“Brothers and sisters: Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God.” (Heb. 10:11-12) Every Sunday, something important happens in our parish.  The event is centered on the “Paschal Mystery.” What is the Paschal Mystery?  Simply put, the Paschal Mystery is the suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  When the Jews were slaves in Egypt, God told them to slaughter a lamb in the evening twilight and to place its blood on the two posts and the lintels of their houses.  Seeing the blood, the Lord would “pass over” their homes in striking down the first-born of the Egyptians, and they would be released … [Read more...]

A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents [into the treasury].  Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mk 12:42-44) The description of the treasury here shows how the people supported the Temple at the time of Jesus as they had since the building of the temple 960 Before Christ (B.C.).  The First Temple in Jerusalem was built by Solomon, and it stood from the time of its completion in 960 B.C. until it was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.  After the Babylonian captivity, construction began on a new temple – … [Read more...]

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Mk 5:1)   The Nine Beatitudes are the roadmap to happiness, holiness, and Heaven.  They sound so wonderful, but they stand in stark contrast to the path that the world tell us will make us happy.  We should listen carefully to Jesus: The world tells us that happiness is found in wealth. Jesus says, rather, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.” The world tells us we’re happy when we don’t have anything to worry about.  “Don’t worry, be happy.  Prozac Nation!”  Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn”: blessed are those who are saddened by the suffering and sinfulness they witness in the world. The world tells that that strength and power make us happy.  … [Read more...]

“Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.  Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”  The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” (Mk 10:43-45) Each of us has a deep longing for God.  Despite our “worldliness,” we have a deep desire to encounter God.  This is nothing new.  It’s been the story of human history since the Fall of Adam and Eve as man has tried to “transcend” (the word means to “climb across”) the difficulties of this earthly life and reach into a higher reality that is God’s peace and tranquility.  And that’s why God sent us His Son.  Jesus joined Himself to our humanity to give us the capability to “climb across” to our Heavenly Father.  Jesus makes God the Father accessible to us. And so each of us wants to “see” … [Read more...]

“Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.  For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Mk 10:43-45) Jesus presents us with a paradox in the Gospel today.  If we want to be great, we need to be a servant.  He turns earthly ideas of greatness on their head. This paradox of Jesus reminds me of a story told to me by one of my professors in seminary, a famous author named Fr. John Fullenbach.  One summer, during a break in the university year, Father Fullenbach he decided to spend some with working in Calcutta with Blessed Mother Teresa and her sisters.  On the first day he found himself walking with a sister through the worst slums of … [Read more...]

“Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”  (Mk 10:25-26) Before I entered seminary, I heard a homily preached on this Gospel passage.  The priest explained that one of the gates to enter Jerusalem that was called the “eye of the needle.”  Camels could only go through the “eye of the needle” if they were crawling on their knees and stripped of baggage.  The implication was that we only get to Heaven “on our knees” and free of attachment to possessions.  At the time, it seemed like a good explanation.  But when I was in seminary studying Sacred Scripture, I learned there was no such gate.  His cute story was a complete fabrication! However, there are … [Read more...]

“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”  (Mk 10:6-9) “Marriage is the intimate, exclusive, indissoluble communion of life and love entered by man and woman at the design of the Creator for the purpose of their own good and the procreation and education of children; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a Sacrament.”  Gaudium et Spes, 48 Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of the “wedding feast … [Read more...]

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." Taking a child, he placed it in the their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, "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." (Mk 9:35-37) What does it mean to be “the best”?  Our American society puts a premium on it.  If it’s high school, the best student is the “valedictorian.”  If it’s high school sports, then the best team is the “state champion.”  Pro football awards the “Lombardi Trophy” for winning the Super Bowl, and professional baseball gives the “Commissioner’s Trophy” for winning the World Series.  Locally, Gambit Magazine list an … [Read more...]

Along the way Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?” (Mk 8:27b-29a)   Very few people deny the historical reality that there was a man named Jesus who lived in the first century and died by crucifixion.  However, throughout history men have argued about the identity of Jesus. Jewish people traditionally see Him as “false Messiah.” The Muslims call Him a “prophet.”  Atheists might acknowledge His historical existence and even recognize the beauty of some of His teachings (“Love your neighbor as yourself”), but label Him as simply a delusional inspiration.  Even among some so-called “Christians,” Jesus might be reduced to … [Read more...]

They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mk  7:37) Two weeks ago we finished reading the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel, called the “Bread of Life” discourse.  It’s a break that we experience each year during the normal reading of Mark’s Gospel, and it’s meant to point directly to what Jesus gives us in the Holy Eucharist each time we participate in Holy Communion.  Now we are back to reading the Gospel according to Mark. Out of all of the Gospels, Mark’s is the shortest. and is likely to have been the first written.  However, it often tells the story of the ministry Jesus in more vivid detail than either Matthew or Luke.  Mark stresses Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God breaking into human life as … [Read more...]