Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Mark 3: 13-19

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are an estimated 225,000 Catholic parishes around the world today. Along with 1.4 billion Catholics, 650,000 religious, 5,000 bishops, 400,000 priests, 50,000 deacons, and 1 pope.

The work of the Catholic Church in terms of charity, outreach, and evangelization is mind-boggling. No other institution in human history has made such a positive difference in the lives of ordinary people – the sick, the poor, the hungry, those seeking Truth – than we have. 

While this religious institution founded by Christ is far from perfect, it has also changed the lives of billions of people for the better.  

Certainly, mine.

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What’s fascinating about the growth of the Church throughout history is the fact that it began with 12 ordinary disciples, whom Jesus calls in today’s Gospel. They weren’t highly educated or wealthy, but they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

After Pentecost, the Lord sent them out to share the Good News of salvation in what was – and remains – a hostile world.

The Apostles had no TikTok, no Facebook, no media outlets to use. No way of sharing their message instantly, or documenting miracles for hundreds of millions of people to see. 

But they had courage, grit, an unshakeable love for Christ, and a message worth dying for: Jesus has been raised from the dead! Repent, and believe in the Gospel.

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Perhaps two important truths can be distilled for us today.

First, Christianity began with a group. Christians have always understood themselves to be part of the Body of Christ on earth. There are no renegades; we’re in this together.

Secondly, this Body of Christ is diverse. The band of the Apostles was a microcosm of how diverse the Church is – and should be – today. 

For example, there was Simon the Zealot, a fiery nationalist, and Matthew the Tax Collector, who was seen as being in cahoots with Rome.

These men were as different as different could be, yet they worked together because they were drawn to a higher ideal – the salvation of souls. 

It’s that same sense of teamwork – and strength in diversity – that will fuel the Church’s growth today.

1.4 billion Catholics.

What might be your contribution to this human, yet divine, Body today?

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Image credits: (1) Vocation of the Apostles, Domenico Ghirlandaio (2) Shutterstock (3) Go Make a Difference, YouTube

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Gospel: Mark 3: 7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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We’re at the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, yet he already gives the impression of Jesus’ public ministry going global.

People are coming from the north, south, east, and west, at least from 100 miles away. His fame and popularity only grow from here.

In fact, the crowds are so large that Jesus has his disciples prepare a boat for him in the event that he must escape a stampede.

His power to cure stands in stark contrast to the frailty of his human nature, which threatens being crushed by a mob of people desperate to touch him.

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One of the greatest miracles of Jesus’ public ministry is the fact that he stays alive as long as he did. 

There was not only the threat of being swallowed up in a stampede, but also the sinister plans of the religious authorities, who are already plotting his death. 

Worst of all, there’s the threat of being misunderstood by the crowds.

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Notice it’s the demons who first recognize Jesus as, “the Son of God.”

This was a term used often enough in the ancient world. For example, Roman Emperors considered themselves to be “sons of God,” as did Egyptian kings. 

There were enough Jewish nationalists at that time that, if rumors spread about Christ being an earthly king like the Romans or Egyptians, then riots could erupt throughout Galilee as people would fight for Jewish freedom.

Such a stunning misunderstanding of Christ’s ministry would evaporate his momentum, ruining the entire purpose of his incarnation.

This is why Jesus quiets the demons, forcing them into silence. What he needs more than anything is privacy with his disciples to teach them about who he really is. 

They, too, are harboring hopes of him being a political savior – a hope that lingers all the way to his crucifixion.

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Misunderstandings of God, Jesus, even the Church he founded upon the rock of Peter, continue to this day. 

God is neither a distant figure uninterested in the world he created, nor a divine vending machine, willing to give us anything we want.

God is a loving Father who sent his Son to wash away our sins so that we might live with him – not here – but forever in his kingdom.

May we follow him, each in our own way, today.

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Image credits: (1) Strengthened by Grace (2) Bible Gateway (3) Centered on Christ – Substack

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Gospel: Mark 3: 1-6

Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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In ancient Palestine, most men made a living through manual labor. Joseph, for example, was a carpenter. Paul was a tent maker. Peter was a fisherman. Tradition states that this man in the Gospel was a stone mason.

Like many other professions, masonry required the use of both hands. Thus, the man’s withered hand not only prevents him from working; it’s also symbolic of his state in life.

He’s paralyzed; all income and opportunity have dried up. His withered hand also represents the withered hearts of the religious authorities, who’ve become deadened inside through a harsh interpretation of the Law.

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The fact that the religious authorities don’t care about this man’s healing, or wish that Jesus would simply do it on another day, implies they’ve placed boundaries around compassion.

It’s okay to be compassionate six days a week, but don’t dare lift a finger on the Sabbath; that’s God’s day, as if God could ever rest from charity. 

This is what angers Jesus so much. The authorities have a tiny, boxed-in, bound and broken view of God. They fail to understand that whenever there is an opportunity for charity, it must be done because charity is an act of love.

And God is love.

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Today’s Gospel provides all of us an opportunity to reflect upon our own limits. 

Where are the withered edges of our own heart? When have we seen an opportunity to be charitable – to give, to forgive, to love, or to serve – and not acted upon it?

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“Jesus said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out and his hand was restored.”

Yes, God worked on the Sabbath. Charity demanded it.

May that same zealous love of neighbor burn within our hearts today.

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Image credits: (1) PottyPadre (2) Catholic Daily Reflections (3) Pitt News