A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
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“His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
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Why does Jesus often refer to us as sheep?
Because sheep are defenseless.
They have no claws, no paws, no venom, and no fangs. When attacked, they have no way of defending themselves.
Their only strength lies in their closeness to the shepherd. He is their strength.
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The same is true for us.
How many times have we felt, “troubled or abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd?”
Maybe we’re going through a divorce; suffering from poor health; or feel worried about the future.
At times our mind can spin us into a hole so deep it feels like there’s no way out, like we’re “troubled and abandoned…sheep without a shepherd.”
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The Gospel reminds us to turn to Christ; any time we say his name his heart is moved with compassion.
May all who feel lost turn to the Good Shepherd who promises to defend them.
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Image credits: (1) Sheep Without a Shepherd, Jim Buchan (2) For God’s Glory Alone Ministries (3) Why Was Jesus Called the Good Shepherd, Christianity
While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured.
When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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A few days ago, I witnessed the Lord bring someone back from the brink of death, much like the little girl Jesus heals in today’s Gospel.
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It began when a distraught parishioner told me that her husband was dying. He was in the ICU, and the doctors told her – if he survives – that he’d have limited brain function and minimal mobility.
Essentially, no quality of life.
She asked me to administer the Sacrament of Anointing, and to pray for a miracle.
Entering his hospital room in the ICU, I could see how terrible his condition was. So, I pulled out my oils, followed the rite, and traced an oily cross on his forehead and forearms. His hands were covered in gauze.
The moment my finger slid down his forehead, he opened his eyes and began moving his arms. He was too tired to speak; tubes were lodged into his throat.
But two days later, his wife told me that he turned a major corner; all brain damage disappeared!
“He’ll still need to go to physical therapy, though,” she said.
“We’ll take that!”
The only explanation for his recovery thus far was the anointing. Doctors, of course, leave it as “unexplained.” But what Jesus does in today’s Gospel is also what he did to this man in the ICU.
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So, does God heal today?
Absolutely. I’ve witnessed it firsthand.
Why God heals some of us and not others remains a mystery.
But so is the truth that God heals us at all.
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Are you in need of a miracle?
If so, never be afraid to ask. God is here to help us, often showing up in disguise, using the hands of a priest.
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Image credits: (1) Proof That God Still Heals, YouTube (2) Edwin Longsden Long, The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter (3) Sacrament assignment!
Brothers and sisters: That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
The Word of the Lord.
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As a kid, I used to run around outside barefoot. My mother was constantly warning me not to because, occasionally, I’d scrape my foot on a rock or get a splinter.
You’d think I’d learn. But my stubborn nature hasn’t seemed to change.
It’s amazing how a small cut or a tiny fragment of wood can cause such pain. But every time I injured myself, I’d limp inside sulking, grateful for Mom’s attentive care.
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This image of limping – of carrying a painful burden – is what Saint Paul is describing in today’s second reading.
“A thorn in the flesh was given to me,” he says, “an angel of Satan, to beat me from becoming too elated.”
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Saint Paul is preaching the Gospel across the known world, establishing new Christian communities.
Although he’s experiencing the incredible joy of introducing people to Jesus, he’s also carrying a mysterious thorn in his flesh.
What is it? What’s causing Paul such pain?
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We don’t know exactly.
Some believe it was something physical. Paul may have suffered from partial blindness after the Risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus.
Others associate this thorn with a physical wound resulting from being shipwrecked, beaten, or imprisoned.
But most likely, this “thorn” was a metaphor for other people’s unbelief.
Not everyone who heard Paul preach converted to Christianity. Some remained unconvinced or even hard of heart.
Was Jesus really God? Or just a carpenter from Nazareth turned miracle worker?
A person’s refusal to believe in Christ pained Paul, much like a thorn in his flesh or a splinter in his foot.
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That same thorn of unbelief presses into Christ’s foot in today’s Gospel.
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By this point in his ministry, he’s healed people, cast out demons, and in last week’s Gospel, he even raised a 12-year-old girl from the dead.
When Jesus returns home to see his family and friends, you’d think he’d be welcomed as a hometown hero. But his identity is questioned – scrutinized – instead.
“Where did this man get all this?” they say. “What kind of wisdom has been given him? … Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary?”
By not referencing Joseph, the crowd implies they’re unsure who Jesus’ father is – a missed opportunity to call him the Son of God.
Frustrated and disappointed, Jesus leaves them with, metaphorically speaking, a thorn in his foot.
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How many of us have felt like Saint Paul or Jesus, frustrated – saddened – by another person’s unbelief?
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I’m sure we all love someone who hasn’t yet come to faith, who struggles to believe, or whose heart may even be hardened towards the Gospel.
Perhaps the most difficult experience is watching our children struggle to believe. Like Saint Paul, we do everything we can to instill faith in them.
How painful it is when we see that faith unraveling before us.
Similarly, how painful it is to see a friend, a spouse, or we ourselves, struggle with faith.
Paul felt the same way about the early Christian communities. He risked his life to teach them about Jesus. While many came to believe, others did not. The reasons were as varied then as they are today.
Today there’s the availability of false or misleading information online; peers who do not share our faith; a society that tells us to value image over substance; or periods of unfair suffering, such as the loss of a loved one or being bullied.
Paul reminds us today that we should neither be discouraged nor give up. The Lord is always with us, particularly when we’re weak in faith.
“What can separate us from the love of Christ?” he says. “Trial, or persecution, or nakedness, or the sword? No, in all these things, we conquer overwhelming through him who has loved us.”
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What we will offer here at Saint Pius X is every opportunity possible to remove those thorns from our feet; to fall in love with Jesus – strengthening our faith – through prayer, worship, Bible studies, religious education, and youth group.
And for those following us online, we will continue offering live-streamed Masses and online bible studies.
We are a community of faith meant to love and support one another – both in times of celebration and in times of trial.
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As it’s written in the Psalms, “Your word is a lamp for my path; a light for my feet.”
May the Lord remove any thorns of unbelief from us so that we may walk together as a community of faith.
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Image credits: (1) ChurchLeaders (2) VeryWell Family (3) Walk Away Paul, ChurchLeaders
