By Whose Authority?

At one time or another, each of us has sought a mentor or a guide when it comes to making moral decisions—when seeking to do the right thing. We seek someone with experience, with wisdom. We seek someone who will be honest and compassionate, someone who wishes us well. A mentor or guide may tell us things that are hard to hear, but upon deep reflection, our hardened hearts can listen again.

Jesus was human, just like us. As a teacher, Jesus taught the people as one having authority, an authority very different from that of the scribes. The scribes were famous for winning arguments and destroying their opponents. Jesus, on the other hand, invited his followers—his disciples—to see as God sees, to love as God loves.

Jesus spent his life teaching about the kingdom of God, what God sees and what God loves, what God desires on this earth as much as in heaven. Notice who Jesus spends time with, who he pays attention to—who matters to Jesus? Not the usual persons we would think of, I dare say. In that attentiveness, that ministering to “outcasts” we might identify some of the demons inside of us that need to “come out” or need to be cast out.

By whose authority do we live? Are there any scribes in our lives? When does Jesus’ authority prevail?

Alice Camille proposes 5 new mysteries of the rosary in a new article in U.S.Catholic.

The first healing mystery:

Jesus restores the outcast to community

“Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?” (Luke 17:17)

They were lumped together as “unclean.” Nobody knows what afflictions they suffered. These lepers couldn’t be touched, were thrust from home and family, and were forced to live apart. Whatever infected them couldn’t have been worse than this awful isolation, as we know intimately.

Jesus, heal us from this pandemic. Restore our community to health and wholeness. May we remain grateful for the privilege of human gathering.

The second healing mystery:

Jesus rewards the woman of courage

“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” (Matt. 9:22)

She wasn’t supposed to be out in public, touching a man’s clothes, or cause a stir that would embarrass her family. But the hemorrhaging woman had suffered too much for too long to behave by social norms that didn’t serve her and couldn’t save her. She trusted Jesus. Good for her!

Jesus, bless the courageous ones who won’t sit quietly by and suffer without taking their destiny in their own hands.

The third healing mystery:

Jesus frees the imperiled child

“Lord, have mercy on my son, for . . . he suffers terribly.” (Matt. 17:15)

This poor child fell often into fire and into water. He reminds us of all our children now suffering the effects of conditions they did nothing to cause and are powerless to change.

For all the ways in which the world’s children suffer—hunger, domestic abuse, impaired learning conditions, depression, anxiety, shame— Lord, rescue our children and restore their hope.

The fourth healing mystery:

Jesus heals the person suffering mental distress

“But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ ” (Mark 1:25)

Demons haunt us all. But some, like this man who cried out to Jesus, are especially burdened. People who are emotionally fragile, or whose mental health was already compromised, suffer exceptionally from the pandemic conditions of stress, upheaval, and isolation.

Lord, we ask you to keep our vulnerable loved ones in your special care. Hold them in the palm of your hand and let them feel your constant protection.

The fifth healing mystery:

Jesus heals the Earth’s abundance

“So they cast [the net], and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.” (John 21:6)

Behind the realities of pandemic looms the greater danger of a world enduring the cumulative effects of exploitation, greed, indifference, and ignorance. Climate change is changing the rules of our future survival.

Merciful Lord, this creation is your first and best gift to us. Give us the wisdom and the will to transform our global commitment to the planet that is our home.

A Word of God

“Teach me your ways, O Lord.” In this week’s Scripture readings, we learn that one of the “ways” is repentance. The people of Nineveh certainly changed their ways when Jonah announced their destruction in 40 days! According to this story, God’s mind changed when their actions showed that they had turned from their evil ways. The change that we call repentance is also the change that we call conversion. The people of Nineveh turn from whatever separated them from God because the prophet Jonah announced the consequences of their evil ways.

Likewise in Mark’s Gospel, we hear some of the first recorded words in Jesus’ beginning ministry. “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Again, the way is one of repentance. It also requires that we leave everything behind that distracts us from making God the center of our lives or that presents an obstacle to our new mission to believe in and LIVE the gospel. Indifference (to injustice, suffering), silence and complicity, selfishness, neglect of our neighbor—none of these are part of the new way, the new path. Followers of Jesus know that living a Christian life is a continuous process of discernment and formation. This weekend again, we have the opportunity to discern the path, the way that we are being called to live. What must we leave behind in order to continue our baptismal journey? What are some of the evil ways, the social sins that we need to repent of? What are some concrete things that we can do to show that we love God above all?

Together, we ask: “Teach us your ways, O Lord.” For this let us work and pray!

Wake Up Call

What are you looking for? Where are you staying? Come and see! In John’s gospel this weekend we hear about succession and a transfer of power. John transitions his followers into being followers of Jesus by first naming Jesus as Teacher. Jesus then asks Andrew: What are you looking for? Perhaps Andrew was befuddled and like most of us today answers the question with another question—Where are you staying? Jesus responds with strong, but inviting action words—Come and see! And they stayed with Jesus. And Jesus changed their names!

Imagine that Jesus is asking us the same question: What are you looking for? For yourself? For your family? For our parish community? For our country? Can you STAY with Jesus and let Jesus inform you? Where do you go to “come and see?”

This conversation is really about discernment—seeking new information from reliable teachers, seeing and listening with a new, inquiring spirit and the openness to hear challenges, often beyond our understanding at the moment. It is about searching for what God wants of us, for us.

Many of us are overwrought with fear of COVID and with concern for what’s happening in the transfer of power in our country after a difficult election period. These are life-changing times and hopefully we are asking Jesus where Jesus is staying today, in all of this conflict and confusion. Are we taking the time to “come and see” what Jesus is revealing to us in all of this?

In the other “call” narrative we hear this weekend, Samuel hears a call in his dreams. His response is quick and repetitive. Three times he mistakes who the caller is and confidently responds: “Here I am.  You called me.” It is Eli who convinces Samuel to respond differently with “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Eli understood that this call was coming from the Lord. Eli helped Samuel to discern this call and what it meant. Samuel’s response changed and the words he used mattered.

We learn that the young Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.

Eli’s guidance provides a different perspective, not simply Samuel’s own thinking of what his response should be. Samuel announces to the Lord that he is listening and that he is listening to the voice of God in everything, at all times. He listens with humility and a desire to serve God, rather than his own interests, and the Lord blesses Samuel, “not permitting any word of his to be without effect.”

Can we be like Samuel? After listening and discernment, seeking different perspectives, what words do we choose to use? Words matter! May our words have the Lord’s blessing!

Come to the Water

Last year on this feast, Pope Francis reminded us of several things!

We rediscover our own Baptism in the Feast of the Baptism. Just as Jesus is the Beloved Son of the Father, we too, reborn by water and the Holy Spirit, know we are loved children—the Father loves us all!—the object of God’s satisfaction, brothers and sisters of many brothers and sisters, assigned with a great mission to bear witness and proclaim the Father’s boundless love to all mankind. -Pope Francis, Angelus, January 12, 2020

Several years ago at SFA, we attached paper drops of water to a tree branch across from our baptismal font. Written on them were our names and the date and place of our Baptism. Some were able to do this quickly; others had to do substantial research! What we all learned from this activity was a renewed sense of what Pope Francis says—we rediscovered our own Baptism. In doing that, we also spent time reflecting on the meaning of this sacrament and both the grace and the responsibility that comes from reception of the sacrament. What does it mean to be reborn by water? By the Holy Spirit? What are we being reborn to—in our being and in our actions? When do we know that we are the object of God’s satisfaction? That we are beloved? Baptism makes us brothers and sisters to many brothers and sisters. When are we most aware of that? When do we forget? And when do we fulfill our mission of bearing witness and proclaiming the Father’s boundless love to all? Jesus spent his life fulfilling His mission of compassionate care for those often “left out” or avoided, for those who did not have access, and those with need for healing. Our Baptism calls us to that same mission, one that requires us to come to the water. May we be blessed in our efforts!

Stars of Light

We are drawn to light. We seek light in the darkness. So many of us eagerly waited to see the “Christmas Star” that graced our vision just before Christmas. Did we imagine the star that guided the Magi?

The Magi followed the light of a star to find the light of the world, Jesus. Who or what has lit the way for you, guided you toward Jesus, shown you the love and mercy of God, and helped you to see Christ in all people?

St. Paul reminds us that the star’s light shines on each and every person, unique and precious in  God’s eyes. No exceptions! Jews and Gentiles, women and men, people of all skin color tones are the recipients of God’s light. Do we search for the light in persons who are different—who look different, who think differently, who love differently, who believe differently?

God warned the Magi not to return to Herod because he knew what was in Herod’s heart. Herod feared the light. Jealousy and greed kept him from an encounter with Jesus. Jealousy and greed led to his desire to eliminate Jesus, resulting in the slaughter of many innocent children. How does jealousy and greed distract us, even desiring to extinguish the light, the life in others?

The Magi, following God’s warning, went home by a different path. Pope Francis, in recent publications, reminds us that the pandemic has brought us to a crossroads too. We have the opportunity to choose a different path. Pope Francis says we must use this decisive moment to end our superfluous and destructive goals and activities and to cultivate values, connections, and activities that are life-giving. Many of us have used the time we have been given to read, to educate ourselves about differences, to think differently—to choose a different path, to find another way home. Even the home we know has changed.

When God reveals to our understanding something of God’s self, we call this gift an epiphany. Where will the star lead us? What path, what different way home will we find and follow? Who will be our companions on this journey? Will our light attract others to follow the same path?

May we be epiphanies to each other, overflowing with love and extravagant care for each other. Make us shining stars that lead others to Jesus! For this, let us all work and pray!