promised Land that
God loves them, cares for them and is always
with them. God had carefully arranged for
the construction of the ark of the covenant
and the meeting tent. This assured the people
of God’s presence, protection and constant
love. It’s interesting in the first line of today’s
reading , Zephaniah encouragers ‘daughter
Zion’ to sing joyfully. In the last line God joins
them in singing joyfully, “…He will rejoice over
you with gladness, and renew you in HIs love, He
will sing joyful because of you, as one sings at
festivals.”
Paul is telling the Philippians, not to be
anxious. Go to God…bring our concerns.
“The Lord, your God, is in your midst. What else
could one need. Paul reminds the community
to be kind and generous because their faith
tells them to look beyond this passing world
and keep focused on eternity. Paul tells them
and us that if we turn to God in prayer and
gratitude we will find strength through the
Holy Spirit to face any challenges that come
up in life. Paul applauds this community for
being people of joy as can be seen in verses
8-9 that follow todays reading. “Finally,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever
is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and
if there is anything worthy of praise, think about
these things. Keep on doing what you have
learned and received and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.”
So what should we be doing? This is the exact
question that is being asked of John the
Baptist today. The people who had been
listening to him were not the religious and
political officials. These people did not pay
attention to John at all. The people who made
the long trek to the area near Jericho and very
close to the Dead Sea endured rough roads
and high temperatures. They came because
they heard that this man was a special prophet
and he made sense. He didn’t pull any
punches and he was real, unlike the
hypocritical religious. The three groups who
took John seriously were the crowds, tax
collectors and soldiers. John gave the same
advice to all of them: ‘Examine your lives…
engage in ethical reform…be concerned with
doing the right with love…they should love
their neighbors as themselves and thus share
their food and clothing with those in need.
Tax collectors were to avoid the many
corruptible practices that had become
acceptable…and soldiers were not to abuse
their power. All are to be honest and just.’
This is good practical advice for each of us
too. The people knew these words were
honest and true…and they wondered if John
was the Messiah. “One mightier than I is
coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of
His sandals.”
Today’s Scripture passages build us up. We
are important, we are special. Most of all, we
are loved by God every single moment. God
is with us and never, ever abandons us. God
is always present and I don’t have to be good
to have God with me. God also finds joy in
each person. God wants to thank you and me
for the love we give…for the help we share…
to touching the lost, lonely, hurt…God love
us for this and for all unconditionally.
Fr. Henri Nouwen said that the single most
important identity that each person has is
being God’s beloved. He writes: “Joy is the
experience of knowing that you are unconditionally
loved and that nothing—sickness, failure,
emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death
—can take that love away.”
So I reflect on:
• How might John the Baptist answer me
when I ask, ‘What should I do?’
• What brings sure joy and gladness to my
heart?
• I reflect on the laugher and joy of little
children in there waiting for Christmas.
• Are the holidays a particularly hectic time
for me? What do I let take control? How
can I manage to remain focused on God?
• What is most in need of transformation in
my life?
Sacred Space 2019 states
“John, the cousin of Jesus, is a challenging
figure. He, the messenger of God, is the
sharpened arrow whose words pierce to the
heart’s core. Some people listened to his
uncompromising message and changed the
direction of their lives. But others resisted.
Lord, this Advent, give me a welcoming heart.
Help me be open to the messengers of Your word,
especially to whose whom, at first glance, I might
resist, for they are Your prophets today. They urge
me to change my way of thinking and living

December 9, 2018

2nd Sunday of Advent C
Baruch 5: 1-9; Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11; Luke 3: 1-6
We are in the wonderful season of Advent.
A beautiful time of hope and joy as we anticipate Christmas in a few weeks. We hear the word ‘joy’ so
often in carols and on Christmas cards and in banners and on ornaments…what does joy mean? It is
defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness…encompassing tears of joy and the joy of being
alive. I ask myself, where am I at today? Where are you at today? Are we too absorbed in our busyness
to reflect on being people of joy? In Baptism we were named for Christ. This means that followers of
Christ are called upon to look around themselves for the presence of Christ in their world and to live so
that others can see Christ present in them. That is what it means to be ‘alive in Christ’. Am I giving
time to myself to see how blessed my life has been? Or am I so caught up in the ‘Christmas rush’ that
I’m not spending time with the most important part of my life — The Now? God has blessed each of
our lives and is with us in the now…do we rush through these moments and miss God’s presence in the
people that are in the now with us? The readings and today’s feast are calling for us to stop…be aware…
of the God moments now. How am I doing in this? What does it take for me to be aware of the NOW?
The first reading is taken from the book of Baruch. He was a well known secretary of the prophet
Jeremiah and is looking back at Jeremiah experiences especially the with the Jewish exiles while in
captivity in Babylon. His main focus is on the repentance of the people who cried out to God having
realized they had abandoned God and His ways. They had lived for themselves alone…God was not in
the picture. Babylon had torn them from their homeland; this made them realize they belonged to God
and begged for His deliverance. Baruch’s imagery uses Jerusalem as a ‘grieving mother’. During their
long exile she wore “a robe of mourning and misery”. Now on their return she wears something entirely
new. The garment is spiritual…it displays the glory of God. God was the one who arranged their return.
The compassionate God of Israel heard their prayers. The path was difficult but “God is leading Israel in
joy by the light of His glory, with His mercy and justice for company.” I take a moment and look at my past life:
how many times and circumstances have I been in that I never thought I would survive…so many
hopeless times…so much fear and trembling…alone…nowhere to turn…and here I am today. It’s all
about God; His infinite wisdom and love…His compassion and care…and I’m grateful.
Paul is already celebrating the good work that is being showcased by the Philippian community. This
was the first Christian community in Europe. In the Acts of the Apostles we hear of the conversion of a
business woman Lydia; the exorcism of a slave girl; and after an earthquake, while Paul and Silas were
imprisoned in Philippi, the faith and baptism of a jailer and his family. These people are not in Paul’s
letter but we hear how this community continued to support him and the persecuted Christians. They are
living the values of Jesus. They see that each day and each moment is an opportunity to live Jesus. J.B.
Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English translates today’s last sentence from Paul so beautifully: “My
prayer for you is that you may have still more love—a love that was full of knowledge and every wise insight. I want
you to be able always to recognize the highest and the best, and to live sincere and blameless lives until the day of
Christ. I want to see your lives full of true goodness, produced by the power that Jesus Christ gives you to the glory
and praise of God.” This is what living in the moment each day with Christ and in Christ means…a
wonderful goal.
St. Luke wrote a gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He sees salvation history consisting in three
periods: that of Israel (Old Testament), Jesus the Messiah (Gospel of Luke) and the new founded church
(Acts of the Apostles). The last prophet of the first period was John the Baptist and he is preparing the
people for the time of the Lord overlapping the second period. This is how today’s reading begins
situating John the Baptist in a specific historical time and place. Luke is specific because God sent the
Lord, the Messiah at a particular and specific time in the history of the world. God has done the same
for each of us. I have wondered ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have lived at this time or place’…and like others,
I daydream. But God’s intention was for me to be here…now…at this place…in this time…blessed
with the unique gifts from the Holy Spirit so that I can be Jesus NOW to those individuals God knows
need to see a witness testimony of His Son.
Jesus’ work was specific…He would set things right: raising valleys, lowering mountains and making
winding paths smooth so that God’s saving love could be accessible to all. All will know of God’s love.
All will be able to see and feel and hear and be touched by and speak of how God has created each
person in love. Love is what it is all about. Love is God. God is love. Is this how we view ourselves?
Stop as often as possible this season to see God’s touches of love.
Franciscan Media gives these suggestions:
A. “Advent is a time of peace and reconciliation. We can do so by extending our hand offering an olive
branch of goodwill and forgiveness toward those who have offended or hurt us.
B. As we stand at the beginnings of a new year, we can forgive the person who is the most difficult to
forgive: ourselves. It is not easy to forgive others, but it is even more challenging to forgive
ourselves.
C. God wipes away our sins when we celebrate Reconciliation; our sins are gone and forgotten.
Advent invites us to deepen our faith in a loving, listening, and forgiving God.
D. Advent is also a season of good change, similar to Lent; we try to make changes in ourselves that
are permanent, not temporary.
E. As we prepare for the wonderful time of Christmas, we are probably distracted by all the hustle and
bustle of the season. Take a few moments at the Christmas creche and contemplate the real meaning
of this season. Prepare the way of the Lord in your life.”
I reflect on:
—How God brings to completion the good work begun in me by Jesus.
—-And the obstacles (valleys…hills…or rough ways) that need removing so that I can experience and
see God’s saving love today.
Sacred Space 2019 shares:
“John, the cousin of Jesus, is a challenging figure. He, the messenger of God, is the sharpened arrow whose
words pierce to the heart’s core. Some people listened to his uncompromising message and changed the direction
of their lives. But others resisted.
Lord, this Advent, give me a welcoming heart. Help me be open to the messengers of Your word, especially to
those whom, at first glance, I might resist, for they are Your prophets today. They urge me to change my way of
thinking and living.”

December 2, 2018

1st Sunday of Advent
Jeremiah 33: 14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3: 12- 4:2; Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36
Christmas decorations are springing up. Many use the weekend of Thanksgiving to get ready for the
Christmas season. Our family had its annual drawing for our ‘Christmas elf’ last night. For a
number of years we put names in the hat and select one person for our ‘Christmas gift’ person. We
find it brings the family closer together and also enables us to be aware of those who are in real
need.
Yet Advent is also a time that we should be concentrating on ourselves. The definition of Advent is
‘the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.’ Wikipedia says, ”Advent is a season observed in many
Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at
Christmas as well as the return of Jesus at the second coming. The term is a version of the Latin word meaning
‘coming’. Wikipedia immediately follows with stories on Cyber Monday shopping…Luxury advent
calendars are officially out of control…People are dropping upwards of $200 on novelty Advent
calendars… How can we focus ourselves on where our lives are going and where they perhaps have
drifted away from the meaning of our faith: God’s love for each and every person. Are our hearts
focused on the power of heaven for guidance and comfort? We look to the skies and see that the
clouds are heavy and rains will be pouring down…perhaps it will turn to snow. We see the change in
seasons has begun with the falling leaves. Daylight Savings Time on November fourth continued the
long tradition started by Benjamin Franklin to conserve energy. We can predict storms and so much
more; Jesus asks us today to “be vigilant at all times”. Let nothing or no person keep us from realizing
that God is actively with us and leading each person closer to Himself and to the glories of Heaven.
IS THIS OUR ADVENT THEME AND REFLECTION THIS YEAR?
The key phrase in the first reading is “I will fulfill the promise I made…” Jeremiah’s mission is to
continue to build up the kingdom established by God for David. If everyone, from king to
commoner listens to God’s instructions and lives them, they will realize their full potential as God’s
chosen ones, totally loved. Unfortunately the people rejected Jeremiah’s encouragement. They
failed to put God first. They put so many ‘other idols’ in their lives. But Jeremiah is looking beyond
this fierce resistance and seeing a much brighter future days. In 2 Samuel 7:13 “I will establish
{David’s} royal throne forever.” A ‘just king’ will rise from David’s line. This ‘king’ will bring about
what His predecessors could not…because this ‘king’ will be the Messiah. God will shepherd His
people once more/again. Am I listening this time around? How can I avoid being caught in the
frenzy of false ‘idols’ around Christmas and see that God is talking to me now!
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is the earliest in existence Pauline letter we have. It was
written in the early 50’s. We know that all of Paul’s letters were written before any of the Gospels
were written. Here the community at Thessalonica were concerned that their loved ones are dying
before Jesus has returned. They thought that the end times, the parousia, would usher in the end of
the world. Why are their loved ones dying? Are they going to be taken up to heaven? Paul is telling
them it will happen, but we don’t know when. Beware that your hearts do not…become focused on
yourselves and everyday concerns but continue to “be blameless in holiness.” Continue to live as
being loved by God and being people of love. This is what counts. Am I doing this? Is this how I
live this Advent season?
All of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) include an apocalyptic scene in which Jesus
warns His disciples, including you and me, of the end-times. Luke does not include the destruction
of Jerusalem as an indicator of the last times. He is very clear about cosmic signs with the sun,
moon and stars and the turmoil with the nations of the world as well as the consternation of the
earths oceans and seas. ALL of this will cause FEAR. But what will come is the fulfillment written
in Scriptures. The language Luke uses is directly from Daniel 7:13-14 “I saw One like a son of man
coming on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, He
received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every language serve him HIs dominion is an
everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away his kingship shall not be destroyed.” This was the
language the early Christians used to talk about the coming of Jesus. Luke is saying that this is when
redemption is at hand. This will be the end of persecution and terrors and fear. NOW since no one
knows WHEN this will happen…be careful. We can become so lazy and find ourselves resorting to
old patterns of daily life. I can so easily be caught up in to what the ‘crowd’ is doing around me and
fail to see that this ADVENT is a time for me to turn in on myself and to daily examine my
priorities. Am I finding time each day to realize that I have been loved and blessed by God? Am I
sharing these blessings and His love? Am I remembering that God is Lord and I must conduct
myself to please God? This is the focal point of Paul today. Am I praying for the strength to avoid
the pitfalls that so often steer me away from God? So often we WANT a timetable when the END
will come. Jesus says, ‘No one knows except the Father.’ The Scripture verses today are not telling
us when but rather what kind of people we are becoming as we prepare for our last days.
Some Advent ‘vigilances’ from St. Anthony Messenger Press:
A. For over a month, we’ve already been bombarded with ads for Christmas merchandise in stores
or online.
B. For most people, December is—or could easily be—their busiest month socially. Because of
that, many organizations have moved some annual events to another month.
C. For many other people, this season is especially difficult because of personal or family losses
since last December. Larger groups may also have similar experiences.
D. Advent is a perfect time to ask whether we are steering our lives or are allowing them simply to
be swept up in a momentum created by other people.
E. Advent is an ideal time to drop some activity that we may feel obliged to repeat although it has
grown stale over time.
F. Why not replace it with one of the corporal or spiritual works of mercy such as visiting the sick
or feeding the hungry?
G. Jesus is the best fulfillment of Isaiah’s statement “The Lord is our justice.”’
Sacred Space 2019 shares:
“Jesus is using traditional Jewish symbolism to describe what will happen when God’s final judgment occurs.
He says that people will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud.’ The cloud is a symbol for God’s presence.
Jesus’ message bursts with hope and confidence because, unlike those who have reason to fear His coming,
Jesus’ followers will be able to hold their heads high because their liberation is at hand.
Jesus urges me to be on guard so that my heart is not weighed down by the worries of life. What are the
worries and cares of life that weigh me down today? As I prepare for a conversation with Jesus, can I bring my
worries and cares to Him in prayer?”

November 25, 2018

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Daniel 7: 13-14; Revelation 1: 5-8; John 18: 33-37
I’m sure that many of us shift into this once in a while: we wonder if evil will be ever overcome? Will
there be an end to hatred and violence? Will there be an end to attacking and downgrading people from
those in authority, from ourselves and those we love? Will love conquer evil? Will God win the battle
against Satan…and the forces of evil? We somehow get caught in the position that evil has a chance of
winning since we see its triumphs so often. We know this can’t be the case, but we wonder. Why?
Does this come from our own negative thinking? Does this come because at those times our faith is not
very strong or we have a lot of unresolved doubts? Does this come when we have a problem with
trusting and believing people, even those close to us, and perhaps, regrettably, God? When this happens
we usually find that we are being negative with the people around us, especially those whom we love
and are special. My mom would say to me at times, ‘Why are you so contrary of late? Well, why do I
do this? Why do we do this? The readings assure us today that God has ultimate supremacy over the
earth…over me…over every person. The voices that spew violence, hatred and chaotic pandemonium
definitely will be overcome and the Word of God that spoke all into being will be the final word.
The Babylonian Exile also called the Babylonian Captivity was the forced detention of Jews in
Babylonia following the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon. Several
deportations took place, especially after each subsequent uprising in Palestine. In the beginning of the
Book of Daniel we read how Daniel and three of his friends were led into captivity. The king ordered
his chief eunuch to bring in “some of the Israelites of royal blood and of the nobility, young men without any
defect, handsome, intelligent and wise, quick to learn and prudent in judgment, such as could take their place in the
kings’ palace….” (Daniel 1: 3-4) Those selected were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Daniel’s
name was changed to Belteshazzar. He had the gift of interpreting every kind of vision and remained in
Babylon for close to sixty years. In today’s excerpt Daniel has been challenging the enslaved Israelites
to invest in the truth that as God’s people they should put God first. They had been drifting toward the
Babylonian gods. Daniel is telling them that there will be brighter days. He is reminding of the promise
God made to David through the prophet Nathan “I will establish David’s royal throne forever” (2 Samuel 7:13).
The Messiah is promised again and total commitment to the standards of heaven will provide a firm
foundation for this kingdom. It is the rule of God…it’s all about God and His plans and not mine.
Daniel states this in the last verse today, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away,
His kingship shall not be destroyed.”
The final book of the New Testament is the Book of Revelation. Its obscure and vivid imagery has lead
to various different interpretations. It does not refer to actual people or events, but is an allegory of the
spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between good and evil. The first verses state the purpose of the
book, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him, to show His servants what must happen soon…To
Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, who has made us into a kingdom of priests for His
God and Father, to Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen…’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the
Lord God, ‘the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” We come from God and we are
destined for God. Jesus redeemed the world by His total sacrifice of love. Now the tide has turned to
me…to each of us. John’s writings (his Gospel, three letters and Revelation) reflect the eschatological
belief that Jesus would return and defeat Satan’s kingdom of evil and hurt, ushering in God’s reign.
That reign is me…it is you…it is each and every person who believes and has been touched and lives
the love of God. We are the Church as the documents of Vatican II repeatedly bring out. So how am I
doing? What help do I need from the Holy Spirit? Do I realize that I am a needed disciple? All the
individuals of the Old Testament have left the ground work. Those in the New Testament have testified
to the truth of Jesus. Now what is needed is the lived version of the person of Jesus by you and me.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is before Pilate. The Jewish authorities want Jesus killed, but this can only
be mandated by the Roman secular authorities. That’s why they bring Jesus before Pilate accusing Him
of blasphemy. Pilate gets right to the point and asks Jesus if He is the King of the Jews. Pilate means a
secular king. We see Jesus is switching roles and begins to put Pilate on ‘trial’ by the way He phrases
His questions. Is Pilate convinced that Jesus is a King or is it just hearsay? Pilate shows his disgust for
the Jews. Jesus next responds that He is a King but not the King Pilate envisions. Jesus’ kingdom is a
spiritual reality, the ultimate reality: Pilate’s world means nothing, it is irrelevant to Jesus and the
Kingdom of God.
HE IS THE TRUTH. He is offering His Kingdom to everyone. Only those who believe in Jesus can
accept this offer. “For this was I born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who
belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” What is Jesus telling us? He shows us the nature of His Kingship:
He is a servant King. He washes feet. He touches the untouchables—sinners, diseased, crippled—with
His total love and shows they are loved. His throne was riding on the donkey and the cross. His
message was consistent: God loves each person, all the time. To belong to His Kingdom we are called
to be servants too: washing feet, caring for the least, the last, the lost and loving them.
How do I counteract fear, hatred, violence? I do this by embracing a vision of humankind as a family of
individual souls made in the image of God. I do this by seeing each person as a brother and a sister in
Christ. This vision brings about God’s vision of the world centered in the spirit of hope and compassion
that He taught.
So I reflect on:
• How do I describe the truth that Jesus came to share with the world, my world?
• How does my life make it known right now that I serve Christ, the King of the Universe?
• What is the normal relationship between a king and his people? How is this different from Jesus’
relationship with His people? How is it the same?
• As we come to the last day of the Church year, what has been the biggest step I have taken in my faith
life this year?
Sacred Space 2018 states:
“Jesus has to correct Pilate’s understanding of Jesus’ role: ‘My kingdom is not from this world’ or ‘My kingdom
does not belong to this world’. In spite of this warning, we have sometimes celebrated this feast in a (worldly)
triumphalist manner that does not harmonize with Jesus’ understanding of Himself.
Why is it important to read a scene from the Passion today? Does it help us grasp what the kingship of Christ
truly means? (Notice Jesus’ stress on truth in this passage.) How can Jesus be both king and suffering servant?

November 18, 2018

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time B
Daniel 12: 1-3; Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18; Mark 13: 24-32
When we read the Scriptures for the day, do we realize that there is a specific message for us? I try to ask
myself, ‘What is God telling me today?’ Do I realize that God is asking me to be a positive force of His
love as I go through my day? What happens when I fall into the ‘negative attitude’ because of all the evils,
hurt, anger, violence in the world? Am I an agent of hope ? Do I work harder at being a person of love? I
try to do these things but I fall easily into the ‘poor me’ syndrome of looking at things. This continues with
the question: why…why…and I realize all to well that God just doesn’t answer ‘why’ questions. God does
respond to the ‘what’ questions. Like: what do I believe…what do I hear the Spirit telling me…where is
the Spirit leading me…how can I impact my life in the direction the Spirit is continually leading me?
Today is the second last Sunday in the Liturgical year. It ends with the feast of Christ the King which we
celebrate next week, and begins with the first Sunday of Advent which begins in two weeks. So often in the
readings we see a negative bent in them coupled with the insistence that we change our ways and prepare
for our end days and the end of the world. These are present in the readings but there is much more
insistence in challenging me in forgiving and loving. With these two virtues in tow, I am a forced to change
my world into God’s sweeping future: a world of peace and love, a world of forgiveness and caring, a world
of faith and hope for the future. If I am not an agent in bringing about this ‘new world’ where I am, and
who is?
Todays first reading is from the Book of Daniel. In the book we learn from the examples of Daniel and his
friends how they continued to adhere firmly to God’s teaching of love and forgiveness and how God
protected them. They emerged from the intense flames of a fiery furnace unharmed. (chapter 3) and Daniel
came out of the lion’s pit unharmed. (chapter 6 & 14). The chapters continue to tell us that God will protect
His people from harm. Even through worry and distress over impending harm and cruelty, God will never
forget His people. God has never forgotten me or anyone. I might have given up on God or urgently
wondered where He was or why was He taking so long to help. But the real question that surfaced was
‘Don’t you have faith in Me…don’t you trust Me…when have I ever left you alone? The last sentence today
says it all: “But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever.”
Paul is taking a little different approach to his readers in reminding them of their Jewish traditions and
practices. In the past ordinary priests had offered daily sacrifices of animals for the forgiveness of sins.
Now Jesus’ one offering of Himself was the ultimate forgiveness made perfect. Now we are to live as a
people who have been redeemed. We feel the pull of sin but are redeemed sinners.
Today’s passage from Mark comes from the thirteenth chapter which is his most difficult because it uses
apocalyptic language describing and prophesying the complete destruction of the world, the end times. It
contains sections on: the foretelling of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, the signs that come
before the end times, the coming persecutions, and the presence of what he calls the great tribulation after
which will be the coming of the Son of Man. Now Mark’s gospel was written about the year 70, the very
time that the Jerusalem temple was totally destroyed by the invasion of the Roman army. He concludes
today’s passage with a positive note: “Learn a lesson from the fig tree.” Everything that Jesus is telling us will
happen will usher in a New Age which will be known as the Kingdom of God. Each one of us, everyone,
starting with Jesus’ disciples must learn to read the signs of the times. The example Jesus uses is when fig
trees begin to sprout their leaves, summer is coming. There is a strong sense of urgency throughout this
text. Something tremendous and monumental is coming. Everyone wants to know WHEN this will happen.
Jesus tells us only God knows when this will happen. I have lived through ‘end of the world’ predictions
which brings me back to this passage. So what am I to do: learn a lesson. Am I prepared for the end
times? Do I live today as it could be my last one? No, I don’t. But do I live this knowing that I will be
given very many opportunities to love and many opportunities to forgive? The Spirit is filling me with all
the graces and help I need to live this day with the Lord and for the Lord.
This reminds me of two tremendous books, the absolute best books on forgiveness I have ever read. Written
by Immaculate Ilibagiza, the first book, Left to Tell recounts how absolutely difficult it is to forgive. The
second book, Lead by Faith shares the aftermath of her story. She was hidden in a small bathroom for three
months with seven other women during the 1994 Rwandan civil war. She was unable to speak or make any
noise for fear of the soldiers right outside the house bent on raping, torturing and massacring. She prayed
the Rosary in silence all day but was not able to say, “Forgive those who trespass against us.” God
certainly did not mean that she should forgive those who were murdering her people. Yet as her world was
brutally passing these hours, God was present and helped Immaculee to force herself to say the whole
prayer. On finally being able to say these words of forgiveness she realized the Power of Our Father who
created us in His Divine Image to be brothers and sisters. These books are so powerful, I cried and cried,
often times having to stop reading because I couldn’t see through the tears. It is all about God and God’s
plan. Jesus has saved our world. There is nothing left but to live out God’s plan and show MY world that
God is love.
So I reflect on:
• What events in my life have made me feel as though the end is near?
• What remembrances of God’s presence have helped me continue on with my life?
• What do I think will happen after I die?
• Why do I think God created me to spend eternity with Him and all those who taught and showed me
love?
• What teachings of Jesus help me measure how successful I have been at living a good Christian life?
• How has my faith journey been this year? What are my plans for my faith journey next year?
Sacred Space 2018 shares:
“We frequently hear the phrase, ‘the signs of the times.’ This Gospel passage deals with the signs of the end times
How do you balance, or reconcile the description of these events (taken in part from the Book of Daniel) and the last
verse which states that ‘about that day or hour no one knows…but only the Father’?
Some Christians have been led astray by becoming fixated on signs of various sorts and prophesying the imminent
end of the world. It may be more prudent to expect the unexpected and simply be ready to welcome the Son of Man
whenever He comes. In the meantime, be consoled by Jesus’ words: ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will not pass away.’”

November 11, 2018

32nd Sunday Ordinary Time B
1 Kings 17: 10-16; Hebrews 9: 24-28; Mark 12: 38-44
How do I find God when my life is cluttered with all sorts of non-essentials? How can I disassociate myself
from the material attractions of the world and from being absorbed in ‘things’ that distract me away from
God? As I look at my life I see that the Lord has blessed me more than abundantly. One of the hardest
things to do is to put my possessions and wants into perspective. It is a daily job for me. I continually have
to focus on the call to fast and sacrifice and to listen to the Spirit leading me. These are very difficult tasks.
Today’s readings help me with these tasks.
Down through the years I have had numerous evening discussions with high school and college students. I
am honored to hear their sharing of what has helped them in their lives. On a number of these occasions
students would share how they live, in a sense, a privileged life — they had very few cares. A number of
these students went on school ‘vacation trips’ helping the disadvantaged, the poor, and people in hopeless
situations. They always came back ‘refreshed’ in a sense but filled with gratitude and a firm desire to
continue to help. Some have shared how they love to read magazine articles or books about people who put
God and the service of others first. These show them it is about caring…and caring is about giving…and
giving is about getting outside of themselves and loving. These ‘sessions’ have always been an inspiration
in seeing these young people living what our faith is about.
In today’s readings we have before us two examples of widows who are involved in ‘total’ life giving
sacrifices about others and not about themselves. What is the ‘secret’ of the ‘total giving’ of themselves?
What can I learn? What is the Holy Spirit teaching me?
In the first reading from 1st Kings, Elijah has stopped the rains from falling to show the people that the God
of Israel is the One who takes care of the people. This drought will continue until King Ahab repents from
his idolatrous ways and turns back to God. The drought continued and the king did not budge. Conditions
had worsened so much that even the brook that Elijah was using ran dry. God sends Elijah to Zarephath
which was the city where Ahab’s queen, Jezebel was from. God has commanded a widow from there to
feed Elijah and the first thing the prophet asks for is some water. Even though it hasn’t rained for a long
time, this widow had a steady supply of water. Then Elijah asks for food and the widow says she is just
about ready to bake their last bread and then she and her son will die. The prophet tells her “Do not be
afraid…” This is an amazing phrase…it is used 365 times in the Bible…one for every day of the year. Have
we ever thought about that? Is this a special message from God to each of us today? What does it tell me
right now about my trust and my faith? Well, the widow did exactly as Elijah said and what Elijah provided
with his miracle was enough for them to live on for a year, the length of the drought. The woman offered
hospitality, trusting that her needs would be provided by God. How does my trust and faith compare with
this?
Mark’s gospel shares an example of a woman going into the synagogue and doing what she always did:
sharing what little she had. Why did she do what she did? Perhaps she had the realization that others are
worse off than she was, so she gave from her poverty while the others watching, especially those well off,
gave from their wealth. Mark starts the scene off with Jesus and the apostles in the temple watching the
people go by. Jesus then began to teach the onlookers telling them to beware of the scribes. Now the
scribes were a group of Jewish leaders who flourished from the time of the Exile until Titus came in 70 AD
and destroyed the Jewish State. Originally this term was used merely of clerks whose function was to copy
royal and sacred manuscripts. Now they had responsible positions and had fancy clothes, and made
themselves known around the temple. They wanted and expected special places at banquets and other
celebrations. It was noted that they had a reputation of representing widows in order to be trustees of their
estates and took an exorbitant fee for this work demanding a large portion of the estate.
Now Jesus directs his attention away from the scribes and focuses on the poor widow. Jesus and the others
were casually observing the people paying their temple tax by putting money in the appropriate treasury
boxes. The wealthy gave large amounts because they could, but how many did it for show? It really wasn’t
a sacrifice for them, the money they gave would not even make a dent in their pocket money. Jesus spotted
this poor widow who put two small coins into treasury…she gave from her poverty while they gave from
their wealth. The passage seems to indicate that the widow gave all she needed to live on. But another
interpretation could well be that Jesus is criticizing the Temple system for allowing a poor widow, and any
poor person to contribute money they needed to live on. Shouldn’t the Temple exist to help and give and
not be concerned with receiving? Later on in Mark, we see that Jesus will predict the destruction of the
Temple because it failed to care for the widows and the orphans.
So many people in our world go about each day doing what they can to make ends meet. They wonder how
to pay the bills. They worry about their children and elderly parents. They are caught in low-paying jobs
with no hope of advancement. People in other lands live in makeshift refugee camps…are separated from
their families…stand in long lines for food rations. They do this because they hope for a better tomorrow
and they trust in you and I to help them. The widows are TEACHING me today to:
- ask God for His grace that I can be generous to those in greater need than I.
- allow God to use me as an instrument of His love, care and support for those in need.
- give from my poverty, not simply my surplus.
So I reflect on:
• How do I put God and God’s people first in my life?
• When has giving from my poverty or want resulted in my receiving more?
• What does it mean to be poor? What measure do I use to judge the wealth of others?
• Why does it seem the most people who do something to help the poor give money or goods instead of
time and presence? Which is more valuable in helping to alleviate poverty: material goods and services,
or time and presence? Why?
Sacred Space 2018 states:
“Widows are mentioned in both sections of this gospel…they represent the poorest and most vulnerable…But those
who multiply their sufferings can be seen…praying in public and seeking to be honored. Such hypocrisy is hateful to
Jesus.
Then Jesus sees s poor widow putting her last couple of small coins into the temple treasury. He is astounded and
contrasts her generosity with the disposition of the rich who made large offerings ‘out of their abundance.’ Implicitly He
may be criticizing the religious authorities for the pressure they put on people to part with what they cannot afford. Do I
appreciate the qualities that can be found in the widows (and other poor) of my world?”

November 4, 2018

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deuteronomy 6: 2-6; Hebrews 7: 23-28; Mark 12: 28-34
When November turns and we celebrate the feasts of All Saints (November 1) and All Souls (November 2),
we are reminded of those special people who have preceded us and have touched us. They are models of
commitment, of dedication, of faith, of doing those little things that have consistently shown us that life is
more than just about me.
They have put an exclamation point on the fact that love is what it is all about coupled with faith and hope.
It is all about God. God is love. God loves each one of us into existence. God continues to care for each of
His creations every moment of existence till each person comes to be with God in heaven. Is this the goal
that we are working for? Do we feel, ‘Well I’m a long way from my last days, so I have time to work on
this later’. Today’s readings prompt us to take time to examine God’s love and to recommit ourselves to
‘be love’.
Fr. Richard Rohr is an outstanding spiritual writer and teacher. He also has a daily website Center for
Action and Contemplation where he shares his daily meditation. This is free for the asking and I find
tremendously riveting as I continue my journey to the Lord. On October 28, 2018 he shares these words
entitled, ‘Love, the Most Essential Thing.’
“The most powerful, most needed, and most essential teaching is always Love. Love is our foundation and our destiny.
It is where we come from and where we’re headed. As St. Paul famously says, ‘So faith, hope, and love remain, but the
greatest of these is love.’ (I Corinthians 13:13)
My hope, whenever I speak or write, is to help clear away the impediments to receiving, allowing, trusting, and
participating in a foundational Love. God’s love is planted inside each of us as the Holy Spirit who, according to Jesus,
‘will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you’ (John 14:26).
Love is who you are. When you don’t live according to love, you are outside of being. You’re basically not real or true
to yourself. When you love, you are acting according to your deepest being, your deepest truth. You are operating
according to your dignity. For a simple description of the kind of love I am talking about, let’s just use the word
outflowing. This will become clearer as we proceed.
All I can do is remind you of what you already know deep within your True Self and invite you to live connected to this
Source. John the Evangelist writes, ‘God is love, and whoever remains in love, remains in God and God in them’ (1
John 4:16). The Judeo-Christian creation story says that we were created in the very ‘image and likeness’ of God—who
sets the highest bar for this kind of outflowing love (Genesis 1:26-27). Out of the Trinity’s generative and infinitely flowing
relationship, all of creation takes form, mirroring its Creator in its deepest identity.
We have heard this phrase so often that we don’t get the existential shock of what ‘created in the image and likeness of
God’ is saying about us. If this is true, then our family of origin is divine. It is saying that we were created by a loving
God to also be love in the world. Our core is original blessing, not original sin. Our starting point is ‘very good’ (Genesis
1:31). If the beginning is right, the rest is made considerably easier, because we know and can trust the clear direction
of our life’s tangent.
We must all overcome the illusion of separateness. It is the primary task of religion to communicate not worthiness but
union, to reconnect people to their original identity ‘hidden with Christ in God’ (Colossians 3:31). The Bible calls the state
separateness ‘sin’. God’s job description is to draw us back into primal and intimate relationship. ‘My dear people, we
are already children of God; what we will be in the future has not yet been fully revealed, and all I do know is that we
shall be like God.’ (1 John 3:2)
Henceforth, all our moral behavior is simply ‘the imitation of God.’ First observe what God is doing all the time and
everywhere, and then do the same thing (Ephesians 5:1). And what does God do? God does what God is: Love. God
does not love you if and when you change. God loves you so that you can change!”
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. He is concerned for the well being of the people of Israel
when the time comes for him to leave them. He has been their spiritual guide for forty years. Now Joshua
will replace him and lead these people into the Promised Land. Todays first reading from Deuteronomy
reminds them and us that “… you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your strength.” They must recognize that the Lord alone is God. Nothing can take the place of God in their
lives. They are not to compromise this love by preferring things and goods to God. These verses are called
the Shema from the Hebrew word ‘hear’. This affirms the basic tenets of the Jewish faith.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning in her famous words asked, “How do I love thee?” Jesus asks the same of us today
in saying which is the first of all the commandments. He repeats the Shema and then adds the prescription,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So our reflection rests on how do we love God? How do I love God
individually, not just once or on occasion, but how do I live love? How do I love every person who comes
into my life and those who are there all the time? This is who my neighbor is! G. K. Chesterton once
wrote, “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies—probably because they are
generally the same people.” The absolute best way is to pray for those who we have the hardest time with…
prayer can turn our hearts into love and it is noticeable. They certainly need love and I certainly need
people to pray for me so that I am tuned in to God’s meaning of love and my gratitude for being loved.
Now love can be very simple, like a phone call, or sending a card. It can be a little more time consuming by
visiting, or doing errands, or giving a helping hand. There is no little kind of love…all love is giving,
caring, sacrificing, it involves forgiving and forgetting, it always involves doing. So how am I DOING in
my loving?
I reflect on:
• I look at the examples of how I love God by loving my neighbor as myself.
• Who do I find it difficult to love? What might help change that?
• Have I asked God how much He is loving me right now? Do I do this even when I am in the midst of
sin? Am I afraid to do this?
• Do I sometimes choose to be blind? Or deaf?
• How is my prayer like the pleading of the blind man in today’s gospel passage?
• Jesus calls me to a life of service, how do I respond? Do I sometimes fail to hear His call? Why? Is
something else consuming me?
Sacred Space 2018 states:
“What would it feel like—be like—to love God with all my strength? Have I seen that kind of love in anyone else?
Jesus told the scribe that he was not far from the kingdom of God. What did He mean by that? Was the man’s
understanding coming closer to the reality of the kingdom? When have I felt close to the kingdom of God? What was
on my mind? What was I doing?”

October 21, 2018

 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time B Isaiah 53: 10-11; Hebrews 4: 14-16; Mark 10: 35-45 I’m sure that most of us can look back at our parents and grandparents and see how hard they worked to give us the opportunities to ‘advance’ in this world of ours. Many of them were first or second generation citizens. Some might have come from different situations in their countries of birth and experienced hardship. I’m sure many of us heard them tell us how much they sacrificed for us. Most of us saw how they sacrificed and we are so very grateful. They raised us and taught us many life-long values that we have passed on. We have indeed been blessed and it has been an honor to pass these on as a part of our heritage and our deep seaated love of family and life. Part of what we have passed on is our faith and love of God. Tradition tells just act John the Evangelist was the youngest of the twelve apostles perhaps only a teenager. Tradition also tells us that he was the only one not married. He also was the only apostle that stayed at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother, Mary. John’s brother was James; the two of them were partners in the fishing business with their father and Peter and his brother Andrew. They must have had a business that was growing considering they had the five of them working and perhaps others they had hired. Today their mother came to Jesus asking for His help in giving her sons a good ‘position’ when He came into His kingdom. Did she expect Jesus to be a earthly ruler…a king even? Did she realize that He was the Messiah? Did she realize that Jesus would die and save the world? Did she know that Jesus would usher in an enormous persecution and killing of all those who followed His way? Did she know what she was asking? The apostles had no idea what would happen. Jesus answered them by identifying greatness with sacrifice. Whoever wishes to be great must be a servant, for Jesus came to serve and not be served. This is the total way of God. Love and service. We see this in today’s readings. Isaiah starts this off with the fourth and last of the“Servant of the Lord” oracles. The footnote in the Catholic Study Bible describes it in this way, “An extraordinary description of the sinless Servant, who by his voluntary suffering atones for the sins of his people and saves them from just punishment at the hands of God. Only in Jesus Christ is the prophecy perfectly fulfilled.” Since the servant runs counter to the prevailing interests of past monarchs, Ahaz and Hezekiah, He suffers: the world dismisses Him, oppresses Him, and ultimately puts Him to death. No one wants a poor king they want a glorious one. The scripture commentary in Sunday Homily Helps states, “At first hearing it comes as a surprise to learn that God was pleased ‘to crush His infirmity.’ But this was so because His suffering brought about so much good. He gave His life as an offering for sin. He bore the guilt of others, His death won them justification before God. By what the servant endured for God the entire nation is renewed and brought back to life. They now regard the servants as the one who healed them. They now know that service to God is their highest honor.” The people of Jesus’ time did not know a king who was like them nor a high priest. These lived with servants and in luxury. They didn’t associate with the ordinary people, ever. They were above and beyond these ‘underlings’. Paul tells us Jesus wasn’t like that…because of His humanity, Jesus is able “to sympathize with our weaknesses..one who has similarly been tested in every way”

October 14, 2018

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time B Wisdom 7: 7-11; Hebrews 4: 12-13; Mark 10: 17-30 Do I feel comfortable because I am a priest and a Catholic that I have an inner road to heaven? Do I feel that being a Christian I have an upper hand and God will forget about my inadequacies? Have I ever spent time in working on my ‘bad habits’ or ‘sinful tendencies’? Every Lent, most Advent’s and on New Years’ I make some sort of ‘resolutions’ but am I ever sincere in these? When I do take time to ‘work on me’ do I ask God for help and join in a ‘partnership’ of tackling my ‘problems’? Am I afraid of going in this ‘partnership’ with God, maybe feeling ‘I don’t really want to get rid of that fault’? Have I ever noticed that my predominant fault has slipped into the background? If it has, was this God’s work and did I express my gratitude for this? What makes me reluctant to work on my predominant fault? Do I like keeping it? Do I feel it would be too much work to give it up? Do I just say, ‘Well that’s just me…you have to accept me with all my flaws and faults? In the Gospel today the man asked Jesus, “What must I do…”. Have I asked God this same question, inserting my ‘predominant fault’ in the question? Today’s readings help us. People have been coming to Solomon to ask about his ‘wisdom’. He consistently tells them that just because he is a king, he came into the world just like everyone else. “In swaddling clothes and with constant care I was nurtured. For no king has any different origin or birth, but one is the entry into life for all; and in one same way they leave it.” (Wisdom 7: 4-6) Then he turns to God with today’s passage, “Therefore I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded , and the spirit of Wisdom came to me.” (NOTE: The actual words of the prayer constitute the 10th Chapter of Wisdom.) Solomon loves wisdom more than the ‘stuff’ of royalty: riches, priceless gems, gold and silver. All the limited gifts are much more secure when one has wisdom to use them wisely, prudently and lovingly. Then there is little danger of these things of the world getting in the way of putting God first. Paul is telling us that God’s Word is deep within. God has created each of us in His love. We are never separated from that love. “Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” The Roman soldiers’ sword was two edged and very effective. It was razor sharp on both sides so that it could cut deeply both ways. Since God created us and is always with us, He ‘penetrates’ our hearts with His love. This allows us to look deep inside ourselves which gives us the opportunity to get in touch with God’s love. God’s love may seem hidden to us, but it is always present and operative. Am I allowing God to love me? Do I realize that God is only concerned about me? I do not have to DO anything to be eligible for this love. God loves! God loves me! I am a sinner…but I am a loved sinner…and I am a redeemed loved sinner. I can never reflect on this sufficiently. Now since God loves me, it stands to reason that God has called each person to be love. Since we are called to be love we have been commissioned by our Baptism to be Jesus’ disciples. In today’s gospel we hear exactly about the cost of discipleship. A man specifically comes to Jesus with his confusion to get a clarification about what a disciple must do and how he can inherit eternal life? Jesus shared the absolute importance of the Commandments. The man had followed all of these, but he knew that he was missing something. He knew he was a good person. He knew that he had been faithful to all the commandments. But why did he feel that there was still much more for him to consider? “Jesus, looking at him, loved him…” He was honest and sincere. But the man knew that there was something blocking him from a deeper knowledge and experience of God in his life. What was this? He was well off…he had many possessions. It is important to know that ‘traditional wealth’ was understood by Judaism as a sign of God’s blessing. And the opposite: poverty, sickness, disease was considered a sign of God’s disfavor. Now being wealthy did not necessarily imply it was OK to be selfish or have a lack of concern for those in need. The man just couldn’t give up what he had. Do I view that everything I have is a gift from God? Do I realize that gifts are meant to be used and not abused? Do I realize that my gifts are meant to be shared? Do I realize that gratitude must be supreme in my acknowledgement of my gifts? Jesus goes on to teach that wealth, possessions can be a real stumbling block for anyone and everyone wanting to enter the Kingdom of God. Is it impossible? No! Does it make it really hard to focus on God, love, caring and giving when I have been given so much? Definitely! Only God can help me in re-focusing my priorities. Just Jesus’ example of a camel going through the eye of a needle shows that it is only through God’s grace that all things are possible. This teaching certainly was very disturbing to the disciples and to every person journeying to heaven. Peter asks the question that was probably on the minds of each of the apostles: what about us? Jesus tells them and us to continue on…realize how important it is to realize that you are not the center of your world. One author put it this way, ‘You just can’t get to heaven holding on to baggage you want to bring with you. ‘ Another truism states, ‘You never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul.’ Sunday Homily Helps states: “Jesus goes even further. He says no person can get to heaven by himself/herself. We need a Savior who makes the impossible possible. Jesus is the narrow gate. Jesus opens our hearts to see our pride and self-righteousness, so we can choose to trust in Him alone.” Only God can save! So I reflect on: • What ‘preferences’ in my life could be the wealth I need to sell or give away? • When has indifference led me to good in ways I least expected? • Have I ever thought what is the price I pay to gain heaven? Why not? • Have I felt that entrance into heaven is guaranteed? • Can I appear to ‘my world’ as a good person and still not fulfill the words of the gospel? • How attached am I to my possessions? Can I have an abundance of material things and still be a good Christian? How do I do this? • Can those I love sometimes be a stumbling block to living a good Christian life? How and why? • Am I an example to those I love in my making God first in my life? Sacred Space 2018 states: “Today we are reminded of the difficulty that comes from being too attached to things and forgetting that true fulfillment comes from the love of God and the love of others. It is a great blessing to be free enough to use things for the purpose of loving. Without God, this kind of loving is impossible. I ask Him for His help. What are my honest struggles in following Jesus? What do I fear He will ask me to give up? What do I cling to, unsure that grace will be enough? I pray now for the grace to trust with open hands.”

October 7, 2018

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time B Genesis 2: 18-24; Hebrews 2: 9 1-11; Mark 10: 2-16 So I ask: What is the most important aspect of life that I have discovered? What makes my life feel satisfied? What seems to spur me on to do more and be more? If I was to describe the wonderful moments in my life, I would look at the people in them? So often people feel the need to get away…to be alone…to have time just to exist and reflect on life and their place in it. When I have taken time to be involved in these precious ‘escape moments’ what ‘life discovery’ have I brought back with me? How do I feel being alone? Do I feel the need to be alone? In my ‘alone’ periods what life lesson discoveries have I made? Does God care about me? Do ‘I’ care about me? Do I need others to care about me? What is caring all about? Does it matter to me at all that I need to live my life with others? One thing that is obvious if we think about it, we need each other. We live in a people world. We need people who are important to us… who care about us…who make us ‘alive’ as we live…who bring out the best in us. That’s how God created us. What happens is that we ‘complicate’ God’s plan. We don’t reduce all life to a common denominator. We feel that it is ‘me’ that is the most important person in ‘my world’. We feel life would be fine without others, especially if I could be the one to ‘choose’ who should be ‘left out’ of my ‘life plan.’ Fr. Richard Rohr has published a tremendous book on the Trinity, ‘Divine Dance’ the Trinity and Your Transformation. It is totally different. It explains that the Trinity is a Trinity of love: All love each Other and All love you and me…all the time…with no conditions or exceptions. I am loved. You are loved. Do I look on God as being Total Love…all Three Persons…all the Time? Do I realize that Jesus came to tell you and me about the Trinity’s love and their love for each of us? Do I realize that the most important revelation of God is that we are called to live love as the Trinity does? And this is totally what Jesus showed us… talked about…and lived. Here are a few comments about the book: • From Bono U2, ‘Finding the sweet spot where contemporary science meets ancient mysticism, and theology meets poetry, the Divine Dance sketches a beautiful choreography of a life well-lived. In our joy or our pain, true life is always relational, a flow, a dance. (And was always meant to be.)’ • From Kevin Prosch, Singer, songwriter, and recording artist, ‘I didn’t think I needed to understand the hypostatic unity of the Trinity; I just needed to turn my life over to whoever made the Grand Canyon. Reading the Divine Dance gives me the same feeling—I want to get up and move!’ I feel today’s readings lead us to God and the message of love and living. The Book of Genesis: Adam is enjoying the Garden of Eden and the fruits of its many trees. He is forbidden to eat from one of them because it later comes to light that this tree brings with it the knowledge of suffering and death. Relationship is about living, not dying. YET ADAM IS LONELY…He doesn’t feel complete. God recognizes Adam’s need for a ‘suitable partner’. Notice that this is the FIRST TIME in the creation account that God declares something to be ‘not good’. God has created all sorts of animals and has Adam ‘name them,' earlier God did the naming. And God presents the woman to him and blessings come and this is why “a man clings to his wife and the two of them become one flesh.”WHAT is God’s plan…His will? Genesis makes it CLEAR: We Are Not To Be Alone. We are to live with each other and love each other as God loves us. Paul explains to the Hebrew community that through Jesus’ every death perfects salvation…’perfect’ means COMPLETE. Through Jesus we become sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. Do I realize how great this is? Can a mother forget a child…can a father reject his own flesh? Even if it happens, Jesus said, ‘I will never forget you!’ It seems that when we hear today’s Gospel we automatically wonder if ‘I’ agree with Jesus’ teaching on divorce. If He only knew what I have to live through…’ We miss the point! In the Gospel, the Pharisees and Jesus’ disciples miss the point too. Now Jesus debates the Pharisees concerning the correct interpretation of the Scriptures. The Pharisees go back to Moses, Deuteronomy 24:1, “When a man, after marrying a woman and having relations with her, is later displeased with her because he finds in her something indecent, and therefore he writes out a bill of divorce and hands it to her, thus dismissing her from his house…” if she leaves and marries another and this man dismisses her and on and on…The law is about grounds for divorce…Jesus asks if this is about people’s hardness of heart and not working on and living their relationships of love as seen from the Trinity. The marriage constitutes a new reality—the process of two people becoming one flesh. This is a new reality sanctioned by God….God’s plan predates Moses. Jesus roots His teaching in God, “What God has joined.” NOW A BIG POINT, not to be missed. Mark immediately tells how people were bringing children to Jesus “so that He might touch them.” If you have been to Rome for an audience with the Pope or at one of His masses… people are ALWAYS holding up their little ones to be touched, blessed, loved by Pope Francis…AND he always responds. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” At the time of Jesus and can be seen in the Holy Land today by certain Jewish segments, there is an inequality. Men do not talk to their wives in public or to any woman and never to the children. WHY? Aren't they people…aren’t they special…aren’t they to be loved…doesn’t God love them? JESUS is totally going AGAINST the ‘accepted norms’ of the day by showing us the EXTENT and the MEANING OF LOVE. Love constantly has to be worked on. Living the Word shares these words: “Sacrificial love is selfless and unconditional. What is God’s will? That we be committed and work through tough times. Don’t give up on each other until it is clear no solution can be found. What is God’s will? That we be like children. They are open, receptive, and trusting, until life evens tarnish those qualities. In Jesus’ day, children had no rights and were among the least of all. So pay attention to the least among us.” So I reflect on: • How do I come to know God’s will in my life? • Am I more grounded in the Law or God, to whom the Law leads? • When has faith seen me through difficulties? • How do I reconcile my agenda with God’s timetable? • Is love the basis of my commitment? How is commitment depicted in the gospels? How did Jesus express commitment? Sacred Space 2018 states: “The unity and love of a happy marriage is a gift from God. Unfortunately, many married people, for various reasons, have been unable to live this gift fully. As in other areas, our inability to live the ideal gives us much reason to turn to the grace and healing of Jesus. I can pray today for all married couples. May the compassion of Christ touch all those who are experiencing or have experienced difficulty in marriage.”

September 30, 2018

 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time B Numbers 11: 25-29; James 5: 1-6; Mark 9: 38-48 What do I forget most often living in God’s world? I would say, top of the list, would be that God loves everyone…always has, always will. Do I? No! Can I love as God loves? That is my goal each day, with only some success, but it’s a lifetime goal and can be accomplished with God’s help each moment. Not only does God love every individual, God dwells within all peoples from all times and to all of us living today. This is one of the divine mysteries of God. Do I see God in each person? Honestly, I don’t. Can I see God in each person? Only each day with each person with God’s grace and help. So what are the problems that exist in my life that hinder me from being aware of God and His love for me and every individual? Well, my life can get so crammed full with: busyness, possessions, material concerns, care for people I love and are dependent, friends, hobbies, volunteering, studying, writing these blogs that there seems to be little time left for God. The readings today remind me, as God always does remind me, to let go and let God love me because thats all He wants to do. And He loves each person all the time in the same way. Again, this makes me aware of the mystery of God and His attributes. Today’s reading from the book of Numbers is part of the narrative about God’s care for Moses and the people of Israel after their escape from Egypt and their sojourn in the desert. They have set out from Mt. Sinai, having received the Ten Commandments…the Covenant of God’s total love…and are on the way to the Promised Land. What happened, better what was on their mind: they were hungry for the FOOD they enjoyed in Egypt. They are now getting dissatisfied with the bread/manna from heaven. So they complain. A great reflection is to take a few days and write down what I have complained about…then come in prayer to the Lord. That certain is humbling. Well, Moses has come to see how much of a burden it was on him so He asks God to take his life. I have thought, ‘Lord if you want to take me today, I have no problem with that.’ Instead of listening to Moses God takes some of the ‘Spirit’, the gifts God has given to Moses and shares these with seventy ‘elders’. These begin to speak God’s word as Moses has but two weren’t present. God takes care of all the particulars…always…and these receive God’s gifts too. Joshua couldn’t understand this…how many times do I not understand God…but God’s ways are not my ways. It is so interesting that from this time onward Moses no longer is focused on himself but entirely on the welfare of the people. Now he refers to them not as ‘this people’ but ‘the people of the Lord.’ He realized that the people needed God’s Spirit. God is constantly giving His Spirit in our world today. Am I aware of this? Do I reflect at the end of the day on the people who touched me with God? Again, a humbling experience. The Letter of St. James focuses on the wealthy who must realize that all their possessions will pass away as they will and then what are they left with? It is not about accumulating but being conscious of how they can help others and ease their burdens of life. James sees so many who neglect the poor and just continue to cater to the rich. It is only the fruits of love and goodness that will build up our treasures for our heavenly journey. Am I living in this way? What do I need to do to live this way and be aware of others and God’s love? Jesus faces the same difficulties in the Gospel with His disciples who want to be ‘special’. They are jealous because they have experienced the gift from Jesus of driving out evil spirits. Obviously this made them feel very important. Now they hear about others who don’t belong to their IN group and are also driving out demons. How dare they do that! They have not yet arrived at the teaching that Jesus came to save ALL PEOPLE. There is NO IN GROUP and NO OUT GROUP. How blunt Jesus is: “There is no one who performs a mighty deed in My name who can at the same time speak ill of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you will surely not lose their reward.” Obviously Mark was struggling within his Christian community about who is a true member. Jesus continues by using the expression ‘cut off’ of a body part if it causes sin metaphorically. He uses the expression micros which is a Greek word that is translated at ‘little ones’. It really describes people who are considered insignificant, powerless and have no social standing, they are just unimportant. Jesus is using perhaps some of His strongest language to condemn this violence to those He loves, the marginalized, the oppressed. All these belong to God. Few scripture scholars think that Jesus meant this language to be taken literally. It just shows how much God loves all people, all the ‘little ones’, how He loves you and me. Do I live accordingly? Reflecting on the Word in Living the World gives a beautiful summary of today’s readings. “Today’s readings call our attention to where we see the action of God’s spirit, whether in friend, foe, or us. Jesus says, ‘Whoever is not against us is for us’. If someone does good rather than evil, manifesting the values of Jesus, see God’s spirit there. You may discover a model for how to live Jesus more clearly yourself. Rash judgment or overreaction, like that of the disciples, often blinds us to those models, especially when someone doesn’t fit our expectations. Think about the picture of Muslims in the Middle East, who surrounded Christian churches to protect them. Think about people who hid our Jewish sisters and brothers in an attempt to save them from the Holocaust. Think about first responders from all faiths and no faith, who entered crumbling buildings on 9/11. These people embodied the ways of Jesus, whatever their faith, culture, or way of life. Manifesting the spirit of God, as Eldad and Medad did, they are with us, even if not members of our ‘camp.’ Would that all people of faith clearly manifested the Spirit! Would that more people were willing to be surprised by God’s presence! St James reminds us that we are called to respond to the cries of the least, the last, and the lost, to be as concerned for others as we are for ourselves. Too often, self-centeredness, dividing who’s in and who’s out too hastily, fear of change, or habitual sin can fill our hearts. Full, there is no room to see God everywhere. Make room. Cut off or pluck out whatever takes God’s place, whatever limits us. Emptied, turn to God for eyes that see the Spirit, especially where we least expect. Whoever is not against us if for us.” I reflect on: • Who has surprised me because they lived the values of Jesus clearly? • What needs to change in me to live God’s justice and truth more clearly? • How hard is it too ask forgiveness from God? From each other? • Where do I have to change to be Jesus? Sacred Space 2018 states: “The followers of Jesus are not meant to be an exclusive group that despises the good work others do. We are encouraged to work with other Christians, and indeed with anyone of good will. The old slogan, ‘Outside the Church there is no salvation’ was a stumbling block to many good people, and now it must be left aside. Boasting has no place in the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit blows like the wind wherever it pleases and is at work incognito in every heart. God has a large imagination and labors to orchestrate all things for the world’s good. What stirrings of the Holy Spirit do I sense today?”

September 16, 2018

 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time B Isaiah 50: 5-9; James 2: 14-18; Mark 8: 27 -35 So if I was one of the disciples or maybe a relative just tagging along and I listened to Jesus’ question to His followers, how would I answer it? Would I try to hide, like students who don’t want to be embarrassed in front of their teachers by giving a wrong answer? Would I be eager to answer this question? Who do I really believe that Jesus is to me today? After following Jesus all this time and witnessing His healings and listening to His preaching and how He treated people, I would be anxious to hear Jesus tell me who He is. And He does…am I listening? Do I know the implications for me? Am I living accordingly? All Christians should ask themselves regularly: Is Jesus the Lord of my life? Is Jesus the most important person to me? Do I worship, praise, adore and honor Him accordingly? Each day we live we should accept the Lordship of Jesus more and see our own inflated self-importance diminish. Do I? We all have different positions of authority and are the ‘in-charge’ person in a few or many areas. Does this ‘go to my head’? How often do I live this way and then ‘my balloon bursts’? At these times do I recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit leading me closer to who God is in my life? He constantly does this! Throughout the Gospel of Mark, the evangelist is very careful not to reveal Jesus’ true identity. Often those who were healed were commanded by Jesus not to tell anyone. Scripture scholars call this ‘the Messianic Secret’. Another question is trying to trace how and when Jesus became conscious of His Messianic status. But Jesus commanded people He had healed to be silent about it , certainly an impossibility and we see that they disobeyed this request. It really was impossible for anyone to accept Jesus as Messiah until after the Resurrection. Often the people referred to Jesus as a prophet. His disciples viewed Him as the Messiah: a Davidic king, a warrior, an Apocalyptic figure (Daniel 7: 13-14). Jesus explains exactly what kind of Messiah He is: Like the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, Jesus is the Son of Man who will suffer and be rejected, killed, and raised after three days. Peter for one didn’t like or approve of this kind of Messiah. Jesus’ response, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does but as human beings do.” Jesus will repeat His passion prediction two more times in Mark (Mark 9: 31 and 10: 33-34). But still the apostles only understood this after the Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them. I made reference to the Suffering Servant in Isaiah. Isaiah introduces four oracles about this individual. (Isaiah 42: 1-4…49: 1-7…50: 4-11 and 52: 13 - 53: 12) In each the servant’s hardship increases, until in the last one, he is killed (Isaiah 53:8). Sr. Mary M. McGlone a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet and a historical theologian shares this about Isaiah’s selection today. “In today’s passage, the third of the servant songs, Isaiah depicts a servant - disciple, a prophet and more. As a disciple, his every day begins with obedient listening; he is in intimate communion with God, sharing God’s own heart. Because he is a prophet, the rest of his day is spent in spreading God’s word to the weary, or as Isaiah says in another place, giving hope to those who walk in the shadow of death. More than any other prophet, Isaiah’s servant submits to suffering, accepting it without complaint.” James is telling us that it is important to value the gift of faith given us by God. But more importantly what am I doing about it? Do I share my faith or is it just between ‘me and God’? If I’m concerned only with myself, this can make me deaf to the presence of God. It can easily isolate me from God’s compassion in the midst of conflict and anger and in the midst of brokenness and hurt. Do I listen to others with empathy…listening to them from their perspective? Do I realize that seeking the real meaning of happiness is experienced in seeing fulfillment in other’s lives? We can talk a good ballgame but we have to play the game. My faith must be seen in my actions, the way I live my life. I must constantly be making choices on how is the best way I can live as Jesus today. Jesus is expressing this today when He tells every one of His disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after Me just deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for My sake and that of the gospel will save it.” How do I do this? Every day I have sorrows and laughs, I have rewards and disappointments, I see love and hurt and I am commanded by Jesus to bring these with me as I love those God places in my life each day. I am asked to put aside my own importance, needs and dreams to help that ‘other person.’ I am asked to bring dignity, comfort and hope to another, just as I have received. If they don’t see Jesus in me, where will they see Jesus? When I bring forth and affirm the gifts of others and ask for forgiveness, I am the ‘servant’ who gains my life by losing it for the ‘sake of the Kingdom.’ Jesus is the suffering servant…am I putting myself in His shoes and being a servant to others? Living the Word, Scripture Reflections and Commentaries for Sundays and Holy Days shares these words about today’s Gospel. “Peter was identifying Jesus as the Christ. He did not want to hear that Jesus would be rejected and killed. Jesus makes clear that suffering and taking up one’s cross are part of life as His disciple. Whoever wishes to save one’s life will lose it, but whoever loses one’s life for Jesus’ and the gospel’s sake will save it. St. Francis de Sales advised us not to go looking for suffering. No, simply accept the crosses that are part of being alive or being faithful to the gospel. Opposition need not stop us. Suffering is the pits, but healing, wholeness and new life come from forging ahead with God, who is our help.” So I reflect on: • How do I handle that suffering that is part of life? • What crosses have helped me to find healing, wholeness and new life? • Who are the ‘children of God’ to me? Does it include Christian and non-Christian alike? • Earlier in Mark’s gospel, we are told to set our gifts down and go make peace with our brothers and sisters before we make an offering to God. Is this realistic? Do I avoid this statement? • When I say, ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,’ do I really mean it? • What is the importance to me for the sacrament of reconciliation? Am I afraid of being honest? Can this sacrament lead me to change? Am I afraid of changing? Sacred Space 2018 shares: “This is a painful scene: first Peter rebukes Jesus, then Jesus rebukes Peter. We can sympathize with Peter, because which of us can bear the thought of our best friend being tortured and killed? But Jesus tells Peter that God’s plans are so much bigger than he imagines. Someone has said that God’s dreams come to us several sizes too large! It takes us time to grow into them. What about my inner growth; have I stopped growing at some point, so that God cannot do more creative work with me?”