18th Sunday: Work Hard for the Imperishable

 

Work Hard for the Imperishable

Ex 16:2–4, 12–15; Ep 4:17, 20–24; Jn 6:24–35 (B 18)

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life”

The aim of work according to God’s will is much more than daily living. When Jesus spoke about the works of God, the Jews immediately thought in terms of “good” works. It was their conviction that a man by living a good life could earn the favor of God. When the Jews asked Jesus about the work of God, they expected him to lay down lists of things to do. But Jesus says that God's work was to believe in him whom God had sent. Paul says that the one work that God desires from man is faith.

We must work for the perishable bread. Civilization means continuous hard work. But when we come to consider spiritual life and growth, the idea of work seems to slip out of the mind altogether. Belief in Christ is obedience, because God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, as the Object of human faith. It is the will of God that men should believe on his Son. It is the supreme moral probation of every Christian when Jesus comes to him and demands his faith. Christ points away from many works to this one work – faith.

As a matter of fact, belief in Christ is the turning of the soul to righteousness. For this is the means of securing pardon and acceptance, of becoming right with God, and of securing spiritual strength and guidance for the duties of the earthly life. It is a great moral principle that the gospel uses for highest ends, that faith underlies doing. A Christian’s inner convictions determine what his or her habitual works, moral life, should be. Such is the relation between faith and work, as taught by both Paul and James. The one apostle lays stress upon faith and the other upon works. And both plead for the authority of the great Teacher himself.

Believing is the beginning. Work is the continuation of life. Belief is the inner, work is the outer, process. Belief is the motive, work the result. Belief is the cause, work the effect. The Divine life for a Christian is a work but it is a work based upon a Divine Person. And it is faith that unites the worker to the living and personal Power. It will be in three directions, each of which corresponds to what Jesus told us of God. (i) God is love. In our lives there must be love and service of others corresponding to the love and the service of God, and forgiveness of others corresponding to his forgiveness of God. (ii) God is holiness. In our lives there must be purity corresponding to the holiness of God. (iii) God is wisdom. In our lives there must be complete submission and trust corresponding to the wisdom of God.

The essence of the Christian labor in life lies in a new relationship to God, a relationship which issues in that service, purity and trust which are the reflection of God. This is the work which God wishes us and enables us to perform.

“Hope of life is the beginning and end of our Faith” (DO)

 

 

 

17th Sunday: Share the Divine Grace

 

Share the Divine Grace

2 Kgs 4:42-44; Eph 4:1-6; Jn 6:1-15 (B 17)

“I Rejoice exceedingly in all my Tribulations” (DO)

 

Through most of Lectionary Cycle B, our Sunday Gospel readings are taken from the Gospel of Mark. Our Lectionary, however, leaves Mark’s Gospel for the next several weeks and instead presents this event from the Gospel of John. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ multiplication of the loaves and the fishes is presented as a sign of his authority and divinity. Jesus interprets the meaning and significance of this miracle as a sharing of his Body and Blood.

Today, we contemplate how both human and supernatural love can grow in us, given that we use the same heart to love both man and God. Love starts to grow in the human heart with the progressive discovery of that which is attractive in the other person: their friendliness, their goodness. This is the case of the “boy who has five barley loaves and two fish” (Jn 6:9). He gives Jesus all he has got with him, the bread and the fish, because he has let himself be won over by the attractiveness of Jesus. Because a little is always much in the hands of God.

The next step is falling in love, the consequence of feeling a response. “A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick” (Jn 6:2). Jesus listened to them; He paid attention to them because He knew what they needed. But the people looked at him as an earthly king. That’s why, St Augustine says, “Many are those who look for Jesus guided solely by worldly interests! (…) Rarely do they seek Jesus for Jesus.”

The fullness of love is love that gives itself, when we look for the good of a loved one without expecting anything in return, even when it entails personal sacrifice. Today, we can say along with St Josemaria: “Lord, you make us share in the miracle of the Eucharist. We beg you not to hide away. Live with us. May we see you; may we touch you; may we feel you. May we be beside you all the time and have you as the King of our lives and of our work” Finally, we learn Jesus words “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” A gift so precious and obtained so mysteriously was not to be wasted. Our Lord gathered the fragments, perhaps, for the use of his disciples in coming days. In the same way we should never waste anything that is useful for our fellow brethren. He would hereby teach us, not to make waste of any of God's good creatures. Remember how many there are that do want, and that we know not but we may some time or other want such fragments as we throw away. waste for us is much useful for the survival of the needy.

“For nothing so much wins love as the knowledge that one’s lover desires”

 

16th Sunday: Seek Him in the Self to be Instructed

Seek Him in the Self to be Instructed

Jer 23:1-6; Eph 2:13-18; Mk 6:30-34 (B 16)

“We should then really live as Christians and not merely have the name”

Today, the Gospel invites us to discover the importance of resting in the Lord. The Apostles were returning from the mission on which Jesus had sent them. They cast out demons, cured the sick and preached the Gospel. They were tired and Jesus told them: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Mk 6:31).

We engage ourselves in too many charitable activities. One of the temptations to which some Christians can succumb is that of wanting to do too many things and leaving the Lord a little. The Catechism reminds us that, when it comes to prayer, one of the biggest dangers is that we can easily think that there are more important and urgent things to be done, not taking care for the things of God. For this reason, Jesus tells the Apostles, who have worked hard and exhausted that they must rest. The Gospel says, “they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place” (Mk 6:32).

To be able to pray properly we need at least two things: the first is to be with Jesus as He is the person with whom we can speak. Make sure that we are with Him. For this reason, all times of prayer normally begin with an act of presence of God which is often the most difficult part. We must make ourselves conscious of the fact that we are truly with Him. The second thing is that we must be alone. If we really want to talk with someone, to have an intimate and profound conversation we choose to be alone with them. Dialogue with him.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard recommended that one should rest with Jesus after receiving Holy Communion. He warned of the danger of filling thanksgiving after Communion with many memorized words. He said that, after receiving the Body of Christ, the best thing to do is to stay in silence for a while to regain our strength and to let Jesus talk to us in the silence of our hearts. Sometimes, rather than telling Him about our plans and projects it is better that we let Jesus instruct and encourage us.

“For many invoke the bishop’s name but do everything apart from him”

15th Sunday: Called to be His Chosen to Preach

                                                 Called to be His Chosen to Preach

Amos 7:12-15; Eph 1:3-14; Mk 6:7-13 (B 15)

“Open then your ears. Enjoy the fragrance of eternal life breathed on you” (DO)

 

Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus sent out the Twelve. These twelve were selected from among Jesus’ disciples and named them apostles. The word apostle means “one who is sent.” The number twelve is also a symbolic number, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. By naming twelve apostles, Jesus shows his mission to be in continuity with the mission of God’s people, Israel.

Jesus continues to send us into the world as his disciples. But like the first disciples, we are not sent alone. Jesus has given us the community of the Church, which strengthens our life of discipleship. The Christian message can only authentically be proclaimed in and through the community of faith that is the Church. In our work with others, we build this community of faith and can invite others to share it.

The news that our God the Father loves us with an infinite love and has brought us to life to make us happy for all eternity. This news is for everyone. No one should be left out of the liberating teaching of Jesus, no one is excluded from God’s Love. It is necessary to reach every corner of the world. We must proclaim the joy of full and universal salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God made man for us, who died and rose again and is actively present in the Church.

Why does Jesus tell the apostles to “travel light” with little or no provision? “Poverty of spirit” frees us from greed and preoccupation with our possessions and makes ample room for God’s provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves. He wishes to work in and through each of us for his glory. Are we ready to use the spiritual authority and power which God wishes you to exercise on his behalf? The Lord entrusts us with his gifts and talents. Are we eager to place ourselves at his service, to do whatever he bids us, and to witness his truth and saving power to whomever he sends us?

The Twelve brought the message and the mercy of the King all humanity, and that remains the Church’s task today and every day. They brought the King’s mercy. Not only did they bring this shattering demand upon men; they brought also help and healing. They brought liberation to poor, demon-possessed men and women. From the beginning Christianity has aimed to bring health to body and to soul. It has always aimed not only at soul salvation, but at whole salvation. It brought not only a hand to lift from moral wreckage, but a hand to lift from physical pain and suffering. We have been chosen by God to be prophets. We are valuable to the Lord. We are worthy in his sight. We are people he has called to live his Love and to spread his Love. May we be prophets of his Truth.

Recognizing the Power of God in Others: Ezk 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6 (B 14)

 Recognizing the Power of God in Others

Ezk 2:2-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Mk 6:1-6 (B 14)

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Alleluia (DO)

 

Today’s Gospel describes Jesus’ ministry of teaching in the synagogue followed by acts of healing. In his hometown of Nazareth, the people are amazed by what they heard but they could not comprehend how someone they know might move them so powerfully. Jesus’ earthly foster father was Joseph the carpenter, an artisan who works in wood, stone, and metal. Jesus learned this trade from his father. The evangelist Mark describes Jesus as the son of Mary, which is an unusual designation. Adult males were more typically identified with the name of their fathers. It is unclear why Mark deviates from this custom.

Brothers and sisters of Jesus are also named in today’s Gospel. Scholars are divided on how to interpret this. As Catholics, we believe that Mary was and remained always a virgin, thus we do not believe that Mother Mary had other children. Some have suggested that these family members might be Joseph’s children from a previous marriage, but there is little evidence to support this. Others explain this reference by noting that the words “brother” and “sister” were often used to refer to other types of relatives, including cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Jesus was in Nazareth, the place where he grew up. The people who heard him preach were his neighbors. They had known him since he was small. They remember when he was a little boy learning a bit at a time how to become a carpenter like his foster father, Joseph. They remember him playing with their children. They remember when his voice changed and when he began to grow a beard. They were so little in their knowledge of Jesus’ humanity, that they refused to listen to the Word of God that he was proclaiming. They could not believe that God would work through Jesus. Their lack of faith resulted in Jesus not being able to perform any of the mighty deeds of God among them.

We often make the same mistake. Some people seem too ordinary to us to be vehicles of God’s truth. They may be our parents or our children, our neighbors or our companions at work or school. They might proclaim a reality that could change our lives, but we do not want to hear it from them. Paul realized that it was God working through him that brought so many people to the faith. Christ’s power also works through us. We really do not have the right to deny our responsibility to the Lord.

We may think that we are not good enough to talk about the Lord, but we are good enough. He makes us good enough. We must remember that the positive effects of what we say come from the Lord, not from us. His grace is sufficient for each of us to be the instrument to bring joy of salvation to our family members and our neighbors. His power will work through us in ways greater than we can ever realize. His power will be made perfect in our weakness too.

I tell you solemnly, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

Faith leads to Union with Christ: Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24; 2 Cor 8:7,9,13-15; Mk 5:21-43 (B 13)

 

Faith leads to Union with Christ

Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24; 2 Cor 8:7,9,13-15; Mk 5:21-43 (B 13)

‘Take courage, daughter: your faith has saved you.’ Alleluia. 

Faith is personal response to God who invites us to recognize his salvation. Today’s gospel is a striking example of intercession. Jairus pleaded for his daughter. The faith of the sickly woman was hidden “within herself” and she touched the garment of Jesus”. Her faith was united with humility and truth.

When we are in trouble, Jesus shows compassionate heart. When Jairus requested Jesus to go with him to see his daughter, “He went with him”! in the same way he goes with us to the house of mourning, to the room of sickness, to the bed of death. His presence lightens the sufferer's load and soothes the heart. When we are in despair, he reassures us by saying “Fear not, only believe”. These are the words of comfort, fitted to soothe and to inspire desponding hearts with heavenly hope. Let us learn that, where Jesus is, there is no place for despair.

The woman for twelve long and weary years had suffered from a painful and weakening malady. Her disease did not bring herself to talk of it in public. It was a disease caused by ceremonial uncleanness. She conceived the thought of stealing a cure. She thought within herself, “If I touch but his clothes,” or his garment, or even the border of it, “I shall be whole.” And Jesus said, “Daughter, be of good comfort: your faith has made you whole; go in peace.”

Her faith was true faith, different from the multitude that thronged Jesus that touched him. Others touched him, but their touch was incidental; hers was intentional. Others touched him, not feeling any need for help but she touched him, conscious of her malady and convinced of his power to affect her cure. Faith is thus seen to be the means of union with Christ, and union not mechanical and physical, but union rational and spiritual. We may approach him by ceremonies, by profession, by lifeless prayers, and in none of these cases do we really touch him. Not coming into living contact with him, we cannot expect to be recognized by him.

The power of Christs raises the dead and heal the sick, so that we may sleep calmly in death till he bid us arise. In both instances we see Jesus' personal concern for the needs of others and his readiness to heal and restore life. In Jesus we see the infinite love of God extending to each individual as he gives freely and wholly of himself to each person he meets. Do you approach the Lord with confident expectation that he will hear your request and act?

We too should have more faith, that faith that does not doubt in the face of life's difficulties and trials, and that knows how to mature in pain through our union with Christ, as Pope Benedict XVI suggests in his encyclical Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope): “It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love.”

“Our Savior Jesus Christ has broken the power of death and brought life” (DO)

“Fear not. For I am with you” Job 38:1,8-11; 2 Cor 5:14-17; Mk 4:35-41 (B 12)

 

“Fear not. For I am with you”

                Job 38:1,8-11; 2 Cor 5:14-17; Mk 4:35-41 (B 12)

“Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again”

 

The history of humanity has lived through tragedies in the violent waves in the 20th century and the dawn of the 21st. Sometimes we irrationally ask God: “Do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mk 4,38); If you truly exist, if You are Father, why do these events occur? Confronting with the memory of the violence of the concentration camps of World War II, Pope Benedict asked himself: “Where was God in those days? Why was he silent? How could he permit this endless slaughter?” The Psalmist asked God: “Why do you sleep? … Why do you hide your face; why forget our pain and misery?” (Ps 44:24-25).

We cannot expect answer from God for these questions and we have no right to hold him accountable. In fact, God is present, and he speak but we are not able to hear his voice. Benedict XVI said: “We cannot peer into God’s mysterious plan - we see only piecemeal, and we would be wrong to set ourselves up as judges of God and history. Then we would not be defending man, but only contributing to his downfall.” Today's reading describes how Jesus calmed a storm at sea.

One of the messages of the storm story is that we have violent storms in the universal Church and in our life individually. The Lord is present to his fearful and faithless disciples. He may rebuke us as he rebuked those disciples in the boat. However, his presence to us in the storm is not just a rebuking presence. It is ultimately a creative and life-giving presence. Jesus brought calm out of the chaos. He controlled the storm and saw to it that the boat reached the other side safely. The Lord remains stronger than the storms that threaten the church, whether those storms are self-inflicted or brought on by others or a combination of both.

Like the apostles, we need to trust that our Lord works to bring his church to serenity in these times of storm. Today’s responsorial psalm assures us that if we cry to the Lord in our need, he will rescue us from our distress. Our need and distress can open us up more fully to the Lord’s life-giving presence among us. St Paul at the beginning of the second reading says, “the love of Christ overwhelms us.” It is that remarkable love of God in Christ urges us on, even when we are battling against a headwind. It urges us on until we reach “the other side”, the place where he wants us all to be.

Fear does not need to cripple us from taking right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. In fact, the problem is not that God does not exist or that he is not here, but that we live as if God does not exist. Here is God’s answer: “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” (Mk 4:40). This is what Jesus said to the Apostles, and he said the same thing to St. Faustina Kowalska: “My daughter, fear nothing. I am always with you, even if it seems to you that I am not.”

Save us, Lord, we are in danger; O God, give the command, and there will be peace (DO)