Gospel Reflections for Challenging Times

  Monday - 4 th Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Mark5:1-20 The Knots of Sin and Stress Sea of Galilee, Eastern Shore.   For the past year and a half, although it feels like forever, my parish St. Robert Bellarmine has been in the process of uniting with our neighbor St Constance. This is all part of an archdiocese-wide effort called RENEW.   As we continue to unify resources, personnel and ministries, we were also tasked with discerning a new name for the newly combined parish.   We received the Cardinal’s approval last week and our new parish will be called “Mary, Undoer of Knots.” Yes, I know; it’s a mouthful.   But it is a rather evocative and descriptive title.   And it is a good reminder that, as individuals, parishoners and as a parish, we all have ‘knots’ in our lives that need to be loosened and undone! As most of you know, Mark is the shortest, by far, of all the Gospels. He does not spend a lot of time on details; he gives you the basics and then moves on.

4 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 4:21-30 Homecoming Mt. Precipice, Nazareth    (watch your step)   A father passing by his teenage son’s room was astonished to see that his bed was neatly made and everything picked up off the floor. Then he saw the envelope propped up prominently on the pillow. With a sickening feeling he moved in closer to investigate. The letter was addressed to him. With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope with trembling hands to read what was within.   Dear Dad, It is with great regret and sorrow that I’m writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you. I’ve been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice. However, I knew you would not approve of her because of her piercings, tattoos, and tight motorcycle clothes. Also, she is so much older than me.    Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood that will last us for the

  Saturday – 3 rd Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Mark4:35-41 Calming The Storm Within Sea of Galilee, Tiberias   I’m holding in my hand an 8oz cup filled with about 4oz of water – what am I going to say next?   Half full?   Half empty?   HAA!   No, actually it doesn’t really matter if it’s half empty or full.   The weight doesn’t matter at all!   What matters is HOW LONG I hold it!   If I hold it for an hour, my arm starts to ache.   If I hold it for a day, you better call for an ambulance!   In every case, it’s the same weight.   But the longer I hold it, the more it weighs me down, the more it hurts! And so it is with stress, with fear, with anxiety!   And let’s face it, we are all stressed about something. Whether it’s school, or family, or our health, or the world in general, or maybe everything imaginable, we are all stressed!   And the longer we hold on to it, the more it hurts, the more it hurts us!   And the more it drags us down!   The longer we keep it inside,

  Friday – St. Thomas Aquinas Gospel – Mark4:26-34 Look At Me Now! Walking the Streets of Jerusalem For many of us, these almost 2 years of stepping aside from the world and our ‘normal’ routine have been not just a source of loss but of opportunity!   For some of us, there has been the chance for growth.   We may have developed new hobbies and pursuits.   We’ve learned to bake bread, started knitting, or enjoyed the quiet pleasure of reading a good book or assembling a jigsaw puzzle.   Or maybe it was just playing a simple game of cards with a loved one.   Perhaps we have even rediscovered the art of conversation or a sudden passion for cleaning and neatness. For others, it was not just growth but transformation.   We went on a frenzy of cleaning the house, room by room, top to bottom.   We reorganized and de-cluttered, simplified and tossed out all the ‘stuff’ we used to think was so important and necessary. And in the process, we may also have come across those long-fo