god

As Jesus heals us, may we help others to receive his healing.

“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. That some begged only to touch the tassel on his cloak is interesting. Had the story spread of the faith of the woman with the hemorrhage for twelve years who courageously reached out and touched the tassel of his cloak and was healed? Had the woman herself shared her story and inspired others who had all but lost hope to seek out Jesus?

Even though there was a lull in the momentum when Jesus’ healed only a few in his hometown, and Mark paused in his account to share the flashback of John the Baptist’s death, Jesus has not slowed and people continue to seek his healing. The apostles also have been sent to bring healing and with success. 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, especially in the sacraments, to us today. “Jesus is still the great Physician of our souls and bodies. In the power of the Holy Spirit he continues his work of healing and salvation through the Church, especially in the two sacraments of healing: Penance and the Anointing of the Sick” (Healy, 134).

Let us also not forget the gift of Jesus present in the Mass. After experiencing the word proclaimed at Mass as his disciples heard Jesus teach with authority, and then receiving his Body and Blood, we are not to go home as if nothing of any significance just happened. Jesus invites us to his banquet weekly, and daily, to encounter him so that in receiving his love and his presence, we may be transformed and go forth to bring Jesus who we have received to others. We are also to see Jesus present in others who are in need.

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.”

As in the time Jesus walked among the people of Galilee and they came to him seeking healing, we and so many are in need today. May we seek to breathe, receive, rest, and abide in God’s love, experience his healing, so that we may be then present, have compassion like Jesus and draw near to those who Jesus sends us. May we resist the temptation to keep others at a distance and refuse to be indifferent to the needs of those he brings 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.

We may be hurting and people are hurting. We are not called to fix others or their problems but to be present, to listen, to hear, and to allow the Holy Spirit to speak and love 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. Maybe we can be the tassel on the cloak of Jesus to help others to experience his healing.

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Photo: May we be Jesus to others and assist in his healing!

Healy, Mary. The Gospel of Mark. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008.

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 the Mass readings for Monday, February 9, 2025

We are to reflect the light of Jesus with every thought, word, and deed.

Our readings today embody the core of the Gospel message, in fact, the core of the written record of the Bible and our Tradition as Catholics. The Son of God became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity. Jesus is the incarnation of the Son of God, he is God made man so that through our participation in his life we can become like God, we can be restored to the likeness of God that we were originally created to be and that has been lost to us through our sin.

Ultimately, what is Jesus saying to his disciples then and to us his disciples today when he said, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world”? We are called by him to be holy, we are to be deified or divinized. Our likeness is meant to be like God’s likeness and so we need to be transformed, perfected in and by Christ and through the Holy Spirit. As we are, our likeness to and the glory of God will gradually be restored.

We are a living, craving, hunger, and desire to be one with God and each other. This is true for the atheist as well as the mystic alike. God did not create us just to survive and merely exist, to take up space and then die. He created us to be fully alive, to be loved and to love, and to collaborate with him to bring about his reign on earth as it is in heaven. We are to breathe, receive, rest, and abide in the love of God, experience his consolation and joy, just as we are as his beloved daughters and sons. Yet, we all fall short of the glory of God when we sin and curve in upon ourselves.

Sometimes that happens because of the deep physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual wounds that we have experienced. It also happens when we listen to the father of lies and demons that seek to distort, divert, and destroy the love of God and the good he has created. We are tempted to turn away from the love God offers and feed the anxieties and fears that arise as we feel isolated and alone. Jesus is the light that has come to reveal to us a path that leads to forgiveness, healing, and a clearer vision of the truth.

Jesus came to save us and he opened up heaven for us in the humanity he assumed. God loved us into existence out of the abundance of a trinitarian communion of love, and loves us so much he is willing to risk that we will reject him. He desires that we choose him freely. Jesus shines the light in our darkness to reveal to us those ways in which we have said no to God and invites us to repent, to turn away from our sin and to restore our relationship with our loving God and Father.

Our yes to God is not a one time yes for all time. We need to make a daily, moment by moment yes to God in every aspect of our life. God loves us more than our worst mistakes, our greatest sin, and more than we can ever mess up. He is just waiting for us to turn to him, so he can forgive us and release us from our bondage. God loves us so that we can receive his love, return to communion with him, and love others as he has loved us.

Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth, to preserve that which is good and holy in God’s creation and to add the flavor of Christ to our human lives. Jesus calls us to be the light that shines in the darkness leading people to experience that which is good, true, and beautiful about being a human being fully alive. That means we need to be cleansed of our sin, healed from our wounds, and better discern the voices that we are listening to. Each thought, word, and action that we take will help us to be salt and light when we discern each through a prayerful pause. If we make the time to breathe and pray before entertaining any thought, speaking any word, and engaging in any action, we will make choices for God and our holiness.

On our own merits and efforts, this is impossible, but in union with Jesus all things are possible. We become holy by following the guidance of the psalmist. Our hearts are to be firm and steadfast as we trust in the Lord (cf Psalm 112: 8-9) and along with St. Paul we need to believe that we “rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God” (I Cor. 2:5). As we are more and more conformed to the life of Jesus, people no longer see us, but Jesus working in and through us. As we mature in our walk with Jesus we too will be able to say with Saint Paul that I have been crucified with Christ, yet it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (cf. Galatian 2:19-20).

We become the salt of the earth and a light to the world, we become holy, when we accept the reality that God is God and we are not. When we willingly and with firm intent say yes to the grace, the free gift, of the invitation of Jesus. When we read from and meditate and pray with the words of the Bible, and are willing to be led into contemplation by the Holy Spirit; when we slow down on a daily basis to hear the Word of God who speaks to us in the silence of our hearts; and when we allow the love of the Holy Spirit to purge and purify us from us all that is not of God, we experience forgiveness, healing, and freedom to be ourselves.

Our prayer and practice and transformation is not for us alone. Prayer, meditation, and contemplation are where we become aware of the invitation to experience God vertically, where he calls us through the love of the Holy Spirit and sends us out on mission. This outward action directed toward others is our relationship with God horizontally. The two directions, vertical and horizontal, intersect as the trinitarian love of the Cross.

When we become people of prayer, allow our eyes to see the needs of our neighbor, and allow our hearts to feel again compassion for one another, we will hear with the prophet Isaiah:  “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own” (Isaiah 58:7). We will also hear Jesus say, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Mt 25:35-36).

These words may not be easy to hear nor to put into practice, but the Word of God is the kindling we need to ignite the embers of our soul. Our “light will shine before others” (Mt 5:16) when we ponder these words and are willing to allow the Fire of the Holy Spirit to burn the dross of our sin, pride, prejudice, and selfishness from within, and allow ourselves to be set ablaze by the Love of God. When we allow Jesus to live in and through us we will no longer be shaped by the world, but we will set the world on fire with his love.

Aflame with the fire of God’s love, we become “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). This light does not come from ourselves. We are to reflect the light of Jesus in our homes, our places of worship, and in our communities. Let us not be afraid of this present age or each other. Let us allow the light of Christ to help us to see each other as brothers and sisters. Let us love one another, will each other’s good, as Jesus loves us.

Photo: Who better than Mary reflected the light of Jesus? Mary’s face is illuminated from the rising moon outside the stained glass window.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, February 8, 2026

Come away and rest awhile with Jesus.

After hearing the accounts and success of the apostle’s missionary trip, Jesus invited 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 work and serve as well as times to recharge, to reconnect, 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, Jesus, and this is true for the atheist as well as the mystic alike. This is true for each and every one 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 caught up in our day to day schedule, life’s demands, and operating from survival mode. Even when all is good and we are serving well, as we see with the apostles return, there is a need for rest.  There is so much that needs to be done, and at the same time, there are so many distractions and diversions that vie for our energy and attention.

In today’s Gospel, the intent of Jesus is to escape with his apostles for some rest and renewal, to decompress with them, and hear about their experiences of ministry. They get in a boat to do just that, yet the crowd that they thought they had left behind arrived on the other side before they did! This is a sign that the preaching, exorcisms, and healing work the apostles participated in was already bearing fruit. Just as people were flocking to Jesus, so word was getting out about his disciples! “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. The moment to take a breath and reconnect with Jesus. As Jesus and the apostles were coming closer to shore, they could have diverted their course to avoid them. Instead, Jesus, was moved with pity or compassion and taught them. A key for a more balanced life is to spend time daily with Jesus to know his will and follow his lead.

This is an important discipline and practice that we all need to attend to. As St. Francis de Sales taught: “Every one of us needs half an hour of prayer a day, except when we are busy — then we need an hour.” When I first began as a priest here at Holy Cross, I was having trouble fitting in my daily holy hour before the blessed sacrament. The light bulb went on when my spiritual director said to me, “You know what you are doing?”

I asked, “What?”

He said, “You are negotiating with a non-negotiable.”

He then said maybe you can do a half hour a day. Before he even finished the thought, I felt Jesus tell me that I needed to be faithful to that time alone with him each day. Without his grace and guidance and renewing in him, I would not be able to do what he requires me to do as his priest. I have been blessed by making time each evening to go away to the church and rest awhile with him.

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 meditation and prayer, even and especially, during the moment when we may feel we just don’t have the time.

As you ease into Saturday, my invitation is to give yourself a fifteen minute retreat. Read these words from Jesus slowly and reflectively: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31). Find a quiet place where you feel comfortable, take a few deep, slow breaths, close your eyes, then step into and sit in the boat with Jesus and his disciples.

Breathe some more, 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, and if so, what does he share? Do any questions arise and if so what do you ask, and what is his answer? Allow yourself to be still, just you and Jesus for the time you have set aside. When the boat comes to shore, go forth into the day renewed and blessed by Jesus with a heart and mind able to be moved with compassion to follow God’s will in how best to serve him through those he brings you today and into the coming week.

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Photo: Heading in to spend some quiet time away with Jesus.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, February 7, 2025

Trusting in and reflecting the light of Jesus, we will grow even in the darkness.

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 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, much as a foreshadowing of Pilate before the crowd asking for Jesus’ death. Both condemned innocent men to die and they knew it, hesitated in fulfilling the deed, but followed through anyway. They each decided to take John and Jesus’ lives. Herod chose to protect his foolish oath to Salome, instead of standing up and defending the dignity of the life of John the Baptist. Pilate caved into the pressure of the crowds who claimed he was no spokesman for Caesar. In both cases, innocent men were brutally murdered without any regard for their lives.

For the first part of his gospel, Mark has shown the opposite. He has shown what true leadership in the person and actions of Jesus who instead of disregarding and degrading human beings empowered them through his teaching. A better way of wholeness and union with the God and with each other is presented by his words and his actions. Jesus freed the possessed, healed those who had been on the outside bound by illness and/or sin. Instead of the weak will and cowardice of Herodias, we recently saw the strength of purpose and courage of the woman with the hemorrhage.

While Mark provides us with this interlude and flashback of the death of John the Baptist, the apostles are on the march proclaiming the gospel, healing, and exorcising demons in Jesus’ name. They are putting into practice what they had learned. They are allowing their hearts and minds to be changed by the Word of God. Herod did not allow the same seeds of God’s word to find any root in his heart. Instead of listening to the words of John, repenting from his sin, and allowing himself to be transformed, he chose his own passions over the truth, imprisoned John and then chose his moment of execution. There was a moment of hesitation, before that fateful decision. That pause could have grown to inspiration, but instead withered and died under the heat of his ego.

Unlike Herod, Jesus showed the moral courage to stand up for and empower those who were considered other, lesser, unclean, possessed, and social outcasts. Jesus, like John, showed courage by speaking the truth that God gave him to reveal. John was willing to lose his head as God’s spokesman and preparing the way for his Son, Jesus was willing to be crucified. John cleared the way for Jesus and Jesus walked the way that led to the cross, died, and conquered death. He did so, so that each one of us might have life, and have it to the full.

We have a choice to make each day and each moment. We can choose to refuse the gift of Jesus’ life given and follow the enemy or receive the gift of Jesus’ life and follow Jesus. Herod and Pilate made their choices and the woman with the hemorrhage and the apostles made theirs. May we choose to follow Jesus and allow his words to find rich soil, that we may allow our hearts and mind to be transformed. In choosing Jesus and allowing his light to shine, our vices whither and die, while our virtues will be nourished and grow.

Photo: We choose with each thought, word, and action whether to curve in upon ourselves, into the darkness, or open our hearts and minds to Jesus and reflect his light.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, February 6, 2025

We are summoned, taught, and sent each day.

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, or only a very few, those who were healed by him, did. Jesus, as he does throughout the Gospel of Mark moves on without missing a beat, much like Mary going in haste to bring the good news to Elizabeth. Jesus’ next move was when he, “summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits” (Mk 6:7).

Could the rejection of the people of Nazareth then also have been a preparation for the sending of the Twelve? They had experienced his exorcisms, teaching with authority, forgiveness, healings, the reaction of the crowds, as well as the push back from the religious authorities, as well as many from his hometown. He then sent “them out  two by two.” The implication is that he gave special instruction to each pair as he sent them.

John and Jesus began their public ministries with the preaching of repentance. The Twelve did the same. They brought the light of Christ so their recipients could see the sins, attachments, and idols they needed to turn away from, to turn  back to God, and they invited the people to give their whole hearts and minds to God.

We have been accompanying Jesus and his disciples through each chapter. The word of God is living and alive and Jesus still reaches out and calls us as he called the Twelve. He is teaching us to repent, helping us to see where we are in need of healing, forgiveness, how to meditate and pray, and forgive. Jesus is showing us not only areas where we need growth but also the charisms that God has shared with us.

At the end of each Mass, we are sent, just as the Apostles, to proclaim the Good News! All of us, as the Body of Christ, believers in Jesus the Christ, those of us baptized into his death, are to live as his disciples and bear witness to how he has transformed our lives. This is best done when we have the humility to repent and place God at the center of our lives. Jesus gives us each a unique call of evangelization with a particular charism and gift that the Holy Spirit imparts within us at our Confirmation.

Jesus calls, educates, and empowers us for mission. We are sanctified, made holy – set apart, when we say yes to his invitation, participate in his sacramental life, and follow the will of his Father. Jesus not only teaches with authority, but he also calls and sends us with that same authority. We are to rely on the divine providence of our Father. He prepares us and provides that which we need to accomplish the task he has given, 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 Apostles and each generation of saints thereafter.

At first sight, we may not agree with God’s choosing. Me, really? Yet, we only need to recall what he accomplished with the Apostles, remembering the imperfections of each apostle and their simple beginnings. Just as mustard seeds, that grew to mighty bushes, the Apostles grew. What wonders they accomplished in Jesus’ name. God does not see as we do, for we are often misled by appearances “or lofty stature” but God sees into the depths of the heart (cf 1 Samuel 16:7).

Ultimately it is not about us after all. It is about our willingness to be open to and led by God and to work arm in arm with those he has invited us to walk with. That makes all the difference. We do not to go forward alone. We are called to be in community as the Body of Christ. Jesus sent his disciples out two by two in the beginning, so that they could provide mutual support, guidance, encouragement, prayer, and accountability. We each begin best each day by making time to be still, to breathe, receive, rest, and abide in God’s love, listen to or read his word and receive his guidance. Then we begin, step by faithful step, walking with our brothers and sisters following the light that Jesus shines before us.

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Photo: Seminarian chapel at Mundelein Seminary. Latin on the left – Nolite Timere: Be not afraid and on the right – Duc In Altum: Into the Deep. As disciples we are not to be afraid and we are to go into the deep just as Peter and the Apostles did.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, February 5, 2026

Let us resist limiting ourselves and remain open to the wonders God has in store for us.

Today’s Gospel reading is a sad account. For the first time since beginning his public ministry, Jesus has returned to his hometown of Nazareth. He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and preached and taught in his “native place”. Unfortunately, this was not a roaring success of the hometown boy returning home to make good. Initially, it seemed that the immediate reaction was the same as he received where had been preaching before. People were “astonished”.  This astonishment though was not received in the same way as his other audiences. The outsiders he preached to were amazed at the authority and power of his teaching. The hometown crowd looked at Jesus more contempt and disdain.

This is a window into this small town of not more than 500 at the highest estimates. It is also a window into what really happened when Jesus returned home after being lost when he was twelve. What happened in those missing years from twelve until the beginning of his public ministry around thirty was most likely insignificant at best. As Mark mentioned, Jesus was merely a carpenter and the son of Mary. This identification is only used by Mark. Was this because of the roots of Jesus’ conception happening while still during Mary’s betrothal period to Joseph? Or, speaking of Jospeh, could this reference be to the fact that Joseph had already died, because Jews more often than not during this time, referred to sons by addressing the name of their fathers, such as Jesus the son of Joseph, not by their mothers. Could this be also Mark expressing, the virginal birth of Jesus, without referring to Joseph. we don’t know, but the reaction is clear.

Most of the people here did not accept that Jesus spoke with authority, healed, exorcised demons, or tamed violent winds and waves of the sea as the lead stories coming into town had said. Jesus’ words were not received, and so he was not able to bring those who knew him for the greater majority of his life into 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).

As we have been walking through the first five chapters with Mark as our guide, many were amazed at the power of Jesus’ preaching, presence, and miraculous works. Jesus was amazed that those who probably he was closest to more than anyone else, refused to believe. They had heard about and now witnessed themselves, the power of his preaching, but they could not see past the simple carpenter.

Is our world today becoming more and more like Jesus’ “native place”? Do we take Jesus for granted, if we pay him any attention to him at all? Where miracles are dismissed as hoaxes or coincidences at best? At one point, CS Lewis, I believe, wrote that Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. He cannot be anything else upon a close reading of the Scriptures. Today, in some academic circles would added, Jesus is only a legend, that he is just made up.

We seek to know, in the depths of our hearts, all of us, atheists and believers alike, as well as everyone in between. We seek to know the truth. Authentic faith seeks understanding. A questioning and searching mind are the ingredients for a living, relevant, and vibrant faith and life.

Yet, we can limit ourselves for many reasons and from different experiences. We can, like the Nazoreans, limit the truth of Jesus by accepting a caricature of him. As St. Thomas Aquinas taught: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary; to one without faith, no explanation is possible.” There are reasonable ascents to the truth that we can make regarding the reality and truth that Jesus is the Son of God, but our reason can only go so far. God’s grace builds on nature. God has given us an intellect and will to seek and to know, but there is a reality that surpasses our reason. God also reaches the deepest core of our being when we are willing to trust him a little and open our hearts and minds to his revelation.

May we resist: setting limits, settling for a minimalist or cynical approach, hardening of our hearts, and instead open ourselves up to the limitless possibilities God invites us to explore! There is so much to experience when we slow down and are still, the wonder of everyday, miraculous moments, and God-incidences abound. The Holy Spirit touches our hearts when we are open to encounter one another, when we are willing to come close, when we resist keeping each other in a box neatly defined, and/or lead with our fears instead of love. God wants to share with us the gift of his Son and the Holy Spirit. Are we willing to open our hearts and minds, even a little, and allow the love of God to happen today?

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Photo: The wonder in store when looking up! No day is the same!

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, February 4, 2026

When we look at the crucifix, do we see humility?

“Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who have observed his law” (Zephaniah 2:3).

To be humble is not mocking or putting ourselves down, being milk toast, allowing others to walk all over us, being indecisive, insecure, lacking confidence, or denying the gifts God has given us – just read the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and you will get that message loud and clear from Jesus. A better way to understand the definition of humility is to ponder a good quote that is attributed to CS Lewis, but according to the C.S. Lewis Foundation, he did not write.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” We are to “seek the Lord” and “observe his law” because God is God and we are not. To be humble in the biblical sense is to bring each thought, word, and action to God first before following through on any and to trust him with everything and before anyone else. We are to be as dependent on God as infants and toddlers are with their parents.

Another good barometer of our humility is to assess to what extent we are attached to the things of this world at the expense of the things of heaven. If we would like to see a good example of non-attachment, ponder a crucifix for a while. Jesus, the incarnation of the second Person of the Trinity, gave up everything. He surrendered his divinity to experience the fullness of his humanity. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he felt the full weight of his impending death. Jesus did not want to die, but in these words, Jesus saved each of us and all of creation. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” Luke 22:42).

That statement is humility of humilities! Jesus was willing to give all he had, all he was, holding nothing back, even his life, and he was willing to die for his bride, the Church. Would that we who have been or still are husbands as well as wives, were willing to be as humble as Jesus is for our spouse. That is not an indictment, but an invitation to assess our present level of humility in our relationships. Jesus is not the gold standard, he is the heavenly standard. If we are to grow in our humility, we must be willing to love as Jesus did and we begin by allowing ourselves to be loved by the Father and to depend on him for everything.

In doing so, we will slowly begin to become less, the ego will have less of a reign, and we will follow God’s will more freely and with less hardness of heart. To be humble is to be willing to change by allowing the light of Jesus to identify what within our lives are leading us away from growing in our relationship with God and what is helping us to improve our relationship with God. Being humble is being willing to stand in the fire of God’s truth, his love, and let it burn. What is burned away are the disordered affections, lies, sins, attachments, and what remains is the purity of who he has created us to be.

Zephaniah announced that if we are humble, we are to observe God’s law. As disciples, we realize that Jesus not only observed the law, for he did not come to abolish the law, and he not only fulfilled it, Jesus also raised the bar of observing the law. The Ten Commandments are a solid foundation to put into practice in our lives, but the Beatitudes we read about from Matthew 5:1-12, take our seeking God to the next level. The Beatitudes are worth pondering and observing in our lives, experimenting with, and putting them into practice.

I like the interpretation of the Beatitudes as presented by Dr. Brandt Pitre, which I close with and which we might meditate upon:

Those who live out each of these eight beatitudes will be happy and experience more meaning in their lives. We start off with the hinge pin of the beatitudes, which ought not to be a surprise if I haven’t put you to sleep yet. Those who are poor in spirit are those who are humble, those who are dependent on the love and support of God for everything in their lives. Mourners are those who lament sin, suffering, and death, they lament that which separates us from the love of God. The meek are those who receive insults and are not undone by them, resist reacting in kind and instead, conquer evil with good.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness seek a life devoted to holiness and justice. The merciful are blessed because they are willing to forgive, they live the law with compassion, willing to suffer with others to bring about change. The pure or clean in heart are those who act with integrity, those we can trust to do God’s will even when no one is looking. The peacemakers are those who have embraced the gospel, they are willing to seek reconciliation with others whoever the other may be, even enemies. And to finish off, blessed are those who are persecuted, those are accept the slander, false accusations, and being reviled for being a follower of Jesus.

Let us this Lord’s Day, in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, give ourselves some time to meditate and pray about how humble we are, how willing we are to follow the law of God, and whether or not we want to be truly happy, and if so, how well are we following the Beatitudes in our day to day. Where we fall short in any of the above, may be a good invitation that Jesus is inviting us to pray with, and discern which Beatitude that we might be able to begin to practice with more intention this Lent.

Photo: Humility of humilities!

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, February 1, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Do we have the faith to be still?

“Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith” (Mark 4:40)?

Jesus asked this question of his apostles after he quieted the wind and the waves. These were seasoned fisherman, so for them this must have been quite the storm. They even thought that they were not going to survive it as the waves not only tossed their boat but it also began to take on more and more water. Then looking at Jesus, they turned to thinking that he was indifferent to their need, he didn’t care that they were perishing. Jesus cared. He slept because he trusted in his Father to take care of them.

The faith of Jesus in his Father was rock solid. The visceral threat of death did not shake his faith as it did his closest followers. This is the first time that they appeal to him as teacher. They are growing in their understanding of him, but they are not yet at the point of comprehending that he is the Son of God, who could even command the seas and to obeyed.

Jesus called his apostles and brought them into his inner circle so they could not only experience his teaching, healings, and exorcisms but also to get to know him as the Son of God. As with any relationships, this takes time, and their faith, their trust in him in all circumstances was still growing. But as we read yesterday, faith as small as a mustard seed, will bring large results. This would come to pass with the apostles as well in time.

We too may find ourselves in times of trouble. Our anxieties, fears, and insecurities are a good barometer of our faith in Jesus. Our emotions are human and good as they alert us to a real or perceived threats. The challenge is to discern the real from the perceived and to determine when the threat has passed and resist the temptation to play an unending loop in our minds that keep us stressed.

Where our emotions can present a problem is when we believe in, place our faith in, identify ourselves by them, react from and stay in the endless loop. We need to resist suppressing or feeding our emotions but instead, stop, breath, stretch and identify them. From a place of feeling safer, we can then address the immediate trigger. Trusting in Jesus in the face of our trials is also good step.

The apostles judged that he didn’t care instead of wonder how he could be sleeping through all this? Would he have brought them out into the deep to let them perish? Jesus quieted the their storm and he will help us to calm the real as well as the perceived storms in our lives. He can guide and empower us to sit with our emotions, get to the source of them, identify the deeper root causes, as well as if they are perceived or real, and then work through the them and the situation.

The apostles, did the right thing. They tried everything they could do to correct their dire circumstances, they judged incorrectly that Jesus didn’t care, but they still turned to him for help. We will be better off when we too continue to turn to Jesus in every situation. Our faith and trust in him will grow. We will heal, mature, and grow through the storms in our lives.

Easier said than done? Yes, for both our real and imagined storms. As we place our trust in Jesus, persevere, claim our authority in his name to renounce any attacks of the enemy, all things are possible!

Photo: As the clouds gather, the light still shines through. Taken on the way to celebrate a funeral Mass this morning. We need not fear death, for even it does not have the final say, Jesus does.

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, January 31, 2026

God brings about the growth of his creation, us included.

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, sprout, go through the process of growth, and become 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 often works 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. He has been and continues to be intimately engaged in guiding his creation and in each of our lives as well. 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, invites us to be in relationship, and once we accept, seeks for our relationship to grow. Like the farmer in the first parable, “I have planted seeds but don’t see anything happening.” But slowly, a sprout emerges, a stalk rises, and a bud forms. We too may make an attempt at prayer and feel nothing is happening. If we intentionally make time to be with God, something is happening.

God has no need for us, and yet he has loved us into existence for our good. He invites us to know him and 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? How much more so if they also did not want to just meet but spend more time with you, with the intention of forming a relationship! 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.

God has created us to know, love, and to serve him. He invites us to be in communion with him, and to participate in his work of salvation history in simple and subtle ways. Are we aware of his invitation, 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 oaks, so may our relationship with our Loving God and Father also grow and mature that we become one with him in this life and into the next for eternity.

Photo: May we mature and flourish like these cabbage palms that even withstood the tornados of Milton.

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, January 30, 2025

Jesus offers us his light to shine in and through us to be shared.

“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? (Mark 4:21).

God blesses us by giving his Son to us. He has done great things for us and he is the source of our joy! We do not earn nor is there anything that we can do to gain God’s grace. Our God and Father loves us unconditionally and always without hesitation and calls us to deeper and more intimate communion. But we can lose this gift of invitation to relationship, either by refusing what has been offered, or once accepting and receiving, not doing anything with the gift. If we are people of faith in name only, but not followed by action, we are concealing the light we have been given.

Prayer is the lifting of our hearts and minds to God, to spend time with him and in truly doing so, our lives as with any relationship, is changed. If we are not moving forward in the spiritual life, we are moving backwards. If we do not exercise our faith and allow that to happen over longer periods, we will receive signs of spiritual atrophy. To not even acknowledge the presence of God in our lives, the free gift of his invitation to be in a relationship with him, we will experience limitations and frustrations.

For whether we believe in God or not, we hunger to be in communion with him and one another, so we will be looking for other apparent avenues of happiness that will fall short of fulfilling us. If we do accept that there is a God, yet don’t participate in worship, fellowship, service, meditation and prayer, we are little but not much better off. I can believe that my truck will get me to where I want to go, but if I do not put the key in the ignition, turn on the engine, and shift it into drive, and press the gas peddle, I will remain stationary.

We are called daily to spend time reading, meditating and praying with the words of the Bible, putting into practice what we receive, and serving God as he leads. These spiritual non-negotiables happen more consistently when we schedule them first before any other activities, while being true to our station in life. A parent with an infant will have different demands than a monk or nun. What we do or do not do, does not earn God’s love. God loves us no matter what. The difference is that when we are consistently engaged in spending time with God, following his will, and putting into practice what he is guiding us to do, we experience his love and peace more because we experience him more.

We will then be more like Mary and the saints who reflected the light of Jesus. Privatizing our faith as well as getting into another’s face stifles the light of Jesus. We are called to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, to be present, caring, understanding, supportive, convicting, and empowering, as we accompany one another in our realm of influence. The relationships we build are those that God brings into our lives.

Jesus has given his life for us, he continues to be present to and through us to others. May we be open to being conformed today and each day by his love. We are better able to do so by resisting and renouncing the temptations, diversions, and distractions that seek to lead us away from God. God sent Jesus to enter the chaos of our lives. May we allow him in to shine his light in our lives so we can identify and purge anything not of him, so that then we may begin to radiate the presence of Christ’s light in simple and concrete ways that allow God to happen through us in each encounter.

Photo: More of Jesus’ light will shine through us the more we are still enough to receive it.

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, January 29, 2026