Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Mark 8:27-33

Jesus and his disciples set out
for the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Along the way he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that I am?”
They said in reply,
“John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others one of the prophets.”
And he asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”
Peter said to him in reply,
“You are the Christ.”
Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him.

He began to teach them
that the Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed, and rise after three days.
He spoke this openly.
Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
At this he turned around and, looking at his disciples,
rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” 

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Many of us remember Billy Graham, one of the most popular American preachers of the 20^th century.

He once shared a story about his wife, Ruth, who was driving through a construction zone on a highway for several miles. After carefully following the detours and warning signs, she came to the last sign that read: 

“End of construction. Thank you for your patience.”

Struck by the message, she went home chuckling, telling Billy that she wanted that line engraved on her tombstone. And when the time came, it was.

“Ruth Bell Graham. June 10, 1940 – June 14, 2007. End of construction. Thank you for your patience.”

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Like Ruth Graham, we’re all a work in progress.

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Just consider Peter in today’s Gospel. He experiences an incredible high – and a dashing fall from grace – in six short verses.

While Peter successfully identifies Jesus as the “Christ,” he doesn’t understand what that means; he doesn’t want Jesus to suffer.

It seems Peter doesn’t have God – or his plans – figured out after all. But after being rebuked, he doesn’t give up; Peter trusts Jesus and continues to follow him.

Though unsure where his path is leading, Peter’s heart remains open.

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There are times when we all struggle to understand who Jesus is – or why God’s plans for us unfold in a certain way.

But even when we stumble like Peter, remember, we’re just a work in progress.

Thank you for your patience.

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Image credits: (1) Marks Paneth (2) St. Peter in Prison, Rembrandt (3) Association of Professional Builders

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Gospel: Mark 8:22-26

When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida,
people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked,
“Do you see anything?”
Looking up the man replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.”
Then he laid hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly;
his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.
Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Part of the tragedy in today’s Gospel is the fact that this poor man’s blindness was preventable.

Many children in first-century Palestine were born blind because people didn’t know how to properly care for their bodies or how to prevent the spread of disease.

As a result, this man was treated as an outcast, a loser, his whole life.

But all of a sudden, Jesus, the divine physician, comes along and heals him.

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This becomes the only miracle in the Gospels where Jesus doesn’t heal someone immediately; it takes two applications of divine spittle before this man can see clearly.

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Can’t we see something of our own stories in that?

Like this man’s blindness, some of the problems we face in life are preventable – whether it’s financial or relational ruin, spiritual stumbling, falling into unhealthy habits, or entertaining unnecessary fears.

We find ourselves in an unfortunate place – and need to be healed. And like that man, the healing we receive from Jesus often comes slowly, in stages.

Rebuilding trust takes time. Breaking bad habits is often a gradual, uphill climb. Finding our way to financial security can take years.

But it’s possible.

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Is there any area of my life where I need that slow, healing touch of Jesus? 

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May we be content to receive – not a total resolution – but incremental change where we need it most today.

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Image credits: (1) crosswalk.com (2) Steven M. Miller (3) CatholicTT

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Gospel: Mark 8: 14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.” 
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus said to them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees.”

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Leaven, also known as yeast, makes dough rise. All you need is a pinch to permeate – or affect – an entire loaf.

Jews used that imagery to describe the effect that sinful inclinations can have within us, which they referred to as “leaven.”

When left unchecked, just a pinch of sin – a single lie, a single malignant cell, a single angry thought – can take over an entire person’s mind and heart, even to the point of obsession.

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For example, if someone hurts us emotionally and we don’t quickly offer them forgiveness, that one incident can fester until we find ourselves unable to forgive – not only that person – but any person.

Like yeast, anger can permeate our entire being.

The same is true with other sins: lust, greed, pride, envy, and so on.

“Watch out,” Jesus says, “guard against the leaven.”

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So, how do we rid ourselves of it?

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One of the most effective ways I’ve found is a daily examination of conscience. Spend a few moments either in the morning or in the evening, reflecting upon the last 24 hours.

Give thanks to God for any spiritual “wins.” Ask for his forgiveness wherever there’s been a “loss.” And conclude the prayer with a desire to do better tomorrow. 

Slowly, the leaven will disappear. 

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Image credits: (1) Journey Church (2) Fr. Anthony Messeh (3) Life by the Word