Jesus Took Her by the Hand

 

In the Gospel today, Simon Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed and "Jesus came and took her by the hand and lifted her up."

After preaching earlier today on Jesus taking us by the hand and lifting us up, I was called into an ICU unit to anoint a man who was being taken off life support. To see the nursing staff take this 43 year-old man's hand with such compassion as his body slowly died was grace-filled. The nurse took his hand, held it with caressing compassion as he passed from this life to the next. Jesus lifted Eddy up.

In this life, Eddy spent too much time on the streets of Halifax and now he has an eternal home after all those years of living in shelters.

Rest eternal grant unto Eddy, O Lord; let light perpetual shine upon him.

Lift him up.

Bless, Break and Give: God Provides

Painting by Melani Pyke (https://www.melpyke.com)

"Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves and he gave them to his disciples to set before the people." Mark 6:41

Jesus was totally obedient to the divine will. This is why the Church refers to Jesus as the new Adam and his mother, Mary, as the new Eve. Where Adam and Eve refused the divine will, Mary and Jesus embraced it. Where Eve grasped at the forbidden fruit, Mary simply received it out of her own desire to do the divine will. God worked through Israel to bring about a restoration of all of creation; to bring all of humanity out of the slavery of sin into a new and glorious eternal garden. The message of Jesus is for the whole world.

 

Today, in Mark’s Gospel we read one of two accounts of Jesus feeding the many with loaves and fish. The second account in Mark is just two chapters later, 8:1-9. There are important different in the two accounts that, I think, remind us of the universal nature of Christ. Let’s have a brief but closer look at some of the differences.

 

In the first account from Mark 6:30-44, the story takes place inside Jewish territory in a deserted place. Although Jesus took his disciples away for a well-deserved rest, out of an abundance of Jesus’ compassion, he tended to the crowd that was awaiting their arrival. Through the well-known miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus fed five thousand from five loaves of bread and two fish with twelve baskets being leftover. These are significant numbers for Jews: Five represents the five Sacred books of Moses, the Jewish Pentateuch and twelve, of course, represents the twelve tribes of Israel. The two could be the Jews and the Gentiles.

 

In the second account from Mark 8:1-9 takes place in Gentile territory and Jesus has seven loaves of bread, a number commonly used for fulfillment of creation – the seven days – and four thousand people, not five thousand, representative of the four cardinal points that represent all direction on earth.

 

As such, what started as particular to the people of Israel is expanded to include all people in all parts of the world.

 

In both accounts he blesses, he breaks and he gives to his disciples to distribute to all who are gathered. Like the entirely of Jesus’ ministry, he points to the great Banquet, the great Feast, the great Sacrifice of the Altar and our Eucharistic response; our great response of Thanksgiving at all God has provided for us and for the whole world.

 

God is Compassionate. God will provide. God always provides.

Can you take some time to reflect on how God has provided for you?

John the Baptist: Antidote to Institutionalism and Easy Spiritualism

 

Sketch possibly by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666)

“Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee.” (Matthew 4: 12)

 

A couple weeks ago, I went for a walk with a young man from Zimbabwe I have known for a few years who recently completed his graduate studies at Dalhousie. I always enjoy our conversations in part because of his intellect and also that his experience is so very different from mine. I think we both feel free to ask difficult questions of one another as we search to learn something new. For example, although he grew up in a country colonized by British diamond miners and he stands in horror at the wretched evil legacy of Indian Residential Schools in Canada, I don’t think it impacts his faith as much as it impacts mine.

 

I don’t think it impacts his faith as much as it impacts mine, likely because his faith is not as institutionalized as mine. His faith grows out of his community, mobilized by a communal hope worked out through individual repentance and a piety that is not dependant on the convenience of a church building in every neighbourhood. He has not had the luxury of falling into an easy spiritualization of the Gospel that doesn’t offend the complacency of the comfortable middle class, like me. In rural Zimbabwe, he tells me people walk miles when they hear a priest will be offering a Mass under a well-known tree. For the honour of serving at such a Mass, one must arrive at least ninety minutes early lest other eager volunteers get their first.

 

In the Gospel reading today, John the Baptist had been arrested and Jesus withdrew to a land spoken about by the prophet Isaiah whose people had seen a great light. Jesus’ message is the same as John’s, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven as come near.” (4:17) Like John, Jesus knows his reliance on God for all consolation, sustenance and guidance will be resisted by the power brokers of the age because it is seen as a threat to their understanding of power.

 

Is the Gospel that is preached transformational good news for those marginalized by the dominant social, political and economic structures of our society?

 

The Church has a sacred calling, a sacred obligation, to preach the Gospel, not to uphold an institution that has a tendency to cling to the very understanding of power that Jesus condemned. The later leads to evils such as residential schools rather than offering a sustaining hope of communion with God.

 

Religion that falls into bed with state power produces institutionalized darkness. We must turn away from an easy spiritualization of comfort and its empty promises as we turn our face toward the way of Jesus Christ. It is not evil to be wealthy, nor is poverty a virtue. The Good News is that in every place and every time, Jesus shows us the way to our innermost freedom to simply be free in our identity as Beloved and to be aware of forces that deprive us of living out of that great light.  For truly, “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16)

Holy Pondering

Painting by Kirt Harmon

“But Mary treasured all this words and pondered them in her heart.” -Luke 2:16

 

Mary was amazed at what these poor shepherds had to say about their experience that led them to her newborn son, and she treasured and pondered them in her heart.

 

How do we ponder? I think we have a lot to ponder? 

 

As I settled into prayer, I asked for the grace to ponder. My first thought was that I have never had such an extended period of time since being with my parents. Even my siblings, who both live within one kilometer of my parents in Newfoundland didn’t see them over Christmas due to a close contact with a Covid-positive case.

 

So, I pondered the impact of Covid in our lives.

 

I think we need to sit and ponder all that we have been through over these past two years. It’s been difficult – exceedingly difficult for some.

 

In his homily last night, Pope Francis called the Church to re-awaken our amazement, our holy wonder, our holy pondering about what was said about this child. He went on to say, “…if Christmas is reduced to superficial sentimentalism nothing changes. Tomorrow will be like yesterday and next year will be like last year. Superficial sentimentalism is like warming ourselves for a few seconds by a straw fire rather than exposing our entire beings to the power of the event of Christ’s birth…Mary’s heart is filled with amazement without the shadow of shallow romanticism or superficial sentimentalism.”

 

Of course, she would be, young girls down grow up dreaming of having a baby in a barn in a town they are not from. Reality has a way of causing us to ponder.

 

What are you pondering?

On this day when the Church remembers Mary as Mother of God; Mother of the Word made flesh, I am pondering that Mary is good at keeping us grounded in faith that is worked out in reality. 

 

Mary is not afraid of reality, or God working out God’s will in the plain ol’ ordinary of our lives.

 

I am pondering the mystery of Christ that is encountered in the ordinary.

 

How have you encountered God in the ordinary over the past two years? 

 

I have memories of being in a palliative care ward with a family as mom died. The love that family showed one another gave me hope.

 

As a new pastor, I am pondering spiritual leadership. I ponder the fact that our bishop was so committed to supporting the homeless that when obstacles in his plan to build tiny emergency shelters on Church property hit a snag with city bureaucrats, I didn’t take no for an answer. He amended his plan, which resulted in these heated tiny emergency shelters being on our property.

 

I am pondering a conversation I had with a father who inspires me.

 

I am pondering our parish. I spoke to a man a couple days ago who suffered a brutal brain injury a few years ago. He came to our parish church a couple weeks before this latest lockdown and he was overwhelmed by the wonderful welcome he received here. It moved him greatly. He experienced God through your ordinary, friendly, kindness. I am pondering the gift of hospitality.

 

Mary only desires that we know her son. She points us toward Jesus and says, “There He is; He is your hope; He is the way; He will give your life the freedom to pursue meaning and purpose.”

 

What are the superficial things that Pope Francis warns us that we are clinging to and how are they in brought into clear focus by seeing what Mary is pointing us toward in the midst of our ordinary life?

 

As we journey through 2022 may we see the blessings that are in the midst of the ordinary and may be a blessing to others.

 

May the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you, 

and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,

and give you peace.

 

How do we ponder?

 

Be open to seeing the hand of God moving in our ordinary reality.

 

As a parish named after Mary in her ancient role as Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, I challenge everyone in the parish to pray the rosary daily. Let us ask Mary to show us the fruit of her womb. If that sounds too daunting, maybe you can ponder one of the mysteries each day. Ponder these great mysteries of our faith…Treasure them in your heart, like Mary did.

 

God Bless your holy pondering.

 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.