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?”