FEBRUARY 11, 2012
SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
GOD GIVES ABUNDANTLY
As a young boy, I can remember my mother setting out food for people who came to visit no matter what time of day it was. Those who came had the expectation that they were coming to eat a variety of good food and have their fill!
Jesus Himself provides bread in abundance for the hungry crowd that came out into the desert to seek Him. The Gospel records that all were satisfied and they took up what was leftover (cf. Mk. 8:8). When God gives, He gives abundantly. He bestows more than we deserve and need so that we may have something to share with others. Jesus Christ nourishes and sustains us with His life-giving Word and with His heavenly Bread. This supernatural food is healing for both body and soul and provides strength for our journey. When we approach the Table of the Lord, what do we expect to receive? Do we draw near with the hope of obtaining healing, pardon, comfort, and refreshment?
Speaking of healing today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is also the "World Day of Prayer for the Sick." We are reminded that Jesus Christ's reputation was that of a great Healer. We are blessed through science to have many people recover from illnesses and thus, prolonging their life on earth. But it is still true that a caring, human touch can also have a healing effect. There are many people from all over the world who still go to Lourdes, the greatest Marian shrine, seeking a miracle of healing.
This is what we acclaimed in today's Responsorial Psalm, "Remember us, O Lord, as You favor Your people" (Ps. 106:4). God did wonders for His people then and now!
FEBRUARY 10, 2012
FRIDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
HE DOES ALL THINGS WELL
Today we honor St. Scholastica, the twin sister of St. Benedict, both born in 480 A.D. She died in 547. We can learn much about her from the Dialogues of Gregory the Great which can be found online. St. Scholastica is held up to us as a person who tended well to the interior life. She listened to the teachings of Jesus Christ with the ear of her heart and obeyed them with great fidelity.
Jesus loved to tell parables in order to teach a lesson. Today's First Reading from the Old Testament is a parable, not in words but in actions. Jeroboam was a minister in the service of Solomon. When the prophet Ahijah tore his cloak into twelve pieces in the presence of Jeroboam, he was illustrating that Solomon's kingdom would be divided into the northern kingdom with ten tribes and the southern kingdom with one tribe, the tribe of Judah (which by David's time had incorporated the tribe of Simeon, thus accounting for all twelve tribes). From this point on the kingdoms of Israel and Judah go their separate ways, often in open hostility to one another. It is not a pretty picture.
The power of God is such, however, that even amid division and hatred He can work His plan. By divine irony God drew upon this situation to bring His Son into the world; born of the house of David and of the tribe of Judah. He sent His Son to reverse the movement of separation and to replace hatred with love. Jesus, on the night before He died - expressing the purpose of His mission - prayed that all might be one (cf. Jn. 17:21).
The deaf man who had a speech impediment is a symbol of disunity. Unable to hear or to communicate properly, he was cut off from those around him and forced to live a solitary life. Jesus cured him. Jesus is also the One Who can establish unity among us; a unity whereby we speak and listen to each other with respect and concern.
Jesus expresses Who God really is. He demonstrated both the beauty and the goodness of God in His words and actions. When Jesus healed the man who was both deaf and a stutterer He showed His compassion for this man's predicament. Jesus took him aside privately, no doubt in order to remove him from the embarrassment of the crowd. Jesus put His fingers into his ears and He touched His tongue with His spittle to physically identify with this man's infirmity and to awaken his faith. Immediately, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
What is the significance of Jesus putting His fingers into the man's ears? Gregory the Great, from the sixth century writes, "The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts His fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, He was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit." Jesus treats each of us with kindness and compassion and He calls us to treat one another the same way.
In the Responsorial Psalm we acclaimed, "I am the Lord, Your God: hear My voice" (Ps. 81:11, 9). We all have a common origin in Christ - our liberation and redemption. During this time of reflection ask yourself, "Have I taken my independence, my freedom, my human progress and my social welfare for granted?"
In the Eucharist God our Father gives us a share in the one bread and one-cup and makes us one in Christ. That oneness we all have with Christ must be expressed in our love and care for each other.
FEBRUARY 9, 2012
THURSDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
FOR THE SICK AND THE SUFFERING
I would like to begin today's reflection with a prayer: "O God, Your Son accepted our sufferings to teach us the virtue of patience in human illness. Hear the prayers we offer for our sick sisters and brothers. May all who suffer pain, illness or disease realize that they are chosen to be saints, and know that they are joined to Christ in His suffering for the salvation of the world, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
The sick people of Jesus' day were often assumed to be on God's wrong side and as such were often excluded from society. Healing was rare. While medicine is now a science able to help many people recover from illness, it is still true that a caring, human touch can also have a healing effect.
In Mark's Gospel (Ch. 7:24 - 30), Jesus praises a Gentile woman for her strong faith and for her affectionate love. She made the misery of her child her own and she was willing to suffer rebuff in order to obtain healing for her loved one. She stayed the course with persistence. Her faith grew when she came in contact with Jesus Christ. She began with a request and she ended on her knees in prayer before the living God. There isn't anyone who has sought Jesus with faith - whether Jew or Gentile - who was refused of His help. The words of today's Responsorial Psalm bring us great hope, "Remember us, O Lord, as You favor Your people" (Ps. 106:4).
What is the real miracle in all of this?
FEBRUARY 8, 2012
WEDNESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
EAR OF THE HEART
People are generally attracted to celebrities, whether they are movie stars, ball players or politicians. People are eager to see them, to touch them, and to get their autographs if possible. Solomon was surely a celebrity of his day, and so it is not surprising that the Queen of Sheba was eager to see him in person and to hear his words of wisdom. She was overwhelmed not only by Solomon himself but by the elegant trappings of his royal court.
Sometimes in their eagerness to meet celebrities people miss the really important persons in their lives; one Person in particular. That Person is Jesus Christ. Jesus has not chosen to surround Himself with the elegant trappings of a royal court but rather, He has willed to veil Himself under the simplicity of human words in the sacred Scriptures and under the appearance of ordinary bread and wine in the Eucharist. He will not give us His autograph, but every day He gives us His wisdom in the Scriptures and His nourishment in the Eucharist. Nothing can be more precious than these.
Today's Gospel is about the state of a person's heart. Jesus, in His simplicity as a God man, puts the message out to the crowds for all to hear. His focus is on the internal life - the life of the heart - which is far more important then the external. He tells the people that "nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile" (Mk. 7: 15 - 16). In effect, Jesus seems to be saying, "Don't put so much energy into focusing on what this world has to offer, rather, pay attention to how healthy your heart is." He is more interested in what is going on in our hearts. Jesus knows what is in your heart and whether or not you love Him and want Him in your daily life.
We live in a fast paced world, getting information and things we want at the touch of a button through cyberspace and with the eagerness of meeting highly visible people. God invites us to examine the state of our own hearts. Do I cause harm to another by speaking ill of the person? Do I refuse the gift of forgiveness to someone who has asked to be forgiven? Each one of us can find something in our hearts that needs to be healed. We can turn to Jesus - the great Healer - in prayer and He will hear us.
Let us not forget where Jesus is and where He wants to be. His desire is to be in the center of our being where He can dwell with us and where we can know Him. That is where He knows us!
FEBRUARY 7, 2012
TUESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
YOUR WILL NOT MINE; YOUR THOUGHTS NOT MY THOUGHTS
In the Responsorial Psalm we acclaim, "How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God" (Ps 84: 2, 4)! God's will not mine be done; His thoughts not my thoughts. For His thoughts are far above mine (cf. Is. 55: 8 - 9).
In Mark's Gospel today we see Jesus reprimanding the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy. They insist on a strict observance of even the smallest purifying regulations while at the same time, ignoring the far more important commandments of God regarding justice and mercy. For Jesus it comes down to an issue of placing human regulations over and above the commandments of God. This is even more devious because these religious leaders have the cleverness to justify their hypocrisy and thus promote their self- righteousness. Hypocrisy among so-called religious people is just as prevalent today as it was centuries ago. Jesus' words are meant to challenge all of us who claim to be His followers.
If we listen to God's Word with faith and reverence, It will both enlighten our minds and purify our hearts, thus enabling us to better understand how He wants us to love and serve Him and those around us. We must remember that real purification comes from within the heart.
This is God's will not ours!
FEBRUARY 6, 2012
MONDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED HIM
Today's First Reading presents a jubilant scene. King Solomon offers sacrifices before the Ark of the Covenant that priests had placed in the new Temple. The Ark represents the presence of the Lord in His new House. The joy and enthusiasm of the people is so intense!
How do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life today? In Mark's Gospel (Ch. 6: 53-56), we read about the people during the time of Jesus. What did they recognize in Him; a prophet, a healer, the Messiah, the Son of God? No less intense was the eagerness of the people to come in contact with Him from Whom went forth the power to heal. As Jesus left the boat, the people recognized Him and began to bring their sick friends and loved ones to Him. They were almost frantic in their attempts to come close to Jesus. For they truly recognized that He had power from God to heal and to make whole their bodies, minds, and hearts that were beset with disease, affliction, and sin.
Today we too have an Ark that represents the presence of God. We have the reality of the presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. And He remains active among us in His mercy and compassion. In the Mass, Christ in the act of His sacrifice - His death and resurrection - is the greatest sign of love for us. The Mass is an event, a happening, a dynamic reality. For what we receive we are called to share with others!
See what you are; become what you eat. We are the Body of Christ. Blessed and then broken, shared by us all so that we become Christ's presence to God's people.
Do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life?
FEBRUARY 5, 2012
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - B
HE HEALS THE BROKEN HEARTED AND BINDS UP THEIR WOUNDS
A priest friend of mine stopped to visit a poor family in Sioux Falls, SD, where I once lived. As he greeted the mother she burst into tears and exclaimed, "Oh Father, I just knew you would come today. I know you can help me." She poured forth a long list of problems and troubles. Here and there Fr. Joe offered a word of hope and encouragement but he seemed so utterly helpless in the face of all her miseries. Finally she finished. She paused a moment and then said, "Oh, Father, you have been such a help to me. You settled all my problems." He was bewildered; he had not solved a single problem. Then Fr. Joe began to realize that it was care and compassion that she needed most of all.
Today's Gospel tells us that Jesus "healed many who were sick with various diseases" (Mark 1:34). He could; He was God. How can we follow the healing Christ? We cannot work miracles; we cannot cure with the touch of a hand, a word, or a gesture. Nevertheless, we can share in the healing work of Jesus by visiting and praying for the sick. Like the priest in our story we may feel helpless, even discouraged in the face of pain, suffering, and need which we cannot relieve, much less cure. Jesus promised heaven to those who served Him when He said, "Come.inherit the Kingdom prepared for you.for I was sick and you visited Me." Even the Old Testament urges us to "be not slow to visit the sick; for by these things thou shalt be confirmed in love" (Sir. 7:39). We can be friendly and cheerful; lifting up the spirits of others. We can listen and pray!
Who are we really taking our troubles to? Jesus' disciples freely brought their troubles to Him because they found Him ready and able to deal with any difficulty, affliction, or sickness that they encountered. When Simon brought Jesus to his home, his mother-in-law was instantly healed because Jesus heard Simon's prayer. We need to allow Jesus to be the Healer in our lives, families, and communities. God's healing restores us not only to health but also to active service and care for others.
Jerome, a 3rd century Church Father, applies the lesson of the healing of Simon's mother-in-law to us, "Can you imagine Jesus standing before your bed and you continue sleeping? It is absurd that you would remain in bed in His presence. Where is Jesus? He is already here offering Himself to us. 'In the middle,' he says, 'among you He stands, Whom you do not recognize' (John 1:26). 'The Kingdom of God is in your midst' (Mark 1:15). Faith beholds Jesus among us. If we are unable to seize His hand, let us prostrate ourselves at His feet. If we are unable to reach His head, let us wash His feet with our tears (Lk. 7:38). Our repentance is the perfume of the Savior."
So my dear friends, being a presence and being there for each other is what this is about. Prayer is also a key for caring for those who are ill and in need. We can pray for those who are in need of prayer today; and we can pray tomorrow and every day for one another.
Let us unite with Jesus in doing God's service to others?
