Mark 9: 38-40 He drives out demons in your name

Do you recall Charles Colton's famous quote, "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery"?  In today's Gospel the Apostles are appalled that someone who was not in their eyes 'authorized' is driving out demons in Jesus' name. 

It calls to mind an image of one who is trying to become Christ-like, and therefore has radically changed their life to be as much as they can like Him.  It is what we are all called to strive to do.  It is difficult, but Jesus reminds us, that these people who do this, who try to imitate him, they cannot be against him:  if they were against him, they would not be trying to imitate him.  How do we start to try to imitate Christ, and why should we?

St. Paul says, "Put off the old man who is corrupted according to the desire of error, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth." (Eph 4:22-24)  As Dietrich von Hildebrand explains we must desire to be this new man or woman in Christ.  It has been interesting speaking with young adults recently who attest how easy it is to become complacent in their faith and with the things of life, that they are suddenly realizing that they need to keep challenging themselves to grow spiritually and to become better people--this challenging the way they think, pushing themselves to help others by taking their own selves out of their comfort zones, by working to be more forgiving and compassionate, these are the ways to put on their new selves, to live in imitation of Christ, to be Christ-like. 

John 21:1-19 Do you love me?

In today's Gospel the Apostles are fishing, catching nothing.  Easter is a time of joy and new beginnings in the Light of the Resurrected Christ.  As the dawn breaks, they see Christ Jesus upon the shore.  Recall that he had summoned them to be fishers of men in a similar way before the crucifixion.  Again he calls them to be fishers of men, in a sense, by lowering their nets into the ride side of the boat.  Clement of Alexandria wrote about Jesus in a hymn in his Pedagogues III,

"...Fisher of men,

you, their Savior:

from the sea of evil

you pull the pure fish,

out of the hostile storm

you draw them to the life of blessedness..."

We are the fish, while Peter and the Apostles represent the Church in relation to Christ.  They bring us to the shore bathed in light where Jesus is waiting.  That Christ breaks the bread with them in that first breakfast of the Resurrection assures us that he will continue to nourish us. 

Why does he do this?  Love.  He asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?"  It is as if to undo those three times that Peter denied him.  At the same time, each time Peter says, I love you, it could be though of as saying it to each member of the Holy Trinity, with whom he is in communion with; and at the same time, he stands for us, as the rock on which our church is founded.  He answers for us, "Yes Lord, I love you."  My we continue loving the Lord with each moment of our lives.  Amen.

John 6:1-15 Loaves and Fishes

In this first reading we again have the Apostles and other disciples preaching.  Recall that the Sanhedrin was putting them on trial with the possibility of death.  The Apostles and disciples had therefore been in jail and mysteriously released, but we know it was due to heavenly visitors.  Gamaliel was a Doctor of the Law, head of an important rabbinic school, and member of the Sanhedrin.   In recognition of God’s intervention for the Jewish people throughout their covenant, Gamaliel recognizes that God may be present here too.  He argued that they Apostles should not be harmed saying, “have nothing to do with these men, and let them go.  For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself.  But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.”  That which is of human origin will ultimately parish, but that which is from God will endure.

Truth endures forever.  The Apostles, the martyrs, and we seek the Lord, our Truth, and our refuge, for the Lord is our Light and Our Salvation.  Did he not teach us about heavenly things?  Does he not feed us with what we need to nourish ourselves? 

In today’s Gospel Jesus sits with the others and the crowds.  These are the people who walked to where he is currently, which the Lord crossed the waters in a boat with the Apostles.  The crowds had followed him seeking relief from their pains, anxieties, and sicknesses. His words ease their pains, and his heavenly touch and presence cures their ills.  Asking Philip and Andrew if there is enough food for all, he is told no. 

It is springtime.  The Passover is near, and they are with the Lamb.  The loaves and fish are distributed and it is a miracle, everyone receives and an abundance remains.  This is true of the grace and blessings of this feast with the Lord, then and now.  The Lord invites those seeking him into his company and provides nourishment at his banquet, providing the food himself through the Spirit. 

It is the same way at Holy Communion when the Lord invites us to his table.  Every time we receive the Holy Eucharist the Lords blessings and abundant graces are poured out for us.  Christ Jesus is our Paschal lamb.  We are still within the Easter season celebrating his death and Resurrection.  Matthew tells us, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” 

Christ came not only to nourish us with bread and wine, but to feed us with himself: that is the Word of God.  The loaves and fishes are a foreshadowing of what happens in the breaking of the bread at mass.  The Holy Eucharist is Christ himself under the species of bread and wine.  The receiving of the host during the Sacrament of Communion is the outward and visible sign of that inward and divine spiritual gift, which is God himself.  May we always love the Blessed Eucharist for what it is, and learn to love being with Christ, the Pascal Lamb and the newness of life which he gives us through his death and Resurrection.  Amen.

Luke 9:28b-36 The Transfiguration

Luke gives us the impression of the Lord glorified so much so that the Apostles are awed.  Remember that Luke was a doctor writing to Gentile readers about Christ and how to be good disciples.  He is also interested in examining things.  This reading as Jesus and some of the Apostles are on the mountain praying it is hard not to think about the other garden that Jesus would so famously pray in at Gethsemane.  In this is the Transfiguration, a pledge of Jesus Christ’s full glory revealed. In the other garden, he would be taken to suffer through the Passion that led to the Cross. 

           

Jesus is not alone as he prays.  Moses and Elijah are with him.  They were conversing about Jesus’ death and everything that would happen in Jerusalem.  One of our early Church Fathers, Tertullian, wrote that Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets.  They appear dwelling within the Lord High God.  Peter recognizes them and wants almost to capture them knowing that truly this must mean that Jesus is the Messiah.  Peter in the passage before today’s reading as confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, but like then, he is commanded by God the Father to be silent and to listen to what the Word, that is Jesus the Christ, His only Son, has to say.  Christ is the fulfillment of the Law and as prophet, speaks for God.  At the same time Jesus came to make a new covenant with his people through his love, mercy and grace upon the Cross for the salvation of mankind. 

Luke 5: 1-11 Fishers of Men

For today's readings http://usccb.org/bible/readings/020716.cfm

My apologies dear friends for my tardy blog.  I ask prayers for a dear friend who died this morning.  Her name is Grace.  Most of my day was spent making telephone calls to those I was to contact when she died.

In today's Gospel we read about how Simon Peter and the others were called to be fishers of men.  As experienced fishermen they knew their business.  Yet Jesus was calling them to something more.  In my youth I read Siddhartha by Herman Hess.  I cannot forget his use of the water to illustrate spiritual growth.  Being in the deep, that wide unknown, alone with God, what a difficult thing to describe.  This is where Apostles were led by Jesus, our Lord calling to them.  How much spiritual wisdom and teaching is imparted to them, and yet we hear it in simplified terms as they will be fishers of men, and will catch more than their nets will hold.  We are likewise taught by our teachers, in a great line extending to these Apostles to also be fishers of men.  My the children being taught yesterday this could come in many ways: being there for others, celebrating birthdays, blessings family and friends, encouraging each other especially in faith.  Basically we do this through living a Christian life.

(Photo from private collection.  All rights reserved)

Mark 1: 14-20 Repent and Believe

Jesus comes to us with the call, "This is the time of fulfillment.  The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the Gospel."  We are like the barren desert, dry, parched, waiting for the promise of water which will renew us.  Jesus comes today to fulfill that promise.  The Kingdom of God is at hand.  He is the fulfillment of that hope of water come to bring drink to the thirsty.  Real repentance is possible.  If we follow Jesus the Christ, we can become more than we could ever imagine.  That barrenness within us has been filled.  We are filled with a Presence and new life, we become the true Presence for which we were made.  It is not just for the Apostles, but for each of us.  He is calling, "Come after me..."