The Kingdom of God is at Hand!

In today's first reading, Hebrews 1: 1-6, St. Paul reminds us that in the past God  spoke to His people "in partial and various ways...through the prophets."  Today, which Paul calls the "last days", God speaks "to us through the Son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe."  This Jesus, the Son of God, "is the refulgence of [God's] glory, the very imprint of [God's] being".  Jesus, the word of God made flesh, is the one who "sustains all things by his mighty word.  He sustains you and I.  "When he accomplished purification from sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."  It is this Jesus who says to us in today's Gospel, Mark 1: 14-20, "This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel."  Following that proclamation, Jesus passes by the Sea of Galilee, sees Simon and his brother Andrew and calls them to follow Him and become "fishers of men."  A little further on, he calls James and his brother John for the same purpose. All four men leave their fishing business to become Jesus' followers and take on a new profession, that of evangelists and apostles.  What role do you and I assume to spread the Word of God, the message of Jesus' Gospel?

In "these last days," you and I are called to follow Jesus. "This is the time of [our]  fulfillment.  The Kingdom of God is at hand" for us!  Are we heeding Jesus' voice?  Or are we too busy to take time to build our relationship with Christ and with others in love, forgiveness and justice?  Are we too busy with our own affairs to lead people to Jesus, as Simon, Andrew, James and John did? How, you ask, are you to do this? By living according to the Gospel, doing what Jesus did in his ministry to the people of his day: being just and compassionate, being loving and forgiving, healing the sick and infirm, welcoming all to the table, touching "lepers" and welcoming them to the Eucharist and to experience a heart full of love.

"The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel!"   Live it one day at a time!

Living the Gospel by our Lives

In today's first reading, 1 Thes 2: 9-13, St. Paul reminds his brothers and sisters that they "proclaimed to [them] the Gospel of God" with much "toil and drudgery. We "treated each one of you as a father treats his children, exhorting and encouraging you and insisting that you walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his Kingdom and glory."

As I reflected upon that passage, the thought came to me that each one of us could paraphrase this in terms of how our parents  and how they passed on the faith to us. They preached the Gospel to us by their limitless effort to clothe us, feed us,  and provide opportunities for our education.  Yes, they passed on their commitment to the Gospel with much "toil and drudgery".   They exhorted and encouraged us and insisted that we "walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls [us to this very day] into his Kingdom and glory."

Thank you, mom and dad. Thank you, grandparents. Thank you, teachers. Thank you, pastors and fellow parishioners.  Thank you, God!

May we,  like those before us, continue to live the Gospel by our lives!

The Value of Heroic Acceptance of Difficult Challenges

The difficulties that Paul and Barnabas encountered may seem overwhelming to us (see today’s first reading, Acts 14: 19-28).  If I had been stoned in one place, or even if I had gotten an inkling that the “Jews” were coming to the cities in order to attack not only my ministry but also attempt to kill me, would I have hung around or returned to those cities?  Paul and Barnabas, in fact, do leave for what probably was safer ground, but returned.  In each place they proclaimed “the good news,” made “a considerable number of disciples,” “strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith,” reminding them that “it is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.”  Sometimes I forget that living the Gospel life entails hardship. In fact, many times, I attempt to avoid that which is difficult—that is the ego in me. My spirit self follows a different path, namely becoming one with the Lord in living life to the full, including dealing with life’s difficulties in ways that leads to my transformation into Christ and making decisions that are not always pleasant to my ego self.  Jesus does not promise that life in Him will be easy. He only promises that He will give me peace. “Not as the world gives do I give it to you,” He says in today’s Gospel, Jn 14: 27-31a.

I learned that recently in that I was out of control in something as mundane as snacking.  I’d have a snack when I was bored. I’d have a snack to reward myself after accomplishing a task.  I’d have a snack to celebrate another person’s success.  Excuses abounded! I denied myself nothing in this regard.  The path from my office to the refrigerator was becoming thin bare.  I put on 5 lbs in one month and that would have added up to being close to 200 lbs by the end of this year.  I resolved to stop the downward spiral and to discipline myself, after all it was Holy Week when I made that decision.  I have not snacked between meals since and have relearned the value of discipline, of saying “no” to self-indulgence and “yes” to an ascetical practice.  This sacrifice, the result of grace at work within my true self,  has not only effected by physical well-being but has affected me spiritually.  Perhaps I will deal differently when difficulties arise in other areas of my life, now that I am relearning the positive effects of self-discipline and have strengthened a spiritual “muscle” that I had allowed to atrophy.

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).

Paul's Conversion to a Disciple of Christ

Today we celebrate the conversion of St. Pau1. Paul was persecuting Christians. Jesus confronts him on his way to Damascus, where he intended to put Christians in chains, “binding both men and women and delivering them to prison” (Acts. 22: 3-16).  A bright light from the heavens blinded him and he fell to the ground. A voice says to him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Paul, startled by both the blinding light and the voice, asks:  “Who are you, sir?”  The response was: “I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.”

 
This passage has a lot in it for you and me to ponder. The first thought that comes to my mind is the one in Mt 25:45 where Jesus says: “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren you do unto me.”  Jesus says to you and me:  (insert your name),  “why are you so harsh with Me, critical of Me, frustrated with Me, abusive of Me? Whenever you do these things to yourself or others, you do them to Me.  Stop playing these games with Satan, serving his goal to create chaos, division, disunity in your life, between yourself and others.  When you complain about others, put others down, demean others or yourself, you are complaining about Me, putting Me down, demeaning Me!  Remember, when another person is difficult to deal with that that person is having difficulties within him/herself.  Be gentle and compassionate with that person as the Father is compassionate.  Do not exacerbate his/her pain.  Whenever you fall into that trap that Satan has set for you, step back, stop and allow me to transform those behaviors into acts of kindness and patience.  Remember that “chains” bring out “chains,” fear produces fear, hopelessness breeds hopelessness, rejection brings out defensiveness in the other and in yourself.  Put on love, show concern,  assume the role of a peace-maker; work at understanding the other and yourself; I will help you.   As my disciple I call you to be My servant, an instrument of My grace, My mercy and My love. You are to be My hands, My heart, My feet on a mission to promote unity, not division.”