Reflection: Luke 4:14-22a

Luke 4:14-22a

Luke writes: “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” Today Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth. Since it was Sabbath, Jesus immediately goes to the synagogue. As He enters, He is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus opens the scroll and finds the passage in Isaiah that begins with the words: “the Spirit of God is upon me.”

Take a moment and sit with those words. Do we believe that the Spirit of God is upon us? Are we able to recognize the Spirit of God? The gift and miracle is that God’s Spirit dwells within each one of us! Do you, do I, believe this truth? Do we trust that we are worthy to have the Spirit of God dwell within us?

Just as Jesus was sent to us by God, God also sends us to bring good tidings to all who are in need, liberty to those who are bound by shame or sorrow, and to help free the oppressed in our family, neighborhood or world.

Today we have a choice: to add to the darkness of our world or to be a ray of light to every person we encounter today. What will I choose to do? What will you choose to do? May God give us the grace we need to be light bearers!

Reflection: Mark 6:45-52

Mark 6:45-52

Today, the Church gives us the familiar story of the storm at sea. I assume that most of us easily can put ourselves into this story. At various times in our lives, we also have experienced emotional storms that overwhelm us. It may have been an illness, the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, a financial crisis or ??? (you fill in the blank)!! Violent storms are not easy to weather! And even once the storm has blown over, these storms typically leave us with a residue of pain, loss, confusion and anxiety!

What storms in your life do you remember? Take a moment and reflect on that experience. Did this storm last for a few days, weeks or perhaps even months? Who supported you during this difficult time? Who journeyed with you? Was Jesus with you in this experience? Did you sense His presence and care? Or did you feel alone and perhaps abandoned?

We do know and believe that Jesus is with us! However, we may not experience a tangible sense of His Presence. However, Jesus often comes to us in various guises. It might be a friend who calls or a song playing on the radio that speaks to us or perhaps it is simply looking at the bare trees of winter or snow quietly falling!

Our part is to look deeply for Jesus. He is with us! However, we need to be awake and alert. Today open your eyes and hearts. Jesus will come today! Will we see Him and recognize Him? Be awake and alert!

Reflection: Mark 6:34-44

Mark 6:34-44

The first statement in this Gospel is a very powerful one. It speaks of Jesus’ love and compassion for the people who gathered to hear Him preach. Mark writes: “When Jesus saw the crowds of people who gathered around Him, He was moved with pity.” Jesus realized that they truly were sheep without a shepherd. They had no one to care for them or to lead them.

As evening drew near, Jesus’ disciples suggested that He send the crowds of people away. They realized that the people were hungry and they did not have enough food to feed them. Jesus was preaching in a deserted place and evening was approaching. The disciples suggested to Jesus that He send the people to the surrounding villages or farms where they could get some food to eat. The disciples did not have enough money to supply food for all these people.

Surprisingly, Jesus asks His disciples how many loaves of bread they have. After checking, they tell Jesus that they only have 5 loaves of bread and 2 little fish. Jesus then tells them to have the people sit down in groups. The scene that follows is a foreshadowing of the sacrament of Eucharist: Jesus quietly takes the five loaves and the two fish, blesses them and breaks them. Then He gives the bread and fish to His disciples to distribute. The people ate until they were satisfied and surprisingly, there were several baskets of food left over.

At times in life, we also may doubt that we have sufficient strength, courage, patience or hope to continue our journey These are the moments when we need to turn to Jesus and ask Him for the grace to trust that we do have enough of what we need. Our limited supply of strength, faith, hope, (you fill in the blank) may seem so very small. Yet God has the ability to work wonders with just a little bit! The key is to stay connected to God and we will have what we need when we need it! Ask yourself: what do you need right now?

Reflection: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Today we remain celebrating the mysteries of Christmas, even though most of the world has moved into ordinary time. For most people, the Christmas tree and decorations have come down. Yet the Church continues to celebrate the coming of Jesus.

The Gospel reading for this day shifts to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. The reading begins with hearing that his cousin, John the Baptist, had been arrested. The Gospel says that Jesus left Nazareth and went to Galilee. In Galilee, Jesus begins His ministry of preaching and teaching. Jesus began his preaching by calling the people to repent! He told His listeners that the kingdom of heaven was near.

Word of Jesus’ power and preaching spread throughout all of Syria. Jesus also healed the sick, cast out demons and ministered to the people according to their needs. People from many cities and towns came to see this man, Jesus! They came to hear Him preach and to be healed. Can you put yourself into this scene of the crowd gathered around Jesus? What are you hoping to see or to experience? Are you hoping that Jesus will heal you of an affliction? Or do you simply want to see Him for yourself and you want to hear Him preach and teach?

Today we also can gather at Jesus’ feet. We can simply listen to what He may have to say for us. Or we might wish to tell Him what we need and hope for. Do we trust that Jesus will listen to us? Do we believe that Jesus will heal us in some fashion? Today, may we pray to place our hope and our trust in Jesus. He will not fail us!

Reflection: John 2:1-12

Epiphany of the Lord– John 2:1-12

Today is a wonderful feast in our Church calendar. We celebrate the feast of the epiphany of our Lord. When was the last time you had an epiphany? Have you ever had an epiphany? An epiphany may simply be a sudden realization or a moment of clarity. Naturally, the epiphany this feast celebrates is the manifestation of Jesus as “king of the Jews” and of the world.

This Gospel opens with the magi arriving in Jerusalem. I assume their presence caused quite a stir. They kept asking: “where is the newborn king of the Jews?”

Naturally, King Herod and all of Jerusalem were troubled by their question. Herod immediately called his advisers together and asked them where this “Jesus” was to be born. The priests informed Herod that according to the prophecies in the Scriptures, the Christ was to be born in the land of Judah.

Herod then quietly called the magi in. He told them to go and search for the child. And when they found him, the Magi were to send word to Herod. Herod told them that he also wanted to offer homage to the child.

And we know the rest of the story. The Magi traveled, following the brilliant star they had seen at its rising. Eventually the star led them to the dwelling where the Child was: a lowly stable. Can you imagine how astonished the kings must have been to find this holy Child in a manger surrounded by animals! Yet, despite these very unusual and humble circumstances, the kings instantly recognized the Child King.

Today may we look for the Child King in our midst. Jesus is there but we must have open hearts, minds and eyes! We have the ability to “see” Him! Will we keep looking for Him until we find Him?

Reflection: John: 29-34

Saturday before Epiphany – John: 29-34

The opening scene of this Gospel is an encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist. When John sees Jesus, he immediately cries out: “Behold the Lamb of God!” In this moment, John clearly points to Jesus as the “One who is to come,” the One the Israelites had been longing and waiting for. Even though John was the cousin of Jesus, he states that he did not know him. However, John did understand that his role was to prepare the way for the Christ. He did this by preaching to the people about His coming and by baptizing those who wished to be baptized.

What humility and self-knowledge John had. He knew exactly what his call and mission were. There is no indication that John was jealous that Jesus was the Christ. John seems perfectly happy with his role in the Messianic drama.

John is not the only one who is to point the way to Christ. This also is our call. Each day we are to direct others to Christ. Most likely, our ministry will not be as dramatic as John’s was. Yet our ministry may impact individuals we meet every day. Today may we be proactive and direct others to Christ by our care, our actions and our love!

Reflection: John 1:19-28

Friday before Epiphany – John 1: 19-28

The reading today shifts the focus from Jesus to John the Baptist. Today John is being questioned by some of the priests and Levites. They come and ask him: “who are you?” John bluntly answers them that he is not the Christ. They follow his response by asking him to tell them who he is. They ask if he is Elijah or is he “the One who is to come.”

John clearly tells them that his role and mission is to prepare the way for the Christ. The priests, however, are not satisfied with his response. They continue to bombard John with questions. Finally John replies by stating that he is the voice crying out in the desert. John clearly knew and understood his role in the unfolding of God’s plan. John knew that he was not the “One who is to come.” However, he also understood that he would play a part in the drama that would unfold.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we clearly knew what our part is to play in the drama of life? At times, in our lives, it is clear what our call and responsibility is. At other times, we may not have any clarity about our role. At these times, I assume that most of us simply keep on going and do what we need to do.

The challenge may be to trust that we are doing God’s will simply by striving to be women and men who love, care and work for justice in our world. Our efforts may seem small in the bigger scheme of life. However, small acts of love, kindness and generosity are great gifts to share. We simply have to trust that God is at work in us and God is working through us in the many small acts we may do each day. We may not be a star. However, we have the ability to shine light on our world! May we do so today!

Reflection: Luke 2:16-21

The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God –Luke 2:16-21

Today we begin a new year according to the secular calendar. And even though much of the rest of the world has begun “de-decking” their Christmas decorations, the Church continues to celebrate the Christmas season. The Gospel for this feast of Mary is the reading of the shepherds traveling to Bethlehem and finding the Child Jesus there, lying in the manger.

How did the shepherds know where to find the child Jesus? In those days, they did not have a GPS system guiding them! However, they did have a brilliant star to guide them. After worshipping the Child Jesus, they spread the good news that a child had been born. No one questioned this statement. Rather, everyone who heard the news was amazed and joyful.

One of the most profound statements in this Gospel is: “Mary kept all these things in her heart and pondered them.” What is in your heart that you ponder? It may be a happening that was joyous to you. Or perhaps you may be reflecting about a difficult challenge in your life. In today’s fast-paced world, we need to deliberately ponder, to reflect on life. Pondering is not always easy. When we are hurting or feeling alone, the last thing we may want to do is to think about the pain or loss. It may be more comfortable to numb the pain. Yet God invites us to ponder our gifts, our joys and our sorrows.

Mary experienced the gamut of emotions in her life: from great joy to great loss and sorrow. Today may we ask Mary to walk with us—not only today but every day. Mary deeply experienced the breadth of life’s joys and sorrows. Her presence and strength may gift us with a peace we desire!