Lord of the Welcomes.
The converted tax collector is not treated as a second-class citizen, simply for coming late into the Lord’s circle of friends. How refreshing to hear Christ’s warm welcome of Levi echoed in the words of pope Francis, in his call for the doors of the church to be open wide so that all may enter…
Fasting of another kind.
We normally link fasting with food. To fast is to deprive ourselves of certain foods for a period of time. But in the first reading Isaiah defines fasting more broadly. He understands it as leaving aside all those ways of relating to people that damage and oppress them and replacing such ways of relating with working for justice on behalf of those in greatest need…
Denial of Self?
Jesus says that if we want to be his followers we have to be ready to renounce ourselves. Lent is traditionally a time for self-denial. We ask ourselves what it is we need to let go, to give up, in order to follow the Lord more closely…
Transience.
Ash Wednesday could hardly make more visible and tangible the transience of things and our mortality. We start Lent in humility, close to the ground, close to our earthiness: remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. But we do not gather on Ash Wednesday just to commemorate the transience of creation. The ashes used this Wednesday are the residue of last year’s Passion Sunday palms…
Misunderstanding.
In the gospel today, Jesus seems very frustrated with is own disciples. In spite of all he has said and done in their presence, they still do not really understand who he is or what he is about. They are misunderstanding his words and not grasping the real significance of his deeds, such as his feeding of the multitudes.
Appreciating the ordinary.
St Mark refers more often to the emotions of Jesus than any other evangelist. In today’s reading, Mark states that Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ request for a sign from heaven “with a sigh that came straight from the heart.” That sigh led to the question, “Why does this generation demand a sign?” We can almost sense the frustration of Jesus in that sigh, straight from the heart.
‘Whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God.’ The words are St Paul’s, from today’s second reading. We gather here to give glory to God , marking the Day of Prayer for Temperance and preparing for the Lenten Spring.
Leprosy of the soul.
When approached by the leper, he could have turned away, as most people would have done. Instead, Jesus stood his ground and engaged with the leper, reached out to him not only by word but by action…
Missionaries to the Slavs
Cyril and Methodius were brothers from Macedonia in Greece who in the ninth century preached the gospel in Moravia, modern day Czech Republic, Slovakia and parts of Hungary…
Paradise Lost and Found.
One might take the first reading as describing paradise lost, while the gospel tells of of paradise regained. In the “paradise lost” story , the man and woman now feel shame at their nakedness, while up to the time of their sin in the garden they had felt no unease in each other’s company, but felt their whole selves as created to the image of God and as very good….
Generosity between the Sexes
Women are centre-stage in today’s readings. In Genesis the first woman heals the loneliness of man, measures up to him in a way that no other creature could, and the two are united as equals, “in one flesh.” While the woman brings joy and stability into the life of the first man, pagan women are also held responsible, at least in part, for apostasy in Israel. Then in the gospel a pagan woman surprises Jesus with her faith and humble perseverance.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Lourdes is one of the great places of pilgrimage in the Christian world. It is above all a place of pilgrimage for the sick. It has been said that the sick are the royalty of Lourdes. People are drawn there because we believe that it is one of those places where heaven once touched earth.
Not too tied to traditions
The church needs to be always alert to ensure that its own traditions conform to God’s word to us, especially as spoken by Jesus. Every so often our church has to renew itself, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to purify its traditions so that they
God’s world and ours
The Genesis reading gives a wide-angle view of the universe as the sanctuary or throne for God’s majestic presence. All religious ceremonies — whether in the Jerusalem temple or on the altars of our churches — must retain contact with the physical world of earth and sky, if they are to be reminders of God’s redemptive acts for us, mortal, earthbound creatures…
As we come together for worship, each of us brings worries, anxieties and fears. We gather them all together and entrust them to the one who heals his suffering people.
Signs of God’s Healing
There is a debate about whether the people whom Jesus healed were really possessed by the devil or were just mentally disturbed. That debate is utterly besides the point. These individuals were deeply troubled and Jesus healed them. His intent was to heal people both in body and soul…
What are bishops for?
For almost forty years now, bishops have been chosen directly by the Holy See, with little or no input from the clergy or laity of the diocese they are to serve. While this process may have succeeded in promoting a semblance of uniformity of doctrine and practice, it seriously impinges on the sense of co-responsibility…
Two banquets
This gospel scene is one that has inspired artists and playwrights throughout the centuries. The sumptuous banquet in Herod’s palace for his birthday turns out to be a banquet of death. Mark follows this scene with the feeding by Jesus of the multitude in the wilderness. It is as if the evangelist wants to set Herod banquet of death over against Jesus’ banquet of life..
Twelve Messengers of Heaven
Jesus chose twelve men (their names are listed several times, though with some inconsistencies in the names listed (Mt 10:2-4; Mk 3:16-19-19; Lk 6:14-16; Ac 1:13). Mark tells us that he named them “apostles” (Mk 3:13) and it is clear that special significance was seen in the number twelve, since they are often referred to later as simply “the twelve”..
Who listens to prophets, anyway?
The response Jesus got when he stood up to speak in his own home town was not encouraging. Who would take him for a prophet, anyway, since he’s someone they’ve known for years? What could he have to say that they did not already know?.
