Reflections on the Gospel Reading for the Day
The love of God fulfills us and will never run out.
In today’s Gospel, Luke records Jesus sharing his sermon on the plain. Jesus is making a distinction: “Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied” and “Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.” Jesus is addressing that which truly satisfies and fulfills us as human beings.
Each of us ultimately want to be happy. If we follow the trail of any thought we entertain, decision or action we make, and that which we are willing to allow or bring into our presence, we can see at its root in each instance our seeking happiness. The challenge is to discern and determine which are apparent goods and which are true goods. What will truly fulfill us not just in the moment, but will satisfy us for the long term, and in Jesus’ presentation, what will satisfy us for eternity.
If we are full such that our hunger is satisfied, we have little if any desire to seek to satisfy our hunger. If we are constantly satisfying our hunger with those foods, activities and expending of our time in apparent goods, we may not be aware that we are filling ourselves with those things that are not truly satisfying, and when we hunger again, we try to keep filling ourselves with those things. We can eat a whole bag of potato chips, a half gallon of your favorite ice cream, a whole pizza, and find satisfaction in the moment, be full for the moment, but in constantly filling ourselves with such as these, over time our health will suffer, “Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.”
We can apply this to anything, our entertainment, occupation, how we spend our time, who we spend our time with, what we do with our time. At some point, we become aware that we are filling ourselves up with that which is not fulfilling, that which will continue to leave us empty, because nothing in the material or finite realm will satisfy. We have been created for something more, to be in relationship with God and one another.
The good news is that all of us are hungry for God. Are we are aware that is who we are hungry for? Many times I am thirsty, but go to get something to eat instead. The food does not satisfy because I have discerned poorly that which I truly needed, which was water. We need to resist the temptations of material and finite allurements which may be good in and of themselves, but not so if we place them as foundational to our happiness and fulfillment.
To find true fulfillment, we need to acknowledge our hunger for God, we need to trust in Jesus our Lord, and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. When we do so we will be, “like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).
Jesus is the wellspring that never dries up, and is the living eternal source that fulfills us. JoAnn and I spent a few years even before knowing that she was sick sorting through many of the material items that had been taking up space for years. We were able to let go of those material things, that at one time provided enjoyment, but had just been taking up space. Letting go and emptying is a good practice that helps us to be open to see what we are truly hungry for, which is God’s love. When we open out heart to receive the love of the Holy Spirit, we will be blessed because we can continue to draw from this eternal source of love through the joyful as well as the challenging times.
Photo by Matías Medina, Catholic.com. There is no greater love than these arms held open to receive us time and time again!
Link to the Gospel readings for Sunday, February 13, 2022
When Jesus asks, are we willing to give, no matter how small?
As Christians we are called to be disciples of Jesus, to learn his teachings, and follow his ways. We are also called to be apostles in that we are to go out, proclaim and share that he is who he said he is, and how he has affected our lives. Often when we are reminded of this message though, we may feel inadequate. We may question what it is that we can possibly offer in an effort to help build the kingdom of God. We may feel we have nothing to share, nothing to give, nothing to say, or that what the Lord asks of us, we do not know how to accomplish.
The disciples express similar feelings today for the latter point. Jesus shows concern for the thousands who had just listened to him for three days and are readying to depart. He is concerned that they are hungry and that some may collapse on their way home. The disciples look about bewildered as to how they could possibly feed the vast crowd. Then Jesus asked, “How many loaves do you have” (Mk 8:5)? They responded that they had seven loaves and two fish. Jesus would go on to feed, not only the whole multitude gathered, but when all ate their fill, seven baskets of bread fragments were left over.
We may not know how to take active steps to live our faith out in our daily lives, we may not even be aware of how to begin. On the other hand, we may have actually been engaged in service, in our vocation, but have started to coast, gotten complacent, and need to continue to strive to mature as a disciples and apostles.
Each day is a new opportunity to begin again, and a good way is to place ourselves in the presence of Jesus. If we have trouble visualizing him, we can look at a statue we may have, a picture, or an icon. Then take some deep breaths, meditate on our present life condition, and assess where there is a need in our own life as well as those of others. Once we are able to identify a concern, let us have ears to hear Jesus ask us, “What do you have, what can you offer?”
You may not have an immediate answer. Stay with the question for a period of time, take it with you throughout the day or days. Resist looking for the big, grandiose response. Ask yourself what you can offer no matter how small. What you give to Jesus in service and participation with him, he can multiply and bring about amazing results. The disciples only gave him seven loaves and two fish, what seemed insignificant to feed the thousands, and yet, Jesus multiplied the meager amount to feed all present with seven baskets left over. Jesus provides, Jesus works through us.
The question we need to answer is not are we worthy because we are not. The question we need to answer is, “Are we willing?”
Photo: Statue of Jesus in the Chapel of St Anthony at St Thomas University, Miami Gardens, FL
Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, February 12, 2022
Ephphetha! May our ears and mouths be open to hear and speak God’s word!
Those who witnessed Jesus healing the man who was deaf with a speech impediment grasped something more than just the healing when they stated: “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak” (Mk 7:37). With these words, they were acknowledging the deliverance of Israel by the Lord, promised by the prophet Isaiah, when he mentioned how, “the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf will be cleared” (Isaiah 35:5).
The beauty of this healing may be missed by us in the modern age because of the graphic nature of the details used by Mark. Jesus places his fingers in the man’s ears, spits into his own hands, and then touches the man’s tongue. Jesus is mixing his own saliva with this man in need of healing. We don’t even share drinks from the same bottle anymore as we used to do when we were kids! Adding the fact that we are still in the midst of a pandemic, this imagery can seem incomprehensible!
Yet, what Jesus is showing is the intimacy of communion that he offers us. He gave the very essence of his own being that it would be mingled with this man. This physical teaching is an image or icon, of how the Son of God, in no way diminishing the fullness of his divinity, entered into the very real corporality of our humanity. He became one with us so that we can become one with him. This was true then and it is still true for us today!
We all suffer physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual trials. But we also suffer from not being able to hear God’s word, and so are mute in speaking his word. Jesus, even if he does not provide a healing or an immediate solution to a trial, is present in our lives. We are invited to consciously resist the temptation of avoiding our own suffering, pain, or challenges and instead are invited to embrace and enter into them. We are not expected to do this alone, but to bring our need for healing to Jesus. In this way, we are aligning our suffering with his on the Cross. When we choose to offer up our pain and suffering on behalf of another, we participate in redemptive suffering. Others can experience relief and healing from our sacrifice in participation with Jesus.
This act of the will gives meaning to our suffering such that we do not endure what we are going through in vain. In this way, we face, head-on, that which rises before us, actualizing the guidance of Jesus as well as the advances of modern medicine, science, and psychology, embracing a posture that engages both faith and reason. Our approach will be best if we are more mindful and balanced with our discernment. Just masking struggles without dealing with the root causes will only prolong and possibly worsen the condition. I have experienced the benefits of both faith and science during my year of recovery from pneumonia.
Jesus seeks to heal us as he did the man in today’s Gospel of Mark by saying: “Ephphatha!” to us as well, so that we too can hear his word, speak his word, and be more present to and love one another. Jesus also wants to heal others through us. With ears more open to the voice of God, we become more aware of the needs of others. The best gift of healing we can offer to one another is to be present and really listen to and hear them, such that they have experienced being heard and loved.
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Picture: Icon of Jesus healing the man deaf and mute – Artist unknown.
Link for the Mass reading for Friday, February 11, 2022
Do we believe that Jesus still heals today?
In today’s encounter between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, we can observe again the crossing of societal norms by both the woman and Jesus. The woman, very much like the woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years, was desperate and approached Jesus. She was willing to risk breaking the social taboo of speaking with Jesus and just walking into the home where Jesus was staying for the sole purpose that her daughter would be healed.
Jesus meets her with the derogatory language of equating her with a dog, considered one of the most unclean of animals by Jews: “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” (Mk 7:27). This woman would have none of Jesus’ rebuke, she wasn’t leaving without receiving healing for her daughter, even if that meant she was putting her life in danger. Her retort, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps”, emphasized this point. It was also the key that opened the door for the disciples and us to witness a consistent pattern with Jesus.
Both the woman with the hemorrhage (cf. Mk 5:25-34) and the Syrophoenician woman from today’s account had the faith and courage to approach Jesus. The outcome of this encounter was also similar to one Jesus had with another gentile, the Roman centurion, who said that he was not worthy for Jesus to enter under his roof. In both accounts, Jesus healed solely by his word from afar. What is important to Jesus is the person’s faith and belief that Jesus was who he said he was!
Do we have the courage, faith, and belief in Jesus as shown by each of these three people seeking out Jesus? Are we willing to take the risk of crossing our own societal norms to draw closer to Jesus? When we let nothing hinder our stride closer to Jesus, including relinquishing the reigns of being our own masters, acknowledging that God is God and we are not, believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God and that he is still present and active in our lives, miracles still do happen! Jesus said that if we have faith but the size of the mustard seed, we can move mountains (cf. Mt 17:20).
If you or someone close to you are dealing with some conflicts, challenges, trials, or tribulations; if something, someone, or your own fear or anxiety is keeping you from making a deeper commitment to surrendering your life to Jesus; if there are opposing forces that feel as big as mountains; be not afraid and trust in Jesus. Just come as you are to Jesus, lay your burdens at his feet, and take his hand. With Jesus all things are possible. We just need the courage to believe that our Lord is present with us especially in the midst of our trials. Jesus has not left us as orphans. Jesus is who he says he was then and continues to be today. Jesus the Christ, the Son of God our Savior and Redeemer, is present, is the kingdom of God at hand, and will see us through our trials, step by faithful step.
Photo: Focal point at the front of my classroom at Cardinal Newman a few years back. May the light of the Gospel guide us each day!
Link for the Mass reading for Thursday, February 10, 2022
What we think and speak will lead to our actions.
“[W]hat comes out of the man, that is what defiles him” (Mk 7:20).
Jesus offers a list in today’s gospel of what can be unleashed from within and then directed out toward another. These are examples of what defiles us because, at some level, we make the decision to think about, speak, and put into action those thoughts, words, and actions.
To resist the temptation to defile ourselves and others, we can follow the lead of the writer from the letter to the Hebrews who offered a wonderful verse, which I pray each morning in my recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours: “Encourage each other daily while it is still today” (Hebrews 3:13). There are many that we will encounter or hear about each day that will do the exact opposite.
Our goal each moment is to resist spending any time or energy in supporting any thoughts, words, or actions that demean, belittle, or dehumanize. We can call those out who do so, stand up for those impoverished from these attacks who do not have a voice, but we must not succumb, engage, or in any way be lowered to the negativity unleashed. Otherwise, we become an agent in perpetuating the same vileness and poison already unleashed.
Our thoughts, words, and actions matter because we are all interconnected, and even what we ruminate upon can be projected onto our faces and directed out toward another without saying one word. Thoughts entertained can lead to words and actions that wound. We need to approach each moment more mindfully such that we resist reacting, and instead take a slow breath, then think and pray about our response. The only time our silence can be harmful is when we refuse to stand up to others when they disregard the dignity of a person.
Let us choose this day to align our thoughts, words, and actions with those of Jesus. We can follow St Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s five-finger gospel as a reminder: “You did it to me.” What we say and do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we say and do to Jesus (cf. Mt 25:35-45). This begins when we resist defiling ourselves by never letting evil talk pass our lips and instead think, speak, and act in ways that empower, convict, and build up others.
Our effort is strengthened when we choose to forgive any negativity hurled at us, and meet it with a posture of compassion that seeks to understand the perspective of the hurler. In our efforts, we are not alone when we call upon the help and strength of Jesus as we strive to become ambassadors of his transforming love.
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Photo: St Mother Teresa of Calcutta, in the sanctuary at St Peter Catholic Church
Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, February 9, 2022
There is a unique balance between the rules and the freedom of play.
Jesus reacted to the criticism of not observing ritual washing prior to eating that was leveled at him from the Pharisees and scribes by recalling the tradition of the Prophets through the words of Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mk 7:6). For Jesus, following the law for the law’s sake is an empty act. What is important is encountering God, experiencing his love and forgiveness, developing a relationship with him, being transformed by him, and restoring what has been lost of being created in his image and likeness, so as to be able to glorify him by serving others and inviting others into communion with him. Jesus challenged the hyper scrupulosity and exactitude of the rules that had nothing to do with being humble servants of God.
Just laws and practices are those that are enacted to build up and empower ourselves and others through discipline and clear boundaries. They help keep us from being enslaved to our passions and sins and instead lead us to freedom for excellence, for fulfillment, and to experience a heart on fire with an ever-growing love that yearns for a relationship with God and each other, like a deer for running streams.
As with any game we play, there are rules and regulations, there are referees and officials to keep order. When the rules enforced encroach on the flow of the game, such that they inhibit the freedom of play, the game is stunted. When there is no enforcement, the game quickly devolves into chaos. When the rules are consistent, they provide the structure and boundaries that limit abuse, allow for the game to flourish, and the players to experience the freedom to actualize their potential, and as such, there is the experience of the true, the good, and the beautiful.
The first time I saw people skate, I was enraptured. I think I was seven. My father was working on a project at our local ice rink and even though we were not there to skate, I refused to leave until he took me on the ice. It didn’t matter that the only skates to rent that fit my feet were figure skates. It didn’t matter that my first attempt was a dismal failure. What mattered was that I made it to the ice and the joy of that experience carried me as I learned the rules of balance, how to stop and what a toe kick was and was not for. Soon I had the freedom not only to skate but to join a hockey team. The freedom and joy I felt any time I skated or played hockey, I still carry with me to this day.
The Church, when we are at our best, is the same. We don’t lead with the rules and moralizing, but instead, we share our time, presence, and the joy of our faith. We empower and support one another as we enter into the play between our finite freedom and God’s infinite freedom. We are built for a relationship with God and one another and as our relationship matures, we start to learn and share the finer points of our life of faith. We experience the meaning of why we do what we do and why certain thought patterns and actions lead us either away from or closer to God. There is a unique balance between the rules and the freedom of play.
Loving someone does not mean we allow them to do whatever they want, but in willing their good, we offer invitations, options, and establish boundaries that will provide opportunities for growth, maturity, and authentic freedom. We are going to make mistakes, I have made plenty. The key is recognizing that we are on a journey together. As we walk together, we support and learn from one another. In this way, the boundaries and rules we follow are meant to set a foundation for healthy relationships and actualizing who God invites us to be; joyful, human beings that are fully alive!
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Photo: About eight or nine, living the dream on the ice! I still have my hockey skates. Still hoping to get back on the ice!
Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
The Church needs to draw close as Jesus does.
“Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed” (Mk 6:56).
The people of Jesus’ time were in need of healing, hungry to draw closer to God, often searching, wandering, and wounded. This is just as true for us today. Though Jesus is not as visible to us as he was to those in the land of Gennesaret, he is just as present if not closer. We who receive Jesus in his Word proclaimed and through his Body and Blood, we who receive his healing, mercy, and grace are sent forth to bring Jesus to others.
We are not to go home as if nothing of any significance just happened in our gathering as the Mystical Body of Christ at Mass. Jesus does not send us to walk around with an air of superiority over others, to judge and condemn people, to refuse to help people because we feel they deserve the condition they are in, that they are illegal, that they chose their lifestyle, that they are lazy and just need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Jesus was and is not indifferent to the plight of others.
Pope Francis was asked in an interview by Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., in 2013, “What does the church need most at this historic moment?” And Pope Francis answered, “that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle.” We need to be “near”, in the same “proximity”, to bear Christ to one another: “The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the church must be ministers of mercy above all.”
Jesus, please help us to be present, to come near, and bring your love, mercy, forgiveness, and be willing to enter into the chaos of one another. Help us to resist the temptation to keep others at a distance and refuse to be indifferent to the needs of those you bring to us in their time of need. May we too, in the words of Pope Francis, go out to “heal the wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful” by being willing to accompany others in their sorrows, anxiety, trials, and tribulations.
People are really hurting all around us. Help us to let go of the need to fix them or fix their problems. Jesus, help us instead to be present, to listen, to hear, and to be open to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us at the appropriate time, so that, in the end, we do not prevent people from encountering Jesus, but provide a means for them to encounter the divine physician and be healed..
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Photo: Class of 2017 expressing some pre-Covid nearness and proximity!
Spadaro, S.J., Antonio. “A Big Heart Open to God: An interview with Pope Francis”. America Magazine. September 30, 2013 Issue: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2013/09/30/big-heart-open-god-interview-pope-francis
Link for Mass readings for Monday, February 7, 2022
May we be willing to go deeper.
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, 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 6, 2022
Spiritual Stepping Stones 