Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Mark 2: 23-28

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath,
his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain.
At this the Pharisees said to him,
“Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?”
He said to them,
“Have you never read what David did
when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry?
How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest
and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat,
and shared it with his companions?”
Then he said to them,
“The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s only one group of people whom Jesus cannot stomach. Surprisingly, perhaps, it isn’t tax collectors, prostitutes, or sinners.

He loved them all and often forgave them.

The ones whom Jesus cannot tolerate are the hardened religious leaders of his day, who pressed the Jews into following hundreds of man-made laws, including a law which forbade people from eating grain on the Sabbath, as we hear in today’s Gospel.

What good is it to follow a series of rules if doing so does not lead to an inner transformation of the heart?

This is why Jesus says elsewhere, they are like “whitewashed tombs,” religious rule-followers on the outside, but defiled within.

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Catholics also follow a series of rules. We attend Mass on Sundays. We say our prayers. We avoid eating meat on Fridays during Lent. These guidelines are meant to lead us to an inner transformation.

Receiving Jesus in the Eucharist becomes “food for the journey.” Praying the rosary allows us to intercede on behalf of others. Avoiding meat on Fridays in Lent reminds us of the sacrifice that Christ made in his flesh on the Cross.

But if we aren’t aware of why we’re doing these things – if we’re just going through the motions – then they begin losing their ultimate purpose.

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Today’s Gospel isn’t meant to upend the “rules” we follow. Rather, it’s meant to make us more aware of why we follow them. Behind each “rule” is a door that’s meant to lead us to Jesus.

Do I feel closer to the Lord while at Mass? Am I growing in devotion to his Sacred Heart through prayer? Do I believe this Lent will be a fruitful season spiritually?

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Let’s not waste either our time or our effort. Be mindful about what you’re doing – and why. Then the guidelines we follow will lead us to the Lord.

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Image credits: (1) Got Questions (2) Grace and Peace, Joanne (3) Infinum Growth

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Gospel: Mark 2:18-22

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast.
People came to Jesus and objected,
“Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast,
 but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them,
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast on that day.
No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak.
If he does, its fullness pulls away,
the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.
Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins,
and both the wine and the skins are ruined.
Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today Americans celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who sought to stretch the hearts and minds of Americans politically, much like new wine poured into fresh wineskins.

His vision was most clearly outlined in his famous speech, I Have A Dream.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, and live out the true meaning of its creed…that all men are created equal,” he said.

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In today’ Gospel, Jesus uses the same imagery to stretch us spiritually.

When baptized, Christians become a new creation, capable of being stretched beyond our own natural limitations. 

By God’s grace, we can not only love our neighbor, but also forgive our enemies…pray for those who persecute us… resist temptation… grow in virtue… and when the race is finished, inherit eternal life, becoming a new creation, much like new wine poured into fresh wineskins.

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Where is God stretching me spiritually? Or where might I need to be stretched?

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I can imagine Jesus reinterpreting some of Dr. King’s words to address the entire world:

“I have a dream,” he might say, “that one day this world will rise up, and live out the true meaning of its existence…to see all people as created equal, and to love them accordingly.”

May the Lord stretch us until we love one another the way that God has loved us.

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Image credits: (1) Britannica (2) UConn Community Outreach (3) Growingtolive, WordPress

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Gospel: John 1:35 – 42

John was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God.”
The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.
Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them,
“What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —,
“where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
So they went and saw where Jesus was staying,
and they stayed with him that day.
It was about four in the afternoon.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter,
was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and told him,
“We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ —.
Then he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said,
“You are Simon the son of John;
you will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Many of us have pictures framed, hanging on our walls in our office or at home. Some may capture a moment with family, a dream vacation fulfilled, a work of art.

These pictures inspire us, reminding us of the blessings we’ve received in life. Can you imagine one of those pictures?

Now have you ever thought about the nail behind your favorite picture?

Without it, our picture frames would fall to the ground, shattering the glass. Yet as essential as they are for support, nails often go unnoticed by the viewer, simply taken for granted.

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Nails serve a dual purpose: they bring two separate objects together – in this case, attaching a picture frame to a wall. And they provide enduring support, keeping the frame steadily in its place.

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In today’s Gospel, we encounter the Apostle Andrew. 

Think of him like a nail. Andrew brings people to Jesus, then provides enduring support. In fact, he introduces more people to the Lord than any other disciple in the Gospels! 

He begins doing so immediately following his own conversion. Although Andrew still has much to learn about Jesus, he isn’t afraid invite others to, “Come and see,” starting with his brother, Simon Peter. 

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One might think because of Andrew’s zeal that he would’ve been part of Jesus’ inner circle. 

But he wasn’t.

In fact, Andrew was left out of some of Jesus’ most intimate moments in ministry. 

For example, when Jesus went up on Mount Tabor, the place where the Transfiguration took place as he spoke with his Father and prophets from the Old Testament, the place where his body glowed and became dazzling white, Andrew was absent.

Jesus only invited Peter, James, and John.

Or when Jesus went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane during his final night on earth, he brought the same trio of men to keep him company – Peter, James, and John. 

Not Andrew.

Perhaps most surprising of all, Jesus chooses Peter, not his brother Andrew, to be the rock of the Church.

Like any brother, Andrew could’ve been resentful. He wasn’t the center of attention, he wasn’t the rock of the Church, and he wasn’t present during some of Jesus’ most intimate moments. 

But he didn’t seem to mind at all. 

He was perfectly content with going unnoticed, providing background support to Peter and the others, much like the nail behind your favorite picture frame. 

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And thus, Andrew models two important qualities for any disciple: he’s enthusiastic and humble.

The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek, en theos, meaning, “God within.” Andrew is passionate about the Lord; it’s this enthusiasm that inspires him to tell others about Jesus, inviting them to, “Come and see.”

Many of us share that enthusiasm. It’s partly how our parish has grown over these last three years. A number of you have either invited others – or have been invited – to, “Come and see.” 

What a difference it’s made!

Being invited to church changed my own life. I remember asking my aunt a question about God when I was fourteen. The next week she invited me to attend her church – something I hadn’t done since I was a baby.

Suddenly, a seed was planted. Little did she – or I realize – that was the beginning of my journey to faith, and ultimately to the priesthood.

Three words changed my life: “Come and see.”

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Like Andrew, every Christian should not only be enthusiastic about their faith, but also humble. 

As CS Lewis once wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” Andrew was never the center of attention; life always centered around the Lord.

Like a sturdy nail behind a picture frame, Andrew’s focus was simply to bring people to Jesus, and to provide enduring support.

Our parish vision statement now echoes Andrew’s invitation, “We are all generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”

Following Andrew’s example, in what ways can we live out our vision statement with enthusiasm and humility this week?

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Image credits: (1) QuoteFancy (2) iStock (3) The church of Christ on McDermott Road