Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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What would have happened if Mary said “no?” 

Would the Lord have taken on flesh, died on a cross, or have been raised? Would we ever celebrate Easter? How might the world – and God’s own plans – have changed if Mary said, “no”? 

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Put yourself in her shoes.

She’s a teenager preparing to get married. Out of the blue, an angel appears to her, dropping the biggest bomb imaginable. 

“Hail, favored one! Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus… and of his kingdom, there will be no end!”

While that sounds nice – and quite impossible – consider some of Mary’s genuine concerns: What if she dies in childbirth? What if Joseph won’t accept her? What if her family excommunicates her? What if this isn’t real?

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There’s no way Mary could’ve reasoned her way to, “Yes.” 

This was a trial of the heart. 

Only a Jew who knew the Law – and lived it from the fullness of their heart – could ever get close to her words, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

As Christ later proclaims, “The first of all the Commandments is this: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

If Mary loved either Joseph, her family, or even her own life, more than God, then she never could’ve said, “yes” to the angel Gabriel.

But she surrenders it all. Thus, this moment more than any other reveals Mary’s purity of heart and her fulfillment of all religion.

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This Feast of the Annunciation also begs the question, “What if we say, ‘no’?”

What good is it for Mary to do her part, to smuggle Christ into the world, if we do not do the same in our own time, way, and place?

Just as Christ drew on Mary’s flesh and bones to incarnate himself in our world, so the Lord makes himself present in every age, using our own heart, hands, and feet.

Ours are the lips through which he forgives; the hands by which he serves; the heart through which he loves. As Teresa of Avila once said, “Christ has no body now but yours.”

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How do you make Christ present for others?

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May Mary, Mother of God, pray for us that we would follow her way, loving the Lord our God more than anyone or anything, even ourselves.

In so doing, Christ will make himself present in our world in every generation, even in you and me.

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Image credits: (1) Fra Angelico, Annunciation (2) The Christ Child, Fra Angelico (3) Bible Hub

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Gospel: Luke 4:24-30

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel passage takes place in the synagogue of Christ’s hometown, where he has just begun his public ministry. In the preceding verses, Jesus opened the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and proclaimed, “Today this prophecy is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Filled with awe and excitement, Saint Luke tells us, “all spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”

Yet, within a matter of sentences, the same crowd that wondered at Christ’s words are now trying to push him off a cliff! 

What a tragic, confusing turn of events.

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In many ways, this quickened experience of praise and rejection bookends Christ’s public life. 

The Lord will experience the same turn of tide from the people who lay branches at his feet on Palm Sunday, only to shout, “Crucify him!” on Good Friday.

Such is the fragility of public opinion – and by extension, the feebleness of human nature. 

The crowds remind us how quick human beings can be to judge; to draw false conclusions without having all of the facts; to turn on people we once loved, even God in the flesh.

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Have you ever felt like Christ in this moment, experiencing both praise and rejection from the same group of people?

Or, have you ever been part of the crowd – critical, quick to judge?

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As we continue our journey through Lent, perhaps we can slow things down. Listen before we speak. Think before we act. Pray before we judge.

As the Lord himself says, “From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”

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Image credits: (1) Brian Zahnd (2) Simply Catholic (3) Amazon.com

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Gospel: Luke 13: 1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s a Buddhist concept called, “Mu,” which means, “un-asking.”

If a person asks a question that is too shallow or narrow, then one might respond, “Mu,” which is a polite way of saying, “Un-ask the question.” Or, “ask a better question.” 

There is a deeper truth to be found.

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For example, some people might have questioned this week, “Why did such terrible storms rip through parts of the southeastern United States? Why did innocent people lose everything they own? Why is there evil in this world?”

It’s fair to ask these questions. They’re deep, often rich in heartbreak, soul-searching, raw in emotion, and personal experience.

Others might ask similar questions on the battlefield, in cancer wards, or at the cemetery.

But as difficult as it is for us to accept, Jesus’ response to the question of evil is, “Mu,” because there are deeper questions he wants us to be asking, leading to more important and pertinent truths.

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Addressing his immediate listeners, Jesus mentions two different tragedies that occurred in his own day – not a terrible storm, but the death of several people at the hands of Pontius Pilate, and the collapse of the tower at Siloam, crushing eighteen people. 

Many of Jesus’ contemporaries, including his own disciples, would’ve wondered, “Why did these things happen?” 

But Jesus avoids answering their question. His focus is not on why bad things happen to good people, but on sin, grace, repentance, divine judgment, and eternal life. These are the things that are most important.

Thus, instead of asking: “Why does evil exist?” 

The Lord urges us to consider, “What is my response to evil? How do I come to the aid of my neighbor in need? How am I amending my life? Do I ponder the truth of divine judgment?”

As the Lord says elsewhere in the Gospels, “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

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What seems to frustrate Jesus throughout the Gospels is human apathy and indecision; the abuse of the gift of time; people who refuse to live in accordance with the Spirit; and those who do not amend their lives while they can in spite of his preaching.

Like the fruitless fig tree in today’s Gospel, the Lord accuses the unrepentant person of stealing nutrients from the soil – of squandering grace – while producing no good fruit.

Still, he tempers the truth of divine judgment with the abundance of his mercy. Sins can be forgiven – entirely washed away – so long as our lives are changed.

Consider the fig tree. The Lord allows it one more year to bear fruit. He even charges the gardener to make it as easy as possible for the tree to thrive: cultivate the ground, fertilize the soil; provide tender care.

But if the tree does not change, then it will be cut down. Thus, the fate of the tree – and by extension, the fate of each individual – lies within itself. God provides ample opportunities for us to grow, even in times of drought, but it’s up to us to change.

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In this Lenten season, perhaps we should ponder: “Do I take time or God for granted? Do I give more than I take? Is there any part of my life that’s like the barren fig tree? Do I need to repent?”

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The answer to these questions can never be, “Mu,” because they point to what is most precious in life – the gift of time, the grace of God, and our response to it all.

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(2) GK Mysterion (3) Lent is About Repentance, America Magazine