The Power of Faith

In today's Gospel, Mark 7: 24-30, a Gentile approaches Jesus asking that he heal her daughter of a demonic possession. His response to her is that the Chosen People come first. She is referred to as a "dog". She comes back with: "Even dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table." She insists. Nothing is going to deter her from getting the help for her daughter that she is seeking. She will not be turned away from the gift of healing that Jesus is capable of giving. She's heard of His miracles and she is going to be a recipient of such. Jesus sees her faith and says to her: "...[G]o [home]. The demon has gone out of your daughter." Wow! would I have that kind of faith. If I had been called "a dog," I would have felt insulted, especially coming from Jesus. I have difficulty when someone I consider older than I, more powerful than I, having more authority than I, insults me. I shy away and leave that person's presence, usually sulking and need time to think things through before I resurface with the confidence needed to address the situation in my favor. May each of us learn, however, to stand up for ourselves, as this woman did. Jesus certainly will help us become our own person and remain persistent and patiently, respectfully and kindly ask for what we need, as did this woman. She went away filled with gratitude and knowing that what she was asking of Jesus was the right thing to do. May you and I approach Jesus and others with that same confidence, that same kindness, that same persistance and patience in time of need, our own or that of others.

An Overflowing of Grace

St. Paul reminds us in today’s first reading, Romans 5: 12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21, that “…just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so, through the obedience of the one the many will be made righteous.  Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through justification for eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Wow! What love God has for each one of us. No way, would a loving, compassionate, kind God allow Satan to take possession of us, to drag us down into a pit of sin and sorrow and death, to control our lives or deprive us of eternal life with the Lord.  No!  God sent His Son out of love for us, to  lift us out  of that pit of sin and sorrow and death, to save us from eternal  death, to teach us to love, not to hate; to be kind to ourselves and others , to return good for evil, to forgive rather than holding others and ourselves hostage in anger, resentment and revenge.  God sent His son to teach us obedience, to transform sin in us into holiness, to set us free to serve the Lord and one another.  Yes, where sin abounds, grace abounds even more because our God is a generous, loving, forgiving, reconciling God. “When I am lifted up from the earth,” Jesus said,  “I will draw everyone to myself”  (John 12:32). That means you and me and all peoples of all nations, all nationalities, all walks of life, those we love and those we hate, those of whom we approve and those of whom we disapprove. God is an inclusive God: all who repent  and believe and accept the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus are saved by Jesus’ obedience to His Father, obedient to the point of death on the cross. I believe that because God’s love is infinite and unconditional.

God's Generosity concerning the Kingdom of Heaven

In today’s Gospel, Mt 20: 1-16, Jesus states that “the Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.” Those hired later in the day, even those hired at 5 p.m., received the same wage as those hired at dawn. What a message of hope for all of us! Those who accept Jesus’ invitation to work in His vineyard, whether accepting that invitation as children, adolescents, young adults, middle age adults, those of advanced years or on their death beds will be treated equally. Recall the thief on the cross who acknowledged Jesus and said to Him: “Remember me in your Kingdom” and Jesus’ response was “This very day you will be with me in Paradise.” We may want to protest: “No fair. I lived a good life for 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 years and a thief just before he breathes his last get the same treatment I do!” God’s mercy, God’s generosity, God’s love is infinite. It has no bounds! It is inclusive. No one is turned away who repents! Salvation is free to those who believe in the Lord and rely on God’s mercy! May I be that generous!