The Things We Rather Not Hear

Mk 7:31-37

This Gospel reading (meant for Friday, February 12) tells the story of when Jesus miraculously cures a deaf and speech-impaired man and enables him to speak clearly. Jesus pulls the man aside and performs the miracle by placing his finger in the man's ear and placing his own spittal on the man's tongue. Jesus asks, as He usually does, for the man to keep quiet about the incident. But as we know, news of the miraculous does not stay quiet for long.

It is easy put aside the Truth when we claim we can't hear it.

Think of the incredible compassion of Jesus in this situation. The sensitivity expressed in pulling the man aside showed that God had empathy for the man's plight. St. Gregory offers insight on the significance of Jesus using his finger to effectuate the cure of deafness. St. Gregory suggest s that the Spirit of God is called the "finger." In this experience, Jesus has opened the soul of the man through a gift of the Holy Spirit. By using His own spittal, Jesus connects personally with the man in a very intimate expression of solidarity.

This miracle was not only intended for the redemption of this poor man. It was also intended for us. Deaf or not, centuries later, we are meant to hear the healing message of the Holy Spirit.

If we allow ourselves to listen closely, there are things in our own life that are very uncomfortable to hear. But if we remember to compassion and solidarity offered by Our Lord, the Holy Spirit can heal us-- and perhaps bless us with the grace to tell about it.

A Clever Woman's Retort

Mk 7:24-30

Today's Gospel reading gives us some insight into the persona of Jesus, himself. We find him in Gentile territory trying to slink into a non descript home, likely trying to find a few respite moments. Instead, we find Jesus confronted by a desparate, Greek woman imploring Jesus for an excorism for her daughter.

In his coy sense of humor, Jesus rebutes the woman as a Gentile, unworthy of grace or favor. He suggests that Jews are the chosen children of God, and the Gentiles are merely the dogs at their feet. In fact, Jesus uses this insult to try to discourage her and push her away--suggesting that by asking for this grace, she is somehow stealing from the table of the children. But, this determined, cleaver woman turns Jesus' rebuke into an important lesson by simply stating that even dogs get scraps. She was right, and Jesus knew that, too. Her faith saved her and her daughter and opened up dialog on the important doctrine of the universality of salvation.

A Clever Woman's Retort Opens Up the Dialog

The message in this passage is very clear that salvation is a gift for all of us. But, I also take away another important lesson: it is important for all of us to be ready to respond to a challenge. Think of all the times in your life where someone criticized your values or beliefs. Have you been ready to defend the truth? If you are anything like me, you may have been ready to defend but not always ready to deliver. Sometimes I find that I can be on a six hour delay-- knowing just the right argument, but only hours too late. The moral of this story is to be strong in your convictions, but also be quick and clever in your delivery. Chances are that it won't be God on the other side of the argument, it will be the Enemy.

The Real Measure of a Man

Mk 7:14-23

Today's Gospel reading takes us to the scene where Jesus tries to explain the root of what defiles us, what spoils us, what makes us really rotten. Keep in mind what was going on was that Jesus was speaking to a Hebrew crowd who understood the customs of their elders and the strict rubrics that those customs demanded. Like the reading from yesterday, Jesus was teaching that God's design for holiness did not come from the mandates of man.

In today's reading, Jesus explains that man is not defiled (or made unclean or un-holy) by what he eats. Rather, man is doomed by what is inside of him and what comes out of him. Jesus explains that inside a man's heart, rests the real measure of the man. It is from a man's thoughts (or his heart) that come the rottenness of "evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance and folly." Likewise we can understand the goodness of a man by his ability and willingness to love.

The menu is liberated, but now what?

This is the whole point of our lives. We are all given the gift of some measure of time and experience to perfect our souls. We are all born with the indelible mark of original sin. But with baptism we are born into God's Kingdom and given a new life. This new life is a spiritual life. To tell you the truth, I never really understood this whole "born again" concept. But when you understand the purpose of your life is to perfect your soul, it becomes much easier to understand that baptism opens up the grace needed to perfect the rottenness and imperfections. It is an exhausting process, to be sure.

I am comforted in knowing that God has given us the sacraments for assistance and His very self as a model, guide and companion. He has also given us the communion of saints-- our friends who have come before us who have won their battle and stand ready to assist. I think of Saint Scholastica whose feast day is today. She was a model of sanctity, as all saints are. But she was also one of my favorite pragmatists.

I like to think of the story when she asked her brother (St. Benedict, no less) to stay with her one evening, as she had had a vision that that evening would be their last together on Earth. Saint Benedict did not want to stay because by staying he would be breaking an important rule of his Monastery. Then, in her wisdom, St. Scholastic asked her favor of God. Knowing the enormity of her love for her brother, God granted St. Scholastica a perfect storm that forced St. Benedict and his companions to stay the night. This is, of course, because God controls the weather. God saw to it that Monastery mandates did not rule over the generosity of God's love.

So centuries later, we look to Saint Scholastica for the assistance with the storms in our heart and pray for her intercession that we measure up to what God designed for us and we evidence who we are by what we do.

God Wants More Than Good Deeds

Mk 7:1-13

Today's Gospel reading relays the story of the Pharisees' reaction to Jesus and his disciples having come from the marketplace without purification and daring to eat with unclean hands. The Pharisees saw Jesus and his crew as a band of religious outlaws. There was great confusion and disdain for the notion that a renegade preacher and his students would dare veer from the tradition of the elders. In the eyes of the Pharisees, Jesus was dangerous, not only for what he did but for what he lead other men to do.

In our day in age, the moniker "Pharisee" is synonymous with the notion of "hypocrite." However, in ancient times, there were people who cherished the label for it was a stamp or outward sign that a person was "holy." But to Jesus, these outward signs and their associated pride was what was truly blasphemous. These men were putting aside God's commandments in order to cling to human traditions.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. . .

God only knows what is really in the human heart, and I am certainly not in any position to judge another. But, I can not help but observe the world around me. There seems so much inconsistency in all of us. Even people who seem well-meaning seem to sometimes miss the point.

I think of all of the celebrities who seep out at times of natural disaster. They harness the power of generosity to pay homage to the god of "good deeds." I think of the grandma that slinks out of Mass after communion only to cut off traffic dashing out of the parking lot. I think of the women who profess their faith but will not abandon the false notion of "human choice." I think of the people of seemingly good will who unabashedly debase the notion of family by attempting to rewrite God's own plan for love and life. I think of the millions of ways that I fall short of being the Christian I dream I can be.

The point is that we all fall short of the glory of God. What is important is the intention of our heart. If our intention is the affirmation of man, we fail just as the Pharisees failed. But if our intention is to love as God loves even when no one sees, we honor God with our lips and our hearts. This is Jesus' lesson to us.

Touching a Tassel - Suffering Brings Us Closer to God

Mk 6: 53-56

Today's Gospel reading tells a simple story about Jesus and the disciples being ambushed by throngs of desperate and suffering people. All these people wanted was an end to their suffering. They were looking for miracles-- looking for hope. They had heard of this miracle worker and trusted that just touching the tassel of his cloak would be enough to provide a cure.

Did they understand that this miracle-worker, Jesus, was really God? I am sure that they didn't. Did they understand that he was the promised Messiah? Maybe? Did they understand that the cure he was offering was much more than simply the curing of the body? Only God really knows the answer to that one.

Are we so very different in our day?

During Holy Week last year (2009), our five year old daughter mysteriously contracted a deadly virus that nearly killed her. She was hospitalized for almost half a year. As difficult as this experience was for our daughter and our entire family, I can say for certain that there is redemptive power in the suffering.

There is something remarkably powerful about the selfless prayers offered for a little child. We were the recipients of prayers and kindnesses from complete strangers and even those we knew who we never imagined gave thought to God. It seems like there is something in human nature that compels us toward God, whether we know it or not, especially in times of trouble or despair.

One of the greatest graces I have ever received was the grace needed to accept that our daughter was in God's care. I believe that this was the blessing given in recognition that our vigils, prayers and sacrifices had reached the tassels of God's cloak.

Not only was our daughter healed, but we all continue to heal-- both spirit and body.

Great Things Happen on Sundays

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is 6:1-2a, 3-8

Isaiah tempts us with slivers of an image. We have to construct the picture. I imagine a world of candles and rugs-- dust and echos. Perhaps in your mind's eye you too can conjure an image from a database of Indiana Jones adventures or dusty National Geographics. Imagine what it might have smelled like-- the humidity and hint of incense. Now imagine THIS--

A billowing, floating white fabric train, set against and filling a dark cavernous hall, translucent figures swirling abuzz overhead-- and THEN:

"Holy, Holy Holy Lord -- All the Earth is filled with His Glory!"

The doorpost shook and hall filled with smoke. This was real, and this was terrifying.

I don't know about you-- but I think that that is the point where I would have completely lost it. In fact, that is exact what Isaiah did. He lost it. He fell to his knees in fear. I imagine this was the kind of gushing fear that causes your chest to hurt on account of the thrashing of your heart going wild. Isaiah was in the presence of the Creator of the Universe. He knew that he was not worthy. But in response to Isaiah's humility, God reached out to Isaiah through the seraphim who touched his lips and purged his sin.

Then God said, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" Isaiah said:

"Here I am, send me."

What Isaiah saw with his eyes, we see with our eyes of faith. Each time we approach the Holy Eucharist, we understand the enormity of what Isaiah faced. With the contrite spirit of a sinner, we approach the Creator in awe and with the same humble heart --"holy, holy, holy Lord.... God of power and might. Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory."

This is the time we are at our most vulnerable-- when our souls are open and exposed. This is the most intimate embrace. Our souls reach out, and we lay our head on the breast of Our Lord, and say-- "here I am, send me."

Snowy Morning Start

There is nothing like a paralyzing blizzard to get me going. I have wanted to begin this blog for some time now, but the demands of a young family, career and theology school can be taxing. There seems like there is always some menu to plan, game to cheer on, deal to do or paper to write. That said, today is the day.

What Is This All About?

The purpose of this blog is to share insight and inspiration in simple and small ways-- to help understand the universal truth embedded in all our lives. These are my reflections on the Christian faith-- guided by the teachings of the Magisterium. So, when I get it wrong, the failings are mine. But when I get it right-- you know that I have been Vox Viva (the living voice).