Anyone Welcome!

Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.
Mk.3:35

Jesus identifies who can be included in his family. Anyone!

"Anyone" emphasises that it doesn't matter who. All are welcome into the family of God. "God wants all to be saved." (1Tim.2:4). 

I've heard it said that if our congregation doesn't include people who look different, sound different, act different... then we're in danger of becoming a club and there are clubs out there that do it better. 

Does my parish project a wide open door of invitation to the oddballs, deadbeats and reprobates? Do I? 

"So go into the highways and byways, and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’ And those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all they found, both bad and good; and the wedding was filled with guests." (Mt.22:9-11)

I think Church history is filled with times when groups have had a genuine encounter with God and then built a picket fence around the experience and started issuing membership tickets. Meanwhile the Holy Spirit quietly steps over the fence and moves on. 

Jesus, help me stop building fences and start building bridges. 

Complete Joy

I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.
Jn.15:11

It's the night before Jesus' passion and death. He comforts his disciples with the promise of something that the world cannot take away. Complete joy.

The disciples were about to experience complete despair. But joy comes in the morning (Ps.30:5). What was it that Jesus had just told them for their joy to be restored? That he loves them. 

This is the source of my complete joy today. Yes, it's raining outside and "stuff" is happening in my life. But, Jesus loves me in the midst of it all. He is with me. He is for me. He walks beside me on the road. His love is tangible and yes, my joy is complete. 

Jesus, I receive your love. Your joy is in me and my joy is complete.
Saint Francis de Sales, please pray for me.

Seek and Keep

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Mt.13:46

The Kingdom of heaven is something to seek and on finding, give my all to keep.

This Gospel is well chosen for the memorial to Saint Agnes, a girl who gave her all to keep her pearl of great price. I suspect at times we all quail at the prospect of martyrdom and ask ourselves, "Would I stay true to Jesus on threat of torture and death?" 

Our parish has been blessed in recent years by the arrival of immigrant families, many from countries where Catholics are a persecuted minority. I've noted that their faith is white hot. For them, lukewarm is not an option. They are inspirational.

Seek and then keep. 

Lord Jesus, may I never be something lukewarm that you spit from your mouth.
Saint Agnes, please pray for me.

The Sabbath is Made For Man

And he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.’
Mk.2:28

Jesus answers the Pharisees' criticism by defining who made the Sabbath and why. He did for us.

There's a temptation for legalism that is unique to the Day of Rest, the Sabbath. The Church encourages the faithful to regard Sunday as a Holy Day of Obligation, and why wouldn't we when considering all that Mass represents, nothing less than Jesus' death and resurrection. 

But beyond that it's a day primarily for rest and/or good works. This is all for my benefit. I am fed in spirit and body. 

Thank you Jesus for making the Sabbath for me. You are Lord of the Sabbath.

I Am My Beloved's And He Is Mine

And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?'
Mk.2:19

Jesus clearly refers to himself as the bridegroom. Who is the bride? Well yes, the Church... but more importantly, me!

As a bloke, my initial impression of a bride is that of a beautiful young woman walking down the aisle by her father's side, about to be handed over to a nervous groom at the front of the church. In fact the image before me now is of my wife on our wedding day. She looked like a Greek goddess! 

I've got to step over this vision and hear what Jesus is really saying about himself and about me. This is a relationship of love and a joyous and intimate love at that. As scripture says, "I am my beloved's and he is mine." (Song of Songs 6:3). 

Yes, fasting is surely coming. Lent is around the corner. But today, oh today... it's a wedding feast! Bring on the wine Dionysus!

Be Perfect

‘Who can be saved, then?’ they said. Jesus gazed at them. ‘For men’ he told them ‘this is impossible; for God everything is possible.’
Mt.19:25,26

Jesus has set a high bar of perfection for the rich young man. Give all to the poor and then come follow him. The disciples are astonished. Who can attain perfection? 

There is a call to perfection for all who desire to follow Jesus, unique to each of us. At the moment, mine is humility. What stops me from being downcast and walking away like the young man? It's Jesus' escape clause. "For God everything is possible".

In my despair of imperfection, Jesus reaches down to help me. On my own, perfection is impossible. With him cheering me on, pouring in grace and strength, the impossible becomes possible.

Jesus, I place my trust in you. Saint Antony, please pray for me.

 

Increase Our Faith

Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’ 
Mk.2:5

Faith is oxygen for Jesus, no matter where it comes from. The faith of the paralytic's friends led first to his salvation, then his healing. 

This reinforces for me the power of intercession. My feeble faith can move God's hand powerfully in another's life. Also, others prayers for me can bless me mightily. I can see why Jesus established the Church. I would be so much poorer if I didn't belong to my parish, a community of faith.

The apostles said to Jesus ,“Increase our faith!” (Lk.17:5). Amen to that!