4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 28, 2024

Jesus is teacher of all, and healer of all

Mark 1:21–28

Then they came to Capernaum,
and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.
The people were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;
he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us?
I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Jesus rebuked him and said,
“Quiet! Come out of him!”
The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.
All were amazed and asked one another,
“What is this?
A new teaching with authority.
He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”
His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

Music Meditations

• “Healer of My Soul” (John Michael Talbot) [YouTube]
• “Lord I Need You” (Matt Maher) [YouTube]
• “Untitled Hymn” (“Come to Jesus”) (Chris Rice) [YouTube]
• “The Lord’s Prayer” (sung by Andrea Bocelli, feat. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Not to the wise and powerful of this world, O God of all blessedness,
but to those who are poor in spirit do you reveal in Jesus the righteousness of your kingdom.
Gathered here, like the ill and desperate, we long to listen as Jesus, the teacher, speaks.
By the power of his word, heal us, refashion our lives in the pattern of the beatitudes.
[Pause here to pray for anyone in need of healing in mind or body]
We ask this through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Companions for the Journey

Excerpted from “First Impressions” 2023, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Mark’s gospel is rushing along. We are still only in the first chapter and today we have two accounts of Jesus’ ministry—his teaching in the synagogue and an exorcism. The exorcism has spectacle about it and draws our attention but, judging from the opening and closing of the passage, it doesn’t seem to be the focus of the story. Instead, Mark refers us to Jesus’ teaching. The exorcism underlines his authority to teach. The crowds confirm this emphasis, for we are told they were “astounding at his teaching,” because he taught as, “one having authority and not as the scribes.”

In Deuteronomy Moses promised, “A prophet like me will the Lord your God raise up for you among your kin, to him you shall listen.” God did just that, sent prophets to reveal God’s will and presence to the people. The prophets who preceded Jesus spoke in God’s name, “Thus says the Lord…” But Jesus speaks from his own authority, “I say to you…” What the disciples would realize, after Jesus’ resurrection, was that he was even greater than Moses, or any of the prophets. He was not merely a voice for God; he was the presence of the Holy One in their midst. And more. Jesus’ powerful presence would not be taken away, or leave them—even after his death. His resurrection would open their eyes to who he was and who he would continue to be for them. They would remember his words, spoken with authority and authenticated by powerful signs and they would place their confidence in his presence with them as they went forth to preach his word. In their teaching the scribes would have drawn on past teachers and commentators. They wouldn’t have claimed their own authority. Thus, the crowd is amazed because Jesus didn’t rely on anyone else’s authority when he taught, he spoke “as one having authority.” How would the people know that Jesus had any right to speak from his own authority? To show that he did, he drove out an evil spirit. When people observed this they could then put trust in what he taught,

Previously, John the Baptist promised that one more powerful than he (1:17) was coming. Today’s story, and Mark’s gospel itself, reveal the fulfillment of John’s promise. Jesus has entered a world where evil seems to have the upper hand and humanity, like the possessed man in the synagogue, is helpless against such power. Evil works against God’s good intentions for us. A “mighty one,” who can subdue the powers of evil, is needed. Jesus enters the scene and, as we see in Mark’s breathless gospel, he quickly goes about his mission: he confronts and casts out the various guises of evil which oppress people and even attack his own disciples (8:33). He does battle against sin, sickness, falsehood, greed and the power of death itself.

People had waited a long time for God to come to their aid and Jesus’ teachings and power reveal that God has arrived to enable them to resist and overcome evil. The exorcism is visible proof of God’s very present power. Jesus also wants to restore people to the community and one example of this is the exorcism. A person who exhibited such bizarre behavior would have been considered possessed of an evil spirit. Hence, they were barred from the synagogue, for the very reason we see in today’s story—they would be disruptive to the order of the community. Jesus used his authority, not to cast the man from the synagogue, but to drive out the source of the disruption. He is restoring to order and health what evil has upset. Jesus is putting flesh on what he proclaimed last week, “This is the time of fulfillment, the kingdom of God is at hand.”

We aren’t merely looking back on Jesus’ authoritative words and being inspired by them. Through his resurrection he is present with us now, still speaking and acting with an authority that overcomes evil. Two weeks ago we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr’s holiday. We hear in King’s preaching words of hope to people who lived over four decades ago—and today. This preacher spoke to our past, but he speaks to our present and future as well, as he draws on Jesus’ authority and challenges us to live lives based on equality, non-violence and love—even for our enemies. His life and words show us just how powerful Jesus’ words are as they strengthen us in our present and future struggles against the evils that would fragment the human community into competitive and combative factions.

King says, as he once did in Montgomery, Alabama: “I know you are asking today, ‘How long will it take?’ I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because truth crushed to earth will rise again.
How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.
How long? Not long, because you will reap, what you sow.
How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice
How long? Not long, because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord…”

In the voices of such modern-day prophets as M. L. King, you can hear the authoritative voice of the One who stood up in the synagogue to teach and whose words could drive out evil. Such power and authority were reflected in King’s words as he confronted war, racism, violence and injustice and his words still help us in our ongoing struggle to drive out these unclean spirits.

Who has authority over our lives? Whose words and actions have the power to sway us and call us to righteous living? Who influences our conscience enough to cause us to change our ways and take up life in God’s reign? Who gives us perspective and lens through which to look out at our world and helps us find the good and reject the evil? For Christians, Jesus’ words have such authority for us.

We have confidence in his words and trust he will be faithful to us as he sends us modern prophets to help us teach by our words and example. Indeed, regular reflection on Jesus’ teachings can shape us; help us resist evil and turn towards the good for, as the crowds acknowledged that day Jesus taught in the synagogue—his teaching has authority.

Further reflection:

• Commentary on Mark 1:21–28 from “Living Space” >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

He commands even the evil spirits and they obey him

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Contrary to common understanding, authority is not having power over people. Genuine authority is the power to en-able people, to em-power them to transcend what they thought were their abilities. —from “Living Space”
  Where in the gospels have you seen Jesus display this kind of authority?
  Have you ever known anyone who possessed this kind of authority?
• What do you think was Jesus’ motive in healing the man possessed by a demon?
  Have you ever been transformed by an encounter with Jesus?
• From “Living Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:
  Our faith should free us to be authentically what Jesus calls us to be; then our faith should not seem like a burden, an entrapment;
  To what extent is the Church responsible for creating this image which is a contradiction of the gospel message?
• When has someone’s presence caused a change in your life?
  Was it a good one or a bad one?
  What is one thing you can do this week to bring God’s presence into your life more fully?
• Have you ever ostracized someone from your group because (s)he was an embarrassment or worse?
  How did you feel?
  What does this incident in today’s gospel tell us about Jesus and inclusivity?
• What demons do I carry around with me?
• In the gospel of Mark, the evil spirits recognize who Jesus is long before his disciples do. Who do you say Jesus is?
• If someone were to ask you: “who are you?” How would you answer?
  If someone says: “I know just who you are…” what does that usually portend?
• What is the significance for you of the location and the nature of Jesus’ first miracle?
• Jesus’ authority did not come from the words of others, not from power or strength, but from a personal relationship with God and a commitment to service. Do I understand the concept of the authority of Jesus’ teachings?
• Where does my authority emanate from?
• Jesus also preached through his actions of healing and care for others. Can you think of examples where this was so for Jesus?
  How do I preach through my actions?
• From Daniel Harrington, S.J., in “America”:
  In the biblical perspective, what qualifies as holiness?
  In what sense is Jesus the Holy One of God?
  Among the persons whom you know and have known, are there any whom you regard as especially holy? Why?
• What evil spirits do we encounter daily, through the internet, advertisements, cable news, social media?
• What evil spirits have disrupted my personal life?
• Whose words and actions have the power to influence me?
  Whose words and actions have the power to influence a lot of us?
• The presence of evil spirits was the common explanation for any abnormal events or human actions. It is how people explained what they could not understand. Fear of evil spirits was very prevalent in the time of Jesus. He came to liberate the people of his time, and us, from great and paralyzing fears.
  What are my fears?
  Can I take them to Jesus?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

Every one of us wrestles with demons of some sort: loneliness, fear of failure, addictions, parental issues, relationship problems, aging, self-absorption, sin. Reflect on your own personal demons, secure in the knowledge that God loves you just the way you are, and that you do not have to change for God to love you. Then try to remember that God will never leave you to face any trials alone, but will walk with you—sometimes whether you know it or not.

Poetic Reflection:

The following poem captures the experience of meeting or knowing someone who was truly special—marked by God for greatness of some sort. Have you ever known anyone like this? How could this poem apply to Jesus?

I think continually of those who were truly great.
Who, from the womb, remembered the soul’s history
Through the corridors of light where the hours are suns,
Endless and singing, Whose lovely ambition
Was that their lips, touched with fire,
Should tell of the spirit clothed from head to foot in song.
And who hoarded from the spring branches
The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms.

What is precious is never to forget
The delight of the blood drawn from ageless springs
Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth;
Never to deny its pleasure in the simple morning light.
Nor its grave evening demand for love;
Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother
With noise and fog the flowering of the spirit.

Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest fields
See how those names are feted by the waving grass,
And by the streamers of white cloud,
And whispers of wind in the listening sky;
The names of those who in their lives fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire’s center.
Born of the sun they traveled a short while towards the sun,
And left the vivid air signed with their honor.

—Stephen Spender

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Adapted from “Faith Book” 2015, a service of the Southern Dominican Province:

Who speaks to us with authority? Whose words, guide our spirits and direct our energies? Is it the voice of Pope Francis who expresses concern for the poor, the persecuted and the environment? Or, are we influenced by other “authorities.” How much sway over us have political parties, blogs, editorials, the opinion of others, etc.? We are responsible to form our conscience according to God’s authoritative word—but who and what helps us do that?

Speak to God about the mixed and confusing messages you receive in your everyday life, and ask for clarity and guidance from Jesus, the source of truth, wisdom and empowerment in your life.

Poetic Reflection:

Read and enjoy the following poetic reflection on the gospel by Father Michael Kennedy, S.J. in 2009:

“Astonishment Is Not Enough”

(4th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

It is interesting
That Jesus entered the
Synagogue on the Sabbath
And taught for clearly He
Was very good at it since the
Listeners were overwhelmed and
Saw Him as one who spoke with
Authority and not like scribes
And then Mark piles it on a bit
When he introduces the
Man with an unclean
Spirit who yells
At Jesus

And if truth
Be known the unclean
Spirit was probably very
Afraid of Jesus so it uses
The ploy of calling Him the
Holy one of God in the ancient
Way that using the precise
Name of someone would
Guarantee the unclean
Spirit mastery over
The named one

But the Jesus of
Mark could not be handled
And He simply freed the man
From the unclean spirit and this
Brought out more amazement
From the crowd who had yet
To know Jesus who wanted
Commitment from His own
Followers since this One
Made very clear that
Astonishment is
Not enough

—from “Musings from Michael” © Michael J. Kennedy 2009

A Meditation in the Franciscan Style/Action:

Read Psalm 38. In this psalm we can see the connection that the Jews made between illness and sin. Somehow, the ill person has done something to bring this on herself. If this illness is truly a punishment for sin, then no one would feel particularly sorry for the sufferer. Many illnesses, especially those with fevers, blood or sores, rendered someone ritually impure, and no one was allowed to touch or to come near them. Even today, serious illness, and especially a mental illness, can separate the sick person from those around him. Perhaps friends do not want to be embarrassed. Others don’t want to think about the suffering of another for too long. It reminds them of their own mortality. This psalm captures very well the sense of isolation that comes from illness, isolation that can lead to depression and hopelessness. The psalmist asserts that healing, either in body or spirit, only comes from God. Has there been a time in your life when you have needed God’s healing? Did you ask for it? Pray to God for the confidence to trust in the Spirit’s healing powers.

Has there been anyone in your life who needed healing of some sort, but was blamed for his/her illness? Is there anything you can do to bring the healing of Jesus to this person?

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, we especially pray for all those in need of your guidance and your comfort at this time [pause to recall the names of those you want to pray for]. We pray for a world in need of your call to serve others and the natural world [pause to recall the issues you want to pray about]. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see.

Commentary on Mark 1:21–28 from “Living Space”

Commentary on Deuteronomy 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 7:32-35; Mark 1:21-28

ON THE PAST TWO SUNDAYS we have seen Jesus baptised, he has announced the meaning and purpose of his work and he has called his first disciples. In today’s Mass we see him beginning that work.

The words of Deuteronomy (First Reading) are being fulfilled. “Yahweh your God will raise up a prophet… from among yourselves, from your own brothers; to him you must listen.” Jesus has appeared, a Jew of Palestine like all those around him. And he is a prophet. Not in the current sense of someone who can foretell the future but rather as one who speaks the word of God. For that reason, he should be listened to.

A day in the life…

Today’s passage from Mark is really the beginning of a busy day (and night) for Jesus in which are contained, one might say, all the main characteristics of his public life. He joins in public worship, he teaches, he heals, he drives out evil spirits – and he prays privately. There is also the astounded reaction of the ordinary people.

(In Mark’s gospel we find three kinds of people, all of whom react differently to Jesus – his own disciples, the religious leaders, and the ordinary people. Usually, it is only the ordinary people who come off with any credit and insight.)

This first reported day in Jesus’ public life is a Sabbath day. And we find Jesus with his fellow townsmen in the synagogue. It is important for us to realise that Jesus was a practising Jew and he normally observed the requirements of the Jewish faith, as did his disciples even after the resurrection. He never criticised that faith. What he did criticise were what he saw as distortions, hypocrisies and other corrupting elements. Jesus’ message is, as he says himself in Matthew, not an abrogation of the Jewish faith but carrying it to its logical fulfilment (Matthew 5:17).

In the synagogue

The synagogue service was basically a Scripture and prayer service. There was no sacrifice; that was confined to one place, the Temple in Jerusalem. Most Jews very seldom went to the Temple for the simple reason that, for most of them, it was too far away. We see Jesus apparently going there about once a year or, like his compatriots, for some of the major feasts.

However, on every Sabbath (Saturday to us) they went to their local synagogue for common worship and prayer. The service was simple: some prayers, reading from the Scripture (the Hebrew or Old Testament, of course) and someone preached. There were no formal clergy or priests in the synagogue. (Again, these were confined to the Temple; John the Baptist’s father was one of them. It is only when Jesus goes to Jerusalem that he comes in confrontation with them. They are not to be confused with either the Pharisees or the Scribes.)

In the synagogue, then, anyone could be invited to get up and preach. On this particular Sabbath day, Jesus was invited. Perhaps he already had a name as a speaker. In any case, as soon as he opens his mouth the people feel immediately that here is someone who is different. When the Scribes, the experts in the Law, preached, they were primarily explaining the given meaning of the Jewish Law in the sacred books. But when Jesus spoke it was with ‘authority.’ Somehow the people realised that he was not giving out someone else’s teaching. He was giving out his own. As we hear it in Matthew’s gospel: “You have heard it said … but I say…”

A man possessed

But Jesus not only spoke with authority. He also acted with authority. Right there as he spoke there was a man with an ‘evil spirit.’ What exactly does that mean? Have you ever encountered a person with an ‘evil spirit’? Have you ever met a so-called ‘possessed’ person? We need to remember that in the time of Jesus, people believed that the world was full of spirits – some good, some bad. They were everywhere and could attack people in all kinds of ways. You could even ask that evil spirits attack other people, for instance, people you wanted to take revenge on.

This is by no means a thing of the past. Such beliefs are still very much alive in many parts of the world, not least in parts of Southeast Asia e.g. Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines. Even in sophisticated ‘developed’ societies it is often difficult to find someone who will walk calmly through a cemetery in the dark. Amid the glass and steel skyscrapers of Hong Kong and Singapore, how careful people are in choosing a wedding date or how anxious they are about the fung shui, the propitious orientation of their house or office.

In the time of Jesus, if any person was sick, or acted in an ‘abnormal’ way, they were said to have an evil spirit. It was natural to think that people such as epileptics, spastics, mentally disturbed people were the victims of some force that had invaded their bodies. Because of the spirit, people seemed to lose control of their speech and movements. The spirit had taken over. Were these evil spirits real? It is difficult to say. Obviously, some would have a simple medical diagnosis today. But one does meet people in some parts of the world who are convinced that there are forms of possession. The point is that they were healed, made whole again, by Jesus and liberated from their affliction.

The evil spirits of our own day

That there are evil forces in our world today is difficult to deny. Some of the appalling sufferings that people are made to endure by the inhuman behaviour of individuals and groups are hard to explain otherwise. And, while we often look on helpless, somehow we are part of it ourselves.

What is important is that, in the time of Jesus, people really believed in the existence of all kinds of forces. These forces were the source of great and even paralysing fears. What Jesus does is to liberate people from their fears. It was not the evil spirit that was the problem so much as the victim’s fear of that spirit. It is not objective reality that limits our freedom and effectiveness but the way it is seen by us. (Have you ever tried the trick of putting a rubber snake in a friend’s bed and waited for the reaction? What made them scream? The piece of rubber? Or their fear?)

Jesus shows no fear in the face of the spirit in the synagogue. “Be quiet! Come out of him!” The man is thrown into convulsions but he is free. And what is really important is that he feels free.

What are our fears? What spirits are we afraid of? What are the things, the persons, the places which prevent us from doing what we really want to do, from being the person we really want to be? It is important that we identify our fears and that we see them within ourselves and not simply blame others for them. Once we recognise them within ourselves, we can ask Jesus to help us drop them. Let us put ourselves under his authority and he will liberate us.

The people in the synagogue are simply astounded. “Here is teaching that is new and with authority behind it. He gives orders even to unclean spirits – and they obey him.” No wonder his name rapidly becomes known all over the countryside. (The rural grapevine works faster than any fax machine!)

Jesus, a man of authority

We can see here how powerfully Mark presents the impact that Jesus makes. His work of salvation has begun. The Kingdom of God is near when he acts like this. People experience the power. But what kind of power is it?

It is the power of authority. The word authority comes from a Latin verb augere, which means to make something increase. Its root can be found in words like ‘authority,’ ‘author.’ Its root is also found in the English verb ‘to wax’ (as the moon ‘waxes’ and wanes).

So real authority is not just, as we often interpret it, having power over people so that we can make them do what we want them to do. Genuine authority is the ability to en-able people, to em-power them. To enable them to transcend themselves, to grow as persons, to be more effective in the development and use of their innate gifts.

Authority as service

This is the kind of authority which Jesus wields. Jesus did not come to rule and control people. He came, he said, not to be served but to serve. He came, above all, to make people free. So that in their freedom, they could generate all the productive and growth energies within them and be alive with the life of God within them. He freed them from all the ‘evil spirits’ of fear, compulsions, narrow self-centredness, anger, resentment, hostility and violence which prevent people from truly enjoying the experience of being alive. “I have come that they may have life, life in abundance.”

How sad it is then that so many people see being faithful to the Christian faith as a burden to be sloughed off so that they can be “free” of oppression and limitation. To what extent is the Church responsible for giving this image which is such a contradiction of the Gospel message?

So, let us all pray today that Jesus, with his growth-inducing authority will be a real source of liberation for us. May he free us from all those spirits which make us deaf, dumb, blind and lame in life – and paralysed by fear.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 21, 2024

How can I follow the call of Jesus and bring others to him?

Mark 1:14–20

After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;
they were fishermen.
Jesus said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
He walked along a little farther
and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They too were in a boat mending their nets.
Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat
along with the hired men and followed him.

Music Meditations

• “The Summons” (sung by Robert Kochis) [YouTube]
• “In Christ Alone” (lyrics by Chris Tomlin) [YouTube]
• “Give Me Jesus” (sung by Fernando Ortega) [YouTube]

Opening Prayer

Not to the wise and powerful of this world, O God of all blessedness, but to those who are poor in spirit
do you reveal in Jesus the righteousness of your kingdom.
Gathered here, like the disciples on the shore, we long to listen as Jesus, the teacher, speaks.
By the power of his word, refashion our lives in the pattern of the beatitudes.
We ask this through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Companions for the Journey

From “First Impressions”, 2015

We have just passed through the Christmas and Epiphany seasons and have heard the narratives of Jesus’ birth and manifestations to the shepherds and the magi. These stories come to us from Matthew and Luke’s gospels. Today we begin a sequential reading from Mark. His gospel will be our focus through much of this liturgical year. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark doesn’t open with stories of Jesus’ early beginnings, but with His preaching. The German scripture scholar, Martin Diebelius, puts it this way, “In the beginning was the preaching.” Mark’s introductory verses (1:1-8) are about John the Baptist’s preparatory preaching. Today’s gospel presents Jesus to us, not through biographical material, but through his words. “In the beginning was the preaching.”

Mark introduces Jesus not as a miracle worker, but as a preacher. He reminds us that it was not the most comfortable time to begin preaching. The worldly powers had arrested John and had said “No” to God’s reign. But still, God’s message will not be overcome by any worldly power. Instead, God’s sovereign rule is breaking into our history and it is a word of good news for humanity.

We tend to want to flesh out the story of the call of the disciples. We base our reasoning on what would make common sense from our perspective. We know that significant changes in our lives often come after long deliberation and consultation. Even then, most of us make changes only tentatively, a few cautious steps at a time. That makes perfect sense to us and no one would fault our reasoning. In fact, there are plenty of people, friends, family and acquaintances, who are more than ready to offer us advice along the way.

Mark leaves out any preparatory details that may have gone into the disciples’ decision-making process. The preacher needs to respect Mark’s method and not try to make the first disciples’ responses more “reasonable.” Mark presents a crisp, breath-taking story: Jesus invites—the disciples follow. We get the point. For Mark, discipleship requires a decisive and trusting response to Jesus. In the light of today’s telling: we disciples are called to leave our former life behind and take up the new life Jesus offers. And to do it now!

Jesus begins by announcing, “This is the time of fulfillment.” Is not any old time; it is a new time charged with possibilities for those who respond. Thus, Mark’s description of the response by those first called to follow Jesus makes sense. Jesus calls—it is a charged moment. They hear and respond immediately. Who is the director of this narrative? Who is guiding the plot? God is and we are invited to get on board quickly lest we miss the grace-filled moment that is overflowing with new possibilities for those who respond. Mark’s gospel is the story of Jesus. But it is also the story of how people responded to him, starting with the first-called. The story begins well and they respond immediately to his invitation, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of [people].” He will teach them to do what he does: teach, heal and cast out demons. The disciples will also learn that following Jesus will have its difficult moments, but  he will be with them at those times as well—as when he rescued them from the threatening storm (8:45-52).

As the gospel develops the disciples will reveal breaches in their loyalty to Jesus. They misunderstand his miracles and teaching. When he teaches them that following him will mean suffering and death, they resist (8:30-33). They will argue among themselves about rank and prestige (10:35-45).  After sharing his last meal with them one disciple will even betray him (14:10) while others doze off during his agony in the garden. At his arrest they will all flee, even “the rock,” Peter, will deny him. Jesus calls his first disciples, and with these “learners” begins his new community. It’s clear as the narrative proceeds that, with their all-too human traits, they will not be able to achieve anything on their own.

When we think of repentance we usually associate the notion with sorrow for sins. But in Jesus’ language it means to make a 180° change of direction. It means to rethink our notion of who God is and how God acts towards us in the light of our sins. “The kingdom of God is at hand.” In Jesus, God is breaking into our worlds of isolation and indifference and calling us to faith in Christ. In sum, repentance asks that we make a complete turnaround in our lives towards God. The call of the disciples illustrates what repentance and belief in the gospel mean. Is not first of all about acceptance of doctrine, but an acceptance of an attachment to Jesus: to do what the disciples did—get up and go with Jesus all the way to the cross. For some, following Jesus has meant leaving their present life to make a complete change. For others, it means remaining in their worlds with its structures, but living in it with a sense of detachment and a willingness to change what needs changing. What does it mean for you?

Further reflection:

• Commentary on Mark 1:14–20 from “Living Space” >>
• Reflections on 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) from “First Impressions” >>

Weekly Memorization

Taken from the gospel for today’s session…

“Come, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Living the Good News

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion?

Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions or the meditations which follow:

Reflection Questions

• Define “Good News”.
  Do I believe in the “Good News”?
  Do I preach “Good News” in word and action?
• What does it mean to me to say that the Kingdom of God is at hand, but that it is “now” and “not yet”?
• Repentance, for the Jews, meant seeking forgiveness making restitution, mending broken relationships. Consider what the world needs in terms of repentance.
• Do you see the invitation to the first followers a one-time event, or are we, by extension, called to be disciples as well?
• Consider the times in your life when Jesus has extended an invitation to you. How did you respond?
• What does it mean to hear Jesus say “Follow me”?
• How is the invitation unique to you and you alone?
• Does answering God’s call insure success, happiness or perfection in what we do to respond to Jesus?
• From “Faith Book”, a service of the Southern Dominican province:
  What redirection and big change must I make in my life?
  What will be the first step towards that kind of change?
• From “Faith Book”, a service of the Southern Dominican province:
  Is there an emptiness in our lives we know we can’t fulfill on our own?
  What are we doing about addressing it?
• Mark’s gospel centers around two questions: “Who is Jesus”? and “What are Jesus’ disciples meant to be like”?
  How would I answer these questions generally?
• How would I compare my discipleship to that of those first called?
• Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus?

Meditations

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

The gospel from last Sunday (John 1: 35-42) and the gospel from this Sunday (Mark 1:14-20) are two different versions of Jesus’ call of Andrew and Simon. Take a look at each and note the differences and similarities. Is one story true and the other made up? In what essential way is each story “true”? This is a great illustration of the fact that the gospels are not meant to be history, but a faith testimony. Each gospel was an affirmation of what their community believed to be something essential about Jesus. So the question is not “What story is “true?”, but “What does each story tell us about the call of the first disciples?” Each should be read and prayed with on its own terms, looking for meaning, guidance and sometimes comfort. To rank or compare them detail by detail for “veracity” is merely an academic exercise.

A Meditation in the Ignatian Style/Imagination:

Imagine that you are just returning, tired, smelly and cold from a bout of night fishing on the Sea of Galilee. You are a Jew, but how religious are you? Do you think about God and the scriptures a lot? Describe the man who comes up to you and starts a conversation. What does he look like? What does he say to you before he issues that strange invitation? Are you initially wary, definitely repelled, or instantly mesmerized by what he is saying? What is going on in your head as he invites you to join him? Spend some time in your imagination, placing yourself in the events of the day. What makes you drop everything immediately and follow him? How does your family learn that you have abandoned your livelihood to follow a perfect stranger? (I would love to have been a fly on the wall as Peter explains to his wife and his mother-in-law what he wants to do. Maybe, knowing that Peter is such an impulsive man, given to sudden enthusiasms, they decide to let him play out his fantasy… little do they know…)

Like the first four followers, have I ever been caught off guard by an unexpected “epiphany” about a direction my life must take? Did I see it as the hand of God? Looking back, can I discern that sometime in my life there has been an invitation from God to metanoia—to change my life? If I am facing some changes in my life right now, I resolve to view them as an invitation to a new adventure in Christ, being open to whatever the future brings. Scary, huh?

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions:

Do I still think of repentance as guilt or sorrow for my sins? The actual meaning of the Greek term metanoia is to change my mind or change my heart. What in me needs to change? What must I turn away from? Walter Burghardt, S.J., suggests that we also need to look at what we are turning to:

1. Turn to self, and what the true self desires. Like Thomas Merton, who struggled with his vocation for many years, we need to keep asking ourselves what it means to be authentic, true to ourselves. Unlike Merton after his conversion, we may find answers in the wrong places. How honest am I about myself and my desires and needs? Am I consistently faithful to my relationships?
2. Turn to Christ. Like St Augustine, it may be that true change only happens when we come to learn what it means to love Jesus. Unlike St Augustine, we may occasionally lose sight of Jesus in the midst of stresses and distraction in our daily lives. How much time do I actually spend in prayer? Do I ever, in an ordinary day, imagine Jesus by my side? Do I want a relationship with Jesus?
3. Turn to the world. Like Dorothy Day, we must find Jesus in the faces of the poor and despised. Piety without action is solipsism. Unlike Dorothy Day, we may find our mission is a little less dramatic, and a little more muted. But we must remember we have a mission to the world. How do I treat those with whom I live and work? How aware am I of the invisible among us? How deep is my concern for others?

Of these actions of metanoia, which is the easiest for me? Which is the most difficult at this time in my life?

A Meditation in the Augustinian Style/Relationship:

From “Sacred Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits:

Two things make it difficult to hear how Jesus invites each of us to be with him as his companions and to share his work. One is our limitations and consequent feeling of insignificance. The second is how exalted Jesus is as God, even though the same Jesus walked our earth. If you wish to pray with this reality, be with Jesus in a quiet place and let him call you by name. Let him first call you to be with him as his friend and then to share his work.

Poetic Reflection:

Read the excerpt that follows from a poem by Francis Thompson. In what ways do we, each of us, flee God? Why?

“The Hound of Heaven”

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the midst of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet
'All things betray thee, who betrayest Me'.
I pleaded, outlaw-wise,
By many a hearted casement, curtained red,
Trellised with intertwining charities;
(For, though I knew His love Who followed,
Yet was I sore adread
Lest, having Him, I must have naught beside.)

Closing Prayer

Dear Jesus, we have heard your call and it compels us to follow. Let the truth of the Gospel break the yoke of our selfishness. Draw us and all people to the joy of salvation. We especially pray for all those in need of your guidance and your comfort at this time [pause to recall the names of those you want to pray for]. We pray for a world in need of your call to serve others and the natural world [pause to recall the issues you want to pray about]. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see.

Reflections on 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) from “First Impressions”

“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B) JANUARY 21, 2024

Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 / Psalm 25 / I Cor 7: 29-31 / Mark 1: 14-20

by Jude Siciliano, O.P. <jude@judeop.org>

Dear Preachers:

I would think that the last thing in the world Jonah would want to do was to follow God’s command. “Set out for the great city of Nineveh and announce to it the message I will tell you.” We know that because of how the story began (cf. Chapter 1). After receiving God’s directions to go to Nineveh Jonah flees the scene and boards a ship to Tarshish. But God wants him to preach to the Ninevites so we know what happens. God hurls a storm at the boat Jonah is on. It is such a bad storm even the experienced crew are frightened. They realized Jonah was the cause of their misfortune because he is fleeing from God. Jonah knew what they must do—throw him overboard. When they do, the storm ceases, the waters are calm.

Next comes the famous scene. God sends a large fish (2:1) which swallows Jonah and dumps him, where else, but on the shores of the great city of Nineveh; where Jonah was supposed to go in the first place. Doesn’t God have some unusual ways of getting things done?

The Jonah story has been called a fable, farce, satire and even a joke. This improbable story is fun to read. Jonah winds up in the belly of a “great fish”—or as we name it, a whale. Well, God has certainly gotten Jonah’s attention. From the fish Jonah pleads, blames and praises God. Then God commands Jonah again, “Set out for the great city of Nineveh and announce to it the message I will tell you.” And it is a severe message from God that Jonah must preach to the Ninevites, “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.”

Jonah’s message to the Ninevites is not very hopeful. There is no offer of mercy in his preaching. Is this the fearful One we stereotypically call, the “Old Testament God?” Is this the God who, at the end of the Old Testament, has a personality change and becomes kind and merciful, the God Jesus brings to us? No! The God of Jonah is the same God of Jesus.

Jonah’s message gets a receptive hearing, the entire city repents. They repent without any great act of faith, just under a threat of destruction. Jonah must have been disappointed. The Ninevites were part of the cruel, conquering Assyrian nation, the enemy of the Israelites, yet God offers them mercy. In fact, after seeing what God had done for the Ninevites, Jonah goes away sulking over God’s kindness to his enemies. Jonah did not want to see God extend mercy to all people— especially to enemies.

As I write this, a few days before Christmas, there have been 20,000 Palestinian casualties in the war between Hamas and Israel. 1200 Israelites were slaughtered in October and over 100 hostages are still being held by Hamas. The Jonah story may be a tall tale, but we get the point: enemies must talk to one another and not first draw arms.

The story shows human vindictiveness displayed in Jonah’s preferring not to fulfill God’s message to his enemies. But we can call God “strong-willed,” persisting against the prophet’s protest. God’s graciousness comes through in the story and triumphs over the prophet’s opposition.

God persisted despite Jonah’s opposition and, we learn, intervenes in sometimes surprising ways to accomplish God’s purposes. The prophet felt justified and expected God’s wrath upon the Ninevites. Instead, God was, and is, merciful and rewards repentance. God’s mercy is not limited to the Israelites, or any other group of people we might want to name, but extends beyond any limits we, like Jonah, want to put on God.

This has been a longer than usual reflection on our text—the first reading. The Book of the Prophet Jonah is only four chapters long, a quick read, but its message is clear. It seriously resists depicting the “God of the Old Testament” as wrathful and judgmental. God, who shines through the brief four chapters of the Book of Jonah is, above all, merciful and loving. The book is not about prophetic utterances, but is a story of a man named Jonah who is not called a prophet in the book. God usually sends prophets to Israel, but Jonah is sent to address the capital of Assyria. Nineveh is a symbol of empire. It was called a “city of blood” by Nahum (Nah 3:1).

Like the ancient Israelites, who suffered under the cruel yoke of the Assyrian Empire, we can be very restrictive about where and how we think God gives mercy. Jonah, nor any of his Israelite contemporaries, would ever have imagined that the people of Nineveh would have heard his message, believed in God and proclaimed a fast. What would also have surprised them was that God would be concerned about the salvation of any other nation than Israel, especially one that had been so brutal.

In the eyes of the Ninevites Jonah would have been considered a prophet from an insignificant nation the Assyrians had conquered. Notice how the Ninevites responded to Jonah’s preaching. It wasn’t just a few conscientious people who took his word to heart and responded but, “all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.”

God “repented” too. God would not follow through with the threat of total destruction. The instrument for the conversion of Nineveh wasn’t the threat of military conquest. Nineveh could repel that. It was the power of God’s word to transform even the biggest sinners. Who would have guessed that the reluctant Jonah would have been such a powerful instrument to preach and convert the Ninevites? Such is the power of the living word of God.

Is listening to that word a source of conversion for us also? Do we pray with the Scriptures; prepare to hear them when we come to Mass; pray to the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to accept God’s call for us in the word? And more… have we noticed how the most unlikely people, like the confused prophet Jonah, can be instruments through whom God reaches out to us with the life-giving, life-changing word of God? Have we noticed?

How receptive are we to the unusual messengers God puts in our lives? It might help us be more receptive if we took home, from today’s celebration, the Responsorial Verse and prayed it, “Teach me your words, O Lord.”

JUSTICE BULLETIN BOARD

“Time is running out”

1 Corinthians 7: 29

These are interesting words to contemplate at the beginning of a new year when one feels like time is just beginning again. Yet, how often in this “new” time period do we find that resolutions made one day are forgotten the next. The word “time” is nuanced in Greek. In today’s Gospel, when Jesus says “This is the time of fulfillment,” he uses the Greek term kairos for “time.” Kairos is “sacred time.” However, the “time” used in the Corinthians passage is different and means “has been drawn together, compacted, made short.” The same word was used in classical Greek for stowing sails, packing luggage, and reducing expenses. Our modern term would be “downsizing.”

Paul addresses five situations of Christian living (those married, those in sorrow, those in joy, business people, and those overusing the world) which should not distract us from our devotion to God. We need a radical perspective about proper priorities in life. We need to trim our life sails, get rid of excess, and simplify our lives in order to clearly establish our life and relationship with our Creator in a changing world.

Imagine making a resolution that would seek to practice the presence of God in your life every day. What would the ramifications of such an attitude produce?

Married people in distress would be more gentle with each other as God is gentle with them.

Those in sorrow would trust that God is also sorrowing with them.

Those in joy would realize that joy is meant to be shared with those less fortunate children of God.

Business people with God on their shoulder would act with integrity in all their transactions.

Those who are using the world’s resources in excess would remember that God appointed each of us to be good stewards of creation.

Time is running out. Want suggestions for re-prioritizing your life’s purpose with God? Check out our website: Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral | Human Life, Dignity & Justice (raleighcathedral.org) for a listing of our outreach ministries. Helping others is a good way to re-prioritize your life, to forget your own troubles, and to find God actively at work. You might also discover who God meant you to be. Have a beautiful year!

Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director,
Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries
Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral Raleigh, NC

FAITH BOOK

Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run.

From today’s Gospel reading:

As Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother casting their nets into the sea.…

Jesus said to them, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.

Reflection:

We hear Jesus’ invitation, “Come follow me,” each day, as life presents us with choices. Shall we forgive when asked? Shall we help someone in need? Shall we buy less for ourselves and give more to the poor? Shall we see the injustice or turn a blind eye? In these, and so many other occasions, we hear the same invitation Jesus made to those fishermen and like them, we put other considerations aside to follow him.

So we ask ourselves:

What recent choices have I made that show my desire to follow Christ? What changes do I have to make in my life to follow him more fully?

Commentary on Mark 1:14–20 from “Living Space”

Commentary on Mark 1:14–20 from “Living Space”, a service of the Irish Jesuits

Today we begin our readings from Mark’s gospel and we will be following him for the next several weeks.

Today’s reading follows immediately on the short accounts of Jesus’ baptism and temptations in the desert that Mark gives. It is the beginning of his public ministry. The reading consists of two main parts – a summary of Jesus’ teaching and the first response to it.

As the passage opens we are told that John has been arrested (the reason for his arrest will be given later). The word for ‘arrest’ is literally ‘handed over’, a key word which will be used later of Jesus himself, his disciples and indeed of many others down the centuries. The term is also used in our Eucharist when the celebrant at the consecration says: “This is my Body which will be given up for you.” Our translation of ‘given up’ represents the Latin word tradetur which literally means ‘handed over’. Jesus is daily handed over to us, or rather, he hands himself over to us and expects us to do the same for our brothers and sisters. Jesus begins his ministry by proclaiming the Gospel, the Good News, of God. It is summed up in the words: “The time (kairos) has come and the Kingdom is close at hand. Repent and believe in the Good News.” It is a deceptively simple statement which, in fact, is rich in meaning. One can say that the whole of the Gospel message is contained in those two sentences. We may comment on the following words:

• kairos

• kingdom

• repent

• believe in.

The time of fulfilment: this is a translation of the Greek word Kairos (καιροσ). Kairos refers to a moment when something is ripe to happen, it is a serendipitous moment. And that exactly describes the appearance of Jesus, an appearance which the whole of the Old Covenant has been preparing for and leading up to.

The Kingdom of God is at hand: The whole of Jesus’ message centers around the idea of the ‘Kingdom of God’. It was the coming of that Kingdom which he proclaimed; it was the core of his teaching. Because of Matthew’s use of the term ‘Kingdom of heaven’, there is a possibility that we think of the ‘Kingdom’ as only belonging to the life after death. Nothing could be further from the truth. The word ‘Kingdom’ translates the Greek word basileia (βασιλεια), an abstract noun which is better rendered as ‘kingship’ or ‘reign’. Kingdom here does not refer to a place. It points to the ruling power of God, a power based above all on love. Wherever the love of God prevails in our world we can say that the Kingdom is there. Love essentially involves other people so the Kingdom is not a place or an action but a complex of harmonious and interacting relationships. Jesus came to call every single person to belong to such a world. We need to emphasize that the Kingdom and the Church or the Kingdom and Christianity do not coincide. The role of the Church is to be a sacrament of the Kingdom. It fulfils that role with varying degrees of success. There are Kingdom people everywhere, that is, people who base their lives on love and justice, on peace and freedom who are not Christians at all – but they are Kingdom people because their lives reflectthe spirit of God. Similarly, mere membership of a Christian group does not guarantee one is a Kingdom person.

Repent…: Here we have the basic steps needed to become fully a Kingdom person. First, we need to repent. This is the most common translation of the Greek verb of the word metanoia (μετανοια). It is not a very happy rendering. ‘Repent’ means for most people being sorry for something done in the past. That is not excluded here but metanoia looks much more to the future. Metanoia really means a radical change in one’s thinking, in this case, about the meaning and purpose of life and how that life is to be lived. Jesus is calling here for a radical conversion and to take on board his vision of life.

And how is that metanoia to be achieved? By believing in the Gospel. For many Christians, belief means the total acceptance of the teachings of Christ as interpreted for us by the Church. But something more is asked of us here. We are asked not just to believe but to believe IN. It is one thing to believe something as but it may not affect our lives very much. But in calling on us to believe IN the message that the Gospel brings, we are being asked for a total investment of ourselves and not just in accepting doctrines as. We are being called on to living our lives and patterning them on the model of Jesus himself. Again, we will see what that entails as we go through the Gospel in coming weeks. The second part of the reading gives us a dramatic example of some people who did just what Jesus was asking for. As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother, Andrew, who were fishermen, casting their nets into the sea. They were doing their daily work. Jesus said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of people.” There and then, they dropped their nets, their whole means of livelihood and went after Jesus. A little further on Jesus saw two sons of Zebedee, James and John, who were mending their nets. These two Jesus also called. They promptly left their father in the boat with his hired men and followed Jesus. Later Jesus will say, “if you love father, mother more than me you cannot be a disciple”.

Here we have that metanoia, that radical change of life, taking place. They follow Jesus with total trust. As they go off, they have no idea where they are going or what it will entail. They believe IN Jesus, put all their trust in him. They were to meet many trials and tribulations on the way but they never regretted the step they took. Only by following their example will we too have the same experience. The only guarantee we have is that those who did take Jesus’ call seriously and lived it out to the full know that they made the right choice.

Finally, we might say that this story is to be read as a kind of parable. Because we know that later on the disciples will still be in contact with their families and those boats will appear several times in the Gospel story. What is being emphasized here is the total commitment to the Way and vision of Jesus which is symbolized by the total abandoning of the boats and family members.