Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 9: 7-9

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,
and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,
“John has been raised from the dead”;
others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”;
still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.”
But Herod said, “John I beheaded.
Who then is this about whom I hear such things?”
And he kept trying to see him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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King Herod wants a word with Jesus. But he’s denied the opportunity until Jesus is hours from his death.

According to Luke’s Gospel, after Pontius Pilate interrogates Jesus and finds no guilt in him, he sends Jesus to Herod.

Finally, Herod gets his chance. Yet when he begins questioning the Lord, Jesus is silent. 

Imagine having the opportunity to ask the Son of God any question you want, and he ignores you. 

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Why would Jesus be silent?

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He read Herod’s heart.

Herod did not take the Lord seriously. He was only interested in seeing a “sign,” as if everything Jesus did was a magic trick. As a result of his silence, Herod mocks Jesus, clothing him in a king’s robe, parading him around his court like a jester.

Secondly, Herod lived with a false sense of security. 

Surrounded by bodyguards, palace walls, hard and soft power, he was incapable of bending the knee. His attachment to worldly things blinded him to the King of Glory and to what became his day of judgment.

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Like Herod, we will all have our day with Jesus.

But Christians treat him, not as someone to be mocked, rather as the most important person in the universe. Whatever he says, we do. Wherever he goes, we follow.

As we often pray during Lent while reciting the Stations of the Cross, “We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, for by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.” 

May we spend this day ready to meet the King.

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Image credits: (1) Saint Edward’s Crown, Wikipedia (2) My Catholic Life! (3) Prenger Solutions Group

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Gospel: Luk 9: 1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On the surface, it seems as if the Lord is stripping his disciples bare, making them fend for themselves, totally reliant upon the charity of others. 

While there is an element of truth to that, on a deeper level, Jesus is building upon a Jewish tradition, which the Apostles would’ve understood. 

In ancient Israel, it was customary for a person to part with their walking staff, shoes, and money belt, and to cleanse the dust from their feet before entering the Temple to pray, allowing them to address God without any other distraction.

After leaving the Temple, that person could gather their belongings and re-enter the world.

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By instructing his disciples to part with all of their possessions before preaching and healing, Jesus is teaching them to treat the entire world – including every person they meet, and every home they enter – as if it is within the Temple.

Everything and everyone is holy, a potential dwelling place for God.

As Christians, we’re called to maintain that same perspective, treating all as another Christ. As Jesus will later instruct his disciples, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.”

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But we should also remember this: if the disciples are going out without a thing to their name, then they’ll need the good will and support of their neighbors along the way.

While the Gospel should always be preached free of charge, it is an honor to care for those who share it, which is why the Church emphasizes the need for charity.

Perhaps this is what the Lord is asking of us today: to see the world as holy; to care for the poor; and to support those who preach the Gospel – not only by their words, but also by their very lives.

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Image credits: (1) IMDb, This World (2) Truth for Life (3) Friar Musings

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Gospel: Luke 8: 19-21

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him
but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside
and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Saint Augustine once said, “It means more for Mary to have been Christ’s disciple than to have been his mother.”

If you ask any mother, they will tell you that the bond they share with their child is inseparable. They carried their child in their womb; they nursed their child at their breast; they raised, cared for, cried over, and sacrificed in immeasurable ways for them.

And, I’m sure, would do it a thousand times over.

Mary would’ve felt the same about Christ her son. That first Christmas night, as she gave birth to him in a stable and cradled him in her arms; as she fled urgently with him into Egypt; as she looked with fervor for him in Temple; as she stood before his Cross.

And yet, Mary’s relationship to Christ as his disciple is even more important than being his mother.

Here’s why.

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In today’s Gospel, Luke describes Jesus as standing inside someone’s home. The crowds are so large that Mary and his other relatives cannot get to him.

When someone notifies Jesus that they are outside, he says in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

If Mary were ever to become part of Christ’s divine family – the new, eternal family he came to save – then she, like all of us, would have to choose to follow him.

Of course, she does from the moment the angel appears to her, when she says, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.” Her docility to God is why we venerate her.

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You and I have the same opportunity as Mary – to be a brother or sister of Christ. The sole requirement is that we hear his Word… and act on it.

How might we as a Church – and a parish family – better experience this bond as brothers and sisters by acting on his word?

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Do what any other family member would do – love, pray for, visit, break bread, and welcome all as Christ.

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Image credits: (1) Adobe Stock (2) Diocese of Brooklyn (3) YMI