Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Mark 1: 21-28

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, 
and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” 
Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet!  Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
 “What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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When I think of a sacred space, I think of this church. This altar. This pulpit. The Saints and the Stations of the Cross that line our walls.

Sacred spaces are filled with holy things that point us to God.

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In today’s Gospel, there’s a man with an unclean spirit present in the synagogue. The synagogue is a holy place, so why is he there?

Surely, he doesn’t belong.  

Or does he?

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I imagine him to be a conflicted man, both a sinner and a believer – a man who knew he was under the power of something stronger than himself.

Maybe he showed up in the synagogue that day hoping to be set free.

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This becomes the first miracle that Jesus performs in Mark’s Gospel, giving this man an added meaning.

Perhaps Mark uses him as an image for all of us. 

Like that man in the synagogue, at times aren’t we all possessed by something, or under the influence of something stronger than ourselves?

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Think of the person who gives into a particular temptation over and over again; the person who cannot find the grace to forgive; the person who harbors jealous or judgmental thoughts about others.

Occasionally, we all need the healing grace of Jesus.

The best place to find it is either where that man was – in the house of God – or in the grace-filled silence of prayer.

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Image credits: (1) Limbourg Brothers, Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit (2) Lens of Faith Blog (3) Indian Catholic Matters

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Gospel: Mark 1: 14-20

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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A few years ago, I spent the summer volunteering at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. 

One morning I noticed an old blind priest shuffling in to celebrate Mass. Holding onto the arm of a young man, he bent over to kiss the altar.

“Now, how is he going to celebrate Mass?” I wondered. “He’s blind!”

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After being guided to his chair, the priest was handed a set of headphones and a tape player. 

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” he said. 

Then it hit me…the young man who escorted him in for Mass recorded all of the prayers ahead of time, so that the priest could listen to his voice and then repeat what he heard.

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That bond between the elderly priest and the young man reminded me of two things we find in today’s Gospel: the desire for friendship and the invitation to hand on our faith.

Like us, Jesus wanted friends to share his journey with, and he needed witnesses to hand on their faith in him, which is why he calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

They will continue the good work that he begins.

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In that sense, faith and friendship are connected. Like that young man learning from a blind priest, we learn about Jesus from others.

Then we’re invited to hand on that faith.

So, who might I share my faith with today?

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Image credits: (1) WomenLivingWell.org (2) Duccio di Buoninsegna, The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew (3) Pravmir.com

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Gospel: Luke 3:15 – 22

The people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying, 
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

After all the people had been baptized 
and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, 
heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him
in bodily form like a dove. 
And a voice came from heaven, 
“You are my beloved Son;
with you I am well pleased.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Take a deep breath and close your eyes if you wish.

Imagine you’re standing in the middle of a river.

You know this river has a beginning and an end, but you’re at neither place; you’re standing knee-deep, somewhere in between.

Listen to the water trickle, feel it brushing against you, watch it flow peacefully downstream. If you follow the current, then you’ll notice a series of twists and turns along the river’s path.

In spite of these twists and turns, the rocks, and the brush, the river finds the energy to flow forward, never stopping until it reaches its final destination.

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If your eyes are closed, now open them.

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Perhaps this image of a river is an appropriate image for our own lives. Like that river, you and I are neither at the beginning nor the end; we’re standing somewhere in between.

And in spite of the obstacles we face – the twists, the turns, the rocks, the brush – we, too, must find the energy to move forward.

What are the rocks in my river, the obstacles in my path?

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It could be anything from stress, to anxiety, loneliness, grief, a particular temptation or habit, or uncertainty about the future.

When I brush up against these rocks – when life is difficult – how do I cope? Or who do I turn to?

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Perhaps we hold everything in and we rely upon ourselves. May we turn to a self-help book or to a friend.

Do we also turn to God?

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus has reached the most important turn in the river of his life. 

He’s thirty years old. Ninety-percent of his life has already been written. His baptism by John in the Jordan River marks the beginning of his public ministry – and, by extension, the final three years of his life.

In order to successfully navigate the remaining twists and turns ahead, Jesus must turn to his heavenly Father for guidance. 

As the Gospels describe, after being plunged into the Jordan, Jesus emerges – and prays. Suddenly, the heavens are opened, the Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and his Father says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Here Jesus teaches us an important lesson: whenever we begin doing the work of God, we must pray.

So, we find Jesus praying after his baptism; before he elects his disciples; while he is transfigured before them; before he is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane; and even while he’s dying on the cross.

At every turn in his life, Jesus prayed.

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What is my prayer life like?

Is it strong and deep like a river? Shallower like a stream? Or, dried up like a creek in the sun?

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I’ve found each day I spend in prayer like a drop of water; it seems insignificant at the time. The heavens aren’t visibly opened as they were for Jesus; I don’t see the Spirit descend like a dove; I don’t audibly hear the voice of God.

But, over time, those daily drops of water create an ocean – and that makes all the difference.

It’s partly why we greet – and pray for – one another at Mass. Every Sunday is like another drop of water, saturating our souls with grace.

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Perhaps it’s appropriate, then, to conclude with a prayer.

I invite you to take another deep breath and to close your eyes.

Let us pray: 

Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning seeking your strength, wisdom, and peace in 2022. The river of our lives is often filled with obstacles – brush, twigs, and rocks – that obscure our path. Soften our hearts to your will. Guide us through the many twists and turns that lie ahead, just as you guided your Son, Jesus, so that one day we may join Him and all who’ve flowed before us into your kingdom, where you live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

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Image credits: (1) The Irish Times (2) ArtMajeur.com (3) The Irish Times