We now advance to a sabbath day in a synagogue (Lk 6:6-11).  While teaching, it comes to Jesus’ attention that a man with a withered hand is there.  The Pharisees and scribes watch closely to see if Jesus will heal the man on the sabbath (a no-no as far as they are concerned).  Jesus questions whether it is lawful to do good over evil, save life over destroy it.  Not getting a response He heals the man.  The passage closes with the sentence in the headline.  When non-Christians become “enraged” at Jesus we might be able to understand it.  This may happen because the deeply held (albeit false) religious beliefs of some contradict Jesus’ life and message.  Wishing ill upon Jesus’ body, the Church, is not uncommon, and continues to lead to physical persecution of Christians throughout the world.  We pray for the persecutors and their victims.  The former for conversion, the latter for perseverance.  Non-believers or misguided Christians can also practice their own form of persecution: Working mightily to remove God from the public square.  The secularization of society has taken hold of much of the western world and the pace is accelerating.  Here Jesus (and His Body) is not necessarily physically oppressed (although there have been instances) but rather pushed aside, ignored, or suppressed.  Potentially more deadly in the sense that it tends to be a gradual transition that, before we will know what happened, leads to the elimination of God from society.  Christians, as the Body of Christ, must not allow this to happen.  We must fervently pray for a reconversion of society that brings Christ center stage once more.  He is society’s — and the world’s — only salvation.

Back to our Markan Sunday sequence, Jesus is brought a deaf man with a speech impediment whom the crowds beg Jesus to heal (Mk 7:31-37).  Jesus takes the man away from the crowd, touches his ear and tongue, says the word above, and thus heals him.  Repeatedly ordering the crowd not to say anything about the healing, the astonished people proclaim it all the more, lauding Jesus’ miracles.  “Be opened” is Jesus call to us today.  That is, even if our physical hearing is a 100%, is our listening 100%?  Are we paying attention to the Lord’s teaching in general and his call to each one of us specifically?  Are we picking and choosing what we want to embrace — a “selective listening”?  Taking a step back, have we even heard the message in the first place?  Attending Mass as is our obligation is a good start, but it should not be our sole means of learning our faith and conversing with God.  Daily prayer is essential.  Reading the Catechism (free on the internet) and other solid materials (also many of which are on the web) is important for Catholics so that we know our faith in order that we can live it so that by our words and actions we share it as is our call (Mt 28:19-20, 1 Pt 3:15).  May we always be open to the Lord’s teaching and His will for each of us so we can be His instruments in advancing His Kingdom spreading the Good News far and wide by “speaking plainly”  the Word.

The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary gives us the beginning of Matthew’s gospel (Mt 1:1-16, 18-23).  The entire genealogy from Abraham to Christ is provided.  Then the story of the conception and resulting events is told: Mary, betrothed to Joseph, conceives a child through the Holy Spirit; Joseph finds out, wishes to divorce her, but is visited by an angel in a dream and, convinced of Mary’s divine calling, takes her in.  The story ends with a quote from Isaiah (7:14) about the virgin being with child who is “God with us.”  On this special day, a renewed plea to all Christians to take the Blessed (Lk 1:42, 48) Virgin (Mt 1:22) Mary into their homes (cf. Jn 19:27) and hearts seems appropriate.  Scripture tells us of her virginity at the time of the miraculous conception of her Son (Lk 1:27), who is Emmanuel (“God with us”) (Mt 1:22) and Jesus (“God saves”) (Mt 1:21, 25).  As the mother of a person (Lk 1:43), the Second Person of the Trinity (and mothers can only be mothers of persons, not natures) (Lk 1:35), she unquestionably deserves special honor (cf. Lk 1:43).  She freely said “Yes!” to God (Lk 1:38) because she was so conformed to His will from birth (and before, as immaculately conceived, that is, without original sin through the merits of her Son) that she completely trusted Him no matter what the consequences for her (and they could have been deadly).  God chose His own mother from all eternity; would she not be perfect and untainted by sin, a New Eve (before the Fall) (cf. Gen 3;15)?  And then in His graciousness, God not only gives us His Son as Redeemer (Mt 1:21), Brother (Heb 2:11), and Friend (Jn 15:13-15), He also gives us His mother to be our mother (cf. Jn 19:26).  Good mothers never seek attention for themselves but rather laud the accomplishments of their offspring.  The perfect mother, the human person of whom no one could ever outdo in humility, always points to her Son, never obstructing the way but facilitating the encounter (cf. Jn 2:5).  It is shameful that the Blessed Virgin Mary has been used as an obstacle to unity by Christians — certainly saddening a mother’s heart.  We who believe must pray all the more earnestly for the intercession of Our Lady of Atonement, Mother of Christian Unity so that no one will ever be afraid, or even have the least little doubt, that Mary should have a place of honor in his or her home and heart.

Jesus encounters scribes and Pharisees who take issue with Jesus’ disciples who, unlike them or even John’s disciples, do not fast (Lk 5:33-39).  Jesus says they cannot fast now that He is here, but they will eventually (see the line at top).  Jesus follows with a parable of old and new wine and wineskins — new wine goes into new wineskins so the skins won’t burst but some are content with the old wine and don’t want to try the new.  Fasting is not dismissed by Jesus as a good practice.  He did it Himself (Mt 4:1-9; Lk 4:1-2), taught that it should be done and how it should be done (Mt 6:16-18), and also spoke of its power (Mt 17:14-21).  Acts 13 and 14 show that the early Church practiced it, and Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, spoke of it in his ministry and recommended it to others.  There is a time for it though.  We shouldn’t go to a wedding reception or birthday party or Sunday dinner or a Christmas gathering and fast there.  And, moreover, we don’t want to make a spectacle of ourselves by announcing we are fasting or making it clear that this is the case (see the previous Matthew reference).  Fasting is not appropriate for these and other joyous occasions.  But there are plenty of opportunities for fasting in life, as we know.  Fasting, as we read in Scripture, is appropriate for penance, for trials, for special intentions of dire need, for self-discipline, for driving away evil.  It has been a lost practice among the laity and many religious, but it seems to be making a resurgence.  It is worthwhile for us to meditate on all Bible passages that mention fasting and consider how we might incorporate this worthy practice regularly in our lives.  Uniting such time of deprivation with our Lord will do much for our own well-being (in body and soul) and those most in need of God’s mercy.

Jesus, with the crowd pressing in on Him, gets into Simon’s boat and asks him to put out a bit so that He can better address the crowd (Lk 5:1-11).  When finished teaching, Jesus tells Simon to put out further for a catch.  Simon mentions that they had caught nothing all night but that he would do as Jesus requested.  So many fish are caught that their boat and another were filled to almost sinking.  All were astonished, prompting Simon to ask Jesus to leave because Simon felt unworthy to be in His presence.  Jesus tells them all to not be afraid and called them to evangelize with Him.  When they reach shore they leave everything to follow Jesus.  What Jesus asks of Simon (at top) He also asks of us, figuratively.  We are not called to play it safe when it comes to spreading the Good News.  Since the Lord is with us, we need not be afraid to “risk” evangelizing in even the most challenging places or situations.  We are to “catch men” for Jesus by making Him known to everyone.  And we are to do it without hesitation even if it seems to us to be of no avail or even counter-intuitive.  Consider Simon, who knew his trade very well, listen to and promptly obey a carpenter who may well have never fished a day in His life.  What seemed to Simon a fruitless task yielded more fish in one haul than he had likely ever caught in a single day.  We too must unhesitatingly follow the Lord by proclaiming Him in word, deed, and example, in a world so much in need of God.

Jesus, still in Capernaum, leaves the synagogue for Simon Peter’s home (Lk 4:38-44).    There, per the request of others with them, Jesus cures Simon’s mother-in-law of fever.  In the evening He cures everyone who comes to Him and exorcises demons who come out shouting that Jesus is the Son of God (although Jesus muted them immediately).  In the morning, hoping to get away by Himself, Jesus is found by the crowds anyway.  They want Him to stay but He tells them He must go and spread the good news which He then does throughout Judea.  May we always have the mindset of the grateful citizens of Capernaum!  We know we can’t “prevent” Jesus the Lord from doing anything, but by clinging to Him and asking Him not to leave us, we are doing what is right.  Being God and now glorified, Jesus has no limits on His availability.  “Stay with us,” the men on the road to Emmaus begged Jesus (Lk 24:29).  For these men, as surely was the case with those in Capernaum) the Word spoken was powerful and enlightening and their request was not only granted by Jesus but resulted in the Word as Eucharist.  He did stay with them even when His recognizable bodily presence was removed from their sight.  We too have Jesus in the Sacrament of Sacraments.  Let us invite Him into us at Mass and frequently throughout the day (especially with Spiritual Communions which we can receive without limit) so that He will transform our hearts and perfect us on our journey to Heaven.

Jesus continues His travels in Galilee, this time coming to Capernaum (Lk 4:31-37).  Again He is found teaching in the synagogue. astonishing His listeners.  Also in the place was a possessed man who screams at Jesus wanting to know what He wants and calling Him “the Holy One of God.”  Jesus silences and exorcises him.  The people, amazed, ask one another the question at top, recognize His authority, and spread the word about Him.  The question the people asked is a good one for us to ask as well.  What is it about the Word of God that is so special?  How is it that no matter how often we go to Scripture, we get something new or something more out of it each time we read it prayerfully?  God’s word is powerful, deep, and penetrating.  It applies in many circumstances of life and affects us differently based on our maturity level and openness to it.  It may confirm or convict depending on the state of our soul.  It often gives us just the message we need in order to get through a time of great difficulty or deep discernment.  It is timeless, timely, and for all times.  We should penetrate it often so that it penetrates us and we become living vessels of the Word, with our speech and our actions reflecting unconsciously (i.e., habitually) the Bible and its teaching.  Then maybe others will also be inspired to ask: “What is there about His word?”

Today begins a sequence of weekday readings starting in Luke 4 (vv. 16-30).  The scene finds Jesus back in Nazareth, the town in which He grew up.  As it is the sabbath, He heads straight to the synagogue.  He is given the scroll from Isaiah and reads the passage (Is 61:1-2) that begins with the sentence above.  He tells them that the passage is fulfilled in their hearing.  They speak highly of Him but also question because He was the son of their neighbors.  He knows they want Him to perform signs for them as they’ve heard He has done elsewhere.  But He tells them a prophet is not accepted in His native place, giving two Old Testament examples.  Infuriated they drive Jesus up a hill to kill Him but they don’t go through with it as Jesus simply walks through them to leave.  Isaiah 61:1 is not meant for Jesus alone.  It is for each one of us who is baptized and confirmed.  We are to bring the good news to the poor, whether their poverty is due to possessions, sin, or not knowing the Lord.  It is our calling and a requirement of Jesus (cf. Mt 28:19-20).  Learn the Word, live the Word, spread the Word.  Some will greet your message warmly and treat you graciously.  Others will want to toss you off a hill (hopefully figuratively).  Like Jesus and so many great saints who imitated Him to a heroic degree we must never shy from telling the truth or spreading the truth, always in love, but always without compromise.  If Jesus did it, we are called to do it as well.  We must trust in the Lord, the Truth, who will set us on a path to true freedom.

The gospel passage from Mark (7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23) has Pharisees and scribes questioning Jesus about the lack of ritual purification practices done by His disciples.  Mark explains in some detail a number of such observances by the Jewish religious leaders before describing the encounter.  Jesus’ response to their question is to call them hypocrites and quote Isaiah (29:13) (a portion of which is in the headline) going on to critique human precepts that are held over against God’s law.  He goes on to tell the entire crowd that it is what comes from within that defiles (He enumerates many sins and vices), not anything that comes from without.  Jesus describes as hypocrites those who give Him lip service without deeply holding and living God’s commandments.  Putting on a show by following certain external practices and rituals, even good ones and required ones, is not what the Lord wants.  Honoring God properly requires not just a formulaic saying of words or performing of gestures.  What is required is a deep seated and penetrating belief in and love of God that manifests itself in right thinking and right acting.  We are to love God above all things.  We are to pray for an increase in faith, hope, and love.  We are to treat others as we wish to be treated.  We are to often consider our sins and thus quickly seek reconciliation with God and others through confession and penance.  We never want to be far from the Lord in whom are hearts find their true home.

Today we close our run of Matthew with the lengthy Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30).  A master summons his servants to take care of his possessions for him while he is away.  One he gives five talents, another two, another one.  The first two use wisely that which was entrusted to them and doubled the amount.  The last one simply buries his talent.  When the master returns he praises the first two and promises them even more responsibilities.  Without prompting, the servant given the least amount, tells the master that he buried the talent out of fear of his demanding master.  The master’s reply (above) precedes his taking away of the talent from this man who he then dismisses and has physically thrown off the property.  Like the gospel readings of recent days, this one too is about preparation.  But in this case, it is not about being surprised about the Master’s return — these men knew he would be coming back to settle accounts — but rather it is about what we do with what the Lord has entrusted to us in this life.  We have all been given gifts and talents by God — some more, some less.  In every case, though, we are called to use these presents to advance the Kingdom.  As we saw with the lazy servant, not using them means losing them and falling behind — actually hindering the Kingdom.  Either we advance or fall behind — their is no such thing as simply staying in place.  We must consider carefully how we can use our freely given gifts to advance the Kingdom.  We may have great skills of oratory, teaching, memorization, or music with which we can affect multitudes.  We must be sure to offer them and use them.  But if we don’t have such talents, we are still called to give what we have.  A green thumb?  Volunteer on the parish grounds or with neighbors who can’t do these things anymore.  Enjoy conversation?  Visit hospitals, nursing homes, and the homebound.  Good at sewing, embroidery, crocheting, or other crafts?  Make items for parishioners in need or drop them off at the local hospital or nursing home.  Love books?  Read for the neighbor or the patient who can no longer see well.  If all these things seem rather small, when done in love, they will be multiplied by God and you will receive an initial bonus of coming away feeling wonderful.  For the love of God (and neighbor) we must use well what the Lord has given us so that one day we, like the good servants, will hear: “Come, share your master’s joy.”