The first time I went to Italy I remember being on an extremely crowded bus en route to the Vatican. Forget all about substantial American personal space, Italians do not mind being all up in your business, and all over you physically. It was such an awkward experience to literally be pressed in upon on all sides of my body. I had no room to move, I could feel people’s breath, smell people’s smells, and with every bump in the road came new ways to experience all these space violations over and over again. It was a little slice of hell on earth. No one was willing to compromise and everyone needed what he or she needed at that particular time. At one point I was literally cheek to cheek with a scruffy-faced Italian man which might sound like some sort of romantic comedy dream if the man were not 80 years old and smoking a cigar in my face! My mind was on overload and I just wanted out. I don’t know what compelled me at some point to look down, but I did, and I saw a woman’s hand reaching into my pants to steal my money and passport!! I had no idea and as I removed her hand and looked up, this woman was looking me in the eye with no remorse or shame and pure threat in her expression. I managed to turn away from this frightening gaze and shortly thereafter the bus reached the Vatican and the pressing, smelly, determined, rude, personal space invading crowd was birthed forth in one massive wave. This is the scene that came to mind this morning as I was reading the gospel.
Word was spreading about Jesus’ ministry, particularly his healing the sick and casting out demons. Crowds of people (super crowds in the thousands) started coming in from miles and miles around to encounter Jesus and hopefully to be healed. I know that when people are in pain or have been suffering for some time, it can evoke a sense of urgency that is desperate and can sometimes be aggressive. Pain brings out the worst in us a lot of times. It was getting a little intense because Jesus “told his disciples to have a boat ready because of the crowd, so they would not crush him.” Flashback to the bus in Italy!!! How many times have I been in pain and can only focus on myself? How many times have I been desperate and in that desperation I am aggressive or impatient or inconsiderate with those around me? How many times have I come to Jesus with a list of things for him to magically cure rather than just wanting to be in his presence? How many times do I lose sight of other’s needs because I am so focused on my own stuff? How many times have I let the people around me influence my attitude? How many times have I ignored the subtle hand of the enemy trying to steal my peace?
Today’s gospel gave me some food for thought as to how I approach Jesus when I need healing and forgiveness. I never want Jesus to feel like he has to “get away” because my desperation is so stifling (by the way, he NEVER would try to get away, but my afflicted mind made that up). Speaking of afflicted minds, this gospel ends with, “and whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God.’ He warned them sternly not to make him known.” Jesus did not need the demons to be the first ones to proclaim him as Messiah! That would be the worst P.R. campaign ever!! And guess what? We can also sternly command unclean spirits, bad thoughts, negative feelings, lies in our mind, and affliction to be quiet in the Name of Jesus. Jesus doesn’t want these things to define us or him and so we need to actively and sternly silence these things from our lives. When we find a hand reaching in to steal our identity, we need to look it in the eye and then turn away and back toward Jesus. It is well with my soul.
Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 314
Reading 1 HEB 7:25—8:6
Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him,
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.
The main point of what has been said is this:
we have such a high priest,
who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne
of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.
Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices;
thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.
If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest,
since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.
They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary,
as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle.
For God says, "See that you make everything
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant,
enacted on better promises.
since he lives forever to make intercession for them.
It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners,
higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests,
to offer sacrifice day after day,
first for his own sins and then for those of the people;
he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests,
but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law,
appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.
The main point of what has been said is this:
we have such a high priest,
who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne
of the Majesty in heaven, a minister of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle that the Lord, not man, set up.
Now every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices;
thus the necessity for this one also to have something to offer.
If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest,
since there are those who offer gifts according to the law.
They worship in a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary,
as Moses was warned when he was about to erect the tabernacle.
For God says, "See that you make everything
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Now he has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant,
enacted on better promises.
Responsorial Psalm PS 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 17
R. (8a and 9a) Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
May all who seek you
exult and be glad in you,
And may those who love your salvation
say ever, "The LORD be glorified."
R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.
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.
Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MK 3:7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, "You are the Son of God."
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, "You are the Son of God."
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
Great Job, I can totally relate, amazing how much power people have when it comes to our feelings and attitude. Love u!
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