The Divine Physician

And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, 
Mk7:33-35

Once again the infirm are brought to Jesus for healing. His methods vary but the result is the same, people are set free.

Today's Gospel records one of the more complicated healing processes of Jesus. He takes the man aside. He places his fingers in the man's ears. He spits and touches the man's tongue. He prays. After these four steps the man is healed. 

On other occasions Jesus has simply made a proclamation and healing occurs for a person at a remote location (e.g. the centurion's servant). 

The lesson for me here is that Jesus can heal in many and varied ways. He can't be placed in a box. My role is simply to invite him into a person's life and then get out of the way. All glory then goes to God.

Jesus, you are the physician, I am the stretcher-bearer. I place my trust in you.

Guard My Heart

For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.
Mk.7:21-23

Jesus highlights that scrupulous piety over food laws is pointless. Regulation of what comes out from my heart is what matters most. 

I am a human. Nothing human is alien to me. All the evil intentions listed by Jesus I know reside within me. It is purely the grace of God that gives me any hope of restraining them. 

However, the converse is also true. I have within me things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report; (Ph.4:8). It is purely the grace of God that gives me any hope of encouraging them.

Our Lady of Lourdes, please pray for me.

Love as Strong as Death

Set me as a seal on your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
     Song of Songs: 8:6

This is the cry of a lover for a responding unbreakable love. It's the cry of every believer.

Every child thrives in the knowledge of its father's love. Everything else may be falling in ruin but when the father's love is experienced and unquestionable, all is well. 

Lord, magnify my love today that I may better reflect your love.

Saint Scholastica,, please pray for me.

His Peace Is My Peace

Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
Jn.14:27

Jesus is about to experience the unspeakable violence of his passion and death. What does he first want to give to his disciples? Peace.

Peace in the world can only start with peace in me. One tiny pebble can break the tranquil surface of a pond. I need peace in my heart to then pass that on to those about me. 

I take up Jesus' offer. I exchange my troubled and fearful heart for his own peace, a peace the world cannot give.

Come Lord Jesus calm the waters in my heart with your peace. 

Love Christ Love Others

For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it.
Lk.9:24

Jesus makes clear what it takes to gain eternal life. Death.

Dying to self, taking up my cross. These are contrary to my inclination. My natural tendency is to place myself first. Jesus shows by his life and death that this is no way to live life to the fullest. 

How can I make the good of others my natural response and desire? A starting point could be to see Jesus in others, even in the poor, the plain and the simple. Then serving them becomes serving Christ, which is my heart's desire. 

Jesus, show yourself to me in those I meet today that my love for you becomes love for them.
Saint Agatha, please pray for me.

Love Always Hopes

"This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him.
Mk.6:3

The home town of Jesus couldn't see past the Jesus they thought they knew. For them he would always be a carpenter.

Placing people in a box is a weakness of mine. I tend to rain on people's parades. I need to acknowledge that Jesus can do new things in peoples lives. Just look at what he did in mine! Love always hopes. Hopes in what? Hopes for the better, hopes for change.

Judgement stops progress dead in its tracks. Hope encourages growth and new life. 

Lord, let me be a hope-filled cheerleader.

The Key To The Kingdom

I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mt.18:3,4

Simplicity, innocence and littleness meld to form a key to the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus isn't just giving advice, he's giving a warning. Unless I change... I will never enter the kingdom. Change from what? Sophistication, impurity and aggrandisement. 

There's work to be done but the God who forgives, who heals who redeems and who crowns me with love (Ps.102:3,4)  is on my side.

Saint John Bosco, please pray for me.