Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 4:14-22

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region. 
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.

He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day. 
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. 
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
            The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
                        because he has anointed me
                                    to bring glad tidings to the poor.
            He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
                        and recovery of sight to the blind,
                                    to let the oppressed go free,
            and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. 

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel describes the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. 

For the next, and final, three years of his life – some 1,000 days – Jesus will perform miracle after miracle, healing the sick, casting out demons, and forgiving those caught in sin.

I’d say his entire life and mission can be summarized in three words: 

Jesus lifted burdens.

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So can we.

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Recently, for example, I ZOOMED with a group of first graders from my former parish. I asked them, “How do you help other students?” 

One said, “I pick up his pencil when it falls.” Another, “I help her spell long words.” And another, “She makes me feel better when I’m sad.”

Even in first grade, children have their share of burdens – a dropped pencil, trouble with spelling, a bad morning at home – but they know they can look to a friend to lift their burden.

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How might we help someone else today?

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By the end of the day, hopefully we can say like Jesus (and even first grade students):

We lifted someone’s burden.

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(1) Hear God’s Heart (2) God’s Hot Spot WordPress (3) Soul Food

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Gospel: Mark 6:45-52

After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd. 
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray. 
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. 
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them. 
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea. 
He meant to pass by them.  
But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out. 
They had all seen him and were terrified. 
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. 
They were completely astounded. 
They had not understood the incident of the loaves. 
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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This is the first time that the disciples are without Jesus. And what happens?

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Disaster strikes!

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While they’re on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, a major storm approaches – one so large it causes these professional fishermen to fear they’re drowning!

Meanwhile, Jesus tries passing them by, walking calmly across the waters. What terrifies the disciples doesn’t disturb him at all.

Was this a test?

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Absolutely. 

The disciples just watched Jesus feed five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. If he can perform a miracle like that, then why should they fear for their safety now? 

Shouldn’t they trust that Jesus will protect them?

We’d casually say, “Of course.” 

And yet, as the Gospel tells us, “their hearts were hardened.” 

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Just like the disciples, Jesus allows our faith to be tested. 

But when we feel like we’re drowning, overwhelmed by the waves of doubt, debt, grief, or COVID fatigue, we must be patient and guard against the temptation of hardening our hearts.

Jesus is somewhere nearby, walking across the stormy waters, preparing to enter our boat.

Until the storm is calmed, we must be patient and cling to his words, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.”

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Image credits: (1) The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt (2) Christ Walking on the Water, Cornerstone Art (3) Havenlight Yong Sung Kim – The Hand of God Painting, Amazon

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Gospel: Mark 6:34-44

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them,
for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things.
By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already very late.
Dismiss them so that they can go
to the surrounding farms and villages
and buy themselves something to eat.”
He said to them in reply,
“Give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food
and give it to them to eat?”
He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they had found out they said,
“Five loaves and two fish.”
So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass.
The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties.
Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples
to set before the people;
he also divided the two fish among them all.
They all ate and were satisfied.
And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments
and what was left of the fish.
Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose feast day we celebrate today, is the first American-born Saint. 

Born into a wealthy Episcopal family in New York City, her life was a series of ups and downs, of heartache and hope.

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Her mom died when she was three. Her younger sister died a year later.

She was married at the age of 19, but became a penniless widow with five children to raise by the age of 28.

Once filled with fortune and promise, Elizabeth’s life seemed to have reached a dead end.

But she knew that God wasn’t finished with her just yet.

Shortly after the death of her husband, she made a leap of faith, converting to Catholicism and becoming a nun. This decision led to a series of firsts.

She established the first American convent for nuns, the first Catholic school, and the first Catholic orphanage in the United States. She also became the namesake of my alma mater, Seton Hall University. 

One act of faith led to another…and another….and another. By the end of her life, she changed thousands of lives for the better.

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So, what can Elizabeth Ann Seton teach us today?

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God always has a plan for our lives. Think of Elizabeth when she was penniless with five children at the age of 28. She had nothing – but she turned to Jesus.

That decision led to life in abundance.

The same can be true for us. When one door closes, another one can open. But sometimes a leap of faith is needed.

As the old saying goes, “Leap and the net will appear.” 

God will never let us down.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Allegro Design (2) Catholic Online, Elizabeth Ann Seton (3) Family Tree Acupuncture