May 16, 2016
Mondays
after a retreat weekend might be some of the hardest days and at the same time,
some of the richest days. The “retreat high” is a real condition that affects
the way one sees things and it can either make your glasses rosier in color or
it can invoke a certain disappointment in the world that remained down in the
valley. I, myself, am having my very own Monday after retreat kind of day and
my eyes are pink with optimism, my heart is still “pentecosting” with joy, my
hair remains tousled by the rushing wind of the Spirit, and I feel the glow of
Transfiguration on my face. I did music for the Women’s Auxiliary retreat up at
Whispering Winds and the theme was “Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious.” In
essence, the speaker, Pat Gohn, opened our hearts and eyes to the genius of
feminine spirituality and the wonders that God specifically imbedded into the
souls of every woman: receptivity, generosity, sensitivity, and maternity. Each
one of these gifts is an expression and manifestation of the Holy Spirit within
us and they give women a special set of eyes and ears, a supple heart, room
inside for life to gestate and grace to be born. It’s a powerful image to
ponder and I highly recommend the book, Blessed,
Beautiful, and Bodacious by Pat Gohn.
Today’s
gospel is the proverbial Monday after for Jesus, Peter, James, and John as they
came down the mountain from their Transfiguration retreat. Life in the valley
was business as usual with an argument among the people in full swing. Raise
your hand if you’ve ever had your retreat high killed by “real life.” When
Jesus inquires as to what they are bickering about he learns that his disciples
were unable to heal a son possessed by a demon while he and the others were
away on retreat. His disappointment was evident when he said, “O faithless
generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him
to me.” This moment of frustration resonates with me as I have had many a
frustrating reality check coming home from retreat. The world has remained the
same even in the midst of my transformed heart and the drastic juxtaposition of
the two can be off putting for sure. Jesus then gives significant instruction
on the power of faith. When the father of the possessed son uses the word “if”,
Jesus emphasizes it in his rebuke…”IF you can??? Anything is possible with
faith!” The man replies with a prayer that I use often and that I find
extremely practical, “I do believe, help my unbelief.” At this, Jesus healed
the man. When we get real with Jesus, he gets real with us. Faith is one of
those gifts that never stops growing and has no limit to its capacity. “Help my
unbelief” is one of those prayers that acknowledges our own limits and gives
God permission to fertilize the seeds of faith deeply rooted in each of us.
Jesus
was at the height of his own earthly ministry having just heard his Father’s
voice from the cloud tell his closest apostles, “This is my son, whom I love,
listen to him.” Their faith must have been amplified times a million by that
experience. Raise your hand if your faith has ever been amplified because of an
intimate encounter with God. It is these experiences that take our faith up
another notch and empower us to be receptive to the power of the Holy Spirit,
give ourselves generously to one another, see the heart of things, and to
essentially connect with eternity. The gospel ends with the answer to a
question that might come up often in our own lives, “Why could we not drive the
spirit out?” or Why do bad things happen? Why didn’t my faith save my dad from
death? Why? Jesus answers, “This kind can only come out through prayer.” Faith
needs to be cultivated with strong piety and a consistent prayer life. When our
faith is big, deeply rooted, and gently nurtured those things that are not of
the Holy Spirit will be driven out of our lives and hopefully the lives of our
loved ones. It’s a process and it requires transfigurations, transformations,
transubstantiations, and the transparency to pray, “help my unbelief.”
I’m
with twenty-four 6th graders this week for camp at Whispering Winds
and I know that there will be many instances where I find myself saying,
“Everything is possible to the one who has faith!” Amen.
Reading 1 JAS 3:13-18
Beloved:
Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show his works by a good life
in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show his works by a good life
in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.
Responsorial Psalm PS 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Alleluia SEE 2 TM 1:10
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK 9:14-29
As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, Johnand approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”
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