Gospel
Mt 6:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This is how you are to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Reflection:
Jesus tells us to be aware of the fact that the Father always knows what we need. There is no need in babbling like the pagans. How do I put this in todays language? I think that I might be tempted to babble like a pagan by having the idea in my mind that I can do certain things that will automatically make God do certain things. Maybe in my mind I might think that by performing certain acts that this will make God do something for me. Maybe the pagans thought that if they babbled these mantras long enough that God will do thus and so.
Jesus proceeds to give the perfect prayer for us. This prayer has been repeated by His Church for two millenia.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Gospel for Tuesday, February 20th
Gospel
Mk 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”
Thoughts:
Jesus is taking his disciples on a journey with him through Galilee and He doesn't wish anyone to know about this. It seems that Jesus is taking time to personally teach His Apostles something about how to lead in the Church He is establishing. When they arrive at the house in Capernaum they are faced with the reality that they had their eyes on the wrong ideas. They were arguing about which one on them was the greatest. Jesus as always takes a moment of defeat in their lives and turns it into the greatest teaching opportunity. The truth that has continued since the beginning of the Church. He teaches the grown men that humility comes before glory. We must put ourselves in the back of the line. We must go to the despised and reach out to the unwanted. I tell my daughter when she starts to argue with her little brother about who going to go first that she should let him go first and then she'll be the winner.
I hope she always remembers this.
Amen.
Mk 9:30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”
Thoughts:
Jesus is taking his disciples on a journey with him through Galilee and He doesn't wish anyone to know about this. It seems that Jesus is taking time to personally teach His Apostles something about how to lead in the Church He is establishing. When they arrive at the house in Capernaum they are faced with the reality that they had their eyes on the wrong ideas. They were arguing about which one on them was the greatest. Jesus as always takes a moment of defeat in their lives and turns it into the greatest teaching opportunity. The truth that has continued since the beginning of the Church. He teaches the grown men that humility comes before glory. We must put ourselves in the back of the line. We must go to the despised and reach out to the unwanted. I tell my daughter when she starts to argue with her little brother about who going to go first that she should let him go first and then she'll be the winner.
I hope she always remembers this.
Amen.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Encountering Jesus
The Importance of Personally Encountering Jesus
February 12, 2007
Again Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched him closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us." Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people (followed) from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God." (Mark 3:1-11)
Sometimes even Catholics have lost or never had the chance to experience Christ personally; not Christ as a mere "paradigm", but the Living Lord: "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). John Paul II's address to American Bishops
Early in Jesus' public ministry, two groups of people who met him were keenly aware that something special was going on. The religious and political leaders recognized that Jesus' power to heal people and draw them to following him posed a threat to their authority (Mark 3:6). And the "great multitude," also recognizing Jesus' power, pressed around him seeking healing and deliverance, insight and transformation (3:7-11).
But apart from these two groups, how many people simply missed the opportunity to "experience Christ personally"? Perhaps they were too busy to waste a day chasing some miracle worker. Perhaps they were unable to believe the stories they were hearing. Perhaps Jesus didn't interest them because he didn't fit their expectations. Perhaps they were content with life as they knew it, or unable to imagine it as any different.
Others probably came to Jesus, found the healing they were seeking, and went back home. They may not have stayed long enough to listen to his teaching, or to be challenged to change. They got what they wanted, but missed the bigger thing God wanted to do for them.
Day after day, Jesus waits for us by the sea. He waits for us in the tabernacle, in the Scriptures, in the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, in the challenging words of those we love, in the needs of those who reach out to us. Are we too busy to set aside time to meet him?
Perhaps you've met Jesus once in a definite moment of conversion. That's a wonderful beginning. Now what more does Jesus have in mind for you? How does he want to carry forward the healing he has begun in you? To whom does he want you to extend his mercy? Perhaps you have taken a further step and scheduled time with Jesus in daily prayer and daily or weekly Mass. But what are your expectations during those times? Do you "press upon him to touch him" (Mark 3:10)? Do you expect him to speak to you, to heal you, to challenge you?
Jesus is always waiting to meet us in a personal way — in the snatch of a song that comes to our minds, in a line from Scripture that we recall, in a person who needs prayer. Never overlook the Lord! Instead, run to meet him and allow his love for you to heal and transform you. He will run to meet you just like the Father of the prodigal son ran to meet him.
"Lord Jesus, I don't want to miss you. I want to personally experience more deeply your love and mercy. Open my eyes, enliven my heart so that I can recognize all the ways you want to touch and heal me each day."
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Gospel for Tuesday, February 6th
Gospel
Mk 7:1-13
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He went on to say,
“How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
‘If someone says to father or mother,
‘Any support you might have had from me is qorban/’
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things.”
Reflection:
The scribes and pharisees went to where Jesus was to spy out this rebel. Maybe they were intrigued at the Man who spoke with such authority. Surely they felt they were being threatened. Many people were beginning to follow Jesus. When they saw how the men acted around Jesus and how they broke the traditions of the Jews they felt they had a sure reason to expose Jesus as a fraud.
Jesus as always takes the scriptures and shows the "scripture experts" how they were violating the original intent of the scriptures.
There was a bit of a controversy on Jimmy Akin's and James White's blog a year or so ago about this passage. I'll try to research it.
Mk 7:1-13
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He went on to say,
“How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
‘If someone says to father or mother,
‘Any support you might have had from me is qorban/’
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things.”
Reflection:
The scribes and pharisees went to where Jesus was to spy out this rebel. Maybe they were intrigued at the Man who spoke with such authority. Surely they felt they were being threatened. Many people were beginning to follow Jesus. When they saw how the men acted around Jesus and how they broke the traditions of the Jews they felt they had a sure reason to expose Jesus as a fraud.
Jesus as always takes the scriptures and shows the "scripture experts" how they were violating the original intent of the scriptures.
There was a bit of a controversy on Jimmy Akin's and James White's blog a year or so ago about this passage. I'll try to research it.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Gospel for Saturday, February 3rd
Gospel
Mk 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
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.
Reflection:
Jesus always calls us to come closer to Him. He has compassion on us. He sees us as we truly are. He knows that we are but dust. Help me to
Mk 6:30-34
The Apostles gathered together with Jesus
and reported all they had done and taught.
He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat.
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it.
They hastened there on foot from all the towns
and arrived at the place before them.
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.
Reflection:
Jesus always calls us to come closer to Him. He has compassion on us. He sees us as we truly are. He knows that we are but dust. Help me to
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