Living a Gospel-centered life

Ever struggle with mouthing off and then regretting it?  Ever find it difficult to remain silent when your “truth” is being questioned, challenged, rejected and you think you are right? Ever insist on your opinion and then discover afterwards discover that you were wrong in the first place?   And unintentionally, your sharp,  piercing words have left your lips soaring into the air and into the hearts of others like bullets piercing a physical body, wounding the other in the deepest level of the self, leaving the other bleeding in one’s deepest core self.   

Today’s first reading reminds us that “Jesus endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider,” St. Paul asks us, “how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggles against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood” (Heb. 12: 1-4).  The martyrdom of remaining silent when “mouthing  off”  is the easier choice and the one that would injure another, would not be helpful, would not be kind,  would not even be true in some cases, is something we are capable of when we call upon the Holy Spirit whose  power is always at work within us.  If we keep our focus on Jesus, “the leader and perfecter of faith”, as Paul also counsels us in Heb. 12: 1-4, we will “rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us…”

Today’s Gospel contains the story of Jairus asking Jesus to come down and heal his little girl who is sick.  People from Jairus’ house, before Jesus arrives, meets Jairus and says: “Stop bothering Jesus. Your daughter is dead.”  Ever been told: “Drop it. It’s no use,” or worse still, “You’re useless; you’re worth nothing,” or “Don’t bother with so-and-so; he/she is not worth your effort. You are wasting your time.”   Jesus doesn’t believe the people who give up hope, who discourage belief in Jesus’ power to save, in your power and my power to be healed, to repent, to change our lives, to make a difference in the life of another; in short, to believe, as Jairus did, that Jesus and you and I, in cooperation with Jesus, make the difference.  “Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus” (Heb. 12: 14).