Ordinary Time

Memorial, St. Benedict

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings for July 11, 2025

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30, Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40, Matthew 10:16-23

After sitting with these readings this week what strikes me is the consistent care and concern that God has for his people no matter where they go or what they do. The Genesis story tells of the Israelites being uprooted to go far from home so they can survive the famine. In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus is sending his disciples to places unknown.

Yet in both stories God is going to be there. In Genesis Jacob hears God say explicitly not to be afraid to go to Egypt because God will be with him. There is even the promise to bring them back. What more can you tell someone who is going away to comfort and encourage them but that they will return home safely. In Matthew, Jesus doesn’t say being a disciple is going to be easy. Rather he warns his disciples that they are going out among wolves. But no matter what happens God will tell them what to say and when they “endure to the end” they will be saved.

I also don’t think this is pie in the sky stuff. It is not a Pollyanna view of the world where people are simply reassured that everything will be “all right.” Jesus says disciples must be wise as serpents, simple as doves. He knows families will be divided and suffer from the loss. He doesn’t suggest they take on futile causes, so if one town rejects them they are to move to the next. And we know that once the Israelites go to Egypt not everything is going to work out well the whole time they are there. But we know that God does keep God’s promise, the Israelites, led by Moses, do return from Egypt to prosper as a nation.

It suggests to me that just because God is close to us and part of our lives, that doesn’t remove the difficulties or challenges or decisions that life presents. But it does say that if we are open to it. God will comfort us and care for us in ways that will surprise us and free us. I think it suggests exactly what the Psalm says, “The LORD watches over the lives of the wholehearted; their inheritance lasts forever. They are not put to shame in an evil time; in days of famine they have plenty.” God will help us be our best selves.

 Whether we have plenty right now or if we are starving in some way, what we need to do is look for the God who took Jacob to Egypt and brought him home. The God who brought Joseph, the son believed to be dead, back to see his father, so they could cry on each other’s shoulder. The God who saw his own son slaughtered on a cross but who seeks to provide our every need. This God, the Psalmist says delivers the just from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. Are we taking our refuge in God? Are we giving God the chance to act in our lives? Are we asking for help when we need it? Do we let others in to be a part of what we need? Are we there when others have the courage to ask for the help they need? We heard what the Psalmist said this morning, “Do good that you may abide forever, for the Lord loves what is right and does not forsake his faithful ones.” God and us we’re in this life together.

Tuesday, Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings for July 8, 2025

Genesis 32:23-33, Psalm 17:1b,2-3,7-8,15 and Matthew 9:32-38

Today’s world is complicated. That is a blessing and a curse. Our choices are many but we can’t have it all. I believe one popular phrase is, “Fear of missing out,” FOMO. How do we sort through the wonderfully varied choices and find what is best for us? Some things are good for us and some things aren’t. What’s more, the longer we live the more things change around us and within us as well. It’s not easy to understand, much less manage, the world and our feelings and desires.

I’m talking about this primarily because of Jesus’ observation in Matthew’s Gospel today, “And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” I think we can understand harassed and dejected all too well. We may not know about sheep and shepherds but we understand the idea. We need some kind of guide or guiding principle to help us sort out what’s important from what’s not.

One of the things about the Bible is how concrete it is. The stories are very specific. Sometimes that can get in the way of understanding them because it’s all set in times long, long ago. However, the point of concrete, specific stories about what happens to people is that they are trying to tell us where to look for our answers. Where? In the absolutely specific, concrete events of our lives. What is happening for us? Are things getting better or worse? Are we happy or not?

The question about people being dejected comes right after Jesus has driven out a devil from a person who couldn’t speak and then could. Matthew says, “the people were amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’” I suggest we have to take seriously what we see happening around us and within us. This is a question of seeing. Are we looking or trying to avoid what we see? Can we be honest with ourselves about what we see? That is not always easy to do.

That’s the message in the Genesis story. Jacob has lots going on in his life: two wives, eleven children to get across the river and all his possessions as well. He’s not some person taking time out to go on a retreat to find himself. Stuff is happening right now. In the midst of that activity someone starts a wrestling match with him in the middle of the night. Jacob stays with it all night. He has no idea who he’s contending with. But come morning things have changed, his opponent has wounded him but the fight produces a new man. No longer Jacob, he’s now Israel. To have your name changed in Biblical stories is to be a different person.

Jacob in the dark of night, when he couldn’t see anything, didn’t know who was challenging him, was fighting through a time of uncertainty, unknowing and confusion. Jacob keeps going until dawn when he can see, recognize the challenges and amazingly ask for a blessing. Genesis says, he won’t let go until what is hurting him blesses him. He gets his new name, becomes a new person, because, “you have contended with divine and human beings
and have prevailed.”

It’s not easy to acknowledge what is keeping us down but fighting until we know where the good things are is what we need to do. We need to get through the night until dawn no matter how hard that is. Like Jacob, we may find it God was with us all along in ways we didn’t understand.

Today’s Psalm sums it up, “Though you test my heart, searching it in the night, … on waking, I shall be content in your presence.”

Tuesday, Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Reading for July 1, 2025

Genesis 19: 15-29, Psalm 26: 2-3, 9-12, Matthew 8: 23-27

Maybe it’s obvious, but for me the key to today’s two readings is the parallel between saving Lot and saving the disciples in the storm. In both cases we have people of “little faith.” Lot is reluctant to leave Sodom. God’s messengers literally have to drag him and his family outside the city and still he doesn’t think he can make the hills but needs to go to a small town that closer. The Apostles are totally unnerved by the storm at sea and need to wake Jesus because they are “perishing.” Both the Apostles and Lot’s family are saved not because of their own actions but because of their relationship with someone else who is a “friend of God.”  Lot is Abram’s nephew and the disciples are, of course, Jesus’ disciples.

It seems to me that the message is pretty simple. If you are in real trouble, “we are perishing,” the right move is to reach out to God for help. So regardless of what you may think about the historical facts of miracles in the Bible, the story is saying the God has the power to change what seems like hopeless situations. Nothing is inevitable. Life can be different than the way it looks at the moment. That’s what happens for Lot in Sodom and the frightened disciples at sea.

I would argue that it isn’t even about having a great confident faith in God’s presence. This story suggests that even if you’re unsure, reluctant and even resistent God can bail you out if you just follow instructions. Lot hesitates to leave, then argues with his divine savior about where he’s going and still ends up safe before literally fire and brimstone rain down on everyone who stayed behind. Sometimes you have to wonder what it takes to see the right path. I think that’s the point. Seeing the right path isn’t easy but there is help if we’re open to it.

So, to the emphasize the point, the same is true for the disciples in the boat with Jesus. They think it’s the end and Jesus has to calm both wind and waves before they feel safe. If you ask if it really happened, it’s the wrong question. Again, it’s what the story is saying about God’s relationship to all of us. We’re all in the same “boat” and God’s presence is with us. We just have to ask for help even when we are of little faith. The idea is God is the one with the power to transform, we aren’t expected to have all the answers. But recognizing our own uncertainty is probably part of the solution. Then we may be able to express what we hear in today’s psalm, “O Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.”

Wednesday, Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings for June 25, 2025

Genesis 15:1-12,17-18, Psalm 105: 1-4, 6-9, Matthew 7:15-20

It seems to me that today’s readings are about having faith.

In Genesis we hear one of the foundation stories for Judaism and Christianity. God making promises to Abram. It is worth noting that God acts first by promising to protect Abram and only once God speaks does Abram raise the legitimate question about whether God’s protection will end up meaning anything because Abram doesn’t have any children to be heirs of God’s goodness.

Before I raise a question about this, notice that next God promises to give Abram a lot of land that belongs to someone else. Abrams responds by asking “how will I know that I will possess it?”

Here we have God offering Abram his protection and land for his use and Abram first reaction is to question its value and then whether he can trust God or not. Doesn’t that seem pretty bold to you?

I would like to suggest that’s not unlike today. You can’t always tell when God is tapping you on the shoulder. That is exactly what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel. Maybe it’s not God, maybe it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

I write this blog because I am a confident believer in Christianity. I think Jesus was God’s son, that the God Jesus shows us is for real and that living based on the Gospels is the right thing to do. But I have met people, some friends and other acquaintances, bright people, honest, sometimes amazingly open and loving people who aren’t sure of anything about the outcome of this life. They believe all sorts of non-Christian, unorganized, speculative things about how life works. I’m not talking about people who have faith in other religions. I mean people who are unsure of any religion or randomly combine ideas from here and there and in the end aren’t sure what they have. My point. It is still pretty tough to tell if God is talking to you. Jesus’ comments don’t just apply to people in sheep’s clothing but also situations in life. How do we read them. Are they telling us something good or bad? I don’t think it’s easy even if you do believe in God to know how to respond in some situations.

So that reality makes Jesus advice helpful. Does the person or situation you encounter bring about good things for life or bad things? What kind of fruit comes from this tree, this set of circumstances, this person and who they are? That might seem like too easy an answer. But I don’t think it is, because in order to determine the nature of the person or situation you have to be able to judge what is good and what is bad. Making that judgment can be difficult for a number of reasons but I would like to focus on one. You can’t make a judgment about good or bad if you haven’t settled on some way of life, some standard. If you haven’t already said you believe in something. If a person just keeps flittering around different ideas, concepts or people with different opinions, that person will never be able to decide what is good and what is bad for them. You have to accept something for yourself, without that, you are lost.

This happens in our reading today when after the Lord promises Abram that he will have descendants like stars in the sky, Genesis says, Abram “puts his faith in the Lord.” Abram decides he will trust God in that moment and God accepts his trust as an act that defines something about Abram. Abram has taken a stand. It doesn’t end here. Even with this trust in God, determining what is from God takes real effort. Notice that when Abram is told to offer a sacrifice of animals he has to stay with the carcasses when birds of prey threaten and finally goes through a terrifying darkness before he hears God promise him and his descendants they will inherit the land.

All this is to say that paying attention to what life is telling us is not easy. It demands attention and perseverance in tough times. But most all, before anything else, making good judgments about God’s presence and what God offers us in this life demands faith. Real trust in the very God who wants to protect us.

Solemnity of John the Baptist’s Birth

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings for June 24, 2025

Isaiah 49:1-6, Psalm 139: 1-3, 13-15, Acts 13:22-26, Luke 1:57-66, 80

Today, if you aren’t already aware, is the Solemnity of St. John the Baptist. The feast is made a Solemnity in order to give greater emphasis to the importance of John the Baptist.

The importance of John the Baptist is an interesting contradiction. In the course of the history of salvation he could be considered an “also ran.” Jesus is the key figure. He is the one who changes everything and his followers, the 12 Apostles, the Evangelists, Mary, and all the other disciples carry the story forward. John the Baptist is the last of what was left behind. He was a prophet calling out for the Messiah, he too was looking for someone.

So what makes the Baptist so important? We know that as the Gospel story develops he will be the one to Baptize Jesus. He will be the one to point him out to others. It is entirely likely that it is his words, his challenge that were key to the spiritual transformation of Jesus. But that is not the topic of today’s readings. Today we hear about his birth and his naming. He is called John instead of a name from his family heritage. It was a very unusual thing to do. But that unusual naming said something. John in Hebrew means, “the Lord has shown favor.” Isn’t that exactly what Elizabeth was expressing, having given birth to a first born in her old age? Isn’t it exactly what the Angel told Zachariah he was to name his son? Didn’t we all feel exactly that way when we saw our first child born. What else could a new child represent but the favor, the blessing of God.

But the truth is we don’t know. We never know when a child is born what will happen over the years. That’s exactly what everybody was thinking about this child named John, “What then will this child be?” Wouldn’t we all like to know what life will bring for our children, for ourselves? What’s more, it doesn’t get any easier as life goes along. No matter how favored we are by God, no matter how loved, sometimes we wonder if what we are doing is worthwhile. That’s what Isaiah is naming in the first reading, …God has called us since birth, protected us and given us the task of demonstrating His love of us all. Yet to quote Isaiah, “I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength.”

John the Baptist is the poster child for doing what you think is right but not being “the one.” I think John represents all of us who can’t be sure if what we are doing is making a difference but we do it anyway. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles records the stance John the Baptist took, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.” There it is. I have my part to play, but I’m not the big cheese and don’t expect me to be.

That’s why I think John the Baptist can be a model for us and our lives. Each of us has a role to play, we each point to Jesus in our own way. By living a faith filled life we make a statement about the value of faith in Jesus. But it’s not always easy for us to see how very important that role is. At times we can be discouraged and uncertain. Unlike John the Baptist, we’re not going to be able to unfasten the sandals on Jesus’ feet. Perhaps on this Solemnity that celebrates the unique importance of John the Baptist, what we should remember is the meaning of John’s name, the Lord has shown favor. We know that’s what God is about, grace and blessings. Like John, it is our job to pass it on by how we live. Whether we can always see the value of what we do or not, we are part of spreading God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

Friday, Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture for Friday, February 28,2025

Sirach 6:5-17, Psalm 119: 12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35, Mark 10:1–12

When I first read today’s gospel I thought I should recuse myself since like many people today I am divorced and remarried. However, I decided that’s exactly why I should tackle this reading from Mark because it’s important to me personally.

I think today’s readings, as a group, provide a wonderful toolkit for talking about the definitive response Jesus gives the Pharisees when they question him on divorce.  Jesus plainly says, twice, God didn’t make us for divorce. He says the law of Moses that allowed for divorce was simply there because Moses recognized that people are hard hearted and gave them a legal alternative. Jesus says however that is not God’s plan. I would point out he is taking this issue beyond the legalistic approach the Pharisees are asking about. This is where Jesus usually goes, way beyond the rules people have set up to the ground of our relationships, to what God intends.

So now consider the selection of verses from Sirach, one of the Wisdom books in the Old Testament. This author is talking about how tricky it is to find a good friend. That person needs to be tested and too often friends are superficial and when tough times happen they desert you. In this discussion it sounds to me like great dating advice. Who should you look for? The essence here is someone who shares your values. But it’s tough to find that person. Sirach estimates that a best friend is one in a thousand. How much rarer is a spouse?

Where I’m going with this is the reality of the human condition. Just as Jesus recognized that Moses gave the Jews a legal escape because they could be hard hearted, I would suggest we have to recognize our own failings. We mess up even when we’re trying really hard. In this case, as in other circumstances, we need to be humble and admit we make mistakes, real ones, that have bad consequences for us and for others. Which is where the Psalm for today comes in. It starts with, “teach me your statutes,” and asks that God, “open my eyes … make me understand … give me discernment, that I my observe your law and keep it with all my heart.” We need accept what Jesus says is God’s plan for us and ask for the help we need to live up to that. That way when, “a man … be jointed to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh,” will be a reality.

It’s very apparent that we often don’t meet this standard. But the heart of the matter is not down playing what Jesus says but rather admitting we made a mistake, remaining humble, taking responsibility and learning to live our lives better. Then by paying attention to our heart and what we have experienced we can also recognize God’s mercy and live in God’s love.

Tuesday, Seventh Week of Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings for February 21, 2017

Sirach 2:1-11, Psalm 37: 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40, Mark 9:30 – 37

This week I was reading some material about G. K. Chesterton and his fascination with the role of paradox and contradiction in Christianity. He points out that in the paradoxes and apparent contradictions of faith lie the very key to Christianity and its embrace of all of life. The “both,” “and” of Catholic theology is an extension of this sense that all of life is sacred and trying to formulate a good vs. bad system or ideology is folly in the face of life’s endless variety and uncontained vitality.

I mention this because it seems to me today’s readings give us good examples of fully Christian paradox. Let’s begin with the Gospel and key Christian beliefs. Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to be killed but then three days later rise from the dead. This is so “out there” that the disciples don’t even know how to ask him to explain. Still they aren’t above trying to calculate who among them is doing the best job and may turn out to be the greatest of his followers. So Jesus gives them the criteria: be a servant of other people, take care of those like a child who are totally dependent and could never pay you back. This is the way of being “first” because it will bring you into personal contact with God. Literally God will be with you. Mark says it like this, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

So this is where Sirach and our Psalm may be able to help because they talk about what it is to have a relationship with God. Remember we’re illustrating apparent contradictions here with the thought that this is how Christianity exhibits an inclusivity that embraces all of life. Even perhaps what is beyond our grasp, like dying and rising from the dead three days later.

I think the Psalm response most clearly states the sense of today’s selection, “Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.” Sirach is making the same point, “he is a protector to all who seek him.” Yet Sirach begins with, “when you come to serve the LORD … prepare yourself for trials.” This is followed by a whole series of conditions that accompany being helped by God and receiving his compassion and mercy. These include: “Accept whatever befalls you … in crushing misfortune be patient” for “worthy people (are tested) in the crucible of humiliation.”

Finally Sirach claims, “Study the generations long past and understand; has anyone hoped in the LORD and been disappointed? Has anyone persevered in his commandments and been forsaken?” Here we have the crux of the paradoxical issue. Would you want to ask Jews how well they’ve faired historically at not being forsaken? How about endless martyrs and saints of the church? Within my lifetime, people like Oscar Romero, a great group of sisters in El Salvador, Martin Luther King and various freedom fighters in the South, none of whom would seem to have come out on top even though they were caring for those “children,” those disadvantaged that God favors. So I guess Sirach really means it when he says, “My son, when you come to serve the LORD, stand in justice and fear, prepare yourself for trials.”

I believe what’s going on here is truth about life. People die in service to what they believe in. Bad things happen to good people. Life has value in and of itself. We have the opportunity to contribute to a better life for others and ourselves. Especially if a better life means treating others with dignity, being honest in our relationships, accepting ourselves as imperfect but valuable individuals, enjoying the beauty and freedom of life itself and working toward those things that give support, love and joy to everyone’s life. God’s presence is part of doing good in this world. Yes, life and Christianity are full of paradoxes. Situations that are not just more than they seem but are contradictions of what we believe to be true. It is what faith is about, which is better explained as trust. Which is what Sirach is trying to tell us:

Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not;
thus will you be wise in all your ways.
Accept whatever befalls you,
when sorrowful, be steadfast,
and in crushing misfortune be patient

I believe we can trust God and “hope for good things, for lasting joy and mercy” even when the worst things are happening, paradox or not.

Friday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings for February 21, 2025

Genesis 11: 1-9, Psalm 33: 10-15, Mark 8:34 – 9:1

I think today’s readings challenge us to consider who we really are. To what extent is there a “façade” that we show to the world while protecting our inner more vulnerable self? Are we motivated solely by our ego or are there deeper concerns and realities that shape who we are and how we live our lives?

Without the help of psychological language or modern scientific understanding, Jesus in today’s Gospel raises the question of the authentic self by talking about taking up our own crosses and following Him. He raises the paradox of giving up a superficial, self-centered life to discover a richer more abundant life of loving care and concern for others. He goes so far as to predict that living in this way can make one open to the Kingdom of God right here in this life.

The reading from Genesis can be seen in a similar way. Human kind has plans of its own. These plans, designed to protect and strengthen people in their current ways, is in sharp contrast to God’s plan. According to the author, people thought the best thing for them was to be together, to pursue the same goals, to live in one place in order to build on their uniformity, what they had in common. God’s plans were different. God wanted them to spread throughout the earth, going to different places, developing under different circumstances and key to this passage, speaking different languages.

So whose plans do we follow? I do think the paradox stills applies. To become who we are meant to be we often have to deny some of things we think would be in our own best interest.

I think most people would still be more comfortable with people like themselves. Don’t we often surround ourselves with people who think like we do, who have similar goals and have had similar experiences. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. But at the same time, because of foreign travel, television, the internet and all the forms of modern communication, we are becoming more aware of how a wide variety of experiences and knowing people from diverse cultures make for a richer life and a deeper appreciation of people and what is possible in this life.

Still the differences some people exhibit can make us ill at ease or anxious before we even get to know them.

How often have we had plans for how our life was to go and then life went another direction that we could not control? What kind of differences have been forced on us that we later came to see as rewarding and wonderful. Haven’t we received the gift of God’s kingdom in many ways we could never have foreseen? Aren’t there joys in our lives that came from unexpected places?

I think these readings remind us we have to be open to those unexpected and unknown situations both in our daily lives and even in the parts of ourselves we may not have been willing to explore. If we believe as the Psalmist says, that God “fashioned the heart of each” of us. Then letting go of some of our tightly held attitudes and plans and trusting in God’s direction, in God’s call and in God’s challenges may lead us not only to God but to the joys and happiness that resides at the heart of who we are.

Monday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings for February 17, 2025

Genesis 4:1-15, 25, Psalm 50:1, 8, 16bc-17, 20-2, Mark 8: 11-13

In order to get the most from today’s Gospel I think we have to look at the Scripture passages that come immediately before and after the section we read this morning. The questioning by the Pharisees is preceded by the multiplication of the loaves and the feeding of 4,000 people with 7 loaves of bread. It is then followed by a conversation in which his disciples misunderstand his comments about the destructive power of hidden agendas.

We must also remember that the Gospels were not written to be a history of Jesus’ life but rather as a tool for explaining to people what faith in Jesus was about. Certainly the events in the Gospels have an historical basis but the evangelists, the writers of the Gospels, were well, evangelizing, trying to spread the message. So let’s look at this part of Mark’s gospel just as a first time reader might.

You’ve just read that 4,000 people were fed on seven loaves of bread and a few fish and the leftovers filled seven baskets. Then the very next thing that happens is a group of Pharisees asks Jesus for a sign from heaven as proof that his message is from God. Wouldn’t you think, you’d just read about the best sign of heavenly generosity you could think of? But what is really puzzling is Jesus’ answer, “no sign will be given to this generation.” Isn’t this the same guy who just fed those 4,000 and has been curing and healing people all over the countryside?

I think the key to this question is that Jesus “sighed from the depth of his spirit.” The story is an example of how people cannot see what is right in front of them. In this case, Mark is talking about how we recognize God’s presence.

Jesus’ sigh signals his frustration with people’s tendency to rely on some outside event to prove for them it is OK to believe. Jesus reply is an acknowledgement that there never is proof certain for someone who can’t hear and see for themselves. The person who requires outside proof is someone who isn’t listening to his or her own heart, his or her own experience. In that case there is no way to prove faith. When it comes to recognizing God’s presence in our lives we are the only one who can see it for ourselves.

This point is reinforced by what follows the Pharisees questioning. The disciples and Jesus go across the lake and Jesus warns them about the destructive influence of the Pharisees. He refers to their influence as yeast in the bread and the Apostles misinterpret what he says, thinking they forgot to bring enough bread for the journey. Jesus then questions their ability to understand his mission. He asks, “Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?”

This is exactly what Jesus found so frustrating with the Pharisees. You can feed 4,000 people and your own disciples can’t seem to see the message of God’s generous providence to all of us.

For me the core of today’s Gospel is Jesus’ own sadness that so many people couldn’t recognize the gift that was in the middle of their lives. Isn’t that exactly one of the issues that still plague us? Do we recognize God’s love present in our midst and then live accordingly?

How do we learn to see what God is trying to do and hear what God is trying to say in our lives? Based on today’s Gospel, that has been an issue from the very beginning of Jesus mission among us. So let’s remember the key lesson here. Don’t look outside yourself for some absolute answer or proof that will clear everything up. That’s exactly what won’t happen. Instead the only place to look for answers is within us and our everyday experience, our feelings. Like the sigh of Jesus from the depth of his spirit, it tells us so much about who we really are.

Thursday, Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

~ Retired Bill ~ Leave a comment

Scripture Readings, February 13, 2025

Genesis 2:18-25, Psalm 128:1-5, Mark 7:24-30

            Today’s Gospel has a wonderfully earthy, even gritty, character that appeals to me.

            Mark tells us about a Gentile woman turning the tables on Jesus. When Mark writes this he is letting the Gentiles know that God’s blessings are meant for them too. God is not just a Jewish god but everybody’s God. For us, I think it helps to see that Jesus was a person of his time. Son of God, yes, but fully human, a Jew of the first century with all the attitudes that come with that.  Therefore, it can be a message about how God acts in our time.

For Jesus, this woman is an outsider, a non-Jew. Jesus therefore, labels her as a Gentile dog. The derogatory way Jews often referred to Gentiles. Jesus is here for the salvation of the Jews and she doesn’t qualify. But this woman, who has come begging for help for her daughter, is willing to accept the status she has been assigned and fit her request into that narrative. She isn’t going to give up because this man tells her something she already knows. She may be a Gentile dog but she’ll take any scraps the chosen children of Israel drop from the table. She is asking simply as a person in need. She is not claiming any basis for her request except the need to save her daughter. She’s here on her own, no husband to speak for her. The request is not even for a son who might one day be her protector but a daughter. This woman has no status, her only chance is if this man shows her mercy. The mercy of this man who apparently can heal people. Jesus recognizes the honest need of a person who has no claim on him whatsoever. He is willing to give what is completely unearned, even undeserved by the norms of the time. Jesus heals the daughter as an act of pure mercy to this woman. Mark is telling us that’s how God acts. That’s what the presence of God looks like, mercy, pure generous mercy to those who ask.