Will we allow God to speak to our hearts?

Fourth Sunday Ordinary Time

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

I Corinthians 7:32-35

Mark 1: 21-28

Next Sunday is Super Bowl 55, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Kansas City Chiefs. Playing in the game is Tom Brady, the old workhorse, a U of M graduate against a young and up-and-coming quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event in the United States as over 100 million people will watch the game. Some watch it for the commercials, but this year, they predict the game could be reasonably close, so it promises to be a good game. As exciting and anticipating this event is too many people, I wonder if we approach coming to Mass with the same excitement. Every time we gather, it is the Super Bowl, and the good news Jesus wins every time. Our readings encourage us to get a bit more excited about coming to the Eucharist.

In our first reading from Deuteronomy, we hear from Moses, who says, “God is going to send to you a prophet, be ready to welcome him.” The Lord God responds to Moses by saying, “People, you need to be ready because I will send to you a prophet who will speak to your hearts.” We see Jesus as the fulfillment of that prophecy. Every time we come to the Eucharist, God wants to speak to our hearts and lift our spirits, but do we believe this?

In our Gospel, it was the Sabbath. It was just another day for many people to go to the synagogue. Some went tired and weary from the workweek. Some people did not want to go, and they went kicking and screaming, but of course, when they got to the doors of the synagogue, they put on their best face. Others went to grab a bulletin and leave. Most who went knew it was going to be just another Sabbath!   

But on this day, Jesus enters the synagogue and begins preaching, and the ones who were sleepy began to wake up, the ones who were already leaving with their bulletin came back in, and the ones who did not want to come were glad that they did. Jesus spoke to their hearts as no one had ever done before him. He calmed their fears and doubts, and they desired even more. When he was done, a man with an unclean spirit entered the synagogue, and Jesus healed him of his affirmatives. Now the crowd knew that even the evil that was in each of them could be expelled. The crowd now burned with a desire like never before.

My friends in Christ, is it just another Sunday, or is it the Sunday when we come with our hearts prepared for God to speak to us. Is it the Sunday that we know that God is going to heal us. Is it the Sunday when we truly believe in the present of Christ in his body and blood? Or is it just another Sabbath? It is the Sabbath, and may our hearts burn for Christ as he speaks to our hearts!

How will we see Christ in one another?

Tuesday the Third week

 Ordinary Time

II Timothy 1:1-8

Mark 3:31- 35

St. Timothy & St. Titus

(Nejc Pintar/shutterstock.com) I love this picture of this church on this hill. You probably noticed the mountain in the background, with the puff of clouds above it. It is easy to see the trees to the right that are barren of leaves. But did you notice the most important thing in the picture? The pathway leading up to the church shows that people go there to worship. In our readings today, I hope we do not miss what I think maybe the meaning in our readings.

In our Gospel, Jesus says some words that can have us focusing on these words and miss the importance of what he is trying to teach us. After Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are there to see him, he says, “Who are my mother and brother?” Jesus is not trying to distance himself from his family. We know by other accounts that Jesus loved his mother very much. So do not focus on this!

The other part of his words that can leave us focusing on the wrong thing is when he is told that his brothers with his mother. The term “brother” had a much broader meaning than how we use this term. The use of the word brother at this time was used to signify brothers and sisters and cousins.

So what should we be focusing on in our Gospel today? When Jesus says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father is my mother and brother. “Jesus is having us realize who is in our inner circle of what we understand as family, and who is not in that inner circle of family. Jesus is challenging us to focus on who do we exclude from being family to us?

As we gather in this holy Eucharist, we may challenge ourselves to act of charity to someone who may not belong to our inner circle of family.

Make the decision now!

Third Sunday Ordinary Time

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

I Corinthians 7:29-31

Mark 1:14-20

There are many decisions that we make that take time. When we buy a house, car, college, or job, we need to do our homework to make sure our decision is right. Our readings challenge us that there is one kind of decision that needs to be made with urgency and immediately, and that is the decision to follow Christ.

In our first reading, we hear about Jonah and the amazing decision that the people of Nineveh make on this day. Jonah goes to the city of Nineveh and says just once, “Forty more days and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” The people of Nineveh decide immediately to repent from their sinfulness and believe in God, and God relents his punishment. What makes this decision even more impressive is Nineveh is the capital city of Assyria. Assyria is a mighty empire, and the Israelites have known the brutality of these people. This story should give us hope that God’s word is so powerful, and when spoken to enemies, a peaceful solution can be made.   

In our Gospel from Mark, we are in the first chapter, and there is a real urgency in Jesus to get his message out. We are given one reason today as we are told that John the Baptist has been arrested. Jesus needs to keep going because he knows he will be next. In this sense of urgency, Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee, and he comes upon four fishermen, and he says to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” All of them drop their nets and immediately follow Jesus. Now here is why this decision is so amazing. At this time, rabbis went about teaching; they did not decide who would be their disciples. Those who would hear the rabbi teach would choose to become his disciples. When he calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow him and do not research or ask any questions, that is pretty amazing! These four men put their absolute trust in Jesus Christ that all of the questions they may have will eventually be answered.

My friends in Christ, we have to know that we need to make immediate decisions when Christ calls us. Answers can be found in the struggles of our lives when we place our trust in God.  I can tell by your faces there are some of you saying, “Yes, Yes, I will make that decision. I can also see that some of you are saying, “I am not so sure about making that decision today. Can you ask me tomorrow?” I also see some of you are saying, “When is this going to be over? I have plenty of decisions to make to get ready for the game later today.”

As we receive the body and blood of Jesus Christ and say, “Amen.” May we follow Jesus Christ this week with urgency where ever he takes us.

Pray for the unborn!

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 8:6-13

Mark 3:13-19

K,1,2, grade at Mass

What is something you do well that is special?

Give ex. How many of you are good at Math or reading. How many of you play sports well? How many are a good friend? How many play a musical instrument?  

Do you know why you are special?

We are special to God not because you have stepped on the moon, found a cure for a deadly disease, or have a Super Bowl ring, but only for being who we are! We are special because we are created in the image and likeness of God. When God created us, he said, “You are so special to me.”  

In our Gospel, Jesus calls certain men by name because they are special to him. He calls them not for anything they have done but for what they will do. We are told that Jesus wanted people to be with him because he believed these men to be special

As we gather today for a “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” May we know how special we are to God just as we are today? May we pray for all unborn children and the protection of all life.

Jesus is always able …

Thursday of the Second Week

Of Ordinary Time

Hebrews 7:25-8:6

Mark 3:7-12

St. Agnes

6,7,8 graders

Take an electronic thermometer and take random temperatures of kids.

I am seeing if you are ok, or if maybe you are sick today.

(Do not say anyone’s temperature say, “You are ok.”)

During this year of Covid, many people, when they feel sick with a cough, chills, or body aches, go and get a Covid test to see how sick they are. It is easy to know when we are not feeling well and need a test to see what is wrong.

But what do we do when we are spiritually sick? Do we know what to do at that time? When we are spiritually sick when we are selfish, angry, lustful, jealous, not forgiving, and the list goes on? We need to know who we can go to heal us from our sickness.

In our first reading from Hebrews, we begin this process as the writer says, “Jesus is always able,” and then we fill in the rest with whatever we are sick from.

In our Gospel, we have many people who know they are sick and they are following Jesus. There are so many people that Jesus has to get into a boat and put out a ways from shore and heal the people from the boat.

In our Eucharist, may we turn to Jesus Christ, the one who can heal us from our sickness, and know that Jesus is always able to heal us!

We are to be people of hope!

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 6:10-20

Mark 2:23-28

It is hard to be a person of hope when there is so much uncertainty in our world. If you are feeling this way, then you are in the right pew at the right time because our readings give us reasons for hope. 

In our first reading, the writer tells us that Abraham lived in hope because he believed in God’s promises. What were those promises? God promised that he was holding Abraham in the palm of his hand, as he does us!

The writer gives us a wonderful image to be a person of hope when he talks about an anchor. We know that an anchor can keep a boat steady on troubled waters. You toss the anchor into the water, and it sinks to the bottom, holding the craft stable. The writer wants us to think of an anchor in this way. The writer sees the anchor not going down, but going up! Our anchor of hope is in God.

Our Gospel gives us hope as Jesus is being challenged because his disciples were taking the grains of wheat of the stocks as they were going through the grain fields. Jesus gives a response to their question that would have caused a massive scandal when he says, “He is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

If we want to be people of hope, my friends in Christ need to believe the promises of God made to us and get to the Eucharist as often as we are able. When we place our cares before this holy altar and know that the angels of God lift them to God, we can be people of hope.   

May this Eucharist help us to be God’s people of hope!

How did we get here?

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

I Samuel 3:3-10, 19

I Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20

John 1:35-42

How did you get here today? If I asked you to retrace your path, could you do it? I am not talking about the vehicle that you drove or the roads that you went on. I am talking about your faith journey and what lead you to be here today.

Our faith journey is often not a straight road but a very winding path, with twists and turns. Much of what we think is certain is uncertain because all we know is what has happened and what is happening right now.  We act like things are certain, or we would never get out of bed or out of our rooms. Sometimes God nails his will to us, but most of the time, we come to know the will of God gradually. Think of where our prayers begin and where they end, most of the time, our prayers end in a different place. The challenge is to remain open to God through all the uncertainty and continue searching for God. In our readings, we get an excellent example of what our faith journey may look like.

In our first reading, we hear about Samuel. The first thing to remember about Samuel is he has been dedicated to God by his mother, Hannah. In the first chapter of I Samuel we get the story of Hannah in the temple praying because she could not conceive a child. Eli hears her prayer and prophesizes that God will give her a baby boy. Hannah promises if she does have a child, she will dedicate him to God by bringing him to the temple for Eli to raise him.

In today’s story, Samuel is sleeping in the temple, and three times hears his name being called and goes to Eli and asks him why he called him. It is not until the third time that Eli begins to realize what is happening. Here is proof that it may take time for God’s will to make sense to us in our lives in our faith lives. It is not always easy, but it is essential to stay on the path.

In our Gospel, the journey to Christ is straight. John the Baptist is with two of his disciples, one is Andrew, and John says, “There is the Lamb of God.” Andrew and the other disciple begin to follow Jesus and he asks, “What are you looking for?” That is the question of the century and the question that God asks us every day!  They ask, “Where are you staying?” A rabbi had a place where he would do his teaching to his students. The disciples are asking where this place is. Jesus responds, “Come and see.” His answer is not a place but a journey that will lead them to him, and his mission will unfold gradually in their life. Here is proof that God’s will may come to us in a straight path.

The challenge for all of us is to stand together in the face of all the uncertainty of our lives and not waver from seeing the presence of God. In a few minutes, I will repeat the words of John the Baptist as I lift the body and blood of Christ and invite you to follow Christ as I say, “Behold the Lamb of God.” May this Eucharist strengthen us to come to know Christ in the uncertainty of our lives?

How do we look for Jesus today?

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 2:14-18

Mark 1:29-39

In our Gospel, we are still in the first chapter, and ever since Jesus has been baptized, he is out looking for everyone to do his ministry. After his baptism, he went out to the desert, looking for the evil one. He came back went looking for followers; he goes to the synagogue looking to preach, and when he gets there, he heals a man. Jesus is now really fired up, so now he is still looking for more to do, so he goes immediately to Simon Peter’s mother-in-law to heal her. Now that he has healed her, and the news is getting out about him, all these people come to him for healing. Jesus is on fire with getting his message out to people.

At the end of the evening, Jesus and his disciples get some sleep, but Jesus gets up in the middle of the night to go looking for his Father in prayer. Simon Peter comes to Jesus and says, “Everyone is looking for you?”

Do you think that everyone in the world is looking for Jesus?

Do you look for Jesus?

How do you look for Jesus?

In this Eucharist, we are here to look for Jesus because as we go about our day, we will need his help to loving, patient, understanding, and forgiving. When we look for Jesus, we become what he wants us to be.

The best thing to know by our readings today is when we look for Jesus, he is also looking for us.  

God gives us power and authority!

 

Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Hebrews 2: 5-12

Mark 1:21-28

It took me some forty years to realize that as a child of God I was given a God-given power and authority. Once I came to understand this great gift, I stopped capitulating my power and authority away. We are also given power and authority by the positions and jobs that we hold in life. Our readings are about knowing and using this power and authority for the great glory of God.

In our first reading, we hear from the letter to the Hebrews. We will hear from this letter for the next two weeks. What you should know is that it is a homily that was given, and it made its way in the New Testament. The writer wants to establish in this homily that he is the savior of the world and has power over all things here on earth. The writer says, “All things are under him.”

In today’s Gospel from St. Mark, we are still in the first chapter, and so many things have already happened to Jesus. It takes the gospel writers Matthew and Luke four chapters to get where Mark is in one chapter. So far, he has come into the world, has been baptized, and has been told that he is God’s beloved son, in whom he is well pleased, has gone out into the desert to confront the evil one, and he has gathered followers.

The Gospel writer Mark is also establishing the power and authority of Jesus by putting him in Capernaum. The city of Capernaum was one of the cities where King Herod had a robust military presence. Jesus comes into the city, goes to the synagogue, and begins to preach. The people are astonished at his power and authority. When a man confronts Jesus with an unclean spirit and tells the spirit to be quiet, the people are even more amazed at their power and authority.

The gospel writer Mark has Jesus showing his power and authority by his first set of teaching and preaching and performing his first miracle. Jesus has power and authority over everything.

As we gather, we need to know the same thing today. Whatever we may be struggling against, we need to lay it before Jesus and know he has the power to heal us. We need to use our God-given power and authority to build up the kingdom of God in our small little world.  

We are baptized in Christ!

Baptism of the Lord

Isaiah 55: 1-11

I John 5:1-9

Mark 1:7-11

As we all have come into the church through one of the five doors, there are water fonts on each side of the entrances to bless ourselves and remind us of our baptism. All the fonts have been empty since the beginning of the pandemic, but it has not stopped us from reaching our hand out into the fonts to bless ourselves as we come into the church.  

As we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, we should recall our own baptism. The day of our baptism is the most important date of our lives, more than our birthday, wedding, ordination. It is an important date because it connects us to the Lord in a special relationship that is lived out in Word and Sacrament. When Jesus humbles himself to be baptized he connects himself to us, and we hear about this in our readings today.

In our first reading from the prophet Isaiah, it comes to us like an Oreo Cookie, and who does not like Oreo’s and milk! The first line and the last line are given to sandwich all the goodness in between. The prophet begins by saying, “Come all who are thirsty, come to the water. We come to the water of baptism to remind ourselves of who we are. The prophet ends with the words, “My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end to which I sent it.” God’s word is alive and powerful and gives us what we need to live our Christian lives.

In our Gospel, we hear about the baptism of Jesus in the Jordon by John the Baptist, and we get Mark’s version of the story. Mark’s version is the baptism is only two sentences, and once Jesus emerges from the water, everything begins to happen at a rapid pace. The heavens are torn open, a dove comes down, and a voice comes from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased.” All this happens so quickly for Mark to show that Jesus is now ready for his public ministry, and nothing is going to stop the Word of God from getting into the world. In a few weeks, we are going to hear from Mark again as Jesus is led into the desert.

As we gather this day, it is ok to put our hands into those empty fonts because it reminds us of our desire to be connected to Christ in Word and sacrament. May we recall our baptism where God says to us, “You are my beloved son or daughter; with you, I am well pleased.” In hearing this, we begin our public ministry at our baptism. May we busy ourselves this week with being more loving, understanding, patient, and kind as God’s beloved sons and daughters?