The law of balance!

Mark 4:21-35

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under a tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’ He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

Food for thought!

“The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given.” These words of Jesus are very provocative. Jesus is saying that it all depends on us; it means that all is in you: the way, the solution, the life, the heaven and the hell. It means that the amount of effort you apply in anything, good or bad, is the amount you will get out. If you apply yourself to goodness, you will get goodness; if you apply yourself to evil, evil you will get. What you get depends on what you give. What you give you will get back, only more so.

In life there is always a balance. A man's getting will be determined by his giving. It means that you are getting back what you are giving away. This is true of study. The more study a pupil is prepared to give to any subject, the more s/he will get from it. All subjects of study are like that. They give pleasure and satisfaction in proportion to the effort that we are prepared to spend upon them. It is specially so in regard to the study of the Bible. We may sometimes feel that there are certain parts of the Bible which are difficult. May be. But the truth is that if we study these parts they will often turn out to be the most interesting parts of the Bible. A superficial study of a subject will often leave us quite uninterested whereas a really intensive study will leave us thrilled and fascinated.

It is true of Mass. The more we bring to Mass the more we will get from it. When we come to worship in the house of God, there are three wrong ways in which we may come.

(a) We may come entirely to get. If we come only to get, we will criticize the organist and the choir and find fault with the priest's preaching. We must come prepared to give; we must remember that worship is a corporate act, and that each of us can contribute something to it. If we ask, not, "What can I get out of this service?" but, "What can I contribute to this service?" we will in the end get far more out of it than if we simply came to take.

(b) We may come without expectation. Our coming may be the result of habit and routine. It may be simply part of the time-table into which we have divided the week. But, after all, we should be coming to meet God, and when we meet him anything may happen.

(c) We may come without preparation. It is so easy to leave for Mass with no preparation of mind or heart at all because often it is a rush to get there at all. But it would make all the difference in the world, if, before we came, we were for a moment or two still and quiet and companied with God in prayer. As the Jewish Rabbis told their disciples: "They pray best together who first pray alone."

It is true of personal relationships. One of the great facts of life is that we see our reflection in other people. If we are cross and irritable and bad-tempered, we will probably find other people equally unpleasant. If we are critical and fault-finding, the chances are that we will find other people the same. If we are suspicious and distrustful, the likelihood is that others will be so to us. If we wish others to love us, we must first love them; if you want to be forgiven, forgive; if you want to be given, give. The person who would have friends must show himself or herself friendly. It was because Jesus believed in men that men believed in him.

In parables!

Mark 4:1-20

Jesus began to teach by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there. The people were all along the shore, at the water’s edge. He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them, ‘Listen!, Imagine a sower going out to sow. Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and sprang up straightaway, because there was no depth of earth; and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away. Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. And some seeds fell into rich soil and, growing tall and strong, produced crop; and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’

When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant. He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may see and see again, but not perceive; may hear and hear again, but not understand; otherwise they might be converted and be forgiven.’

He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? What the sower is sowing is the word. Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it than Satan comes and carries away the word that was sown in them. Similarly, those who receive the seed on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy. But they have no root in them, they do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, they fall away at once. Then there are others who receive the seed in thorns. These have heard the word, but the worries of this world, the lure of riches and all the other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing. And there are those who have received the seed in rich soil: they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’

Food for thought!

In today’s gospel reading we see Jesus making a new departure. He is no longer teaching in the synagogue; he is now teaching by the lakeside. He had made the orthodox approach to the people; now he has to take unusual methods.

We do well to note that Jesus was prepared to use new methods. He was willing to take religious preaching and teaching out of its conventional setting in the synagogue into the open air and among the crowds of ordinary men and women. There must have been many amongst the orthodox Jews who criticized this departure; but Jesus was wise enough to know when new methods were necessary and adventurous enough to use them. It would be well if his church was equally wise and equally adventurous to try new methods and ways of reaching out to the people, especially reaching out to the non-church goers.

Look at what Jesus did. The scene is the lakeside; Jesus is sitting in the boat just off the shore. The shore shelves gently down to the water's edge, and makes a natural amphitheatre for the crowd.

This new setting needed a new method; and the new method Jesus chose was to speak to the people in parables. A parable is literally a comparison. It is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Something on earth is compared with something in heaven, that the heavenly truth may be better grasped in light of the earthly illustration. Jesus started from the here and now to get to the there and then. He started from a thing that was happening at that moment on earth in order to lead men's thoughts to heaven; he started from something which all men could see to get to the things that are invisible; he started from something which all men knew to get to something which they had never as yet realized.

By so doing Jesus showed that there is a close relationship between earth and heaven. What Jesus is teaching them and us is to see the hand of God in the regular and the normal; in the rising of the sun and the falling of the rain and the growth of the plant. Long ago Paul had the same idea when he said that the visible world is designed to make known the invisible things of God (Rom.1:20). For Jesus, this world’s events and happenings are not meaningless; they are all very meaningful. The things that happen in your personal life, your family, your place of work, your church, are all parables calling for your understanding.

"He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable?" Do you?

Christ redefines Christians!

Mar 3:31-35

31 Just then his mother and brothers showed up. Standing outside, they relayed a message that they wanted a word with him. 32 He was surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, "Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside looking for you." 33 Jesus responded, "Who do you think are my mother and brothers?" 34 Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, "Right here, right in front of you-- my mother and my brothers. 35 Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Food for thought!

I want you to get you at this scene. Jesus is teaching in the city of Capernaum. He is surrounded by a vast multitude of people. As Jesus is teaching His family shows up. Their arrival creates moments of tension for everyone there. Jesus is teaching and His family is on the outside of the crowd. They can’t get to Him because of the multitude, so they send word through the crowd to tell Jesus to come to where they are. What will Jesus do? Will he stop teaching the Word of God and go to attend to his family, or what? This is a classic example of conflict of interests.

Instead of stopping what He was doing and going to His mother and brothers, Jesus simply said, “Who is My mother, or my brethren?” The crowd must have been shocked. His mother must have been devastated. His brothers probably got angry. They had traveled all the way from Nazareth to get Him and He refused to even stop teaching to talk with them.

Instead of trying to ease the tension, Jesus intensifies it. Instead of reaching out to his earthly family, He speaks to all the members of His spiritual family. Jesus used this moment as an opportunity to teach some eternal truth. This is a tense scene and the Lord’s reaction to His family seems cold on the surface. But His response to them was designed to teach some very important truths.

The lessons. Sometimes it is our dear ones like mother, father, husband, wife and friends that stand in between us and God. Of course they don't do it out of evil intentions; Mary and the others weren't acting out evil intentions; they were trying to help Jesus, so they thought. This was a misguided help of well intentioned people. Jesus, however used the occasion to teach us all that OBEDIENCE TO GOD, DOING GOD'S WILL, FOLLOWING GOD IS ABOVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY.

Obedience is thicker than blood means that, we are Christians not because of our Christian parents but because, like Jesus, we do what God wants us to do; it means that it is not enough to be Baptized, to go to Church, to carry a cross on your chest, a rosary in your car, or to have your Bible all underlined; the bottom line is, are you doing God’s will or not? The person who obeys God's will is the true brother and sister and mother of Jesus. Christ has redefined Christians.

Good is good regardless of who does it!

Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.’ So he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either - it is the end of him. But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house. ‘I tell you solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies; but let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying, ‘An unclean spirit is in him.’

Food for thought!

In the Gospel reading, Jesus is doing something we don’t. When his enemies criticized him, to the point of calling him an agent of Satan, Jesus “called them to him and spoke to them.” This is very important because his enemies were speaking, not to him but against him. Just as we so often do, when we speak, not to but against those we dislike and disapprove. As a principle: if you can’t say it in one’s face, don’t say it at all; what you can’t tell directly to someone, don’t tell it to others.

We offend God when we stubbornly refuse to see and acknowledge the good in others. This is what the Pharisees and scribes did with Jesus. They called him agent of Satan. Have you ever noticed that if we like someone, we tend to like everything they do? And if we dislike someone, we will dislike everything they do? The people we dislike we label them as evil, even when they do good, we see their good as evil. This leads to the sin against the Holy Spirit. And as Jesus said, it is unforgivable.

The unforgivable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit.

Both Matthew and Mark record that Jesus spoke about this sin immediately after the scribes and Pharisees had attributed his cures to the prince of devils instead of to God (Matt.12:31-32; Mk.3:28-29). These men could look at the very grace and power of God and call it the work of the devil. So, the sin against the Holy Spirit is about calling good as evil, treating good as if it was evil. Why is this so?

Why is that the unforgivable sin?  Because it is the Holy Spirit that makes us do good; whoever does good is under the influence of the Holy Spirit; whoever. So, when you don’t acknowledge the good being done by others, you are in effect not acknowledging the Holy Spirit in them; you sin against the Holy Spirit. Good is good, thanks to the Holy Spirit, not Beelzebul.

Evangelho segundo Lucas!

Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Luke 1:1-4,4:14-21

Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts of the events that have taken place among us, exactly as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received.

Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside. He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised him. He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.

He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them, ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’

Food for thought!

As we know, there are four gospels, all similar to and different from each other. Why are there four Gospels rather than one? Certainly things would look a lot easier if there was only one Gospel. Everything we read in that one Gospel would then be the gospel truth, pure and simple. Now that we have four Gospels that often differ significantly from one another, things can be quite confusing. When you come to think of it, however, you begin to realize that things would be a lot worse if we had only one Gospel. If we had only one Gospel we would think that there is only one way of understanding Jesus and how he relates to us. But now that we have four different Gospels, each of them telling a significantly different story of Jesus and his mission, it becomes easier for us to see that no story of Jesus can exhaust the whole truth of what Jesus is. As limited human beings we can only tell part of the story of God.

This reminds us of the story of the six blind men who set out to discover what the elephant is. The first blind man feels the elephant's side and says the elephant is like a wall. The second blind man feels the elephant's tusk and says it is like a spear. The third feels the trunk and says it is like a snake. The fourth feels the elephant's leg and says the elephant is like a tree. The fifth feels the ear and says it is like a fan. And the sixth blind man feels the elephant's tail and concludes that the elephant is like a rope. You could imagine the bitter disagreement that would ensue among them if they got together to discuss the nature of the elephant. Every one of them would insist that he is right and the others wrong. But the truth of the matter is: yes, he is right, but then so also are all the others. Each of them has a valid experience of the elephant but no one of them possesses the full knowledge of the total reality of the elephant. Even when you put all the six images of the elephant together it still does not capture the full mosaic of the elephant.

The Church follows on Sundays a three-year cycle: year A for the gospel of Matthew, year B for Mark, and year C for Luke. The gospel of John is read on certain Sundays interspersed within the three years, such as the Sundays of the Easter season. We are now in year C, the year of Luke. The question we shall be asking ourselves this year is, What does Luke say Jesus is? How does he present Jesus? Matthew highlights the Christ of majesty (who heals by word of mouth alone, never touches people, never hungry, never angry, etc.), Mark highlights the Christ of might (who proves he is the Messiah by his acts of power and authority over natural and demonic forces), Luke highlights the Christ of mercy (who reaches out to the poor, the outcasts, foreigners and women) and John highlights the Christ of mystery (who was with the Father from all eternity and who has come into the world to reveal this hidden mystery, the truth that leads to life).

Today we begin reading the Gospel of Luke. In his opening preface (1:1-4) Luke tells us why he wrote the gospel. It was to explain to Theophilus what Christianity was all about. It is about Jesus Christ. That is why, in telling Theophilus about the Christian faith, Luke finds the incident in Jesus’ life extremely useful. In this incident Jesus makes a solemn declaration of his mission in the world. We can call it the Jesus Manifesto. People who initiate a revolution usually start off with a declaration of their manifesto. Karl Mark started by publishing the Communist Manifesto. Martin Luther started off with the publication of the 95 theses in Wittenberg. Jesus has come to start a revolution of mercy and love in the world. And here in today's Gospel reading he publishes the Christian manifesto:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour. (4:18-19)

In these few words we see Jesus’ Mission Statement. Jesus came and comes "to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." As you can see, we all need Jesus’ Good News.

Out of his mind!

Mark 3:20-21

20 Then Jesus went to a house [probably Peter’s], but a throng came together again, so that He and His disciples could not even take food. 21 And when those who belonged to Him ( His family) heard it, they went out to take Him by force, for they kept saying, He is out of His mind!

Food for thought!

This Reading is very disturbing. Jesus is taken to be mad, to be out of himself, that is, to be mad and crazy and deranged! The matter becomes even worse, when we notice that it is not strangers considering Jesus to be crazy; it is his own people, his family. As we know, everything in the life of Jesus happened for a purpose: our edification.

So, what is the lesson behind this incident? Often it is our dear ones like mother, father, husband, wife and friends, or even those people we know and who know us, that stand in between us and God. Of course many times they don't do it out of evil intentions; Mary and the others weren't acting out evil intentions; they were trying to help Jesus, so they thought. This was a misguided help of well intentioned people.

It is not uncommon for people to misunderstand us and even to label us as they wish. They labeled Jesus as being out of himself. If they called this to Jesus, why will they not call you and me? So, next time people call you names for doing what you believe to be the work of the Father, remember Jesus. Don’t get angry because the people have misunderstood or misrepresented you.

The reason they called Jesus looks to be his busyness; Jesus was just too busy with the Father’s work that he had no time for his family. Jesus is teaching us that our duty, our obedience is first and foremost to the Father in heaven. The rest is rest. 

Paul's turn around!

Acts 9:1-22

Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples. He had gone to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he could find. Suddenly, while he was travelling to Damascus and just before he reached the city, there came a light from heaven all round him. He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ he asked, and the voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me. Get up now and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.’ The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but even with his eyes wide open he could see nothing at all, and they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand. For three days he was without his sight, and took neither food nor drink.

A disciple called Ananias who lived in Damascus had a vision in which he heard the Lord say to him, ‘Ananias!’ When he replied, ‘Here I am, Lord’, the Lord said, ‘You must go to Straight Street and ask the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying, having had a vision of a man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.’

When he heard that, Ananias said, ‘Lord, several people have told me about this man and all the harm he has been doing to your saints in Jerusalem. He has only come here because he holds a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.’ The Lord replied, ‘You must go all the same, because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he himself must suffer for my name.’ Then Ananias went. He entered the house, and at once laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on your way here so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately it was as though scales fell away from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. So he was baptised there and then, and after taking some food he regained his strength.

He began preaching in the synagogues, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’ All his hearers were amazed. ‘Surely’ they said ‘this is the man who organised the attack in Jerusalem against the people who invoke this name, and who came here for the sole purpose of arresting them to have them tried by the chief priests?’ Saul’s power increased steadily, and he was able to throw the Jewish colony at Damascus into complete confusion by the way be demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ.

Food for thought!

Today, we mark Paul's turn around; his conversion. The First Reading of today tells us of the incident. Every time I read this story, I stand amazed at the grace of God. When I see the Lord taking this great sinner and transforming him into the great saint, I realize that there is hope for people like you and me. The truth is, Saul was a very unlikely candidate for the service of the Lord. Here was a man who was feared and hated by Christians and one who did everything in his power to destroy the name of the Lord Jesus. Yet, God reached down and took this man from where he was and used him to change the world. God used him in such a great manner that Paul's ministry is still reaping fruit today.

When we look at Paul, we may be tempted to think that he was some kind super saint. We may feel that there is no possible way that the Lord could use us like He did Paul, or that God could even use us at all. Some of you may have asked the question, "Can God really use my life?" The answer is YES.

And he wants to use you in your world, your place of work, your neighbouhood, your family, and according to your skills. He will not remove you from your world; he will send you to your world. Did you notice that Paul still went to Damascus? That Paul stood among the people he was going to imprison and arrest and kill? He went to the same people, not to imprison and arrest or kill them, but to proclaim to them good news. Yes, he still went there, but he went there a different man, with a different message, and different mandate.

You too can proclaim good news to the same people you have known until now, people like you spouse, your children, your neighbours, your colleagues at work. If you have held some resentment against any of these people until now, you can change and hold, not resentment anymore but love and forgiveness. You can change from being a carrier of bad news to carrier of good news. You can and should still go to your Damascus; but take there not hurt but heart; not hate but love.

Let us be another Paul inwhere we happen to be. The First Reading says, "And all who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not the very man who harassed and overthrew and destroyed in Jerusalem those who called upon this Name? And he has come here for the express purpose of arresting them and bringing them in chains before the chief priests?’ 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and continued to confound and put to confusion the Jews who lived in Damascus; Paul turned around from hate to love. So can we.

Doing good is good!

Mark 3:7-12

7 Jesus went off with his disciples to the sea to get away. But a huge crowd from Galilee trailed after them-- 8 also from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, across the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon-- swarms of people who had heard the reports and had come to see for themselves. 9 He told his disciples to get a boat ready so he wouldn't be trampled by the crowd. 10 He had healed many people, and now everyone who had something wrong was pushing and shoving to get near and touch him. 11 Evil spirits, when they recognized him, fell down and cried out, "You are the Son of God!" 12 But Jesus would have none of it. He shut them up, forbidding them to identify him in public.

Food for thought!

Yesterday, we ended the Gospel with these words: “The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him.” Today’s Gospel is a follow up. Unless Jesus wished to be involved in a head-on collision with those religious authorities wanting to ruin him, he had to leave their synagogues. Now, for the first time, Jesus is preaching not from inside a synagogue but from outside, from the open, in a boat. Jesus has left the synagogues and has gone out to the lakeside and the open sky; He who once preached on a pulpit is now preaching from a boat! And he who was preaching to a few hundreds of people in the synagogue, is now preaching to thousands.

A lesson. When you hate someone, you turn that person into a hero. This is what has happened with Jesus; the more the religious authorities hate and hunt Jesus, the more Jesus is turning a hero, a superstar, a celebrity. The gospel says that people came from all over the neighbouring districts to touch him and listen to him.

They can take synagogues away from Jesus, but they cannot take goodness away from him; Jesus goes with his goodness and his people skills wherever he goes. As a result people are seeking him from all over. So large were the crowds that it became dangerous and a boat had to be kept ready, just off the shore, in case he might be overwhelmed with the crushing of the mob. His cures brought him into even greater danger; for the sick people did not even wait for him to touch them; they rushed to touch him.

Another lesson. Good is always good; and doing good is always good. Jesus did good in the synagogue (healed a man with a crippled hand), he did good all the time, even on a Sabbath, on a beach, at the wedding, on the sea, on the cross. As a dedicated follower of Jesus, seek to do good to all people, all day and all days and all the time, and in all places where you happen to be. This is what Jesus expects from you and me.

Act 10:38

Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country doing good, helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him.

Don't do things right; do the right thing!

Mark 3:1-6

Then Jesus went back in the meeting place where he found a man with a crippled hand. 2 The Pharisees had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. 3 He said to the man with the crippled hand, "Stand here where we can see you." 4 Then he spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word. 5 He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out-- it was as good as new! 6 The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, spluttering about how they would join forces with Herod's followers and ruin him.

Food for thought!

We're back in the synagogue. The setting is like this: there's Jesus, there's his critics the Pharisees, there's a man in need, and there's a Sabbath. What would you do if you were in that synagogue that Saturday? With whom do you identify yourself, with Jesus being watched, with the Pharisees on the watch, with the sick man in need of help, or with the Sabbath to keep?

Jesus knows what is going on. He knows that he's being watched. He knows that this whole thing is designed as a trap to ensnare Him. But, Jesus also knows that this man needs healing, which only he can give, and Jesus is determined to do the right thing come what may. You see, it is always risky doing the right thing; many people are only interested in doing not the right thing but doing things right. Doing things right means following the rules and laws and people's expectations. Doing the right thing means doing what is good and right even when it goes against the law or against people’s expectations.

Jesus told the man to “Stand here where we can all see you.” Jesus calls him to come and stand before the whole crowd. What Jesus is about to do will not be done in a corner.

Jesus confronts the obvious hypocrisy of the Pharisees by asking them two simple, straightforward questions: Is it lawful to good or evil on the Sabbath? It is lawful to save a life or to take a life? By calling the man to the front of the crowd and asking these questions was all an effort to awaken sympathy in the hearts of the Pharisees. Jesus was using this moment to try and touch their hearts. His efforts failed! They had hard hearts. No one said a word.

The Pharisees suffered from “hardness of heart”. These men had been confronted with truth many times and they continually rejected that truth. As a result, their hearts became hard. They were outraged when Jesus healed the man on a Sabbath; they were only concerned in doing things right and not in doing the right thing. The Pharisees and the Herodians were bitter enemies. They were on the opposite sides of every issue. But, they found common ground in their common hatred of the Lord Jesus. So, they formed a plot to find a way to “destroy” Him. They wanted Jesus dead and they set out to accomplish that end.

There is a bit of irony in this story, as well as a lot of hypocrisy. These men are upset because Jesus gave life back to the man on the Sabbath, but they have no problem plotting to take life from Jesus on a Sabbath day. That is evidence of the hardness of their hearts.

What is it that Jesus is teaching us if not that we cannot and should never compromise on doing good; attending to human need has precedence over religious laws and rituals.

Have you read the Bible?

Mark 2:23-28

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going along beside the fields of standing grain, and as they made their way, His disciples began to pick off the grains. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, Look! Why are they doing what is not permitted or lawful on the Sabbath? 25 And He said to them, Have you never [even] read what David did when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were accompanying him? — 26 How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was the high priest, and ate the sacred loaves set forth [before God], which it is not permitted or lawful for any but the priests to eat, and [how he] also gave [them] to those who were with him? 27 And Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made on account and for the sake of man, not man for the Sabbath; 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Food for thought!

Are you counting Jesus' "religious scandals"? Jesus is in the business of stirring up trouble! From the time He appeared and began His earthly ministry, to the moment He ascended back into Heaven, Jesus was busy upsetting tradition and tipping sacred cows. Where the Jews were concerned, Jesus was involved in one religious scandal after another.

Jesus' first scandal was when He publically forgave a man’s sins, in Mark 2:5. The second scandal was when He attended a feast with sinners at Matthew’s house, in Mark 2:16. The third scandal was when Jesus and his disciples refused to fast as everybody did, in Mark 2: 18. The fourth scandal is of course today's gospel reading.

The verses we have read today open up another scandal between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. This time it involves their traditions. Jesus dared to ignore their rituals and they are offended once again. However, this is no ordinary scandal. For this scandal would create such anger and hatred toward Jesus that the Jews would actually seek to kill the Lord because of it, Mark 3:6.

There are people whose primary job is to criticize others; people whose primary goal in life is to set themselves up as judge and jury on the lives of others; people who are critical of every body except of themselves; people who claim to know all the rules but no knowledge of Jesus. These are the Pharisees; they have lived ever since Jesus to today.

These people are upset by everything and by nothing! They cannot believe what they see the disciples of Jesus doing. Many people are critical of you, of me, of our Catholic church. Consider what Jesus did to his critics; this is what we should do when people want to argue religion with us, or when they criticize you. He pointed them to the Word of God. He pointed them to the truth. Jesus did not argue with these men; He merely pointed them back to the Word of God. He says, “Have ye not read…?” Jesus used the Word of God as the lamp for his feet; he asks us to use the Word of God as of final, argument-ending authority.

Many times our problem is the same problem the Pharisees had, we haven’t taken the time to read and understand the Bible, and we criticize others based on nothing. Shame on us!

A LESSON FOR THEM AND FOR US

Jesus proceeds to remind them of an incident that occurred during the life of David. When he was fleeing from Saul, he and his men needed food. In 1 Sam. 21:1-6, David and his men came to the priest and asked for food. The priest told David there was no bread there but the “shewbread.”

The shewbread was twelve loaves of bread that were baked fresh every Sabbath Day. These twelve loaves were placed on a table in the holy place in the Tabernacle (our Blessed Sacrament and tabernacle come from them). The twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel. They reminded Israel of the Lord’s presence among his people of their dependence upon Him for their physical needs. It was also called the “Bread of the Presence”. The shewbread was changed every Sabbath Day and the old bread was eaten by the priests in the holy place.

This bread was not to be eaten by non-priests, according to the Law, but because they were hungry, it was given to David and His men to eat. The clear teaching here is that human needs are more important than liturgical laws; that persons are far more important than rituals; that the best way to worship God is to help man; that the best way to use sacred things is to use them to help men. That, in fact, is the only way to give them to God; the sacred things are only truly sacred when they are used for man. The shewbread was never so sacred as when it was used to feed a starving man. The Sabbath was never so sacred as when it was used to help those who needed help. The final arbiter in the use of all things is love and not law.

Look forward, not backwards!

Mark 2:18-22

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were observing a fast; and [some people] came and asked Jesus, Why are John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fasting, but Your disciples are not doing so? 19 Jesus answered them, Can the wedding guests fast (abstain from food and drink) while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and they will fast in that day. 21 No one sews a patch of unshrunken (new) goods on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and the rent (tear) becomes bigger and worse [than it was before]. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the bottles destroyed; but new wine is to be put in new (fresh) wineskins.

Food for thought!

Jesus is in the business of stirring up trouble! From the time He appeared and began His earthly ministry, to the moment He ascended back into Heaven, Jesus was busy upsetting tradition and tipping sacred cows. Where the Jews were concerned, Jesus was involved in one religious scandal after another.       

Jesus had already offended the religious Jews when He publicly forgave a man’s sins, Mk 2:5. Then they got upset because He was seen attending a feast at Matthew’s house, Mk 2:16. Matthew was a tax collector and they could not understand why a holy man like Jesus would spend time with sinners; for others, Jesus was simply scandalous.        

The verses we have read today open up another scandal between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. This time it involves their traditions, their rules, their laws. Jesus dared to ignore their rituals and they are offended once again!

Jesus knew and knows quite well that his way of life was shatteringly different from that of the "religious"; He also knew and knows how difficult it is for our minds to accept and embrace whatever is new, and here he uses two illustrations to show how necessary it is to have an adventurous mind.

(i) He speaks of the danger of sewing a new patch on an old garment. The word used means that the new cloth was still undressed; it had never been shrunk; so when the garment got wet in the rain the new patch shrunk, and being much stronger than the old, it tore the old apart. The spiritual principle here is very clear. The old cannot be blended with the new!

(ii) Wine was kept in wineskins. There was no such thing as a bottle in our sense of the term; they used animal skins made into bags or wine skins. When these skins were new they had a certain elasticity; as they grew old they became hard and unyielding. New wine is still fermenting; it gives off gases; these gases cause pressure; if the skin is new it will yield to the pressure, but if it is old and hard and dry it will explode and wine and skin alike will be lost. Jesus is pleading for a certain elasticity in our minds. It is fatally easy to become set in old ways.

When our minds become fixed and settled in old ways, when they are quite unable to accept new truth and to contemplate new ways, we may be physically alive but we are mentally dead. That is why there are many living dead people. This is the danger we all face as we grow old;  as we grow older almost all of us develop a dislike of that which is new and unfamiliar; we grow very unwilling to make any adjustments in our habits and ways of life. As they say, old dogs don't learn easily new tricks!

As we begin this week, let us remember that it is NEW; this week never existed; it is brand new. So applying Jesus' principles, don't bring last week's failures into this new week; let us be elastic and receptive to new ideas, new opportunities but also new challenges. Let us not put the old into the new! It doesn't work. You can't drive forward your car, your life, your business when all the time you're looking into the rear view mirror. Can you?

You are given to give!

John 2:1-11

Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples were guests also. 3 When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus' mother told him, "They're just about out of wine." 4 Jesus said, "Is that any of our business, Mother--yours or mine? This isn't my time. Don't push me." 5 She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, "Whatever he tells you, do it." 6 Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty 7 Jesus ordered the servants, "Fill the pots with water." And they filled them to the brim.

8 "Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they did. 9 When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn't know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, 10 "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!" 11 This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Food for thought!

St John in his gospel mentions Mary, the mother of Jesus only two times: at the marriage feast at Cana, the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus and at the crucifixion, the end of it. That could be a way of telling us that Mary did not only play the passive role of being the physical mother of Jesus; that she was also actively involved with Jesus in the work of our redemption.

In today's gospel, we hear of the marriage feast at Cana. Mary, the mother of Jesus was invited, as well as Jesus himself and his disciples. As the wedding feast went on, the wine ran out. Mary went out of her way to intercede with Jesus and Jesus performed what John tells us was his very FIRST miracle ever.

If this was Jesus' very first miracle, how then did Mary know that Jesus could do it? Good mothers know their children. They know the hidden talents and potentialities of their children. There are many young men and women who have gone on to accomplish great things in life because their mothers believed in them and encouraged them. Nobody knew Jesus as much as Mary.

A more fascinating question arising from the story is this: Did Mary know all those thirty years she lived with Jesus that she was living with a wonder-worker and yet never did ask him to multiply her bread, turn the water on the dining table into wine, or double her money to make ends meet? How come she never asked Jesus to use his miraculous power to help her out but she was quick to ask him to use it and help others? Think of it. If you have a child who has a miraculous power to double money for other kids at school, won't you ask him to double yours at home too? After all, one would argue, charity begins at home. But for Mary and for Jesus the needs of others come first.

Take the case of Jesus. He knew he had this power to perform miracles. After his forty days fast in the desert he was hungry and the devil suggested it to him to turn some stones into bread and eat, but he did not do it. Yet he went out and multiplied bread for crowds of his followers. What are they telling us, Mary and Jesus, through their actions?

They are telling us that God's gifts to individuals are not meant primarily for their or their families' benefit but for the service of others. That is what St Paul also tells us in the second reading when he enumerates the many different gifts of the Holy Spirit to different persons and adds that "to each person is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good," (1 Corinthians 12:6) not for personal profit. For this reason, the gifts you have, your potential, is all given you for others; you are gifted in order to gift others; you are given in order to give to others. So, do you know your gifts? And what have you done with your gifts in benefit for others?  Have you ever made difference in anyone's life?

Jesus knows our potential

Mar 2:13-17

13* Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them. 14 Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." He came. 15 Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. 16 The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: "What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riff-raff?" 17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I'm here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit."

Food for thought!

We begin by noticing that it was during his walk along the lakeside that Jesus called Levi (Matthew). Even as he was walking along, Jesus was looking for opportunities and partners. Jesus was never off duty; he was always on the look out, always looking for opportunities, because opportunities are everywhere and in everybody, even in the unlikely and unliked people like Matthew.

Of all the people Jesus called to follow him Matthew gave up the most. He literally left all to follow Jesus. Peter and Andrew, James and John could go back to the boats and sea, for they were fishermen. There were always fish to catch and always the old trade to which to return; but Matthew burned his bridges completely. With one action, in one moment of time, by one swift decision he had put himself out of his job forever, for having left his tax-collector's job, he would never get it back. For many people, his decision was the most reckless thing anybody could do.

A certain famous man had the habit of going for long country walks on the river. When he came to a brook that was rather too wide to cross comfortably, the first thing he did was to throw his coat over to the other side. He made sure that there was to be no turning back. He took the decision to cross and made sure he was going to stick to it. Matthew was the man who staked everything on Christ's word, "Follow me"; and he was not wrong. When and if Jesus says to you "come", leave whatever you're doing right now and go to where he tells you, you better go because he knows best.

From his decision Matthew got at least two things. (a) He lost one job but he got afar bigger one. It has been said that Matthew left everything but one thing--he did not leave his pen, for the first gospel was written by Matthew. With his orderly mind, his systematic way of working, his familiarity with the pen, Matthew was the first man to give the world a book on the teaching of Jesus. When Jesus calls you, take your skills with you and use them for Christ.

(b) The odd thing is that Matthew's "reckless" decision brought him the one thing he had been looking for -- be of use not just to a few but to as many people as possible. Today, all who own a Bible own the gospel according to Matthew. Had Matthew refused the challenge he would have had a local coverage. But because he answered the call he gained a world-wide coverage as the man who gave to men the record of the words of Jesus. God never goes back on the man who stakes his all on him.

Like Matthew, sometimes the Lord challenges us to leave our comfort zone, our old jobs, our old mentality, our old beliefs, our old friends to move on to territories known only to him. 

Doing the undoable!

1* After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. 2 A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. 3 They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. 4 When they weren't able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. 5 Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, "Son, I forgive your sins." 6 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, 7 "He can't talk that way! That's blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins."

8 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, "Why are you so skeptical? 9 Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, "I forgive your sins,' or say, "Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking'? 10 Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both..." (he looked now at the paraplegic), 11 "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home."

12 And the man did it--got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous--and then praised God, saying, "We've never seen anything like this!"

Food for thought

Four men wanted to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus, but couldn’t get him there because of the crowds blocking the door into the house where Jesus was teaching. You already see how egoistic the crowd was and is; here's is a sick man on a stretcher wanting to get to the divine healer and be healed, and no one lets him do it. It is like the people are saying, we don't mind about you and your sickness as long as we are OK and listening to what Jesus is saying; don't disturb us with your problems.  I am imagining the sick man pleading with the people to have mercy on his situation ...!

The sick man was lucky, he had friends (a friend in need is a friend indeed). His friends fed up with the crowd's attitude, must have said to their friend, "don't mind them, these people must also be sick, may be sicker than you; they too need Jesus." So the men took their friend where there was nobody, onto the roof of the house, broke up the roof and lowered their friend down to Jesus through the hole in the roof. 

These four men who brought their friend to Jesus were willing to do whatever it took to get their friend to the Lord. They dared to do what was difficult and almost impossible. It was not easy to carry that grown up man up on to the roof. It was a difficult task. The Bible says that “Jesus saw their faith”. Faith is something that works in the heart and then it works its way to the outside, James 2:18; Eph. 2:10. A faith that won’t put you to work for Jesus probably won’t take you to Heaven either! 

They dared to do the unusual. They were willing to think outside the box; they were innovative! For them, it was not business as usual, it took ingenuity to think of breaking up the rules. You know, sometimes we must do the extraordinary in order to get the ordinary; we must break the roof. In the eyes of everybody, except Jesus, the men were breaking the rules and going against the normal thing, against the good thing. For Jesus, however, these four men were something else, they were heroes. What Jesus saw in these men was not folly but faith.

If you think you are lacking these men's faith and courage, if you believe that you need a turn around in your life, if you feel some people or someone is stopping you from getting to Jesus, is stopping you from making a difference in your life, if you feel you are like that sick man in need of genuine friends to carry you forward to Jesus and to healing and to  forgiveness and to holiness and wholeness ... I encourage you to never give up until you get yourself or your friend there. You may have to consider doing some extraordinary thing. Yes, sometimes we have to.

Jesus exchanged himself for us!

Mark 1:40-45

40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. 43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: 44 "Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." 45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn't publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.

Food for thought!

Something unique happens in this gospel reading: Jesus exchanged himself with the leper. In order to appreciate this exchange, let remember that leprosy rendered the sufferer unclean. He was banished from the fellowship of men; he must dwell alone outside the village; he must go with rent clothes, bared head, a covering upon his upper lip, and as he went he must give warning of his polluted presence with the cry, "Unclean, unclean!" The leper was a man who was already dead, though still alive. He had to wear a black garment that all might recognize him and avoid him from afar.

If ever a leper was cured, and real leprosy was incurable, he had to undergo a complicated ceremony of restoration which is described in Lev.14. He was examined by the priest, before he could rejoin normal life. This is why Jesus sent this man to the priest: "Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed."

In order to heal the man, Jesus touched the man. By this touch, the exchange took place. The man was restored to normality, able to lead normal life, and Jesus' life was made difficult. The gospel says, "large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn't publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places." Jesus is now the man, the man is now Jesus; the man can go anywhere he wants, Jesus can't publicly enter a town anywhere, but has to stay out in secluded places, where the man used to stay.

This incident shows us what Jesus came to do and be: "But the fact is, it was our pains he carried--our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. 5 But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. 6 We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him." (Isa. 53:4-6).

To him be honour and praise and power forevermore. Amen.

Jesus' Day!

Mk 1:29-39

After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew's home. 30 Now Simon's mother- in- law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. 31 So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them. 32 That evening after sunset, many sick and demon- possessed people were brought to Jesus. 33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch. 34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. 35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 36 Later Simon and the others went out to find him. 37 When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you." 38 But Jesus replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came." 39 So he traveled throughout  the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.

Food for thought!

Today, we get a glimpse of Jesus' day; how Jesus passed his day. It is good to know how Jesus lived his day, what he did when and where.

He started in the meeting place (synagogue). Synagogues were meeting places for the sharing of the Word of God. This is where people went to listen to the Scripture. Someone would read and explain to the people some text from the Bible. Then after, the people would go their places of work.

This is exactly what Jesus did. "Directly on leaving the meeting place, they came to Simon and Andrew's house, accompanied by James and John. Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed, burning up with fever. They told Jesus. He went to her, took her hand, and raised her up." From the Word of God, Jesus went to the Work of God, and he passed the day working.

The gospel says this of Jesus' work: "they brought sick and evil-afflicted people to him, the whole city lined up at his door! He cured their sick bodies and tormented spirits." This was a hectic day indeed, that extended into the night. He must have been exhausted by the end of his day.

"While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed." Finally, Jesus went missing; he went into seclusion to pray. Prayer is a common feature in Jesus' life. Jesus began with the Word of God, then went to the Work of God, now in prayer Jesus is with the God of both the Word and the Work. This is how Jesus lived his life. This is how we should live ours.

Our life to be Christian must be lived as Christ lived his. Many people cannot afford to go everyday to the meeting place to hear the Word of God. But all can find a few minutes everyday to read the Word of God in the morning. This is the first moment: WORD OF GOD.

The second moment is going to our places of work and do the WORK OF GOD. Whatever we do, whatever our job, it is God's work we do. Never despise anyone’s job.

The third moment, the one that compliments the two, is to be alone with the God of both the Word and Work. This is the time when we do two things, we present our day, our problems, our fatigue to the Lord in prayer, and we receive from our Lord the energy and graces and guidance we need to live on. We cannot give all day and all days to others without getting; we empty. And this is very dangerous. We need to recharge our batteries, our energies.

We need to constantly listen to the Lord to know what to do and where to go. Otherwise, people and their demands may mislead us. Jesus was adamant. Later when Simon and the others went out to find Jesus, they said, "Everyone is looking for you." But Jesus replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That’s why I came.” May Jesus help us to do and be the same.

Summarizing, everyday find time to do the three things Jesus did everyday: Study the Word of God, Do God’s Work, and find time to Be Alone with God in Prayer.

Exposed before Jesus!

Mark 1:21-28

21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law. 23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 24 "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" 25 Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. 27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!" 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.

Food for thought!

Everybody's words are powerful. But Jesus' words are not just powerful; they are power. When Jesus spoke in the synagogue, the gospel says, "The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority-- quite unlike the teachers of religion."

Jesus taught like nobody else. He was unique. No one to compare with. He was himself the authority. He was not quoting anybody else because he was God speaking. As we said yesterday, Jesus himself is both the messenger and the message. All he tells us is first hand information.

Jesus taught and touched everybody that day, including the devil. The gospel says that as Jesus was talking "Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One sen t from God!"

What was a devil doing in a holy place like a synagogue, and among worshippers? Why would a devil be there? Why were the worshippers ok with a devil among them? What does this teach us? That sometimes we go to church with people full of problems we don't know; in our churches we sit beside people with serious problems of every kind, financial, social, professional, family, spiritual. Yes, many times we have problems unknown to others, just as this man was among those worshippers! Quiet but suffering alone.

That is the bad news. The good news is that where Jesus shows up, everybody shows up in their true colours; we cannot hide before Jesus. The gospel says that as Jesus was teaching, the devilish man denounced himself: "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One sent from God!"

Until Jesus comes into our lives, our homes, our offices, our churches, we should never say we are ok. The Bible says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Heb 4:13).

This fact is not meant to frighten us. Because the following text to this one says very encouraging words: "So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

The Good News of Jesus!

14 Now after John was arrested and put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the good news (the Gospel). 16 And passing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon [Peter] and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net [to and fro] in the sea, for they were fishermen17 And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and be My disciples, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18 And at once they left their nets and [yielding up all claim to them] followed [with] Him [joining Him as disciples and siding with His party]. 19 He went on a little farther and saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were in [their] boat putting their nets in order. 20 And immediately He called out to them, and [abandoning all mutual claims] they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after Him [to be His disciples, side with His party, and follow Him].

Food for thought!

The Good News of Jesus!

Today, we end Christmas Season and begin officially Time of the Year Season, the time Jesus started his public life. As you know, "When Jesus entered public life he was about thirty years old" (Luke 3:23). According to Mark's gospel, after John was arrested and put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God. Good News and Gospel are synonymous; it is the equivalent of the Greek euaggelion (eu well, aggello, I bear a message), and the Latin Evangelium.

Jesus is two things. He is THE Good News; and he brings the GOOD NEWS! It means that when we say THE GOOD NEWS (GOSPEL) OF JESUS CHRIST, we mean either of two things: (1) in and by himself, Jesus is the good news; whatever he is, whatever he does is good news for us, be it crying, sitting down, sleeping, eating, touching, etc., anything he does, each and every detail of Jesus' life is food for thought; (2) the words of Jesus are also good news; they carry a message to us from our heavenly Father.

This is why Jesus started by saying, "The time promised by God has come at last! The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!"

When at Mass we say, "The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew or Mark or Luke or John" we mean the good news of Jesus Christ (in the two senses described above) as presented by these four men. Each one of these men has a peculiar way of presenting the Good News of Jesus. This is why there are differences and similarities in their gospels.

You may ask, "What is really good in the Good News of Jesus?"  Well, here is the answer.

It is good news of truth (Gal.2:5; Col.1:5). Until Jesus came, men could only guess and grope after God. "O that I knew where I might find him," cried Job (Jb.23:3). But with the coming of Jesus men see clearly what God is like. No longer do they need to guess and grope; they know and see God in Jesus.

It is good news of hope (Col.1:23). The coming of Jesus brings hope to the hopeless heart.

It is good news of peace (Eph.6:15). The penalty of being a man is to have a split personality. In human nature the beast and the angel are strangely intermingled. Man's trouble has always been that he is haunted both by sin and by goodness. The coming of Jesus unifies that disintegrated personality into one. He finds victory over his warring self by being conquered by Jesus Christ.

 It is good news of God's promise (Eph.3:6). It is true to say that men had always thought rather of a God of threats than a God of promises. All non-Christian religions think of a demanding God; only Christianity tells of a God who is more ready to give than we are to ask, to forgive than to punish.

It is good news of immortality (2Tim.1:10). Before Jesus, life was the road to death; man was characteristically a dying man; but Jesus came with the good news that we are on the way to life rather than death. Isn't that all Good News?

Prayer opens heavens!

Luke 3:15-16,21-22

The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?" 16 But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened up 22 and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."

Food for thought!

Humility is accepting and being who we are. Living away or outside of who you were made to be is pride. John refused to be driven by people into being someone else, a Messiah. John was a humble man. But Jesus was even humbler.  The gospel says, “After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized.” This means that, on the day of his baptism, Jesus was the last candidate, not the first, to be baptized. This is why St. Paul reminds us:

“Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross.” (Phil 2:4-7)

The humble people pray. Prayer is a humble and humbling activity. Proud people don’t pray, can’t kneel down, cannot humble themselves. The gospel says that Jesus was praying at his Baptism. Here, at the entrance of his ministry, he prayed, and at the last moment of it he also prayed (Luke 23:46). In his highest exultation at the transfiguration Jesus prayed (Luke 9:29), and in the lowest depths of humiliation in Gethsemane Jesus prayed (Luke 22:41). He prayed for his apostles whom he chose (Luke 6:12), and for his murderers by whom he was rejected (Luke 23:34). He prayed before Peter confessed him (Luke 9:18), and also before Peter denied him - (Luke 22:32).

“As he was praying, the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him.” Praying opens heavens; when we pray the heavens open to listen to us; when we pray the heavens for God to speak to us: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."

Can we please note one more thing: the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on Jesus, as he was praying. The dove is very suggestive. The nations of the earth put eagles upon their banners and lions upon their shields, but Jesus, He who shall gather all nations into his kingdom, appears as a Lamb, and his Spirit appears under the symbol of a dove. Indeed, his kingdom is not of this world. It is a kingdom of peace and love, not of bloodshed and ambition.

He must increase and I must decrease!

John 3:22-30

22 After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing. 23 At the same time, John was baptizing over at Aenon near Salim, where water was abundant. 24 This was before John was thrown into jail. 25 John's disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism. 26 They came to John and said, "Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan? The one you authorized with your witness? Well, he's now competing with us. He's baptizing, too, and everyone's going to him instead of us." 27 John answered, "It's not possible for a person to succeed-- I'm talking about eternal success-- without heaven's help. 28 You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. 29 The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best man' -- that's me-- in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? " That's why my cup is running over. 30 This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.

Food for thought!

One thing is certain--this passage shows us the loveliness of the humility of John the Baptist. It was clear that men were leaving John for Jesus. John's disciples were worried. They did not like to see their master take second place. They did not like to see him abandoned while the crowds flocked out to hear and see this new teacher.

In answer to their complaints, it would have been very easy for John to feel injured, neglected and unjustifiably forgotten. Sometimes a friend's sympathy can be the worst possible thing for us. It can make us feel sorry for ourselves and encourage us to think that we have not had a fair deal. But John had a mind above that. He told his disciples two things.

(i) He told them that he had never expected anything else. He told them his was not the leading place, but that he was merely sent as the herald, the forerunner and the preparer for the greater one to come. It would ease life a great deal if more people were prepared to play the subordinate role. So many people look for great things to do. John was not like that. He knew well that God had given him a subordinate task. It would save us a lot of resentment and heartbreak if we realized that there are certain things which are not for us, and if we accepted with all our hearts and did with all our might the work that God has given us to do. To do a secondary task for God makes it a great task. As someone once said: "All service ranks the same with God." Any task done for God is necessarily great.

(ii) He told them that no man could receive more than God gave him. If the new teacher was winning more followers it was not because he was stealing them from John, but because God was giving them to him. What jealousies, what heartburnings, what resentfulness we might escape, if we would only remember that someone else's success is given to him by God, and were prepared to accept God's verdict and God's choice.

John's task had been to bring the people and Jesus together; to arrange the marriage between the two. That task completed, he was happy to fade into obscurity for his work was done. It was not with envy that he said that Jesus must increase and he must decrease; it was with joy. It may be that sometimes we would do well to remember that it is not to ourselves we must try to attach people; it is to Jesus Christ. It is not for ourselves we seek the loyalty of men; it is for Jesus. And as John put it, “This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off the scene.”

Alone but not lonely!

Luke 5:12-16

Jesus was in one of the towns when a man appeared, covered with leprosy. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once. He ordered him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your healing as Moses prescribed it, as evidence for them.’ His reputation continued to grow, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their sickness cured, but he would always go off to some place where he could be alone and pray.

Food for thought!

He would always go off to some lonely place where he could be alone and pray!

Today’s meditation will be about this fact in the life of Jesus. As you know, everything Jesus did was to teach us. Yes, that is why he is called «Teacher» or «Master», and we «Disciples» or «Learners».

Besides your home, do you have some lonely place you go to in order to be alone and to pray? In other words, do you ever pray, alone? Do you ever stay alone? Where and when? How often? If you don’t have this lonely place and moment, have it. You can’t live on high all day and all days; you cannot live as if in down town. You need to go or be by yourself, to examine YOUR life, and this can hardly be done in the market place.

The gospel says that Jesus “would always go off to some lonely place where he could be alone and pray.” This is what Jesus ALWAYS did; this is what Jesus’ followers do. Why is this good? Well, it is good because Jesus used to do it. What Jesus did is ok, is good, is worth doing. Whatever Jesus did was for our edification; was to demonstrate what humans ought to be and do.

Did you know that prayer is the only discipline of the Christian faith that we are told to do “without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5: 17)? Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, esteemed this matter of prayer very highly. On one occasion Jesus got up a great while before day and prayed. Mark 1: 35 states, “While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.” Then on another occasion, after the disciples apparently took notice of Jesus’ prayer life, they were compelled to ask Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11: 1). These disciples wanted to know how to pray because they knew that there was power in prayer. And on another occasion, when Jesus Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest, betrayal and crucifixion, “He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.” (Lk 22:44). If Jesus Christ had to pray so earnestly, there is no doubt that we, His followers, ought to pray as well.

He would always go off to some lonely place where he could be alone and pray!

What about you?

Made for a purpose!

Luke 4:14-22

14Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. 16When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,19and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” 20He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” 22Everyone spoke  well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips.

Food for thought!

In this gospel reading something (un)usual happens. Jesus opened the Bible and the Bible opened Jesus; he read the Bible and the Bible read him; he read about himself in the Bible. The Bible told Jesus who Jesus is. It told him a number of things: to bring Good News to the poor; to proclaim that captives will be released; that the blind will see; that the oppressed will be set free; and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.

There is a question that everybody makes, consciously or unconsciously. This question is “What is my purpose in life?” Why did God create me? Why am I on this earth? Who am I? We all have a feeling that we were created for a specific purpose. As C. S. Lewis said, “If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe, and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never have known that it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning.” So the question we are all asking: “Is there a specific purpose or calling for my life?” And the answer is YES! You may not know it but it is there.

One of the primary values of the Bible is to settle the issue of meaning and purpose in life. The Bible is consistent when it declares that “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose.” (Jeremiah 1:5); your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16); Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name (Isaiah 49:1); But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace (Galatians 1:15) The truth is that we are here to do something, a contribution that only each one of us can make. By ourselves we cannot find out who were are because it takes God’s help for us to find and live the life we were created to live. As Søren Kierkegaard once said, “Now with God’s help I shall become myself.”

This is what happened with Jesus. The gospel says that “filled with the Holy Spirit’s power.” It means that it was by the Spirit of God that Jesus opened that scroll; it was by the Spirit of God that Jesus’ eyes fell on that text that told him who he is. Jesus came with a mission, a purpose; so did you. The Spirit of God helped Jesus find his mission and purpose; so can it with you. The Bible helped Jesus know his mission and purpose; so can it for you.

Did you notice that Jesus’s purpose has to do with making difference in others’ life? (to bring Good News to the poor; to proclaim that captives will be released; that the blind will see; that the oppressed will be set free; and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come). Elton Trueblood wrote, “A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.” We want to live for something more than ourselves. Meaning and fulfillment are only experienced as our lives, in some way, touch another person.

How to survive and thrive in storms!

Mark 6:45-52

46 As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After telling everyone good- bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. 47 Now when evening had come, the boat was out in the middle of the lake, and He was by Himself on the land. 48 And having seen that they were troubled and tormented in [their] rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night [between 3: 00–6: 00 a. m.] He came to them, walking [directly] on the sea. And He acted as if He meant to pass by them, 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and raised a [deep, throaty] shriek of terror. 50 For they all saw Him and were agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread). But immediately He talked with them and said, Take heart! I AM! Stop being alarmed and afraid. 51 And He went up into the boat with them, and the wind ceased ( sank to rest as if exhausted by its own beating). And they were astonished exceedingly [beyond measure], 52 For they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves; [in fact] their hearts had grown callous [had become dull and had lost the power of understanding].

Food for thought!

After the hunger of the crowd had been satisfied, Jesus immediately sent his disciples away before he dismissed the crowd. Why should he do that? The gospel says, “he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” There are two things here that happened. The first one is: “Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on”, and the second one is “he went up into the hills by himself to pray.” As you know, what Jesus did on this earth was to teach you and me. Even this time.

Jesus deliberately sent his disciples INTO the storm! Yes, the Lord does it often; he sends us into terrible storms of life. Indeed, this very day, some people are heading into a storm; others are right now in one; yet others are just coming from one. Where might you be?

At the end, the gospel says “they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves; [in fact] their hearts had grown callous [had become dull and had lost the power of understanding].” The disciples didn’t understand yesterday’s miracle; they didn’t go beyond the event; they took everything for granted. May be this is why he sent them into the storm.

Many times we are like these disciples: unable to understand the deeds of the Lord in our lives. Do YOU understand what is happening in your life, or do you think that all that happens to you is meaningless? It is meaningful, very much so. To be able to see life as Jesus sees it, we need to do as Jesus did: “After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.”

Sometimes we must bid goodbye to people, even our dear ones, in order to pray; we need some quiet moment after work, after serving and feeding people, to be by ourselves and our Father in heaven. It is curious to note, that before he walked on the waters, the very waters that were destroying the disciples, Jesus had been praying.

Prayer empowers us to walk over storms; the disciples that didn’t pray that night, messed all over. First, “when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and raised a [deep, throaty] shriek of terror.” Secondly, they “were agitated (troubled and filled with fear and dread).” Thirdly, “they were astonished exceedingly [beyond measure].” Fourthly, “they failed to consider or understand [the teaching and meaning of the miracle of] the loaves.” Fifthly, “their hearts had grown callous [had become dull and had lost the power of understanding].”

As Jesus taught us yesterday, whenever we are overwhelmed by the storms of life, let us not panic but remember to pray and play our part. “Take heart! I AM! Stop being alarmed and afraid. And He went up into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.”