Gospel: Jesus reminds his followers that they will face opposition and persecution. So when you forgive someone others won't forgive, help a homeless person others ignore, or advocate for an LGBT person others reject, don't be surprised when people oppose you. In fact, rejoice.
Catalog
James Martin, SJ
Gospel: 'My words will not pass away.' No matter what kind of evil is in the world, Jesus's words will endure. Don't despair when it seems like the Gospel is being trampled on, that the poor are forgotten, or that mercy is set aside. Christ is risen and his words are alive.
Gospel: Today four friends bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, who heals him. Sometimes when we feel stuck, we have to rely on our friends to carry us to God. For the Gospel says, 'When Jesus saw *their* faith,' that is, the faith of the friends. We never come to God alone.
Gospel: How can Mary say 'yes' to the Angel's request to bear a child? One way: the Angel points to the example of Elizabeth. Mary would likely have known about her cousin's pregnancy. Thus, the Angel says, 'Look what God has already done. Trust in what God can do in the future.'
Gospel: Jesus says that others are complaining about him: 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard!' As my NT professor once told us, people were critiquing Jesus for 'living it up.' Jesus was a joyful man who delighted in the company of other men and women. His way is about joy!
Gospel: 'The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt.'' Joseph did so and thus for a time the Holy Family became refugees. Today's refugees need the same kind of love and protection that the Holy Family needed.
Gospel: Jesus is critiqued for eating with 'sinners and tax collectors,' as well as forgiving sins, speaking with women and healing the sick on the Sabbath. But for Jesus nothing should get in the way of proclaiming the Good News--which is the proclamation God's love for everyone.
Gospel: Today Jesus says to those who wish to encounter him, 'Come and see!' Where is he inviting us to see him today? In the faces of those who are the most despised and rejected, in the faces of migrants and refugees and all forgotten ones. Come and see him there. He's waiting.
Gospel: Jesus plucks the heads of grain for his disciples to eat. He does this in direct contradiction of the law. Why? Because sometimes there are higher values than law. Jesus knows that legalisms cannot get in the way of love or human flourishing. He says this over and over.
Don't hide your light! God gave you so many gifts and talents. Put them to use, helping your brothers and sisters, and the church.
Why does Jesus tell his disciples to "shake off" the dust from towns that reject them? One reason: there are many others waiting to hear your message. Go first to places where the ground is fertile. But also be open to returning to the old places. Because people change.
'Be like servants who await their master's return,' says Jesus. Ready to open the door 'immediately.' How open are we to the unexpected arrival of God in our lives? In what surprising person, place or experience will God be revealed to us? Be ready to open the door!
'At an hour you do not expect,' says Jesus, 'the Son of Man will come.' This means the end of time and/or the end of our lives. How can we prepare? Not only by trying to live in a state of grace, but also by always leading loving lives, in preparation for God's judgment.
Jesus says that when we look at clouds we can tell the weather. So why can't we read 'the signs of the times'? That is, why are we resistant to listening to what the Holy Spirit is telling us--in the lives and experiences of people today? Look around: the Spirit is afoot!
When Jesus calls the twelve apostles, he does so as a sign of the 'gathering' of Israel, and because we're meant to join together in worship and ministry. But Jesus doesn't call a faceless mass; he calls each by name, just as he calls you, with all your gifts and talents.
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' But who is my neighbor? In response, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. The shock comes from recognizing that the neighbor is the one who was formerly hated (the Samaritan). Your salvation may depend on the person you reject.
Jesus invites us to take the 'lower place.' No need to puff yourself up. God knows your gifts. Who cares if others do? Who cares what others think at all? Don't fret about it. As C.S. Lewis said, 'Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less.'
People often smile if you mention worshiping "idols," as forbidden by the First Commandment. "Ridiculous!" But if your entire life revolves around money--getting it, growing it, keeping it--then it has become an idol for you. "You cannot serve God and Mammon," says Jesus.