Luke 1: 39-56 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

So many of us are familiar with Mary's visit to Elizabeth's home before their children were born.  One could think about how miraculous it was that John first recognized the Christ Child even before his birth and Elizabeth was pointed toward him by her son, as was John's role. 

We could also contemplate Mary as the Theotokos, the God-bearer, chosen by the Father before time, as the passage in Genesis foreshadows Mary and Christ (Gn 3:15). 

Perhaps the greatest lesson that can be learned are those of love, humility, faith, and trust that Mary shows in aligning herself with God's will.  These virtues are contained in Mary's Magnificat which she proclaims within today's Gospel.  These virtues are not for women only, but have been attained by male and female saints alike in their following of Christ.  Our Lady is our example in the New Covenant.  Let us pray today that not our will, but your will be done, O Lord.  Amen.

Mark 6:53-56 Crossing the Waters

Marriage is a reflection of the relationship that we have with God, and the Church's relationship with Christ.  For those reasons it is very sacred. Two of the sets of relationships that we are given in today's Gospel are the intimate relationship between Jesus and the Apostles after they have been called, and that between Christ and the people whom he loves and has great compassion for. 

A Jesuit taught me once that for better understanding of the Gospel sometimes it is helpful to put yourself into the story.  I imagined myself as one of the Apostles.  It was almost overwhelming until I realized that it is how we are called to service even now in our personal lives.  Then I imagined myself as one of the people waiting for the Lord, and recognizing him.  How I realized that this was my true Spouse, the one from the Song of Songs, whom I would recognize as a lover and want to be with always: the one whose gentle touch could free me from everything around me, pulling me out of troubled thoughts, and make me forget everything around me as we joined thoughts and are healed in that communion. It reminded me of the prayer of St. Ignatius: "Lord receive my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my will...give me only your love and grace, and that is enough for me." 

But there is another entity entirely missed within the story: the Sea of Gennesaret.  The beautiful sea created by God himself and animated with the movement of the Spirit.  Upon its surface the light is reflected.  The sea is molded and shaped by the Master continuously. From within it comes forth life.  Yet when others and perhaps even the sea itself seems barren, the Lord commands the nets be lowered into its deepest parts, which brings forth abundant life, like the Lord himself living within the deepest parts of us just waiting for us to need him enough to be seen and heard from those quiet recesses within.  We are more than that too.  We are the sea which becomes that vessel carrying Christ and his teaching to others; we are the living water bringing a quenching drink to the thirsty and food to the hungry through His generosity when we share his Way, his Truth, and his Life.  The people we read about today are healed by the mere touching of the Lord's tassel.  Are we that that vessel of his love too? 

Every day I pray this prayer, and today it finds new meaning. I share it here with you.

 "Lord, temper my heart with the fire of your mercy

so that I may be a worthy vessel for your love. Amen. "

~ H. Hurley

Mark 3:20-21 What does it mean to be out of one's mind?

What does it mean to be out of one's mind?  Does it mean that we mourn when our enemy dies, as David did at Saul's death?  Does it mean that we show compassion to those in need?  Does it mean that we give even the shirt off our back? 

In today's Gospel the crowds had again gathered around Jesus just as they do around Pope Francis today because they want to touch holiness, to be healed, to have their hope renewed.  We are all like that.  We want to be in God's presence.  God calls us to his presence so that we might be in communion with him.  Jesus will not turn away those in need for he has such great love and compassion. 

His family thinks that he is out of his mind.  But aren't all things possible in God?  And so, if one must be crazy, why not be a fool for God?  Why not love as he loved?  Why not enact his spiritual and corporal works to grow that love?  Our Good Shepherd is teaching us and leading us in this path, for this is the path to eternal life.  In this path we give up our will, what we think we ought to do, and are drawn out of our comfort zones, and perhaps others will think we are also out of our minds. 

St. Ignatius of Loyola has a prayer, let us join with him today:

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
my memory, my understanding
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.

Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

Jesus Christ was manifested to us.  We are called to acknowledge Christ in all we do.  St. John helps us ask the question, "How do we know where Jesus Christ is manifest?"  We need to discern the Spirit and what Jesus calls us to do by what he says and does.   

In today's Gospel we learn of Jesus' reaction to the arrest of John the Baptist.  What does he do?  He does not act rashly or build an army to storm the prison.  No. Jesus withdraws.  Often when we withdraw from a situation, what does that entail?  Often it is  deep consideration of where we are in our interior life.  Perhaps a reprioritizing of those things that are important. 

We are told, "From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand."   

This was a huge step forward in Jesus' ministry.  He is a light to all nations.  People from all around recognized him through his healing message and followed him.

Today is the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton who like Jesus, reveled in the Kingdom.  She is the first saint born a US citizen.  She was not a Catholic to begin, but her heart was touched by the fire of Christ's mercy. Despite her family and friends, she became Catholic.  She became a bastion of hope and mercy for others.  She is our example today of how to prepare our interior life for the kingdom; that it isn't our will that ought to be done, but that our desires should take a back seat to those of God.  This is one of her prayers:

O Father, the first rule of Our dear Savior's life was to do Your Will.  Let His Will of the present moment be the first rule of our daily life and work, with no other desire but for its most full and complete accomplishment. Help us to follow it faithfully, so that doing what You wish we will be pleasing to You. Amen.

Matthew 21:28-32

As a parent many of us have children who when we ask them to do something will hem and haw before finally going off to fulfill the task required.   We ourselves are probably guilty of it at one time or another.  It is because we want to accomplish our own will, but when a parent, someone with authority asks us to do something, we have to set aside our own will and be humble enough to do their will before our own.  Jesus is telling us that when we who are regularly prone to sin humble ourselves to do God's will before our own, then we have the possibility of entering into the Heavenly Kingdom.

Woe to those who lie to the Father though and say they will do his will, then do their own.