The words of today’s Gospel from John is an answer to Jesus’ healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda. The issue at hand for those who are incensed by Jesus’ healing is that he has done so on the Sabbath. Jesus does not help his case with his critics for he says he healed on the Sabbath because he was directed to do so by his Father: “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives life, so also does the Son give life to whomever he wishes” (Jn 5:21). Jesus does not make concessions with those who oppose his actions of healing. He clearly states the truth about who he is, the Lord of the Sabbath. For those not believing Jesus is who he says he is, this is blasphemy of the highest order. This is why they are plotting to kill him.

So too in our own age, there are many ways to express our understanding and belief about who Jesus was then and is today. If you haven’t thought about Jesus beyond his name in a while, about who he really is and why he is relevant to our lives, then allow St. Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, who lived from 297 to 373 AD, to offer a point to ponder today. Athanasius held firmly to and taught with conviction that Jesus, “the Son of God became man so that we might become God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 480). This statement is an acknowledgment that we cannot be saved on our own merits, through our own will power and discipline alone. We become the fullness, we actualize who we are created to be, through our participation in the divinity of Jesus the Christ.

That Jesus is the second Person of the Holy Trinity who became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity is something worth thinking about today. There is much writing and discussion about how many people are leaving the Church, while at the same time still hungry, I would say starving for a deeper, intimate relationship with God. This is true for those who leave as well as those who remain whether they could or would articulate it in that way. Could it be that we have left the roots of who we are, that we are followers of Jesus Christ, yes, but have we forgotten who he is and who we are?

May we spend some time meditating on and returning periodically to the words of St. Athanasius throughout the day and this week: “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”

Photo: Side altar of St. Therese of Lisieux at St Edwards, Palm Beach, FL

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, March 14, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031418.cfm

Has there ever been a time when you were picked last for the team, whether on the playground, P.E., or gym class? I remember being on both sides, being picked and picking others to join. I much more preferred being chosen last than having to be in the situation to choose a classmate last because someone had to be in that position at some point, and it was often an agonizing situation to be in to have to make those determinations. In our Gospel reading today, Jesus comes upon a man who has experienced an even worse situation.

The man who is in need of healing has been coming to the pool of Bethesda for quite some time, thirty-eight years in fact. Apparently, there is a limited time to get into the waters to experience the healing properties that it affords, for each time the water stirs, while the man moves to get closer to and enter the water,  “someone else gets down there before” him. This is worse than getting picked last, as he doesn’t in a sense even make the team!

But with Jesus the last shall become first. Key ingredients are belief, faith, and a willingness to be healed. Jesus does not impose, even in the case of healing, Jesus invites: he asks the sick man, “Do you want to be well?” When the man in need of healing explains the limitations he has experienced in the past regarding getting to the pool, Jesus does not hesitate. Jesus commands him to rise, pick up his mat and walk. The man is no longer the one picked over, the one ignored, the one unseen. The sick man encounters Jesus and is healed by his word.

Jesus meets us in the same way that he met the sick man. Jesus meets us in our need, where we are, no matter our station in life. He does not leave us on the outside looking in, he does not leave us with wondering if we are loved, and he not only comes to us to encounter us, but to empower us to be about mission. Jesus gives meaning and purpose to our life. Each and everyone of us are a gift from God being made in his image and likeness, and we have a gift to contribute to others and are given a unique offer to help make the kingdom of God a reality.

I invite you to enter a place of silence and stillness, without and within. Breathe in deep and exhale a few times, then close your eyes. See your self as you are in your present seated position, breathing, experiencing your shoulders relaxing, and just being still. Then notice Jesus walking toward you as he did with the man at the pool of Bethesda. Does Jesus remain standing, does he sit beside you, or kneel before you? As he assumes whatever posture comes to mind for you, allow your thoughts to reflect on what you need from Jesus, or does Jesus ask you a question? What does he ask or what does he say?

Jesus is here for you, right here and right now. There are no boundaries, no limitations, only those you impose on your self. Share with Jesus what you need. You are no longer misunderstood, left out, or picked last. Jesus is present. Embrace the moment.

Photo: Me and my pitchback.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, March 13, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031318.cfm

We hear often in the Gospels how those who believed in Jesus received healings, exorcisms, and were forgiven of their sins. We also have read accounts such as from the author of Matthew that he “did not work many mighty deeds” in Nazareth “because of their lack of faith” (Mt 13:58).

In today’s Gospel account from the author of John, Jesus speaks to a royal official whose son is close to death. Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left (Jn 4:50). The man on his way home to his son is met by the slaves from his household and they told him that his son would live and when they compared notes, they realized the healing occurred at the moment Jesus spoke and the man believed.

What does faith and belief have to do with Jesus being active in our lives? The way of the Gospel, the good news, is all about invitation and acceptance. Jesus enters our world, our reality, gently, humbly. He came as a poor infant, completely dependent on Mary and Joseph for his very survival. He would live the majority of his life in the obscure village of Nazareth most likely working as a day laborer. When he begins his public ministry he does so by inviting people to be a part of his life, to be in relationship with him and his Father. People are free to say no or to say yes to that invitation.

Faith is trusting that what Jesus says is true, trusting that he is who he says he is. Belief is the act of our will that aligns with our faith, our trust in him. Jesus invited the man to believe that his son was healed and the man believed and walked away with full confidence that his son would be healed. Belief is followed by an affirmative act of the will. I can believe my car will run, but unless I get in it and turn the key, I am not going anywhere.

Just as the sun rose this morning, Jesus is present to each and everyone of us as we are.  Just as Jesus invited Zacchaeus to come down out of the tree because he wanted to have dinner with him in his home, Jesus is offering his invitation to us to be a part of our lives. Just as Jesus invited Andrew and Peter, James and John to follow him. Jesus invites us also to follow him.

If you have an opportunity to wake up with the sun or early morning while the sun is still rising this week, I invite you to do so. Find a quiet place inside or outside, call to mind any struggles, confusion, sinful patterns, need for healing, or forgiveness. As the light of the sun pierces the darkness, allow it to be an icon of Jesus’ invitation to enter into your life. Open yourself to embrace Jesus who comes to you today to guide you through your struggles and confusion, to hear the deepest prayers of your heart, to offer confidence that you can believe in his power to heal you and those you love, to invite you to embrace the gift of repentance, and be forgiven. As the warmth of the sun touches your face, breath in deep the mercy and grace of Jesus, believe Jesus is the Son of the Living God and have faith, trusting that he will be with you today in all you do. When you are ready, arise and walk on with the confidence and assurance that you are loved more than you can ever imagine.

Photo: Early morning sunrise yesterday in our back yard

Link for the Mass readings for Monday, March 12, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031218.cfm

One verse that struck me from today’s Gospel was, “that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light” (Jn 3:19). Why do we prefer darkness over light? Why do we say with St. Paul, “For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate.” (Romans 7:25)? Now we are not always in this state of choosing darkness over light and choosing to do what we don’t want to do instead of what we want to, but we are probably guilty of entertaining both more than we are willing to admit. Why? I don’t have a definitive answer, but I can share a few ideas.

We are certainly influenced by the condition of Original Sin, that time in our ancient ancestral past where the choice to choose self over God happened and has been perpetuated generation after generation up to an including today. We choose our self over God because that is the way we have learned to live our lives. We create habitual behavior and then we go on automatic pilot, continuing to make the same decisions over and over again. We also make decisions that are not for our highest hope and good, because many of us have been wounded and we are doing the best we can to cope and survive.

Our Baptism takes care of Original Sin, but we still have concupiscence, which is our tendency to be drawn into sinful actions. We are still susceptible to temptation. What helps is recognizing that there is a God who loves us, so much so, that he sent his only Son to be one with us so we can be one with him. We need to make a decision to come out of the shadows, out of the darkness of our defense mechanisms, our denial, our past hurts, anxieties and fears. We need to say yes to Jesus who never sinned because for each and every temptation he received, even in Gethsemane, Jesus had one and the same answer: “Not my will but yours be done” (cf. Lk 22:42).

May we choose to surrender our life to God, by aligning our will with God’s, and by participating in the life of Jesus, we are able to receive the gift of his divinity working in our own lives. By participating in the life of Jesus we open ourselves to experience the love shared between the Father and the Son who is the Holy Spirit. In so doing, we will find healing and forgiveness. This is not a one time event. This is a progressive, spiritual journey that continues throughout the whole of our lives, and into eternity with God.

May we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us today so that we can begin to resist the temptations that go before us, unlearn the negative behaviors we have accumulated, create new habits to replace those that have kept us bound and shackled to our self centered, indifferent, cynical postures. May we risk coming out of the shadows, walking away from our own darkness by placing our trust in the Light of Jesus, the warmth of his Love, and the gift of his mercy. Let us be willing to discipline ourselves today, one step at a time, and so be willing to prove ourselves through patient endurance.

Photo: Crucifix at main entry to Our Lady of Florida Retreat Center, Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, March 11, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031118-year-b.cfm

It is much easier to find fault in others, and in some cases the act of doing so has become entertainment in the private as well as the public sector. Gossip has a seductive allure, and can be consuming. Judging others is also a way to justify and rationalize our own behavior. Have we ever, not just stated but, prayed something along the same lines as the Pharisee in today’s Gospel? “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income” (Lk 18:11-12).

To pray any part of this prayer stunts the growth in our spiritual life. Anytime we rationalize, cover over, or deny our sinful behavior we support and create habits of selfishness. Left unchecked, we can become enslaved to them. Lent is a time for healing and transformation. To be able to heal from sinful attitudes and actions that have become habits, we first must be able to acknowledge and identify them.

Over time, reading more and more lives of the saints, I have come to understand that their recognition and their confession of their sinfulness was not just some pious platitude, but a true presentation that they were growing closer in their relationship with Jesus. A simple example can help express where they are coming from. When we drive our car while it is dark we don’t give much thought to the cleanliness of our windshield, because we can see fine.  Yet as the headlights from an oncoming car illuminate our windshield we can see how dirty in actuality it is. This can be evident in our spiritual life as well. The more we remain in our own darkness of denial, we feel we are fine, all is right with the world. The closer we grow in our relationship with Jesus, the more his light shines in our darkness, and he reveals to us our sin.

Jesus invites us to resist the prayer of the Pharisee who prays comparing himself to someone else, instead of acknowledging his own sinful actions, and instead emphasizes that we are to follow the honest humility of the tax collector, who did “not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner’” (Lk 18:13). Now, Jesus is not saying this is the only way we pray. We have the opportunity to worship and praise the Lord joyfully, we can seek his help in praying for others through intercessory prayer or for ourselves in petitionary prayer, we can also sit in quiet meditation during adoration or out among God’s wonder of creation. Each prayer has its time and place and each type of experience of prayer helps us to grow and deepen our relationship with Jesus.

True humility is brought about by being willing to see who we are from God’s eyes. If we are to set a standard to live up to, if we are to compare ourselves to anyone, let it be Jesus. May we make some time each day to examine our conscience, invite Jesus to shine his light of love into the darkness of our fear and anxiety. When we do so, we are embracing our vulnerability by taking the risk to confess our sin, to experience the sorrow for the hurt we caused. With a willingness to seek atonement for our sin, seeking God’s forgiveness, we will receive the love and mercy of our Loving God that we have separated ourselves from when we justify and rationalize our sin.

One prayer I have found helpful over the last few months is the Jesus Prayer. It is very simple. Sit in a comfortable space, take a few deep breaths and exhalations, then as you take the next breath in recite, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,” and then as you breath out say, “Have mercy on me a sinner.” You are breathing in the light of Christ and you are breathing out your sin. I use my rosary and pray an Our Father for each isolated bead and then the Jesus Prayer on each of the beads of each decade. Traditional prayer ropes exist from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. They are made of wool, usually black, and have ten decades of ten beads. The bottom also has a fringe representing the mercy of God wiping away our tears of sorrow. If you have neither a rosary or a prayer rope, you have your fingers. Start with a set of ten Jesus Prayer recitations each day. May we embrace the light of Jesus so that he may dispel our darkness, so we can see our sin, and be forgiven.

Photo: Crucifix in the Chapel of Cardinal Newman High School

Mass readings for Saturday, March 10, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031018.cfm

Jesus recognized that the scribe, who asked him about which commandment was the greatest, “answered with understanding,” and then he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God” (Mk 12:34). What is it that the scribe understood?

The scribe understood that God “is One and that there is no other”. God is the true source of our being, our very existence. We have been created with an innate desire to be one with him. This is the longing we all feel in the depths of our soul, this is why nothing that is finite or material will ever fully satisfy, why we are always wanting more. This is as true for the mystic as it is for the atheist and everyone in between.

God is “One and no other” also means that we are not God, we are his created beings. God is not just one being among many, not even the supreme being. This orientation is important for we can only see from our limited perspective. What we think or believe we might need, may in fact not be a true good or benefit for us, the shimmer may be an apparent good, a distraction, a temptation, that will lead us away from the authentic fulfillment and meaning in life that we seek. God will guide us away from any unhealthy want, he will lead us away from temptation, if we are willing to seek his guidance over and above our own. God will give us what we truly need, he will lead us to that which is in reality the true, the good, and the beautiful.

Once we come to believe that God is God and we are his created beings, then we can take the next step and surrender: “to love him with all [our] heart, with all [our] understanding, with all [our] strength”. In our surrender to God and his will we become capable of receiving his love and so are able to love him in return. We all long to be loved and to love. To be able to experience the love of God, will help us to unconditionally love “our neighbor as our self” because, through our surrender to his will we allow God to love through us.

God invites us to open our minds and hearts to receive his love, to love him in return, and to love others as he has loved us. To love God then is like any other relationship, we need to spend quality time with God in stillness One on one, as well as in our everyday activities. We are to resist compartmentalizing God and instead seek his presence in all we do. The sacrifice he seeks is that we are willing to allow him to love others through us, especially those for whom we do not have a warm and fuzzy feeling for, as this is not the unconditional love God loves with. We are to will the good of the other as they are, and as we are.

Each of us are prone to sin, are wounded, and are broken. God loves us as we are, he forgives our sins, he heals our wounds, and he transforms us. We need to stop running away from him and start running to him. The quickest  way we can do this is to love our neighbor as our self. Going out of our self and giving to another breaks down the walls of separation we build up around ourselves because of our fears. Jesus’ arms are wide open before us in our neighbor. May we surrender all our heart, soul, mind, and strength into his loving embrace, to receive his love and love him in return, and to embrace loving our neighbor and our self in the same way. As we do so we too will hear Jesus say to us, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

Photo: Altar of St Edward, Palm Beach, FL

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, March 9, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030918.cfm

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus is accused of being an agent of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, because he was exorcising a demon from a man that was mute. Jesus addressed the critique and showed the polarizing nature of the onlookers who were unwilling to see the healing before them for what it was. Jesus then stated the obvious: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house” (Lk 11:17).

If Jesus was an agent of the prince of demons, he was not a very good one. Satan seeks to sow discord and division. Jesus seeks to bring about unity. Now it is true, that five verses later in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is recorded as saying: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” (Lk 12:51). Anyone feeling a bit confused? Welcome to the wonderful world of the Bible!

To understand Scripture, we need to understand the context of the whole of Scripture, not just isolated verses. Through out the ministry of Jesus, he seeks the unity that all may be one as he and the Father are one (cf John 17:21), yet he has consistently experienced those that rejected his message and healings as witnessed in today’s Gospel account. Jesus demands a choice, we need to decide if we are either going to be for him or against him (cf. Lk 11:23). The division Jesus is talking about results from those who choose not to recognize that Jesus is who he says he is and reject him. This choice, as well as the choice to accept that Jesus is who he says he is, continues to cause division within households, families, and friends even today.

The greater take away from this verse and Jesus’ teachings as a whole, is that when we are unified, embracing the gift of our diversity, we are stronger than when we are divided by our limiting ourselves to mere labels. In our modern context, labels, such as liberal and conservative are not helpful, whether they are being used in a political or religious context. Life is not as black and white as many would like it to be. It is certainly easier to cast labels, but interactions with people and developing relationships are much more nuanced. We are not mere cardboard cut outs, or caricatures. To better understand the essence of who we are as human beings demands a greater depth and draw from a deeper well than an outward appearance or isolated statement may portray. Many more of us, if we shake off a label for a moment, could honestly admit to believing in and defining issues that are important to us from both the so called left or right.

Many times, once we have cast a label, we believe that we have “defined” the person. They are classified in their box and tied up in a neat and pretty bow, and woe to the person who resists being boxed and bowed. I remember reading from one of the books from the tracker, Tom Brown, in which he described how many people when seeing a bird, such as a blue jay, robin, or crow, are often satisfied with the label, the naming of it, and move on from that encounter. They think that in that simple identification they now have come to understand all that there is to know about that particular species of bird. So much of the essence of one of God’s creatures is missed by such a simplistic and limiting classification!

Unfortunately, we do the same with each other. We make a prejudgment on a person or group of people because of a word, statement, stance on a particular issue, or particular belief. We then falsely believe we know everything there is to know about that person or group. This is a very limiting and divisive approach. Jesus invites us to encounter the person, to accompany, spend time, and break bread with people. In spending time with one another, the caricatures can be filled in with some substance and we can come to know a little better the person beyond the prejudgment.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it may very well be a duck, but it is also so much more. This is true for we humans as well.

Photo: One of our visiting ducks at Cardinal Newman I saw yesterday as I was getting into my car to go home. She was reminding me to spend some quiet time enjoying the wonders of God’s creation.

Link for the Mass reading for Thursday, March 8, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030818.cfm

Jesus not only tells his disciples that he has not come to abolish but to fulfill the law, he constantly teaches how this is true, models how to put his teachings into practice, and empowers them to do so. In his Sermon on the Mount or Plain alone, we can see the development of his teaching and building on the foundation of Torah. With his Beatitudes, such as, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, and his Six Antithesis including, “You have heard that it was said ‘an eye for an eye,’ but I say to you offer no resistance to one who is evil”, we can see the further development of Jewish teaching on full display.

If we seriously take the time to read through Jesus’ teachings, we will see quickly how challenging they are. Jesus is clearly not lowering the bar of discipline for his followers but raising it. Jesus is not putting heavy burdens on us for burden sake, he lives what he preaches and empowers his followers to do the same, so that we can discipline ourselves, be conformed to his will, and our lives will be transformed such that we actualize the fullness of all he calls us to be.

On face value, we may think many of Jesus’ teachings are not possible to put into practice. Remember forgiving seventy seven times, loving our enemy? Attempting to put them into practice with our will power alone is not a strategy for long term success, we are going to come up short each time. Jesus does not expect nor desire for us to accomplish living as a follower of his on our own efforts. We are to yolk ourselves with him, to seek his power working through us, and be open to the transforming power and love of the Holy Spirit acting through us. This happens when we daily invite Jesus into our life.

To be a follower of Jesus is to learn his teaching, study his life, and surrender our self to his will through prayer, discipline, worship, service, and participation in the sacraments. The life of faith is a marathon not a sprint. If you have been struggling a bit this Lent, feeling a bit rudderless, I invite you to read prayerfully through the Beatitudes and/or the Antithesis. The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew can be read in chapters five through seven in the Gospel of Matthew and the Sermon on the Plain can be found in the Gospel of Luke 6:20-49. See if one point seems calls to you, draws your attention. Then read it each day for the remainder of Lent, ask for Jesus’ help, and begin to put it into practice. We are habitual creatures, may we, in collaboration with Jesus, create some habits of holiness this Lent!

Photo: Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, CA 2014

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, March 7, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030718.cfm

Forgiveness is a wonderful gift of grace and mercy. If many were asked if they would like to receive forgiveness most would say yes. The number would lessen when we were invited to forgive others. If we were asked to forgive someone seven times, that number would shrink significantly, and if we were invited to forgive someone seventy-seven times, is there any among us who would say yes, any among us to even be willing to consider doing so?

Why is forgiveness hard for most of us? I do say most because there are those who have an openness to be forgiving. One reason could be that we have few role models. I would imagine those that are more open to being forgiving have not only positive role models who they have not only witnessed practicing forgiveness, but they have received forgiveness themselves.

How often do we seek forgiveness from others when we have done something wrong, inappropriate, or made a mistake? We often seek to explain first, make excuses, or ignore our behavior altogether. When we resist being humble, confronting our offenses, and do not seek reconciliation, we do not experience the healing balm of forgiveness. We are then less likely to be willing to offer forgiveness and more likely to hold a grudge or to seek revenge.

Yet, even if we receive the gifts of mercy and forgiveness, as the servant in today’s parable, we may still choose to be unforgiving toward others. We may resist forgiveness because we have already created patterns of distancing ourselves, making someone else as other, somehow justifying the hurt and pain we feel. We think that by holding a grudge, remaining at a distance, offering another the cold shoulder, we are giving them just what they deserve.

Unfortunately, these patterns of not seeking forgiveness for ourselves, not willing to forgive others, allowing ourselves to bear grudges, to distance ourselves, or project negative feelings on others to cover up our own inadequacies, not only perpetuate a climate of isolation and divisiveness, we continue to fuel a fire of mistrust, division, that if continues unchecked metastasizes into hatred. Even in a case where someone has truly wronged us in some way, we are still invited to forgive, to make an attempt to understand why someone might act in such a way, and to shift the momentum away from the perpetual cycle of hurt and to seek to bring about healing.

Jesus is very clear, if we are not willing to forgive we will not be forgiven. This is true because we are closing ourselves off from the healing invitation of God’s mercy. When we separate ourselves from one another, we are also separating ourselves from God. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a gift of healing, and a pattern of regular confession helps us to receive the healing and forgiveness of our loving God and Father. As we develop a regular practice of examining our conscience, experiencing contrition, true sorrow for our sin, confessing our sin and are absolved and forgiven, we are healed. We then will come to the realization that we need to put God first, instead of our self.

From this awareness, we can go forward to model forgiveness in our lives with others, we can encounter one another with understanding and a willingness to forgive. Jesus invites us to resist the temptation of building walls of separation to keep others out and instead invites us to forgive, yes even seventy-seven times. We can do so by asking Jesus to forgive through us, one person and one situation at a time. In so doing we will be builders of a bridges of forgiveness!

Photo: On the Coronado Ferry heading to Coronado Island, the Coronado bridge is in the background, San Diego, Summer 2014.

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, March 6, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030618.cfm

The people in Jesus’ hometown synagogue in Nazareth are incensed, rise up to drive him out of 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). What got Jesus’ hometown crowd so twisted and contorted? Not only did he stand up earlier in the account of Luke and proclaim that he, the carpenter, was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, but it was to the widow of Zarephath that Elijah came and Naaman the Syrian that Elisha healed.

All three of these points may be a big, so what? to us, but they were a big deal to his people. Being a carpenter, more likely a simple day laborer, was not high on the social status ladder even in a poor town like Nazareth. The gospel writers even show the sensitivity of this. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus is mentioned in this scene as  “the carpenter” (6:3), in Matthew, “the carpenter’s son” (13:39), and in today’s Gospel of Luke, “Joseph’s son” (4:22)? By the time we get to Luke’s account, Jesus is not even associated with the trade of carpenter, how could someone of such simple and humble means assert the mantle of Messiah?

Jesus does not go quietly in the night as the people’s wonder at his words turn to doubt and consternation. Jesus instead gives two seemingly obscure examples of people who receive God’s blessings. There were many widows and lepers in Israel, but it was to the widow of Zarephath that Elijah came and from Elisha that Naaman the Syrian received healing. The significance of these two people was that they were Gentiles, they were other, they were not part of the chosen people. Jesus is aligning himself in the prophetic tradition and the universalism of God’s salvation. Jesus is invoking a choice that will ripple throughout the remainder of his public ministry. People will either embrace his universal ministry or they will oppose it.

This same invitation that Jesus offered the people of his hometown Jesus offers us: “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).

Jesus has been anointed to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and let the oppressed go free. As we would hear this today, Jesus has been anointed to bring support and aide to Dreamers, immigrants, refugees, the homeless, hungry, addicted, and those without access to clean water. Jesus has come to proclaim liberty to those detained by I.C.E officials, those in jails, prisons, and on death row. Jesus has come to bring healing and his presence to recover the sight of those blinded by prejudice, bigotry, paternalism, misogyny, racism, violence, arrogance, elitism, and nationalism. Jesus has also come to the unborn, the LGBTQ community, the addicted, those impoverished in our urban, rural, and reservation communities, those affected by human trafficking, domestic violence and prostitution, war, terrorism, and disease, to go and live a life of freedom from oppression.

We too sit and receive the same message of Jesus today that his hometown folk did in the synagogue of Nazareth. We can sit indifferent to this message and go about our day as if nothing of relevance has been said. We can rise up and reject Jesus outright or do our own thing in Jesus’ name which has nothing to do with Jesus in actuality. We can walk up to Jesus and ask him to heal us so that we can hear what it is that he would like us to do, we can come to realize what gifts he has given us, and seek to know in what ways we can be engaged in bringing glad tidings of his universal ministry. The choice is ours to make. Are we against Jesus or willing to receive the same Spirit that is upon him to fall afresh upon us?

Photo: Jesus in synagogue of Nazareth from Jesus of Nazareth, Franco Zeffirelli film, 1977

Link for the Mass reading for Monday, March 5, 2018:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030518.cfm