30th sunday in ordinary time

Posted on by Cassie

Mark’s story about Bartimaeus can be read as a story of how God deals with His people.  In the same way that Jesus calls to this blind man, He also calls to us.

Here is Jesus on His way to die, and He stops to help this man, who many would see as a nobody.  Perhaps Jesus takes time to stop to show that this blind beggar is really a somebody, a person worthy of our respect and care.

Jesus says to Bartimaeus what He also says to each of us:  “What do you want me to do for you?”  It is a key question that is asked of all of us whenever we approach Jesus in prayer.  May our answer always be: “Lord, that we may see in areas where we are blind because of selfishness; and hear where we are deaf to the cries of pain around us.”

When Jesus confirms the blind man’s faith with a cure, Bartimaeus, instead of going his own way as Jesus instructed, follows Jesus up the road.   This is a challenge to us.  When we receive a gift from the Lord, do we go our own way and use it only for ourselves, or do we sometimes go up the road with Jesus to share it with other people who may need more help than we do?

Many are the times Jesus has stopped to take notice of us and to transform us.  When we were nobodies, He made us somebodies.  When we were sick spiritually, he made us whole.  When we were down, he lifted us up.

As disciples of Jesus, we need to stop more often to ask people: “What can I do for you?  How can I be of help?”

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell

29th sunday in ordinary time

Posted on by Cassie

We all aspire to greatness in some form or other.  It is this desire that our Lord addresses in today’s gospel.

James and John approach Jesus with their own idea of greatness— to sit at His right hand and His left when He comes into His glory.  However, Jesus has other ideas about greatness.  For Jesus, greatness begins with a cup of suffering and a baptism of pain.  Greatness is achieved through service.

We have here another reversal of values for which Jesus is famous.  “The first shall be the last.” “He who loses his life shall save it,” and “He who humbles himself shall be exalted” are other examples of how Jesus often reverses our values.

If we are aspiring greatness in some area,  we have to be able to suffer sometimes, put up with pain, whether physical or emotional, and overcome obstacles.  Moreover, if we aspire to higher forms of greatness in terms of what makes us truly human and holy, then we have to be willing to serve others and even lay down our lives for them.

The sense in which Jesus uses the term service includes any act that is noble and unselfish, any gesture that affirms and encourages someone, and any deed that is done with kindness and generosity.

Understood in this way, people who are achieving greatness in God’s eyes are: parents who raise their children according to Christian values.  Teachers who inspire students to high ideals; doctors and nurses who heal and care for the sick;  volunteers who visit the shut-ins; neighbors whom we call in an emergency.

Pray that we may be men and women who aspire to genuine greatness— a greatness that has a willingness to be of service and even give our lives for others.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell

28th sunday in ordinary time

Posted on by Cassie

The existential questions confronting us in today’s gospel are: what must we do to follow Jesus?  What is the one thing more the Lord is asking of us?

For most of us, the answer is obviously not to give away everything we have to the poor.  But it might be to continue our support of relief funds, mission work and the Catholic Charities Appeal.  For most of us, the agenda will not include leaving our home and family.  But it might mean keeping up our efforts to provide home for refugees, employment for the jobless and protection for the defenseless.

In other words, the gospel is challenging us to re-examine our values.  Have material riches replaced spiritual ones in our homes?  Has our entertainment systems pushed out all prayer time in our lives?  Have excess use of alcohol or tobacco desensitized us to the movements of God in our spirits?

The primary purpose of the gospel is not to make us feel guilty about what we have, but to lead us to reflect seriously on what our priorities are.

For example, do we have to let go of some of our work and outside involvements in order to spend more time with our family?  Do we have to sacrifice some of the luxuries we surround ourselves with, in order to open our hearts more to the plight of the poor?  Do we have to turn off some of the noise of today’s recordings in order to hear the sound of God’s voice?

Jesus tells us how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.  Why not simplify our lives somewhat to free ourselves to follow the Lord more easily, more closely and even more joyously?

Why go away sad today because we will not let go of the one thing more that the Lord wants from us?  Why not go away happy believing that no matter how much we let go for the Lord, He will always give us back a hundredfold.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell