In today’s Gospel from Luke, Peter did not chase Jesus away when he first got into his boat uninvited. Even though he was probably exhausted and discouraged from the night’s failure and wanted to just finish cleaning his nets and go home, Peter then followed Jesus’ request and allowed him to use his boat to preach from. Once completing this task, Jesus pressed further, and invited Peter to: “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch” (Lk 5:4). Again, Peter followed this invitation instead of protesting and was blessed with a super abundant catch such that his boat began to sink.

Jesus comes to us in the same way he came to Peter. He meets us in the midst of our everyday lives. So often we think or feel that it is our initiative that draws us closer to God, when in fact, the initiative is God’s. Our very desire to pray, to seek out God is already an awareness, a recognition of his invitation to draw close. God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts, through quiet invitations and experiences, and each time we are aware, and each time, as did Peter, we say yes to his invitation we grow in our relationship.

Jesus comes to us as we are, loves as we are. We become aware of our sin and faults as we allow Jesus more access to our lives. As we put out into the deep, we are blessed by the grace and wonder of God’s glory present in our lives.  For just as Peter experienced the miracle of the abundance of fish filling his nets, he became more acutely aware of the divinity of Jesus in his midst and as the light reveals those things hidden, the sin of Peter was revealed and he confessed: “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8).

The deeper and more intimate our relationship grows with Jesus the more our own sin is revealed to us. We then have a choice, we can deny it, rationalize or justify it, or follow Peter and confess our sin. As we face and confess our sin and weakness, we resist settling for mediocrity, we grow in holiness, humility, and receive more of the light, love, and grace of Jesus such that we can grow beyond our fear, grow deeper in our relationship with him, so to better allow ourselves to be agents of his grace and mercy in the lives of those he brings into our realm of influence.

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Painting: The Miraculous Draft of Fishes by Raphael, 1515-1516

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, February 10. 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021019.cfm

After hearing the accounts of the missionary trip of the apostles, Jesus invites them to step away from the crowds “to a deserted place [to] rest awhile” (Mk 6:31). Jesus is showing the apostles the importance of balance. There are times to serve and times to recharge, to reconnect and spend some quiet, and reflective time with him. Jesus is our model, our guide and teacher, but he is at the same time more than that. Jesus is the source and sustenance of who we are as a living craving, hunger and desire to be one with God and each another. As the deer longs to refresh itself from the waters of a running stream, we long to be nourished by the living water of Jesus, and this is true for the atheist as well as the mystic, for each of us, whether we are aware of this reality or not.

Our thirst for communion can be stifled, because it is so easy to be busy, there is so much that needs to be done, and at the same time there are so many distractions that vie for our energy and time. The intent of Jesus is to escape with his apostles. They get in a boat to do just that, and the crowd that they thought they had left behind has arrived on the other side before they did! “When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mk 6:34). So much for being able to “rest away for awhile”! Or maybe the boat ride across was that moment of rest.

Choosing to step back for five to ten minutes to be still, to rest in the Lord, may not seem like much but can make a huge difference. Our challenge is to be able to discern and develop a healthy balance that becomes fruitful through aligning our will with Jesus. When we intentionally put God first and make the time each day to spend with him, often there is a serendipitous alignment that we experience in our day, that we did not think possible at the outset. This often happens when we consciously make time for stillness, for prayer, during the moment when we may feel we just don’t have the time.

Give yourself a five minute retreat today. Step into the boat with Jesus and his disciples. Breathe in deep, let your head fall back to feel the breeze of the Sea of Galilee, feel the warmth of the sun on your face, and experience the rhythm of the boat on the water. Does Jesus remain silent and rest with you? Does he begin to teach, what does he share? In your time of quiet, do you have questions for him, what do you ask, and what is his answer? Enter into the experience, and when the boat comes to shore, go forth into the day renewed and blessed by Jesus so to go forward with a heart and mind able to be moved with compassion to serve others as God presents the need.

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Photo: On the ferry to Coronado Island, CA, June 2014, enjoying a little down time.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, February 9, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020919.cfm

The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her (Mk 6:26).

The king referenced to here and in today’s Gospel is the tetrarch, Herod Antipas, one of the sons of Herod the Great. He reveals the weakness of his character when he calls for the beheading of John the Baptist. He made a decision regarding the life of another person to protect an oath that he should never have made to the daughter of his wife, and ought to have stood up and shared that the dignity of the life of John the Baptist was worth more than his foolish promise.

We unfortunately have seen too much of this kind of leadership on the secular as well as the religious stage. People who are in positions of power from the smallest to the highest levels of governance have made choices that are not in the best interest of the people they are to serve nor have they sought to stand up for and empower the dignity of the person but instead have chosen to protect self interest, seek self preservation, or sell out to immediate expediency.

Too many are ready to protect their ego, institutions, party, tribe, at the expense of the dignity of the unborn, children, immigrants, different gender, race, ethnicity, and/or class. Jesus did the opposite. Jesus called children, who were being prevented, to come to him to be healed, he raised the daughter of Jairus back to life, Jesus offered hospitality to the tax collectors, Matthew and Zacchaeus, Jesus acknowledged the faith of the Canaanite woman, the woman with a hemorrhage, and stood up for the woman caught in adultery.

Time and again, Jesus showed the moral courage to stand up for and empower those who were considered as other, somehow lesser. He ultimately did so again for all of humanity, when he was willing to be nailed to the Cross for each one of us, to die and conquer death, that we might have life, and have it to the full. May Jesus empower us to grow in moral courage so we too will stand up for the dignity of the person at all stages of development from the womb to the tomb, and implore that our leaders do the same.

Painting: “Forgiven” by Yongsung Kim, Jesus showing his moral courage in standing up for the woman caught in adultery.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, February 8, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/mark/6:14

The rejection of Jesus by those in his hometown did not slow down his mission. We can imagine that Jesus knew what he was going to do already, but en route, wanted to stop by to see if any from his “native land” would like to participate in his public outreach. Apparently no one did, so without missing a beat, Jesus went ahead and “summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits” (Mk 6:7). Jesus summons us and sends us out as well.

At the end of each Mass, we as Catholics are sent, just as the Apostles, to proclaim the good news! All of us as the Body of Christ, believers in Jesus the Christ, the baptized, are to live as his disciples and be witnesses of him. This is best done by acknowledging that God is the center of our lives and recognizing, empowering, and standing up for the dignity of each person that we have been given the grace to encounter. This is to be foundational in the way we think, speak about, speak to and act toward one another. Our call of evangelization is also unique, for each one of us have a particular charism and gift that the Holy Spirit provides.

Jesus is the one who calls, sends, and empowers us for mission. We are sanctified, made holy, when we say yes to his will, participate in the sacramental life and in his life of service. Jesus not only teaches with authority, he calls and sends us with that same authority. We are to rely on the divine providence of our Father, meaning he will provide that which we need to accomplish the task he has given us, and he will also send the Holy Spirit and others to provide help, aid, guidance and support. We see this over and over again in the lives of the saints.

At first sight we may not agree with God’s choosing, his choosing us or the others he sends to help us! Yet, we only need to recall what he accomplished with the Apostles, remembering the simple beginnings they came from and the wonders they accomplished in Jesus’ name. We also need to remember that God does not see as we do, for we are often misled by appearances “or lofty stature” but God sees the heart, character, and potential of each of us (cf 1 Samuel 16:7).

Let us be about building up the reign of God, be willing to be empowered by Jesus and those he brings into our lives, as well as empowering others. May we pray and be open to what God is calling us to do to serve him, to be willing to encounter others and will their good without seeking anything in return.

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Photo: Blessed to be with Dr. Antonio Lopez from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, who has empowered me time again with his wisdom, compassion, and faithful witness!

Link for Mass readings for Thursday, February 6, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020719.cfm

Today’s Gospel reading is a sad account. Jesus preached and taught in his “native place”, but for the most part, his words were not received, he did not perform healings, exorcisms, he was not able to bring those who knew him for the greater majority of his life into a deeper communion with his Father. The whole reason that he came was to bring light to a world suffering in darkness, and those closest to him refused the invitation such that: “he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mk 6:6).

Is our world today becoming more and more like Jesus’ “native place”? We take Christianity and Jesus for granted, if we pay attention at all? Where many of us expend more energy on cynicism, taking care of number one, and an uncritical acceptance of empiricism or scientism. Again, a sad state because science is an awesome gift. Science and faith come from the same source, our intrinsic ability to embrace wonder! These two are not incompatible. Authentic faith seeks understanding. A questioning and searching mind are the ingredients for a living, relevant, and vibrant faith and life.

Faith without reason as well as reason without faith, leads to a more limited understanding of the vast expanse of creation. Scientism is limiting the very gift of science itself because it stops when the questions get really interesting, when the exploration goes beyond the measurable, the sensate experiences as we know them.

May we resist setting limits, settling for a minimalist or cynical approach, and the hardening of our hearts, and instead open ourselves up to the limitless possibilities God opens up before us! There is so much to experience in God’s creation if we just slow down and look. The Holy Spirit works through each of us when we resist keeping each other at a distance and are willing to encounter and accompany one another. We can experience so much more by embracing our faith and reason, and opening our heart and mind to the wonder and glory of God, which is the human being fully alive!

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Photo by Min An from Pexels

Link for the Mass reading for Wednesday, February 6, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020619.cfm

“Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who has touched my clothes'” (Mk 5:30)? The woman could have slipped away, she could have stood still and said nothing, no one knew. His disciples were bewildered that Jesus asked such a question with so many pressing about him. But the woman approached with “fear and trembling” and told him the truth. Jesus did not admonish her for breaking a social taboo, but publicly acknowledged her faith.

All the while as this scene transpired, Jairus must have been in agony. He knew how close his daughter was to death, and every second counted. Jesus took that limited precious time and engaged with this woman. Just as they were about to resume their journey, and he began to breathe again, the terrible news came that his daughter had passed away.

What might have flashed through his mind in that moment? The time Jesus took to talk with the woman, could that have made the difference? He was a synagogue official and would have known the taboos she crossed to reach out and touch Jesus in public, he knew that in doing so she would make Jesus unclean, she was a woman considered the lowest of low. She was frail and pallid from her condition, at death’s door herself, yet she had mustered more courage and faith, than he had.

Jesus said to the man, “Do not be afraid, just have faith” (Mk 5:36). Jairus had just witnessed such faith with the woman healed from the hemorrhage, probably someone until this very moment who he would have shown disdain for. Maybe just maybe, if he could muster the same faith as her, Jesus could bring his daughter back to life. A light shone in the darkness of his despair and the darkness did not overcome it. Jesus indeed healed his daughter, by taking her hand and commanding her to rise and walk, she came back to life.

How many of us are now, have been, or have known someone who has experienced such great needs as did Jairus, whose daughter was near death, or the woman who had been suffering for twelve years with hemorrhages? How many of us have experienced such healings today? How many of us have experienced the opposite? We experienced no healing, we wondered where Jesus was, and/or wondered why he allowed this to happen, or bother to help?

The best we can do in times of trial and dire need is to trust in Jesus. He may or may not bring the outcome we seek. But I assure you that he is present with us through our pain and suffering, whether we feel his presence or not. Sometimes he allows the unthinkable to happen, of which we cannot even comprehend at the time, to bring about a greater good. Often, we are not able to see that until a later date, when some time has passed, and we have gained some perspective from healing.

Remember also, death is not the final answer. Jesus has conquered death, he and we who participate with him are victorious. Ultimately, faith is placing our trust in our God and Father who loves us, who is present to us, and carries us in our darkest hour. He sent his Son Jesus to us, to walk with us, who has given us these words that we are to place our trust in: “Do not be afraid, just have faith” (Mk 5:36). In our times of trial and sorrow, it is important to lean on the strength of Jesus and one another. In times of miracles, it is important to thank Jesus and those who were there for us.

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, February 5, 2019: Not showing on USCCB site today. Good opportunity to dust off your Bible!

Today’s Gospel account follows Jesus successfully showing his power over the tumultuous storm at sea. Jesus and his disciples have entered the Gentile territory of the Gerasenes. As soon as they get out of the boat a man possessed by an unclean spirit rushes up to him. He himself was in a worse state than the storm. He called himself Legion as he was possessed by many demons. He had been living in the tombs, away from society, family, and friends, some of whom had made multiple attempts to restrain him, cure him, bring him back to his right mind, but to no avail. The encounter with Jesus ultimately brought about the result of this man “sitting there clothed and in his right mind” (Mk 5:15). Jesus was able to liberate this man from his desperate state. If you have not done so, I recommend reading the full account (Mk 5:1-20).

Many scoff at the healing power and miracles of Jesus, and they certainly would also discount demonic possession. Though very rare, there are still cases today. A strict approach of scientism that only accepts the empirical, only that which can be measured by the five senses, discounts not only the divinity of Jesus and the reality of God, but any talk of a spiritual realm. This is unfortunate, because this is a limited and short sighted approach to understanding the fullness of creation. We ourselves are both physical and spiritual, and to seek to understand both, helps us to better understand ourselves and the world around us.

Too many today are in the same need of experiencing the liberating power of Jesus. Just as chaotic and tumultuous, especially among our youth, are those who are consumed and imprisoned by the vice grip of addiction. Family members and friends reach out desperately to help, to provide aid, and find themselves in the same situation as those who sought to care for this man who had been living in the tombs. Somehow this man caught “sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him” (Mk 5:6). There must have been some ember at the core of who he was that could still move and bring him to Jesus.

May we join in prayer and seek the best means to provide support and aid for all those suffering, bound, and shackled by the wide range of addictions that plague too many today. This growing epidemic destroys individuals, families and friends and could benefit from a unified approach of the best that science, psychology, prayer, and spiritual direction can offer. Each of us are ensnared at some level and seek to be free to feel the harmony and peace we were created for.

Jesus is the light that can reach into even the deepest darkness of internal imprisonment. Yet we must choose, as did the Gerasene demoniac to surrender to Jesus. May we resist the temptation to flee from him, and instead run into his open arms. Resting in the grip of his embrace, we will come to know that we are not alone in our suffering, that our deepest anguish, sin, and wounds can be healed.

Jesus is stronger than any evil that seeks to bind any of us, and we claim victory in his name and by the power of his word for all those who are suffering from any form of possession or addiction. May Jesus lead all of us to freedom, to our right mind, and like the Gerasene man who was healed in today’s Gospel account, experience the fullness of his healing whereby we too may go forth to help others to find the same path to redemption, liberation and restoration.

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Photo: Enjoying the Florida sunset last night while talking to my mom.

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, February 4, 2019:http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020419.cfm

The people of the synagogue in Jesus’ hometown rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong (Lk 4:29). Why did Jesus’ own rise up in such a fury that they sought to physically expel him from their midst?

Jesus dared to equate others outside of his own tribe as equal to them. Just before the uprising to throw him tumbling down a hill, Jesus shared that God had already been working to reveal his invitation of salvation to those beyond the people of Israel. Elijah was sent to the widow of Zarephath and Elisha brought healing to Naaman the Syrian. These two individuals that the prophets engaged with were Gentiles.

The people hear clearly in Jesus’ inaugural address that he is bringing glad tidings to the poor, the captive and the oppressed of not only the Jewish nation but all nations. Jesus’ invitation of salvation is for all people. His own would have none of it. They were too closed in on themselves to be willing to grow beyond their shortsightedness such that they could not see that they were part of this plan of salvation as well, not to keep their light under a bushel basket, but instead to be the light to the nations.

Self autonomy, self appropriation, self focus and ego centeredness has no place in living the Gospel inn our lives. As St. Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians: “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Love to grow means not constriction but expansion. If love is to increase in us, we are to give it away.

The very simple act of breathing means that we are alive, but when we are anxious, stressed or afraid, our breathing is constricted, our blood flow is diminished, we become cold. We are surviving, yet not thriving. When we consciously take some deep breaths, our lungs expand, our intake of oxygen increases, our blood flow to the small blood vessels improves and our heart rate regulates. Our blood pressure stabilizes and we have the opportunity to be less reactive and more mindful, we become warm.

Jesus invited the people of his hometown to expand beyond their posture of survival and defensiveness. He invited them to move beyond tribalism to inclusiveness. Jesus invited his people to love, to will the good of others as other. He invites us today to do the same. Will we contribute to our present condition of defensiveness and polarization in our interactions in person and on line, perceiving reality only from our own limited point of view, reacting impulsively, impatiently, disrespectfully, or will we say yes to Jesus’ invitation to breathe deep, receive his love, so to love in return? Are we willing to expand beyond ourselves, our point of view, to listen, hear another and act more mindfully, more respectfully, with patience and understanding?

Photo: Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro – Pinterest

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, February 3, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020319.cfm

Simeon, a righteous and devout man of Israel, had received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that before his death he would behold the Messiah, “the Christ of the Lord” (Lk 2:26). We do not know how long Simeon was waiting, we do not know how old he was when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple. How many people had crossed his path, how many times must he have turned his head wondering when a family brought a male child to be presented to the Lord, “Is this the one?”

Today we recall the presentation of Jesus in the temple, the day in which Simeon’s waiting, his growing anticipation, comes to fulfillment. “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel” (cf. Lk 2:29-32). He can now go to his eternal rest in peace and so can we.

What Simeon said and experienced, when Jesus was presented in the Temple, is still true for us today. Jesus the Christ has come to us, to lead us “out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9), for he is the living Temple, the place where heaven and earth meet, where the divine and human are one.

May we spend some time in prayer today imaging ourselves holding the infant Jesus in our arms, as did Simeon, looking into his eyes, and allowing his smile, his giggle, fill us with his unconditional love and mercy. As we reach up a hand to him and he grasps our finger, may we feel a warmth that radiates through our being that melts away all anxiety, doubt, or fear. May anything that keeps us bound to darkness and sin be loosed such that we feel a freedom of forgiveness that will inspire us, from this moment of experiencing Jesus in our time and place, to give our life to him so that we too may radiate his light, his love, his mercy and forgiveness to others, to anyone Jesus sends us to today.

Photo: Holy Family at St Peter Catholic Church

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, February 2, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020219.cfm

Two parables are presented by Jesus today in the Gospel of Mark. Both are presenting what the kingdom of God is like, the first presents a man who sows seeds, and the second is a mustard seed that is planted. In both cases the seeds germinate and go through the process of becoming mature plants. The kingdom of God is like these plants in that God works through the smallest of and many times, unnoticed beginnings. Also, God’s timing is not our timing. In our rapid paced world of instant access, we would do well to slow down.

God not only begins small, and on his own timetable, but he is often working beyond the realm of our awareness. This is evident in the first parable offered by Jesus: “This is how it is with the Kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how” (Mk 4:26-27). This is not to say that God has set everything in motion and is indifferent or despondent to his creation. Quite the opposite. God has a plan and has been intimately engaged in our life even before our conception. He revealed this truth to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). God is present to us, in relationship with us, whether we know it or not. He quietly invites us to participate in his plan.

The beauty is that even though God has no need for us, he invites us to know him, to participate in the spreading of his kingdom. Just think of someone who you have, for the longest time, wanted to meet. If the opportunity arose to spend time with that person, how excited would you be? We have the opportunity to do so with the Creator of all that exists, and not just today, or tomorrow, but for all of eternity. He has created us for himself and he invites us to share in his relationship, his work of salvation history in simple and subtle ways. Are we making an effort to be aware, are we willing to watch and pray? Are we willing to place ourselves in a posture to receive his Word as well as his Silence? Just as an acorn that is sown matures and grows over time into the mightiest of oak trees, so may our relationship with our Loving God and Father also grow and mature that we become one with him.

Photo: Oak canopy from tree behind my parent’s house that I have watched grow since I was five. I visited Grandfather Oak again this past summer. It is wonderful to watch God’s hand at work.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, Febraury 1, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020119.cfm