Month: January 2016

2nd Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday

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Today’s Gospel shows the rapid spread of news about Our Lord and his power and teaching. We’re far from an age of viral videos or social media: people are hearing about Our Lord by word of mouth from the lips of someone they know who has seen and experienced Our Lord. A few chapters into Mark we see the rapid rise of interest raised by this Rabbi from Nazareth, probably because of testimony to what he has taught and done. People are coming to see miracles and to beg for miracles for themselves or for those they love. They come to him wherever he goes, and now he must go out on the water to keep people from mobbing him, people hoping that just to touch him would bring the healing they need.

Even the unclean spirits, fallen angels, are thunderstruck by the thought of the Son of God becoming flesh and walking among his creation again. They probably never imagined they’d see their Creator in person until the Last Judgment, but here he was, walking the earth. If they’re shouting out what he is it’s probably as much out of fear as of a desire to spread that fear among the crowd by making them realize who Jesus really is. But Our Lord only wants to spread good news, and for now the healing and teaching are enough.

Our Lord does not silence those who spread word of him to those in need. Let’s bear that news to everyone we know.

Readings: 1 Samuel 18:6–9, 19:1–7; Psalm 56:2–3, 9–13; Mark 3:7–12. See also Monday after Epiphany.

2nd Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday

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In today’s Gospel Our Lord is not just sizing up a political situation and reading body language and expressions: he is reading hearts, and he is saddened by their hardness. Today he encounters not just people who unknowingly and perhaps unwillingly work against him and his mission, but those who do so willingly and knowingly: the Pharisees. They don’t approve of what he is doing and they want to use it as something with which to accuse him and condemn him.

Mark simply tells us that Our Lord is angry and sad at their attitude. We can only guess at all the reasons running through his mind: the expectations he had of those who had been entrusted with watching over Israel, and seeing them simply acting as political agents trying to shore up their position against an apparent pretender to their throne. When Our Lord invites them to reveal why they’re really in the synagogue they opt for a strategic silence. They don’t hide their intentions well enough, or else Mark would have never known that from that moment they sought to kill Jesus.

As we saw yesterday in the case of the Lord choosing David as a new king, Our Lord doesn’t judge just by appearances; he judges hearts. When he looks at my heart today, how does he feel? Politics don’t work with him. Have a heart to heart conversation with him today and see how you can make him happy. His happiness is yours, guaranteed.

Readings: 1 Samuel 17:32–33, 37, 40–51; Psalm 144:1b, 2, 9–10; Mark 3:1–6. See also 23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Monday.

2nd Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday

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In today’s First Reading the prophet Samuel has certain expectations for what the new king of Israel will be like. He’s expecting another Saul, someone tall and strong, with a great presence and bold spirit. One by one he sees the qualities of each of Jesse’s sons (except one), but the Lord doesn’t choose any of them, because he sees the heart, not just appearances. The Lord knows who he is going to pick, but by going through every son of Jesse but the last he is reminding Samuel, and us, not to judge by appearances nor expect our appearances to mean anything to him. In the end the Lord chooses little David, seen as so insignificant that he was sent to do chores while his father and brothers focused on more important things, and who became a great king.

When we’re interested in a job we focus a lot on externals–our personal presentation, the polish of our resume, how to show we’d be a good fit–but if we’re truly interested in our lives, which go beyond a job, we have to focus on our hearts, because that’s what the Lord sees, and that’s what the Lord cares about above all, not just for his glory, but for our good. We can fudge a little to try and get a better job or recognition, but the Lord sees us in our hearts exactly as we are. That can be a source of anxiety or a source of strength, depending on how we see our own heart.

Ask Our Lord today what he thinks of your heart: it’s a chance for great consolation and great conversion.

Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1–13; Psalm 89:20–22, 27–28; Mark 2:23–28. See also 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday and 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday.

2nd Week in Ordinary Time, Monday

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In today’s First Reading we see beginning of the end for King Saul. The Lord chose him to be king over Israel, and so he was the Lord’s representative: the way he lead was understood by the people to be what the Lord wanted. The Amalekites had a long enmity with Israel, and the Lord expressly ordered not only their destruction as punishment, but the destruction of all their goods: none of it was to be spared. Saul “countermanded” the Lord by not killing the Amalekite king (and a king, being like the head, is like not killing the body at all) and kept the best booty because it would please his troops, sacrificing it as a way to appease them and the Lord, or so he thought.

When the Lord sends the prophet Samuel to denounce Saul for what he has done, Saul repeatedly tries to justify himself: with his own words he shows he did not obey the Lord to the letter, as was expected, and he was not repentant for what he had done. He thought a few sacrifices were enough to appease the Lord, an attitude toward a god that is typical of the nations surrounding Israel, but also an attitude of people worshiping what they thought was a god, but wasn’t. Their gods didn’t speak to them or talk back when they disobeyed them. Saul, to the contrary, had all the means to know God’s will clearly: his very kingship was the Lord’s doing, and he had a prophet who could help him know the Lord’s will as well. In the end he listened to his fears and ego instead and started down the path of losing everything the Lord had given him.

Saul teaches us that separation from God doesn’t happen in an instant: little by little we subtly justify ourselves, switching our criteria for God’s, thinking that one will blend with the other until the moment comes when our criteria and his become like oil and water. Our Lord’s criteria is always the best criteria, and it always has our best interest in mind. Let’s learn from the sad case of Saul not to deceive ourselves into thinking we may know better than God.

Readings: 1 Samuel 15:16–23; Psalm 50:8–9, 16b–17, 21, 23; Mark 2:18–22. See also 13th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday and 22nd Week in Ordinary Time, Friday.

2nd Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle C

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What starts in today’s Gospel with Our Lord attending a wedding banquet turns into a sign that the Lord’s courtship with Israel has begun in earnest. The transformation of the water into wine is the first sign Our Lord performs in John’s Gospel. John doesn’t speak of miracles as much as he speaks of signs: each sign is an opportunity for Israel to put her faith in the Lord. As today’s First Reading reminds us, nuptial symbolism is very strong in the mind of Israel as the way to understand the joy her salvation will bring. For Isaiah, any checkered past of Israel, any past disgrace will be swept away by the Lord not only wedding himself to her by way of concession, but with the delight of young fiancees in love. That wedding is definitively consummated between him and the Church, with the wedding banquet awaiting us in Heaven.

Wedding celebrations in Jesus’ time were prolonged affairs with abundant wine to represent the joy of the wedding and also the future joy of when the Lord would be wed to his spouse Israel. When it seems today that the joy is going to prematurely run out, Our Lord through transforming the water into wine not only extends the joy, but makes it an even greater joy. All the things we enjoy in life that are good and holy for us will experience a similar transformation. The huge jars of water represent penance, conversion, purification, and baptism, everything that shows our contrition for our checkered past and our desire to change. Our Lord takes that penance and purification and converts it into pure joy, just as he turns the water into fine wine.

Our Lord envisions his relationship with us, whether as Church or as individuals, as one of intimate and joyful love. If we want to be captivated and purified by him in order to achieve a greater joy let’s follow the Blessed Mother’s advice today to do whatever he tells us.

Readings: Isaiah 62:1–5; Psalm 96:1–3, 7–10; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; John 2:1–11.