• 1 Kings 17:10-16. The poor widow makes bread for Elijah with her last remaining ingredients only to be blest by God with a year’s worth of flour and oil.
• Hebrews 9:24-28. Christ is the high priest who has removed our sins through his sacrifice. He will come again to bring salvation for those who await him.
• Mark 12:38-44. Jesus warns his disciples against the hypocrisy of the scribes. Jesus then teaches the disciples the true meaning of charity through the example of the poor widow.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

This week we learn about the true nature of charity. Charity is a prominent virtue of our Catholic faith. In the second chapter of the letter to the Galatians Paul recounts the Jerusalem controversy with the early Christian community over the issue of circumcision. Verse 10 of that chapter reveals the universal importance of charity to the fledgling Christian faith. From this account we know that even during the earliest moment of our Church’s history there have been issues of disagreement. But the topic of charity, “that we remember the poor,” has been a consistent unifying element as the Church developed and spread. No one can argue that charity is an important value within our faith tradition. But like everything else even the concept of charity must evolve so that we can fulfill the spirit of charity within our changing social environment. It is perhaps for this reason that Pope Benedict XVI took the time to devout his recent encyclical to what he called “Charity in Truth.” What is Christian charity in the context of Globalization?

In the Gospel and in the first reading we are told about the spirit of charity. Charity is not only the act of giving. In the Gospel Jesus warns against the mere image of charity where people give comfortably from their surplus and yet do it in a way that publically inflates their image of being charitable and holy people. In both readings we hear that charity is the selfless act of giving especially when it is truly challenging to give. The spirit of charity is not based on our ability to give what is no longer important or desirable for us, it is the ability to give based on the necessity of others.

In the encyclical “Charity in Truth” Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that true charity can only be understood in relationship to justice. For some time now the values of charity and justice have been understood within a hierarchy of values where the individual acts of charity is of principle importance and the work of promoting social justice is secondary. According to the encyclical this is not charity in truth. “Charity goes beyond justice… I cannot “give” what is mine to the other, without first giving him what pertains to him in justice. If we love others with charity, then first of all we are just towards them.”

The encyclical goes on to redefine justice as the act of social and political charity which we are all obliged to give. We are responsible for both individual acts of charity and social acts of charity. This being the case we are not allowed to merely promote voluntary acts of charity while advocating against social laws that promote justice. We cannot feel comfortable with preaching individual charity while denying social programs to help the poor and marginalized. To truly embody charity we must do both. Like the widows in both readings we have to accept the challenge to give for the sake of societies needs. The way this is structured in our society is through a system of taxation that is specifically designated for social programs such as housing, healthcare, education and food programs. The encyclical and today’s scripture readings do not teach us to be libertarians. Instead we are taught to promote the “common good” through our individual and social acts of charity.             

The second reading reminds us that this call to the challenge of promoting “charity in truth” is not built on the social wisdom of this world. It is based on our faith in the “Kingdom of God.” The reading in the letter to the Hebrews tell us about the eschatological mystery where the “Kingdom Of God” is already revealed to us through Jesus but we also await its ultimate establishment in what we call the second coming. This reminds us that we are expected to live and express the true value of charity even in the midst of our imperfect society. We are the individual witnesses to the “Kingdom” and it is through us, united in our relationship with Christ, that we will slowly bring about the true “Kingdom.” This reminds us to persevere in our social and individual acts of true charity and to not be discouraged by the unjust realities of our society or to fall victims of a more convenient  and possibly hypocritical form of charity.

• Jeremiah 31: 7-9. Jeremiah announces the return of the northern tribes, exiled in their pitiable condition by the Assyrians.
• Hebrew 5: 1-6. Priests should deal patiently with erring sinners for they themselves are beset by weakness and must make sin offerings for themselves.
• Mark 10:2-16. Jesus cures the blind man Bartimaeus, declaring “Your faith has healed you.”

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

The readings this week call us to be humble and compassionate. In the first reading Jeremiah is reminding Israel that the Northern tribes will eventually return. God’s people have been humbled after the Assyrian exile of the northern tribes of Israel and Jeremiah prophesizes that in the end the God of mercy will “bring them back from the land of the north.” Jeremiah goes on to describe the great compassion that God will have for his exiled people. Famed Passionist scripture scholar Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller’s suggests that this prophesy is specifically informing the southern tribes of Judah that the northern tribes of Ephraim will return since the Assyrian empire is collapsing at the hands of the Babylonians. But what happens historically is the northern tribes of Israel never returned and they are lost to history.

The old Kingdom of Israel in not restored in its original form. The Jewish people have two choices; they can either dismiss their faith in God altogether, or they can allow themselves to be open to a new way of understanding God’s promise to them. Perhaps God desire to “gather them from the ends of the world with the blind and the lame in their midst” meant something greater than the return of the Northern tribe. Here is where the Gospel reading comes in. Now, through Jesus Christ, Jeremiah’s prophesy can be fulfilled. The compassion that Jesus has on Bartimaeus is reflective of God’s compassion to the lost tribes of Israel.

With humility comes compassion. The message in the second reading is that if we are truly humble then we will be aware of our own limitations and weaknesses. When we do that then we can appreciate the weaknesses and limitations of others. That is when we will be serving our own human community in a way that is compassionate and pastoral versus indifferent and judgmental.   

Humility is a valuable virtue that seems lost in our own society. Opinionated pundits are governing our own way of life and the message seems to be that nothing else should matter, not even the truth, outside of your own opinion. Facts and data are only useful insofar as they can back up your opinion. Principles and morality are also generally irrelevant unless they are the basis for your own opinion. It is fed to us by the media where the opinionated pundits are taking over all forms of journalism. But then it is played out in social networks and blogs. Now it is finding its way in social places like café’s and bars. There is no respect for dialogue and any kind of objective approach. This does not only hold true for politics but also for aspects of the faith. It does not matter what theologians, bishops or popes say or think. So long it fits our own opinion and it represents our own self interest then it may have some value. I have heard this type of public talk for some time now, especially with regards to immigration and the environment. Because there is no humility there is no compassion. Those of us who charge in with our own opinions are indifferent to the opinions and experiences of the other. Our own self-interest becomes our only good. Self-interest is not a value of our faith. We must humble ourselves before our God and before each other so that we can be open to God presence and wisdom within each one of us.

If we don’t learn to be humble make no mistake God will humble us, after all, He’s done it before.

• Wisdom 7:7-11. I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me and in her company all good things.
• Hebrew 4:12-13. God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword. It judges the heart. Nothing is concealed. For everything we must render an account.
• Mark 10:17-30. One thing more you must do. Go and sell what you have and give to the poor. Whatever we have given up to follow Jesus, will return to us a hundred more in this life, plus persecution, and in the age to come, everlasting life.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

God’s gift of Wisdom is at the heart of this week’s lectionary readings. We understand that Grace happens when God freely bestows his gifts upon us. Catholic tradition tells us that there are seven gifts of the Holy Spirit that aid us in our struggle to follow Christ and redeem our humanity: broken by sin and the great temptations of self-indulgence. We require these gifts of God in order to achieve our ultimate purpose and calling which is to be one with God and all of creation. This week’s readings will help us comprehend the prominent role of the gift of Wisdom in the midst of this struggle.

This first reading reminds us of the great value placed on Wisdom by Solomon. If you had one wish in the world what would you wish for? According to this reading the answer would have to be Wisdom. The goodness that comes from Wisdom is not measurable by common social standards. The only appropriate way to consider the value of this gift is if you accept that under the guidance of Wisdom the ultimate sense of goodness flows from it. But having said this we must ask ourselves, “What is goodness”?

In our Christian spirituality and ethics, goodness is not defined as something that is self-gratifying or that simply produces our own personal happiness. Goodness is better understood under what Catholic social teaching calls, “the common good.” Mystics like St. Paul of the Cross would use the term, “the Divine Good” to describe the same concept. Good is a subjective term. What is good for me may not be good for another. So the concept of Divine or Common Good denotes another form of goodness that is not subjective. We would consider this to be a Goodness that is universal or an ultimate form of goodness from which everything that happens to ourselves and all humanity and indeed all creation can have the deepest meaning. So that even in our suffering people like St. Paul of the Cross can say that even in our suffering we may be serving the “Divine Will that can will only the greatest good.”

The Gospel account has a rich young man approach Jesus in pursuit of this greater good. Jesus offers him the Ten Commandments, but the young man has made it that far and now he wants to take the plunge into ultimate goodness no doubt believing that he is ready for the challenge. What Jesus does when he tells him to give all his belongings to the poor is to humble him into realizing the mystical challenge that is the common good. To serve God and the great good that comes from God is to be at the service of all creation, thus “many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” For our part we must intentionally make that choice, to constantly see ourselves in relationship to God and to be at the service of all. As we can tell from the Gospel passage this radical call to goodness unnerves even the Apostles who begin to wonder if there is any hope in achieving this relationship with God. At that point Jesus will remind them that “for mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” So on our own we cannot hope to achieve this greater good. That is why we must have the grace of God’s wisdom to help guide us in this journey.

This may be unnerving and quite daunting but the second reading reminds us of how powerful and ever present the wisdom of God is. By faith we are told to accept that ultimately all things will be held accountable to the Divine Will. So we must not be afraid to ask for this great gift and to humble ourselves by allowing ourselves to be forged by this gift from God.

It is worth mentioning that just preceding this second reading, if we read the rest of Chapter 4 from this letter, we are told about the context from which God’s Divine Will is offered to us. The context is within the solitude of God’s rest. Sometimes, especially in our culture, we feel that we are beyond this ultimate wisdom. God does not seem to be speaking to us anymore. According to this chapter God is ever present and ever alive in our world, but we need to make time to first hear God’s wisdom in order to actually comprehend it. Solitude has been a prominent Christian value. For that reason the Passionists and other Catholic religious communities have upheld the importance for Christians to have an opportunity to engage in retreats periodically and to have spiritual direction in order to spend some intentional time in developing one’s relationship towards God. Many Catholic Religious communities have retreat centers that offer a variety of spiritual themes including silent retreats specifically designed to give each person the opportunity to hear God’s voice. Consider this spiritual option from our tradition as you reflect on the lectionary readings and contemplate how God’s wisdom is speaking to you.

Questions for your Reflection:

• Place yourself in the position of the rich young man. Consider your own hopes and expectations of your faith and imagine that Jesus is asking you to stretch those expectations further. How would you respond to call by God that makes you uncomfortable?
• How do you understand the “Common Good?” Take a moment to reflect on the concept of goodness from the perspective of the other. Consider something good for someone you know and love that may make demands on you. Now consider the good for people on the other side of the world that may make demands on your own society. How does this make you feel?
• What is your experience of spiritual exercises like Retreats or Spiritual Direction? Have you ever taken advantage of these services that our Church and the Religious community have to offer? If you would like to visit resources on these services visit either www.passionist.org if you live in the western part of the United States or www.thepassionists.org if you live in the eastern part to find these resources close to you.

• Genesis 2:18-24. The creation of man and woman, their vocation to become two in one flesh and to be suitable partners for each other.
• Hebrew 2:9-11. Jesus is perfected through suffering and tastes death for all. So, he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
• Mark 10:2-16. Jesus prohibits divorce and remarriage and compares the kingdom of God to those who are like little children.

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

As we consider this week’s reading we are invited to reflect on the concept of relationship. In many ways the heart of the Gospel message is relationship: the relationship between Jesus and the Father, the relationship between God and humanity, the relationship between us and the rest of humanity. This week we are reminded of the most intimate level of this dynamic through the image of husband and wife. In the Gospel Jesus protects this radical moment of relationship where two “become one flesh,” a relationship we understand as marriage.

When people generally consider this aspect of relationship it is usually envisioned with weddings, a united and happy family, a man and wife happily aging together. Marriage evokes attitudes of happiness and joy. It is usually affiliated with the concept of love. As one reads the first reading or the Gospel passage all these images, attitudes and values will probably surface. And yet, in the second reading a very different image of suffering is sandwiched between the other two readings. This is not an accidental insert.

The Christian spirituality of the cross always reminds us that the deepest level of relationship is often born out of the fire of self sacrifice. To love God, to love your neighbor as yourself, to love your spouse and your family these are all powerful moments of relationship, but ultimately they call us to sacrifice our own selfish passions for the good of others. Christian mystics like St. Paul of the Cross have understood this within the concept they called the Mystical Union. Jesus’ mission is to cement the damaged relationship between God and humanity through the ultimate self sacrificing covenant when he suffered and died for our sake. Like Jesus we are called into a deep and meaningful relationship with God the Father and all humanity. But also like Jesus we are called to sacrifice ourselves to lift up our own brothers and sisters.

In comprehending this Mystical Union it is important for us to place His Passion within the context of society. To be in an intimate relationship with the Father meant to be at the service of all humanity. This uncompromising lifestyle was not consistent with the social structures of the Roman era and I will argue that it is not consistent with the social structures of our day. Society did to Jesus then as it did to the prophets before him and as it continues to do the saints of our own day. But as God vindicated Jesus within the social “culture of death” God continues to vindicate those of us who live to sacrifice ourselves for the common good. And thus the second reading tells us that “Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters.”

Marriage and family is the foundational unit of our society. In the eyes of our church society is build around this unit. This is the principle unit within which we are called to live a life of self sacrifice. In marriage we have the opportunity to express a form of this mystical union that we are called to have with God. Like marriage, mystical union is ultimately where one can and does experience happiness and joy. The mystics like St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Mother Theresa and St. Paul of the Cross found their ultimate enlightenment by pursuing the Divine Will. But in pursuing this Divine Will they slowly had to shed away their own personal will, their own ideals and goals, their own wants and needs, all this was sacrificed for the ultimate good. Within our own family dynamic we experience this mystical moment. Many times we face moments where we have to sacrifice our own wants and desires. Once children are on the scene this mystical moment becomes elevated. But as the family grows together there will be moments when the ultimate meaning of one’s own purpose becomes clearly understood within the context of this family.

Our own experience within this unit should help inform us of our personal relationship with God. Our own relationship with God may not be as tangible as marriage. But if we allow ourselves to be sacrificed in faith (keeping in mind the great sacrifice that Jesus made for us, in faith) then we will begin to find the same great and powerful meaning that the mystics found. In faith we must learn to soften our own passions, expectation, and ideals for what we want from our own society. We must learn to sacrifice this on the altar of the Divine Will and receive from God’s own concept of what is Good and Just.

Questions for your Reflection:

• What set of attitudes and expectation do we have as we consider our own marriage or community unit? Are these attitudes self serving or are they serving the family dynamic?
• How can we come to understand the image of Christ suffering for us within our own role within our own family or community? How can we understand this image in our own role within society?
• Take the time to evaluate your own social values and ideals. How are these values formed and whom do they serve? Do they promote your own good in the midst of the social reality, or do they promote a good that is other than your own?

• Wis. 2:12, 17-20. The just person, characterized by gentleness and patience, is tested, persecuted and even killed by the self-confident wicked.
• James 3:16-4:3. Jealousy and strife beget inconstancy, conflicts and vile behavior. Wisdom is innocent, peaceable, impartial and sincere.
• Mark 9:30-37. Jesus’ announcement of his passion and death leaves the disciples speechless. In the meanwhile they argue who was the most important among themselves. Jesus’ reply: whoever welcomes a child for my sake, welcomes me.

Thoughts for your consideration: By Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, CP

There is a saying to the effect that, should a butterfly flap its wings in one part of the world, there will be repercussions of that infinitesimally small action elsewhere in the world.  This assertion is based on the principle that everything is connected, so that nothing happens in isolation.

There are concerns of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) associated with this assertion.  And today’s biblical readings lend themselves to an illustration of this principle, and this example.

For instance, the gospel depicts Jesus in a teaching mode regarding His disciples.  Having just warned them about what lay ahead for Him (sufferings, death and Resurrection) He discovers, surely to His chagrin, that there was absolutely no linkage whatsoever between His remark and the disciples’ receptive capacity, as they focused on their advancement in His company.  So He decided to do some linkage of His own, advocating a sense of  lowliness on their part, by esteeming the value of an insignificant child whom He embraces, for  achieving status with Him and His Father by their doing likewise.  He suggests an interconnection here between their external behavior and an interior mindset.

St. James, likewise, focuses on relationships in the behavior patterns of his correspondents.  He notes the foul practices and disorders erupting in their midst, escalating into wars and conflicts.  In his opinion, they derive from within: their passions, their ambitions, and their jealousy.  Like Jesus before him, he appeals to a matter of the heart (the wisdom of prayer) as a solution for these external troubles.

The author of the book of Wisdom gives his own witness to the interconnections prevailing between the inner and the outer phases of our lives, by posing the case of a just person who criticizes others for their transgressions and violations of their training, thereby rousing their anger.  So they decide to try his/her gentleness and patience by violations and torture, to see whether such a one’s interior trust in God will suffice to sustain abuse from without.

Each of these scenarios is an instance of a butterfly flapping its wings, impacting another phase of life.  Such was the case when Jesus embraced a child so as to change the disciples’ conduct; and when James proposed to his correspondents that they secure a bit of wisdom so as to improve the way they acted; and when the Wise Man praised the example of the just person’s patient, trusting relationship with God before the persecution undergone for upholding righteousness.

There are JPIC issues at stake here: interpersonal rivalries threatening comradeship, disorders escalating into wars and conflicts, social disruptions deserving criticism.  None of these exist in isolated fashion, separated from the rest of life.  They emerge out of ambition, passion, and hatred.  They too resemble the flapping of a butterfly’s wings, but instead of initiating values of harmony, peace and order residing within they are initiating a negative set of values which will also have powerful repercussions. What we do here and how we behave in the moment is crucial. Immediate actions and attitudes may seem insignificant but whether we realize it or not, they are impacting our internal mindset and external surroundings.

Questions for your Reflection:

• What set of values dictate our behavior and attitude toward ourselves, each other and the world? Can we name these values? How do we maintain consistency in applying these values?
• None of us can claim to be impervious to negative attitudes. Prayer, solitude, meditation and retreats are organized ways to process these moments. How do we integrate these methods to specifically address our own negative attitudes? Should we consider promoting these methods within our own family and local community?

• Isaiah 50:5-9 – The servant is not ashamed, even though smeared with spittle; the servant teaches others by first being obedient to the Lord.
• James 2:14-18 – Faith that does nothing in practice is thoroughly lifeless.
• Mark 8:27-35 – After Peter confesses Jesus to be the Messiah, Jesus teaches the disciples the necessity to deny their very selves, take up the cross and follow in Jesus’ footsteps.

 Thoughts for your consideration: by John Gonzalez

This week Isaiah and Mark will invite us to understand the image of Jesus as the suffering servant of God.  In both of these readings we are told about an apparent contradiction. Isaiah discussed the advent of one who serves God and who is empowered and gifted by God. Jesus, in discussion with his disciples, places himself and his deeds in the context of being the Messiah (the anointed one). This of course would tend to signify a person of great significance and power, certainly we get a sense that Jesus’ disciples think so and why not, how else shall we conceptualize the anointed one of God. And yet in both these reading Isaiah and Mark tell us that this significant figure will have to undergo great suffering, horrible treatment and an inglorious death. This is nothing less than a social contradiction.

After Peter identifies Jesus’ messianic identity he and the other disciples are shocked to learn about the horrific fate that awaits Jesus. This is all too much for Peter who goes on to rebuke Jesus and who in turn gets rebuked by Jesus for “setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” This reminds us of last week’s readings where we were invited to be healed by Christ from the limitations of our own social conditioning. Peter and the disciples expect the Messiah to vindicate and save Israel from its own corruption as well as its external oppression. They logically should expect that Jesus will have a glorious role to play as the long awaited Messiah. But here they are instructed to set their minds on divine things. This perspective is to understand the role of the Messiah as a socially tragic figure whose vindication is the reward of eternal life in communion with God the Father. This is the Kingdom that will await the disciples of Jesus, but for them to earn this they too must “take up their cross and follow me.”

We should take some time to marvel at what Peter and the disciples are witnessing here. As baptized members of this apostolic community we also should place ourselves in their footsteps as we consider these divine things. We should take some time to imagine that Jesus is also correcting us in considering our own social obligations as we consider what it means to take up our own cross and follow Him. As we consider the social dilemma that Peter and the apostles faced consider also their own state of shock and anxiety after the passion and death of Jesus. We are told that they were afraid and that they hid themselves in locked rooms. This has to be considered normal. They followed a great teacher and healer who they understood was the Son of God and this man was legitimately crucified by the social structures of the day. What we should marvel at is the historical fact that these disciples witnessed something amazing and supernatural. They witnessed something that gave them the strength and motivation to publically live an alternative lifestyle. The historical proof of the resurrection of Christ is not necessarily based in Sacred Scripture. Instead it is based on the amazing historical fact that a religious movement was born and grew from the most socially unlikely foundation: A healing teacher who was convicted and crucified as a criminal. The only way we can truly explain this is by trying to comprehend what these early disciples witnessed and experienced after the death of Jesus.  

This Kingdom of God may be of divine origin, but the purpose of Jesus was to bring the Kingdom of God here to Earth. This now becomes part of our own mandate in following Christ. In the second reading James reminds us that we are not allowed to spiritualize this message or to preach an other-wordly message. Jesus’ sacrifice came from the fact that he would not compromise the Kingdom of God to any socio-political system; he lived it obediently no matter what the cost. We are told to live out this Kingdom by being doers of justice, promoters of peace, and responsible stewards of God’s creation. While Matthew 25 offers a wonder image of social responsibility through the image of the last judgment this no-nonsense passage from James captures the message very succinctly and worthy of repetition here:

If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

I will not say more with regards to this passage, least I spiritualize the obvious.

• Isaiah 35:4-7 – God comes to open our blind eyes, to clear our deaf ears, to strengthen our lame legs, to turn the thirsting ground into springs of water.
• James 2:1-5 – Your faith must not allow favoritism. Did not God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith?
• Mark 7:31-37 – Jesus has done everything well! He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak

Thoughts for your consideration: By John Gonzalez

This week’s readings invite us to embrace our limitations. The power of Jesus and the prophesy of Isaiah are not measured by social, political or economic dominance. Instead we are told that the Kingdom of God is manifested when the wounded members of the human community are made whole through the power of God. Through God the blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dumb will speak. For us to truly appreciate the meaning behind these two readings we need to move away from literal interpretation and ask, “Who is the blind person?” The 9^th Chapter (verse 39) of the Gospel of John will help us with the spiritual significance of these readings:

Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.

We humans are all limited. While we may see and hear we are limited by what we see and hear from the narrow perspective of our experience. This experience may cause us to place faith on our own political ideologies or financial abilities. Others will base their own perspective from their national or tribal allegiance while some may identify more with a certain social class. In this sense we all suffer from some kind of social blindness. None of us can claim to see or comprehend the Kingdom of God. If we choose to open ourselves to ways of God and Christ then we must first humble ourselves in accepting our own limitations. However we must also be open to the fact that this perspective is going to challenge us to serve all of God’s creation instead of ourselves. St. Paul of the Cross used the term “the greater good” in his spiritual writings to help us make the distinction between the self serving good that we tend to desire and the true but challenging good that comes from God.

How beautiful it is to suffer with Jesus… let us use every endeavor to seek holy perfection, humility, obedience, and, above all, a continual resignation to the Divine Good Pleasure. You think what is happening is opposed to your good; to the contrary, you should know these are designed by your loving Spouse for your greater good.   

Only in accepting the will of God and in serving God’s creation can we truly be made whole. Symbolically the blind and deaf were made whole by accepting the grace and power of God to preach the Good news in words and in deeds. All of us who suffer from some form of blindness need to humble ourselves to the Divine Will from which we can gain the true sight where we can begin to comprehend the greater good that serves God and all of creation.

The second reading from James reminds us of our social blindness. Social favoritism is as much an issue in today’s day and age as it was for the early Christian community. How many times do we not equate a favorable attitude to those who wield some form of social power and status while dismissing the panhandlers and beggars who confront us? I continue to be guilty of this social sin. The point is not to wallow in our own guilt but to reflect on this social reality and as much as we can we need to adjust our own personal attitudes and social positions to consider the wounded human community that have just as much God given dignity as we all have. It is for this reason that Catholic social teaching has raised the principle known as the “Preferential Option for the Poor.” The poor are a constant reminder to us that the greater good of society is not being met. We must prioritize the good of our own family and local community for which we have been given responsibility for. But we must never allow ourselves to be blind to the reality of the poor and marginalized in our midst.

These social lenses may challenge us to our very core, but as the readings remind us, this is where God comes in.

Thoughts for your consideration: by Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, CP
A current liturgical hymn that is fairly popular in church settings is GATHER US IN.  It is especially appropriate at the commencement of the eucharist, since people have just arrived and taken their places in their pews or chairs.  The significance of the terms lies in  the etymology of the word “gathering”, when appreciated in terms of other languages, such as Greek or Hebrew, where derivative terms such as “church” or “synagogue” are constructed around it.

For church is a gathering place that synchronizes quite well with the above-mentioned hymn.  This phenomenon is so common-place that it easily escapes observation and comment, yet “gathering” is an achievement under-girding many of the issues of concern to JPIC.  If the process of gathering could be generalized or universalized, it would advance so many matters currently contributing to worldwide division and controversy, toward harmony and compatibility.

So we listen with interest to our biblical readings today, noting the prominence of the gathering topic in what we hear.  For instance, in the first reading from the prophet Jeremiah, reminds us how God has employed exile and the scattering of the tribes of Israel and Judah among foreign nations, as a punishment corresponding closely to the self-induced separation from God that has plagued them over the centuries following the brief period of harmony the twelve tribes of Israel enjoyed during the kingship of David.  But Jeremiah has good news for his listeners today: God is intervening in this sadly divisive situation, and is bringing back the scattered tribes from the nations to where they have been exiled.  He is “gathering” them together as an antidote to their rebellious ways.

And St. Paul provides an additional emphasis to this development.  Disturbed by the hiatus between Jew and Gentile as an obstacle to what he sees as God’ plan for all peoples, he appeals to the death of Jesus on the cross as the decisive turning point away from the fragmentation of those whom Paul would bring into peace and harmony, and he especially employs the terms “peace” and “reconciliation” to describe the ideal relationship he hopes to happen in the wake of the death of Christ on the cross.  It is as if all the horrors of hatred, revenge, cruelty and meanness spent itself in Christ’s death, so that the powers of evil, their power and energy spent and broken, now lie helpless before the surge of new life available to those gathered together around the cross.

St. Mark, in his turn, employs the “gathering” process to show its irresistible power in the lives of those whom Christ has fascinated.  Even as He tries to separate Himself from them for a brief respite, they rally their forces in pursuit of Him, to gather wherever He might be, as sheep gathering around their shepherd.  And Christ responded to them, changing His own plans, to meet their need for attention, which He judged important.

This process of “gathering” may seem fairly innocuous in the JPIC context, in view of the glaring issues and problems hovering over us.  Nonetheless, it is very much what the church is about.  To bring closer together those who are scattered, not only from the church, but among themselves, is a major achievement, and this is what the church attempts.  Those who performs such church ministries as ushers and greeters, insignificant as those positions may seem, are often cited as galvanizers by those benefiting from their service.

On the world scale, no nation can afford to “go it alone”, as if some sort of gathering was unimportant to it.  Even as powerful a nation as the U.S. found this out in recent times, as it pursued its own chosen method of dealing with violence and terrorism across the globe.
Nonetheless, our nation owes its origin to the success it enjoyed in the 18th century, at transforming the Continental Congress of the thirteen colonies into the original thirteen states, jealously independent units that set aside their differences and formed a memorable gathering that has admirably succeeded.

A major gathering point among the nations of the world has been the United Nations.  Despite incessant criticism, from its very inception, for being inherently flawed, inept and basically useless, the U.N. is still with us.  It is the only mechanism available for bringing peoples together.  It us true that its achievements seem modest, to say the least, but the very fact that 192 nations gather at the UN to see one another, to hear one another, to “deal with” one another, is a major step in the right direction.

Even our churches, which are supposed to be the gold standard by which gathering comes about, have had less than stellar records, over the years, in assembling people of different colors, socio-economic status and viewpoints into one same worship space.  We can hardly expect the UN to surpass houses of worship in effecting harmony and collaboration.

More to the point, the crowds that St. Mark describes today as fervent followers of Jesus were nowhere to be seen a few months later, as He climbed Calvary and underwent crucifixion on the cross.  What shall we say—that He wasted time and effort earlier on, in gathering them to Himself?  No, for gathering is a process coterminous with our existence here on earth.  It will only conclude at the final gathering of the sheep and the goats St. Matthew describes in his 25th chapter.

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group:

Where are the places where you gather with others?
Who are the persons that you gather with in a regular basis?
How diverse is this group of people with which you gather?

Thoughts for your consideration:

Our environment conditions us. This was one of the best piece of advise that I received as a student, and one that I have taken quite seriously in my involvement with organizations that seek justice in oppressed communities. The environment will dictate my awareness and most of my blind spots. This, I have found out, is an inevitable reality of all human nature. What is more, it plays a great role in the direction that groups of people will take, whether these are families or corporations.

As members of a Religious Congregation in North America, our dreams, visions and mission were concretized, partly, in the institutions that we created. The fruit of our hard labor paid off as we raised great buildings that have served the Body of Christ for many generations. Now, we find ourselves closing some of these places, the same places that once where an icon of our identity, service and legacy.

Although it is natural for us to grow such attachments to the buildings and the dreams that they once represented, the Gospel’s message presents us an alternative. Jesus’ instruction to the Twelve, to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick, no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic, is more than a recommendation to remain frugal or to carry on their work in simplicity. Rather, Jesus invited them to keep their imaginations open, and therefore to keep their ministry creative, always evolving. The Twelve had the freedom to move and adapt rapidly, yet their mission, their authority over unclean spirits was not changed, for we hear how “the Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them”. Although institutions are necessary to carry out our work, the freedom to dream new dreams and visions that will enable our mission to be relevant to our times is also necessary not only for our survival as a group but as a matter of justice.

This ability to envision ourselves differently will depend on the places, environments, where we find our selves. Jesus instructed the Twelve to enter a house and stay there until they were to leave. I’m sure that the disciples, as guests, where able to ask questions on the in’s and out’s the town in order to be more effective in the work that was entrusted to them.  Hence, they were able to adapt to the new and evolving situations in the different places where they ministered.

As a person that ministers within an institution, I must continually ask whether the institution is able to respond to the present reality in an integral way with minimal blind spots, or if the blind spots are too great for the development of ministerial work that is effective and just. This can be a difficult and frustrating process, yet it can help us to carry out the mission in a more dignified manner. The process can be frustrating because we can find harsh truths such as, the case where the non-profit organization that seeks justice in the community has a great disparity from the race of its employees and the race of the community that its seeks to organize; or when the NGO that seeks to create change, recreates old systems of oppression because it welcomes the oppressed person’s humanity but it is not willing to embrace his or her personhood; or, when the organization ends up chasing funds rather than the fulfillment of its mission, or, worse, when a  “do-gooder” is placed in a community and within a short time of being there, he or she becomes the unofficial spokesperson for that group. Our Christian Mission, whether personal or communal, must begin by understanding the location from which we seek God’s Will in order to continue the mission entrusted to us of driving out demons rather than creating new ones.

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
Mark 5:21-43 or 5:21-24, 35b-43

Thoughts for your consideration:

This week’s lectionary readings remind us of the value of life. We have heard it summarized so many times before that our God is the God of life. In the book of Wisdom and in the Gospel reading we are told about this unconditional allegiance that God and Christ have for the promotion and preservation of life. Furthermore in the book of Wisdom we are told that “the generative forces of the world are wholesome.”

Of course one question that many of us will probably ask ourselves as we hear this passage is: “then what about the reality of death and destruction in our world?” How do we reconcile this divine ideal regarding life with the reality of death? Is the presence of death an affirmation of our irreconcilably corrupt nature? That does not leave us with a very hopeful theology; it would also negate the reconciliation of God and humanity through the death and resurrection of Christ. Do we then ascribe death to another divine influence? This would fly in the face of our monotheistic faith. While we believe that God exists in a mystical relationship that we call the Trinity we, like our Jewish and Muslim brethren, fully subscribe to One God.

The book of Wisdom offers us an insight into the presence of death in the midst of life when it qualifies that “righteousness is immortal.” If we can humble ourselves to accept that God’s ways are not our own then perhaps we need to redefine what life is. Life is not merely existence. For God life is existence with meaning, or better yet a divine purpose. To be truly alive is to exist for God. To exist for God is in turn to exist for all and with all of creation; to live in a form of ultimate harmony where Creation and the Trinity can live as one.

The second reading takes us further into this qualification of what it means to truly live. To enter into this mystical relationship with God and creation, a relationship that the gospel constantly invites us to, we must live for the service of all so that we can all live as one. We must all live simply, so that others may simply live. As Paul reminds the Corinthian community, their own abundance must serve the needs of their brethren in need, just as we would want their abundance to serve our own needs. True life is one that is lived in righteousness towards one another. Paul is discussing righteousness in terms of material generosity and charity. In Mark we hear of Jesus achieving righteousness through healing the sick and dying. These are just two areas of righteousness that call for our attentiveness. 

As we believe in one God so too must we acknowledge each other as members of one global community. It is our Christian responsibility to see to it that our abundance serves the needs of all. Currently in our nation we are struggling over the issue of universal healthcare. Certainly we can discuss the details of how we can construct a healthcare system that can work best with the political and economic structures that we have. But we must not compromise our Christian responsibility to promote the quality and meaning of life through a universal healthcare system. Christ did not reprimand the woman with a hemorrhage who touched his cloak; instead he affirmed her faith and maintained her desire to be healthy. Now we as a nation are given this opportunity to provide for the health of our brothers and sisters in need. If our abundance is meant to serve the needs of others then we must take this opportunity to see that all have access to a good and universal healthcare system.     

Questions for Reflection in your Faith Sharing Group:

• When have your encountered people who are in need of healing or health care and have not had access to it?  
• Where do you see unnecessary death in our world?