Today's gospel is from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6, versus 53-56. It ends with:
"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."
Who are the sick? I am a sinner; I am the sick! I beg Jesus to only touch the tassel of his cloak. What power and mercy! If God were an ocean, it would take only one drop of him to heal us, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Through his grace, may we all have the same faith shown by those who were healed by that small touch.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Monday, January 25, 2016
1/25/2016: The Conversion of Paul
I need to take a brief moment to describe my faith journey today. Today is the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul. In the first reading this morning at Mass (Acts 22:3-16), the words of Ananias struck me:
"The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?"
These words this morning were spoken to me. I pray that God readies me for His will, at the time of His choosing.
Your will be done.
Also, during communion, I was overwhelmed with the knowledge of what communion really is, or at least some small share of its full meaning. After receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, I returned to my place and watched as the rest of the faithful received the Holy Eucharist. I understand the teaching of the meaning of communion, but today I know it more fully. As I stood there, I realized through the grace of God that I am truly one with these others who are also receiving the Holy Eucharist. Men and women of every age along with girls and boys approached and consumed the Bread of Life, and I felt a profound, almost indescribable connection with each of them. We are one in Christ! Then emotion was added as I felt an overwhelming Love flow through me and out to them. I truly love them, each and every one.
On my drive home, listening to Catholic radio, they were talking about what happened over the weekend. Busses returning home after Friday's March for Life in Washington, DC were stuck on the turnpike in Pennsylvania - for nearly 24 hours. Rather than complaining and turning grouchy with one another, as we would all be inclined to do in such a situation, they found two priests, one with a Mass kit, build an altar out of snow, and celebrated Mass in the cold! If God has indeed gifted me with prophecy, I can tell you with absolute certainty God is immensely pleased by this! His pleasure from it overwhelmed me into a few fits of uncontrollable sobbing.
Then, in combination with my lesson from today, it occurs to me that all of us throughout the world who are in communion through the Church and the Holy Eucharist, along with those who are already saints in heaven... we were all there! We were there in the snow and the blizzard with those young people. We were all there giving praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father for the sacrifice of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ on an altar of snow! And, God is very pleased indeed.
"The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?"
These words this morning were spoken to me. I pray that God readies me for His will, at the time of His choosing.
Your will be done.
Also, during communion, I was overwhelmed with the knowledge of what communion really is, or at least some small share of its full meaning. After receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, I returned to my place and watched as the rest of the faithful received the Holy Eucharist. I understand the teaching of the meaning of communion, but today I know it more fully. As I stood there, I realized through the grace of God that I am truly one with these others who are also receiving the Holy Eucharist. Men and women of every age along with girls and boys approached and consumed the Bread of Life, and I felt a profound, almost indescribable connection with each of them. We are one in Christ! Then emotion was added as I felt an overwhelming Love flow through me and out to them. I truly love them, each and every one.
On my drive home, listening to Catholic radio, they were talking about what happened over the weekend. Busses returning home after Friday's March for Life in Washington, DC were stuck on the turnpike in Pennsylvania - for nearly 24 hours. Rather than complaining and turning grouchy with one another, as we would all be inclined to do in such a situation, they found two priests, one with a Mass kit, build an altar out of snow, and celebrated Mass in the cold! If God has indeed gifted me with prophecy, I can tell you with absolute certainty God is immensely pleased by this! His pleasure from it overwhelmed me into a few fits of uncontrollable sobbing.
Then, in combination with my lesson from today, it occurs to me that all of us throughout the world who are in communion through the Church and the Holy Eucharist, along with those who are already saints in heaven... we were all there! We were there in the snow and the blizzard with those young people. We were all there giving praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father for the sacrifice of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ on an altar of snow! And, God is very pleased indeed.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Thoughts on today's Mass readings 1/6/2016
The Gospel reading today was of the story I know well: Mark's rendition of when Jesus walked on the water:
Mk 6:45-52
Mk 6:45-52
After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened
Father John presented a good homily, as always, with the main focus that we should not lose sight that Jesus is always there to get into the boat with us when our lives are being tossed about.
While hearing the Word, however, I had a different message. It is easy to focus on the miracle itself: walking on the water. However, the verses that struck me were
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
For me personally, this struck a chord. I feel the presence, the call, of Jesus in my life today perhaps more than I ever have before. Yet, what is my reaction most of the time? I am terrified! How often do we know the presence of the Lord in our lives, we see it, think it, feel it, and yet our reaction is the same as the disciples? We are terrified! It is indeed quite easy to be terrified by the prospect of completely surrendering our lives to God. Letting go, dropping our nets, and truly meaning the words Thy will be done when we pray means a complete and terrifying transformation of our lives.
With joy, we read the comforting response that Jesus has for us "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" This, then ties in perfectly with the first reading for today:
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
The message that ties in so well is in the final lines: There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. The Gospel message from St. Mark today finishes by stating They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. What is it that they missed in their understanding about the incident of the loaves? It is this: the disciples were terrified in fear because they were not perfect in love, and more directly, the faith of knowing the love of Christ. Even after reassuring them to not be afraid, they still didn't get it.
So, do I get it? I pray to have the faith to always take courage, as Jesus told his disciples. The closer I come to God, the more likely I am to feel terrified! Yes, I must thirst for his perfect love, which will drive out the fear and allow him to live through me. Yesterday's message for me, thanks to Father John Riccardo's words on the radio, was to surrender. Today God blessed me with a message to deal with the terror of surrender: have the courage to accept the perfect love of Jesus Christ.
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