What should we do? Being cooped up in the house as a child was more challenging to my mother than to my brother, sister and me. We kept chanting, “What should we do?” and my mother had to stop her work and be an activities director! Sometimes, my dad would pull a tube out of our TV and we cried, “What should we do?” He forced us to find something to do inside that was as interesting and as wide open as the outdoors. “What should we do?” has a set of expectations – if what we do is to be satisfying, it must fulfill our expectations and involve more than what we are doing right now. In our Gospel today, the same question is asked. And John’s answer doesn’t focus on accomplishments, rather, on relationships. The good news preached by John is that our relationship with others makes visible our relationship with Jesus. Just like John, our lives are about others. John turns the question into “How shall we be?” We are called to be the presence of Christ in the world. We are called to be just and loving toward each other. Or still yet, the question is replaced by “Who shall we be?” We are called to be Christ for each other.
Nuestra Senora Guadalupe Escritura: Revelacion 12:1 Una grande senal aparacio en el cielo: una mujer vestida del sol, y la luna debajo de sus pies, y sobre su cabeza una corona de doce estrellas. Scripture: Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. In 1531 at Tepeyac, Mexico, Mary appeared in a vision to Juan Diego, a poor, baptized native boy who was on his way to religious instructions. In 1999 Joh Paul II proclaimed Our Lady of Guadalupe patroness not just of Mexico but of all the Americas. “We South Americans and North Americans are one. We share a hemisphere of the earth. We have common blessings and common problems. Mary stands with us to protect and help us, especially the lowly and poor with whom she identifies. With Mary as our Mother, all of us are sisters and brothers: indigenous peoples, Latinos, Anglos, and all races and cultures that have come to claim some part of the Americas as home”. (Sister Mary Katherine Howard OSB) As many families in Mexico are taking time from their work and school to walk in processions through Mexico this week in honor of the Virgen of Guadalupe, let us remember them and pray for them. Let us pray for Mexican-American families, those living in the United States, as they struggle each day to build a better life. Let us pray for ourselves that we grow in respect and appreciation of cultures different from our own.
What’s in a Yes? Today, the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown celebrate with Sister Mary Ann Coz and Sister Victoria Pascarella 60 years and 75 years of vowed religious life respectively. 60 years and 75 years of saying yes. Have you ever wondered what’s in a yes? Sometimes, yes simply means, “I agree.” Sometimes it is a vote in favor of something. Sometimes, it is used as a distraction -” Yes, yes, yes, I hear you.” Sometimes it speaks something as serious as a life commitment: yes, I will marry you; yes, I will adopt this child; yes I will commitment my life to God’s people as a nun, brother or priest. But whoever uttered a yes that changed not only that person’s life but the course of history? Who ever uttered a yes and became the mother of God? What a yes! Mary’s yes was indicative of her faithful cooperation with God’s plan both before and after the birth of Jesus. Mary’s yes to Gabriel is indicative of how Mary must have lived her daily life -being in tune with God’s word in her life. Our feast today challenges us to say yes to whatever challenging word God sends our way. Mary participated in God’s plan of salvation by giving birth to the Son of God . We ,too, are called to bear Christ in the world today. And we are called to speak an ongoing yes to God. And , like Mary, we will participate in God’s plan of salvation. Will we recognize God’s announcement to us? And will we continue to say yes to God?
Make Straight Our Path to the Lord As a math teacher, I would counsel my students with the statement -“the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” Yet there have been times when my life has taken me in very circuitous ways! Sometimes I have gone out of my way to avoid another person; other times I have taken a roundabout way home to enjoy Mill Creek Park. Our Gospel today, despite our sometimes roundabout ways, gives us a clear instruction- make straight our path to the Lord. Our Gospel also makes clear the means to make that path straight: repentance and forgiveness. Sometimes we don’t understand or are unaware of the importance of repentance and forgiveness in our relationships with one another. Repentance for the forgiveness of sins is an essential requirement for us to see the salvation of God. What is at stake in our making a straight path to the Lord is our salvation. To be honest, it’s not the busy-ness of Christmas preparations that distract me from my ongoing work of repentance and forgiveness. Each day of the year I tend to be distracted by work, paths of indecision, valleys of doubts and fears. Today might be a good day to reflect on God’s forgiveness and mercy and how God gives sure direction in my life. Part of the work of Advent is smoothing our relationships with each other so we can see the nearness of God in each other.
Be Vigilant – Our God Is Coming! This time of the year can bring adjustments to changing weather patterns, shorter daylight hours, increased busyness as we begin our shopping, baking, decorating. New seasons always calls for adjustments – not just in clocks, clothing and calendars but also in the way we approach each other. Our changing liturgical season means adjusting to new gospel challenges. Our Gospel today calls for far reaching adjustments -reaching even to final judgment. We are asked to adjust our daily living in order to develop the kind of vigilance that enables us to discern the signs of our Lord’s presence and to adjust the choices in our lives so that we are blameless in holiness. One sign of the Lord’s presence is that we are growing in love. It is easy to see the Lord’s presence in the other when that person is pleasant or cooperative or helpful. The challenge is to see Christ’s presence in the other when the other is cranky, complaining or not to our liking. The Advent season invites us to a more balanced perspective of what we are really all about – opening ourselves to Christ’s presence. Our God is coming! God comes in the habit of seeing Christ in all others because Christ came to redeem all. We are to be vigilant for Christ comes in many ways. The real challenge comes in adjusting to all these presences of Christ in our lives.
My Kingdom Does Not Belong to This World Since most of us have never lived in a kingdom and have no experience of relating to a king, our notion of kings and kingdoms tends to be along the lines of Camelot. A grand dream for a kingdom of this world. This feast we celebrate today, and its readings, hardly take us to this kind of kingdom. The Gospel is part of a dialogue between Jesus and Pilate at Jesus’ trial. Hardly Camelot! On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we see that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. Nor is his kingdom a special place, but an interior identity defined by our relationship with Christ the King. This Sunday we celebrate a King whose presence and power we have experienced. Jesus’ kingdom exists wherever we embody Jesus’ manner of acting and relating, whenever the Spirit of Jesus is the rule of life. Our lives are totally about the good of the other. We enter into Jesus’ Kingdom when we proclaim, by word and service that Jesus is Lord of all. This kingdom does not belong to this world but it is meant to transform this world.
The Gift of the Poor Several years ago, there was a march on Washington for the homeless. About 20 Ursulines from Youngstown made that journey by bus to stand with our brothers and sisters. When we arrived in Washington, we had to take the Metro to the staging area. While riding the Metro, a group of men got on and had to stand in the aisle. It was apparent that this group had not taken a shower in a long time. As I sat there, I was very uncomfortable. Later we found out that this group of men were homeless and had walked to Washington from a shelter some 20 miles away. They were the faces of those we came to advocate for! These men, who symbolized the poor, offer us a chance to look at the world through different eyes. Instead of looking down in pity, they give us a chance to look at a world were material goods are not as important, where sharing one’s daily bread is the norm, not the exception. The story of the poor widow’s offering gives us this opportunity. And it provides the challenge to discard any pretense money and comfort may bring. Without calculating the cost, the poor widow gave all she had. She took the risk of giving all no matter the cost. And by sacrificing all, she became totally dependent upon God. In our gospel today, Jesus holds up the widow as a model of total self-giving necessary for true discipleship. What are the coins that the widow gave and we are invited to give? Giving a little bit of time to listen to a friend in spite of being very busy; a daughter caring for an elderly parent and raising a family; a friendly hello to someone who seems alone or down are all examples of small coins that bring life and hope into people’s lives. It matters not whether what we give is large or small. What matters is the gift of self. The poor widow gave all she had as gift. She also gives us a gift. She gives us the opportunity to give of ourselves, all that we have.
The Pursuit of Happiness At a dinner party the other evening, a question was posed: “What is your idea of happiness?” Everyone strives to be happy, but everyone has a different idea of what that word means! Many pursue money, power and position as a means to happiness. Others see physical exercise as a means to a pleasant life. Still others seek more spiritual goals in prayer and meditation as the blessed road. In each case the pursuit of happiness has a cost. What will people sacrifice for happiness? In our Gospel today, happiness meant “blessed”. The cost was reputation and the danger of persecution. The reward was the Kingdom. In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives a blueprint for right living. While the Beatitudes may seem idealistic, they are quite ordinary and accessible to anyone serious about faithful discipleship. Moreover, they are the very attitudes that lead to what Jesus promises – a share in the “kingdom of heaven.” Today’s feast places before us the canonized saints in heaven, those whom we’ve known in our lives who are also in heaven, as well as those living among us now who model for us right living. We look to those on earth to support us by their example! What can you do today to live out the Beatitudes in the pursuit of happiness?
I Want to See Talk to any Real Estate agent (or avid HGTV viewer) and they’ll tell you that increasing your curb appeal is important when selling your home. Curb appeal is how attractive your home looks when a potential buyer first pulls up to look at it. You’ve probably heard the phrase “first impressions are important,” and that’s true — especially when selling a home. According to a study done by Michigan State University, a home with landscaping and effort put into curb appeal can increase perceived home value by 5 to 11%. Curb appeal can also sell a home faster. Suzette Peoples, Owner and Broker of Peoples Properties, said curb appeal is important for buyers to form a positive opinion on the property. “When buyers see the outside taken care of, they have a better attitude that the inside will be just as nice!” Peoples said. “First impressions make lasting impressions.” Luckily, whether your budget is large or small, you can use these 6 tips from successful real estate agents to increase your curb appeal and see a return on your investment in the sale of your home. Clean or Repaint the Door Suzette Peoples, Owner of Peoples Properties, said she always advises sellers to clean or re-paint their front door before listing a home. Your front door gets a lot of wear and tear and has to face the outside elements, which can make it wear faster. Cleaning it and updating the paint can instantly update the look and feel of your home. Add a bold but matching color to make the door pop and have the prospective buyer’s eye drawn to it. Cost to repaint the door: About $20 for a quart Little extra in your budget? Completely replacing your door can bring a 90% return on your investment if the entry door is steel (which, on average, will cost you about $1,413), according to the Cost vs Value Report from Remodeling Magazine. Landscape When you pull up to a home with dead grass and weeds in the planter boxes, you’re probably not going to be impressed. That’s why investing in your lawn and garden is great for curb appeal. Try out with artificial turf. “Landscaping is one of the best ways to increase curb appeal for any listing,” Peoples said. According to the Economic Benefits of Landscape by the Landscape Contractors of America, landscaping can add 14% to the resale value of a home and sell it 6 weeks faster. Take an hour or two to weed the garden, replace mulch, plant new flowers, and replace the brick or concrete siders on your flower beds. You’ll also want to mow your lawn before showing the home. You can also purchase ready-made pots of plants at most home improvement stores, which can save you time and energy. Cost: dependent on what type of flowers and mulch you purchase. Can work with any price range. Little extra in your budget?: Find a professional landscaper in your area to create an easy-to-care-for landscape that also looks beautiful. Homeowners spend $3,219 on average to hire a landscaper. Clean Up the Driveway Driveways don’t seem like they’d be a real eyecatcher, but if it has weeds and dirt, it’s going to leave a bad first impression for your buyers. Suzette Peoples said she powerwashes all driveways and sidewalks before listing the home. But don’t just clean up your driveway, make sure it’s de-cluttered as well. Jill Price suggested making sure the cars aren’t parked in the driveway for the photoshoot of the home and while the home is being shown.
True Glory How often have I eagerly agreed to do something only to want to back off when I get the details and begin to realize the demands. Why do I say yes so easily? Is it for the glory? This Sunday’s Gospel begins with the apostles seeking glory. They want a ticker-tape parade; Jesus promises suffering and death as the road to true glory. How different Jesus’ glory is! For Jesus, true glory demands dying to self. Yet this true glory is stronger and more full of life than human glory. What does this true glory look like for us? Daily we are called to die to self- to forgive when we have been hurt, to reach out to others in need even when it draws us out of our comfort zone, to bite our tongue and hold back a cutting remark, to speak the truth even when we know it will not be welcomed. In these acts we experience new life-the strengthening of our relationships with Jesus and one another; the peace we feel when we don’t give in to hurting another, the sense of integrity when speaking the truth. These are the demands that identity with Christ entails. Are we ready to follow?
What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life? I was visiting a friend and noticed that they had a system other than Cable TV. As I was “channel surfing”, I noticed the TV game show network and started playing with Dreamjackpot games! I wonder if this is the result of the philosophy of get rich with little effort. As I wasted an hour or so watching this network, I noticed that when someone won a fair amount of money, the host asked the contestant what he or she planned to do with the money. The answers varied, but often included taking a long vacation or paying off debts. Once in a great while, someone mentioned that they would give some to their favorite charity. None said that they would give it all away. In our Gospel today, Jesus challenges us -in order to have it all- we must give up all and follow him. This came from his personal experience. No matter how tired he was, no matter how frustrated he was with people’s lack of understanding, no matter the opposition, Jesus reached out to others with an offer of new life. And in giving them life, Jesus received risen life and offers that same life to us. No matter the cost of discipleship, what keeps us from not walking away like the young man in the Gospel, is our commitment to Jesus alone who is the way to eternal life. As we deepen our commitment to discipleship, we realize that our self-giving not only brings others to a deeper love and relationship with Jesus, but it strengthens our own love and relationships. This is the hundredfold.
Surrendering Hardness of Heart Sometimes at the age of three, my nephew was less than ideal in his behavior. He was picky about what he ate; he would get cranky when he was tired; he vied to be the center of attention. Yet, he had admirable traits. He was trusting and open, unpretentious, without hardness of heart. As he has grown into his teens, he has become cautious and suspicious. He is beginning to harden his heart. In our Gospel today, Jesus exposes the hardness of the Pharisees’ hearts. Throughout his life, Jesus modeled how to approach people and situations with a wide embrace of love and care rather than hardness of heart. He saw in every person and every situation an opportunity to lead people to union with God and one another. In the deepest recesses of our hearts, we all desire to live in union with one another as God intends. This Gospel challenges us to move from our hardness of heart to the wide embrace Jesus models. We who are open to Jesus’ embrace learn to embrace others with his trust and goodness, and thus grow in peace and unity with one another.
Being True to Jesus My nephew and I had the occasion to take a drive. Riding in the car provides a safe environment for a deep conversation, simply because the driver and passenger cannot visually engage. As we were driving, we were talking about belonging to a group and being accepted by a circle of close friends. Being part of and accepted by a circle of friends is how young people begin to sort out their self-identity. It is how they learn who they are. As we grow older the intensity for belonging lessens somewhat. Still we have a need for membership in a group. Some primary groups are a given-family for instance. Others are work related or social groups. Membership has its privileges. In our Gospel this Sunday, we hear that mere membership is not the last word. Membership has responsibilities. Jesus calls us to choose life – even when this involves something extremely radical. Choosing discipleship means aligning our way of thinking and acting to be that of Jesus. Discipleship must shape our daily choices. Membership is by action. Simply having a baptismal certificate doesn’t mean we belong in the deepest sense of what belonging means. Belonging to the community of the church means taking on the vision and goals of Jesus and working each day to integrate them into our daily lives. Faithful service is not expressed in the occasional good works. Faithful service is in the on-going patterns of unselfish, life-giving new behaviors.
They Did Not Understand How disconcerting we find it when we need to tell another something of great importance and that person is clearly not listening! Their lack of response is hurtful and we experience personal rejection. Often we decide never again to confide anything of importance to that person. Not so with Jesus. The most important concern of his ministry was to help others to grow in new life and to accomplish this he had to suffer and die. The disciples don’t want to hear about. Jesus does not give up on them! Rather, he teaches them what he really is about. In his persistence, Jesus chose to die to self, become servant of all and continue to lead others to new understanding and new life. Jesus persists in teaching us with the same intensity. We hear his Word proclaimed, see his goodness in others. We take up our cross to follow him. In all of this, we are called to be persistent in dying to self for the good of the other.
Who Do You Say I Am? There are times when I create expectations about the way things should be that it destroys my ability to appreciate how things actually are. For example, does this restaurant really serve the best meals one will ever eat? It’s natural to have expectations, but they must be realistic. Often there is nothing wrong with reality, rather, my expectations of it! The disciples get a surprise in our Gospel today. Jesus asks them a simple but puzzling question. “Who do you say I am?” After all, how long have they been with him? Peter answers with the preconceived notion of who Jesus is and who the Messiah would be. Their expectation of Jesus and the reality of what it means to be the Messiah and what it means to be his disciples do not jive! For Jesus tells them, disciples must “take up their cross.” The disciples are hardly prepared for that kind of relationship. It is no coincidence that our Gospel begins with the question of identity and then ends up with the cost of discipleship. Jesus’ reality check about discipleship opens up possibilities for a richer life. By being united with Jesus through our Baptism, we also participate Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, giving of ourselves for the good of others.
Be Opened I have often been told, “you are missing the forest for the trees,” meaning I have a tendency to zero in on the details and miss the depth and breath of the whole picture. In the miracles of Jesus, God’s love and concern for us become dramatically evident and present, but these miracles are not ends in themselves-they are not the “trees.” They are meant to reveal the deeper reality of God’s saving actions on our behalf. In our Gospel today, Jesus touches the tongue of the deaf man before he commands, “Be opened!” The touch and the command unleash events – the deaf man hears and the people proclaim what has taken place. We can surmise that something deep and profound happened between the man and Jesus even before the miracle happened. In fact, something deep and profound had to happen in order for the miracle to occur. And the encounter with Jesus changed him. The deaf man was able to see “beyond the trees,” beyond the miracle to the wholeness Jesus brought him. For us, discipleship- proclaiming what we have seen- invites us to seek deeper insights into the ministry of Jesus. Jesus is with us, challenging us to deeper insights into God’s presence and saving deeds. When has an astonishing experience led you to reflect on God’s nearness, God’s saving power?
Look At What’s Deep Within Us My sister and I began a journal of the sayings of our parents- “Wash your hands”, “Eat your vegetables”, “Make your bed!” “Stop picking on your little sister!” These are common orders we heard growing up. From where do these rules come and to what are they directed? We decided they were rules to protect our well-being and a healthy relationship within the family. Religious commands are rooted in common behaviors that promote well-being and healthy relationships. In our Gospel, the ritual traditions were not connected to the covenant! Jesus called the Jewish community back to right attitudes. Our Gospel challenges us to take a serious look at where our hearts lie and why do we do what we do. Do our behaviors arise from hearts turned to God?
Do You Also Want to Leave? The past four Sundays have focused our thoughts on the Bread of Life. Now today, we hear the conclusion to the discourse -Jesus is the Bread of Life who brings us eternal life. We might think everyone is open to this wondrous gift. But our Gospel today says otherwise! Many would return to their former lives and no longer accompany Jesus. Although the gift is freely given, there remains a choice to accept the gift or not. Why would anyone not choose this wondrous gift? Why would many leave? Why? Because this simple gift has demands! The demand of the Gift is that we become like the Giver and give ourselves for the good of others. Self giving always leads to new life and this is why we are able to make the choice to stay.
The Bread From Heaven Don and Annie were “empty nesters” as far as their children were concerned. However for twelve years Annie’s mother had been living with them. At first, she was a great help but as the years rolled by age was not kind to her and she began to diminish in energy and enthusiasm. Then she was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She had only a short time to live and wanted to die in familiar surroundings. Annie and Don agreed to round the clock care. Annie and Don continued their loving care. Their heartaches were many – the pain, the constant demands, family obligations, work obligations. However the biggest heartache was expressed by Annie when she shared with me her longing for Eucharist. She had not been to Mass for so long because she didn’t want to leave her mother nor did she have the energy to get to Mass. Little did this overburdened daughter know that eucharistic acts are as common as bread and wine, as common as the self-sacrificing love we freely give to others. In our Gospel today, Jesus’ self-giving is now made present in the Eucharist. Our eating this bread and drinking of this cup draws us into the mystery of self-giving. And in sharing in this bread and drinking of this cup, we become Eucharist for others. Annie and Don became Eucharist for their family.
I Am the Bread of Life Last Sunday, the Israelites were grumbling about food; this Sunday the crowd is grumbling about who Jesus says he is. At least today, the grumbling is about what is really important – the identity of Jesus and how we gain eternal life! The surprise this Sunday is how persistent God is in bringing us to new and eternal life. Jesus persists in revealing himself as the bread sent by God to nourish us for our journey to eternal life. And it is not without cost. For Jesus it is the cross. For us it is the bread of suffering. To eat of this bread is to take upon ourselves a life of self-giving. That is why the Gospel is so difficult. We are planted firmly on this good earth – we are to give our very self for the life of the world through the good we do every day for others. No wonder the murmuring.
Every Need is Met Recently in the news it was reported that, in central Ohio, a ten year old boy caught a 56 pound cod fish in a local water source. And this made national news. “Big” is in. The wondrous and impressive sign that Jesus works in our Gospel today – feeding 5000 with five loaves – might seem like a great fish story that has gotten larger in the telling. Actually, this story points beyond taking care of the hunger of “the large crowd” to a time when God’s mighty deeds come to fulfillment – a time when all people are abundantly filled and every need is met. This miracle story moves us to ponder the great mystery of Jesus as the Bread of Life and his self-giving that enables us to share in it. The challenge is to see our lives through the lens of God’s abundance- the abundance of family and friends, a job, the support and care of others. God’s abundance is all around us.
Rest Awhile Having trouble sleeping can have wide-ranging, negative effects on your health, so it’s something that you should take seriously. For instance, it makes you less safe behind the wheel and increases your long-term risk of medical conditions such as obesity and heart disease. Though medical sleep aids may work quickly to help you drift off, they can have side effects and aren’t good to use in the long term. Luckily, there is another treatment for sleepless nights that’s cheap, isn’t habit-forming, and has absolutely no negative side effects: music. Music is more than something that’s simply enjoyable to listen to. It has a direct effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps your body relax and prepare for sleep. Older adults who listen to 45 minutes of relaxing music before bed fall asleep faster, sleep longer, wake up less during the night, and rate their nights as more restful than when they don’t listen to music. Similarly, when younger adults are given the option to listen to classical music, books on tape, or nothing before bed, the ones who relax with music see the greatest improvement in sleep quality. Get better results by using one of the best true wireless earbuds. If you feel calmer when you’re enjoying good music, it’s not your imagination. Music has the power to slow your heart rate and breathing, lower your blood pressure, and it may even trigger your muscles to relax. These biological changes mirror some of the same changes that your body undergoes when you’re falling asleep, making music the perfect preparation for restorative slumber.
Send Me We have a preschool connected to our Motherhouse. One day as I walked by our Kindergarten, I overheard the teacher asking the children what they wanted to do when they grew up. The answers came rather quickly- astronaut, president, doctor. Their answers leaned toward bigger than life careers. The ordinary and mundane were not part of their responses. Yet their teacher pursued the conversation and encouraged her students to remember, no matter what they did, they were to be of service to others. In our Gospel, Jesus sends the disciples on mission, to be of service to those they meet and to take nothing extra on the way. All they needed for success was the grace Jesus offered them and His commission and authority. We who are Jesus’ disciples today are sent in the same way. Traveling light, we carry with us the authority of Jesus to enable others to know his love and action in their life and to bring them to fullness of life. By acting faithfully, we are God’s instruments bringing life and healing to others.
What wisdom! What deeds! One of the four basic agreements I try to live by is, “It’s not about you.” When my comments are taken the wrong way or my values are rejected, it can hurt. It hurts more if that rejection is from family and friends. In our Gospel today, Jesus encounters resistance among his own, because his words went beyond their understanding of him as “the carpenter’s son.” Their rejection was not about Jesus, but about their own understanding of him. Jesus might have said, “It’s not about me.” Similarly, who we think Jesus is determines our response to him. Do we recognize his wisdom, his mighty deeds? God offers us what we need in life, do we resist? Are we receptive to how and through whom God speaks to us? God offers us new life through the events and people who come to us. Do we recognize and receive that new life? The challenge of our Gospel is the weight of our faith or lack of faith has. God continues to offer us the free gift of salvation. God asks of us a free response. God never gives up on us. It is our free choice to resist or have faith.
“Your Faith has saved you.” We have a tendency to label people. Sometimes labeling serves as a protection, preparing us to act appropriately. Labeling may shield us from heartache or expectations unfilled. In our gospel today, it seems the people are good at labeling! The disciples are puzzled by Jesus’ question, “Who touched me?” when the crowds are pressing him. The crowd at Jarius’ house tells Jesus not to bother, because Jarius’ daughter is dead. Typical responses. The woman was afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years and the little girl was dead. What could Jesus do in the face of all that? What the crowd was not prepared for is Jesus taking labeled situations and treating them as new opportunities to call forth faith. The woman with the hemorrhages and Jarius were people of great faith. They stand in opposition to the hardheaded realism of the disciples and the crowd. Encounter with Jesus changes experiences. It is the faith of the woman and Jarius that opens new life offered by Jesus. The challenge is to see new life in the circumstances of our life precisely because Jesus is present and nothing is the same. The good news is that suffering and death are not hopeless because out of them comes life. All we need is faith in Jesus.
“Do you not yet have faith?” Growing up on Lake Erie, I had opportunity to see small vessels caught in storms, buffeted by wind and rain. And as a child, storms frightened me. My mother would light a blessed candle, reassuring me that all would be well. Today violent storms cause me to pause. I have expensive surge protectors to protect my electronic equipment. Yet, when a storm arises, I am still fearful and I disconnect everything. In our Gospel today, Jesus is with experienced fishermen who knew the peril of a storm at sea. What they did not yet know was the extent of Jesus’ power and his care for them. From what disaster does Jesus really save the disciples? From a storm? Yes, but much more. Jesus saves them from their lack of faith and trust in him. After Jesus commanded the sea to be quiet, there was a great calm. Were the disciples calmed? Did they grow in faith? For us, do the storms of our lives become occasions for us to grow in faith and trust that God is present, bringing us closer to him?
“This is My Body” “It’s all in the details” was my father’s mantra. He was methodical in his preparations. From him we learned that nothing significant in our lives happens without preparation. We spend years in school before we begin a profession. We spend months preparing for a wedding; years preparing for profession of vows in a religious congregation. We spend hours pouring over specs as we build a house. Big events take careful preparation. In our gospel today [Mark 14:12-16, 22-26], Jesus sends two disciples ahead to make preparations for a supper. Such careful preparation means something important is about to happen. And so it does, Jesus gives himself, body and blood, the Eucharist, to us as food. Truly the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. This is the mystery we celebrate this Sunday. This feast offers us an opportunity to reflect on the times when we are called to be what we receive-when we become the Body and Blood of Christ for each other. By our participation in the Eucharist, we accept the new relationship of divine self gift and personal presence. Even more, we become that presence for the world, called to that same self-giving.