From Lenten Series Collection - TK ************ Opening Stories: 1) The Samurai Warrior and the Zen Master One day, a Samurai warrior went to a Zen master for instruction. "Please," the huge man asked in a thundering voice that was used to instant obedience, "teach me about heaven and hell." The master scowled at the swordsman, then broke into mocking laughter. "Me, teach you about heaven and hell? I wouldn't waste a moment trying to instruct the brain of an overweight ignoramus like you! How dare you ask me for such a lofty insight?"
3 Sundays - 3 healings: One at the Synagogue, second at the home and the third at the market place (outside). These are the locations of our ministries. These are places we do our healings/ministries.
At the synagogue the man with the unclean spirit shouts at Jesus as the "Holy one of God" (first recognition of Jesus in Mark). Peter's mother-in-law makes no declaration but gets up and serves him whereas the leper goes around proclaiming him. He announces abroad. Visible missionary zeal. Again three attitudes of response to healing: out of fear, out of love and out of faith.
In Madison, Alabama, a 57 year old Indian, Sureshbhai Patel, was doing his morning walk two days' ago while visiting his son. Two police officials pull up to him to question him and he says, "No English". They eventually toss him violently to the floor face down, handcuff him and tries to raise him. They damaged his spinal cord in the act. He's partially paralyzed and fighting for his life in a hospital. Our revulsion to dirt, disorder, color, differences cause so much of damage to national pride, human rights, Christian beliefs and simple humanity. Leprosy happens to be one of them. It was that embrace that Francis of Assisi and Cardinal Paul-Emile Leger of Montreal did changed their lives forever. It was that embrace Pope Francis did while washing the foot of a Moslem woman prisoner in Rome last Maundy Thursday that the world sat up and took notice of.
What's that repulsion or aversion or repugnance that still keeps us captive in our prejudices and does not allow us to expand the boundaries of our value and belief systems? Where is the "stretching out" of the hand and "touching" moment in our lives?
Jesus' mission is Church's mission: Preaching, teaching and healing. That's why we have churches, schools and hospitals. These ministries seem to be our primary mission. This might get us busy, tired, stressed and can get us out of our wits. That's when we need that space to recharge our spirits and bodies. That's what the Lord did. However, he doesn't seem to complain when "they" came to "disturb" him out of his "space". For Jesus the "action-contemplation" space was seamlessly woven into his mission-presence space.
Zeal: The components for right motivation, they say, are
a) Passion (zeal, intensity, enthusiasm),
b) Direction (remember even the terrorists and ISIS have passion, but not the right direction. St. Paul had a great passion as a persecutor until the Damascus experience) c) Perseverance (persistence, never give up. Abraham Lincoln faced every sort of setback, adversity and failure from 1832 to 1856 but was elected President in 1860)
Zeal without direction can be due to excessive emotional or ideological or childhood issues. That's where some inner exorcisms are required to cleanse our inner world of many demons that direct our paths and ways and styles. To have the right authority directed by the Lord and his word, one has to constantly check one's motives for action or preaching.
Jesus spoke and acted with authority: St. Claire had developed the meaning of authority as authoring life, giving birth, or empowering people to bring forth. For her authority was always for service. When we say s/he is an authority on that subject, we mean to say that person has explored, researched, understood the matter in such a way s/he can talk about teach about it as if the matter has become his/her own.
Third Sunday B: Homilies and Stories ----------------------
Thomas O’Loughlin Introduction to the Celebration
During this coming year we are going to read our way through the gospel preached by St Mark. And today we hear about Jesus’s first actions in inaugurating the kingdom of God. He proclaimed the good news that we should repent and begin life afresh; and he gathered about him the first members of his new people.
Here, now, today, we are gathering as that new people, gathering around him and listening to him in the Liturgy of the Word; and then with him we are going to offer thanks to our heavenly Father in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
As much as Jesus had to leave Nazareth (home and comfort, familiarity and family) to come to the Jordan (last Sunday) to be baptized, the disciples too have got to "leave" in order to "come" (No arrival without a departure). We are used to checking out a product before buying or a person before hiring or we "see" and choose (come). We check it out before stepping out. Abraham and other prophets have to leave for an uncertain task and territory; Abraham must first accept to sacrifice his only son, then he will see God's plan. He didn't doubt in God's promise of progenies like the sands and the stars even though the only son was going to be sacrificed! Joseph had to first accept Mary pregnant as she was and then he will see God's plan. Come so that you may see. Step in, walk in, follow me, leave behind ....so that you may see plans, actions, results for you. "Come" is an invitation and "see" is the promise. You can trust the Lord for his promises.
Then the uncertain, doubtful, denying Simons will have to become Cephases and solid rocks on which the Lord can build his Church.
Today marks the beginning of the public life and ministry of Jesus Christ as he set out to do the Father’s will and announce the arrival of the kingdom of God. And the moment of the beginning of the messianic work of Jesus is marked by the moment of his baptism in the Jordan. He is acclaimed on earth by the prophet John and links himself to John by being baptised by him. He is acclaimed from heaven by the voice of the Father and the presence of the Spirit. As the people who have heard his preaching and accepted his call, who have confessed him as the Christ, and set out to follow his way, let us pause and consider the words addressed to Jesus: ‘Thou art my beloved Son, with thee I am well pleased.’
Story: A husband asked his wife, "Why would God give the wise men a star to guide them?" She replied, "Because God knows men are too proud to ask directions."
"When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, heal the broken, feed the hungry, rebuild the nations, bring peace among people, make music in the heart." So wrote Howard Thurman.
Thomas O’Loughlin Introduction to today’s Celebration
This is a great day of joy the world over: a new year has
just begun and with it is the hope of new relationships of peace, new
endeavours to make life better for the human family, and resolutions to start
afresh in many areas of our individual lives. We as Christians share this joy
for our good news is that the Father of mercies is always extending his love
and care so that we can return to him and start over afresh. In sending us his
Son as a human being born of Mary in Bethlehem he showed the depth of that
love: he offered a new era to the whole human race, and now we are celebrating
the beginning of the two thousandth and twelfth year of that era. Now let us
reflect on all that we want to start afresh in the coming year, let us ask the
Father to help us overcome the old ways of sin and death, and to give us his
help in our new endeavours.
A little boy greets his father as he returns from work with
a question: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?” The father is surprised and
says: “Look, son, not even your mother knows. Don’t bother me now, I’m tired.”
“But Daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour?” the boy
insists. The father finally gives up and replies: “Twenty dollars.” “Okay,
Daddy,” the boy continues, “Could you loan me ten dollars?” The father yells at
him: “So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Now, go to sleep
and don’t bother me anymore!” At night the father thinks over what he said and
starts feeling guilty. Maybe his son needed to buy something. Finally, he goes
to his son's room. “Are you asleep, son?” asks the father. “No, Daddy. Why?”
replies the boy. “Here's the money you asked for earlier,” the father said.
“Thanks, Daddy!” replies the boy and receives the money. The he reaches under
his pillow and brings out some more money. “Now I have enough! Now I have
twenty dollars!” says the boy to his father, “Daddy, could you sell me one hour
of your time?” Today’s gospel has a message for this man and for all of us, and
the message is that we need to invest more of our time in our family life.
