Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: John 1: 29-34

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
He is the one of whom I said,
‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’
I did not know him,
but the reason why I came baptizing with water
was that he might be made known to Israel.”
John testified further, saying,
“I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven
and remain upon him.
I did not know him,
but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain,
he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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What does it mean, to “baptize”?

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“To plunge, to dunk, to submerge.”

This verb, “baptize,” was not originally a Christian word. It was borrowed by Christians from the Greeks to describe what John the Baptist was doing.

He was submerging – plunging – people into the Jordan River as a sign of their repentance. Thus, we could rightfully call him, “John the Plunger!”

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The first instance scholars found this word – “baptize” – being used in Greek literature was in a pickle recipe.

The recipe states, “You must boil water. Add the cucumbers. Then baptize the cucumbers in vinegar.”

If you simply dip a cucumber into vinegar and remove it, does it become a pickle?

No. It’s more like a quickle. (A half-pickle).

If you want to turn a cucumber into a pickle, then you must baptize it – you must plunge, submerge – it into vinegar. It has to remain in that liquid, soaking it up before it becomes a pickle.

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In today’s Gospel, John says that Jesus will “baptize” us with the Holy Spirit. Most Christians receive this divine gift shortly after their birth.

But if we are to become fully pickled Christians, then we must remain in the Holy Spirit. Meaning, we are constantly growing in our faith. As Jesus says, “Remain in me, as I remain in you” (John 15:4).

A person who isn’t growing in their faith is like a quickle, a half-pickled Christian.

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So, how do we remain in the Holy Spirit? Or constantly grow in our faith?

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I’d suggest three ways: Prayer. Charity. Sacrifice.

Prayer is simply open communication with the Lord. We can speak to Jesus as we would to an intimate friend. 

Early in the morning, throughout the day, or at the end of the night, we invite the Lord into our hearts, sharing our deepest thoughts, feelings, burdens, and desires with him through prayer.

We also pray with other people. As Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” This is why we pray with and for one another at Mass; Jesus is with us!

Am I “pickled” in prayer? Does my prayer life comfort or energize me? Am I comfortable praying with others? 

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Another way to remain pickled in the Holy Spirit is through charity. Charity is anything we do for another person out of love.

It could be as simple as cooking dinner for your family after a long day, preparing pasta in our soup kitchen, baking cookies for our café, making a phone call, bringing communion to the homebound, or forgiving a person who’s hurt us.

It’s not what you do, but why you do it.

How “pickled” am I in charity? How intentional am I about loving my neighbor?

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The third ingredient may be the most difficult: sacrifice.

Sacrifice involves addressing our weaknesses; resisting temptation; overcoming unhealthy habits; at times, putting the needs of others before our own; and constantly striving to keep God first in our lives.

What is something I may need to give up? What’s preventing me from further spiritual growth? How will I remedy it?

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Isn’t this why we are here?

Week after week, we strive to be pickled in the Holy Spirit, to remain saturated in God’s love, connecting with the Lord in prayer, caring for those in need, while striving to become who God created us to be.

As our vision statement reminds us, we are, “All generations journeying together with Jesus to satisfy our hungry hearts. Come and see!”

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Image credits: (1) Fine Art America (2) Baptism of Christ, David Zelenka (3) City Gate church

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Gospel: Mark 2: 1-12

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak that way?  He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what 
they were thinking to themselves, 
so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
–he said to the paralytic,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once, 
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Take courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

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As nice as that sounds – the forgiveness of sins – the scribes don’t seem to care. All they see is a man paralyzed, lying on a stretcher! 

If Jesus is the miracle worker he claims to be, then why not heal this poor man’s body? 

The scribes see what many do – only that which is physical.

Jesus sees beneath the surface. He sees this man’s soul. The miracle of physical healing has a shelf life.

But his soul – freshly purified by Christ – will live forever.

That’s what matters in the end.

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While it was a beautiful thing to have this man’s body healed, Christ the Teacher always takes us deeper. He encourages this man – and all of us today – to focus on healing what matters most, our soul.

Is there any part of me that is paralyzed – by sin or weakness?

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Let these words of Christ wash over you: “Take courage, your sins are forgiven.”

May the same Lord who cleansed this paralytic with a single command, also purify us today.

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Image credits: (1) Bob Young, Medium (2) letterpile.com (3) Faithlife Sermons

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Gospel: Mark 1: 40-45

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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A few weeks ago, a parishioner approached me asking to be given the Sacrament of Anointing, which is reserved for those who are either sick, gravely ill, or near the point of death.

First and foremost, the Sacrament offers the forgiveness of sins. Then there’s an optional prayer for physical healing, which is sometimes granted.

In this person’s case, cancer was growing inside her lungs. So, I anointed her, prayed for healing, and awaited the results of her next scan.

Last week, she called me in tears saying that the cancer had disappeared! The doctors had no medical explanation, but we knew it was an act of the Holy Spirit.

She’s shared this miraculous story of healing with many people since.

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The same type of miracle unfolds in today’s Gospel.

A man is slowly dying from leprosy. His skin is covered in boils and sores, leaving him physically and socially isolated from others.

Suddenly, Jesus passes by. So, the man rushes over, kneels down at his feet, and says to Jesus, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

So, Jesus does what no one else would – he touches him. 

Then he does what no one else can – he heals him.

This man is so elated that he tells everyone! In fact, he tells so many people that Jesus cannot enter another town; he has to remain in deserted places because so many people are coming to him.

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Our mission at St. Pius X is to create opportunities for people to experience that love and healing of Jesus. For example, we will celebrate a Mass of Anointing on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes at 11 am.

Come pray with us. Invite a friend. Perhaps the Lord will grant the healing you seek.

Whenever he does, be like person in the Gospel – tell others to “come and see.”

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Image credits: (1) Bruce Gerenscer (2) Ridge Kids Family Connections, WordPress (3) healingourbrokenness.com, Pinterest