“I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.” (2 Tm 1: 6-8)
Our Lord asks us “to bear our share of hardship for the Gospel” and not to “be ashamed of our testimony to Him,” but, at the same moment, He knows that we need help; we need “the strength that comes from God.” He is always ahead of us: He is always pouring out His grace upon us, and we can trust His grace and His presence with us more than our abilities. He is with us always, especially when we serve Him in our brothers and sisters, with “a spirit of power and love and self-control.”
“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.” (Mk 1: 16-18)
Meeting with Jesus could change our lives dramatically. Simon and his brother Andrew, fishermen invited by Jesus to “come after Him,” became “fishers of men.” Sometimes our jobs or professions involve more than just what we know and what we do. This text is missing one word from the original text: eutheos — “they abandoned their nets immediately.” When we are called, we have to answer at once because “This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of God is at hand.”
“The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.” (Mk 3: 20)
We can invite Him into our houses. And He will come, because He knows perfectly how important the home and family life are. He spent thirty years with His Family. He also knows our hunger for love, our hunger for a kind word and our hunger to be important to someone. He knows, and when He is invited, He will come.
“Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and I will write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Heb 8: 10)
Our hearts can be written on–they can hold a message. Sometimes people try to write upon our hearts different messages, but Our Lord’s covenant, written upon our hearts, is the strongest and the most reliable message about His love—and it remains forever. He IS our God and we ARE His people. We should remember this always, especially when we are tempted to read other messages.
“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him.” (Mk 3: 10)
We can see ourselves among “those who had diseases pressing upon him to touch him.” But we can’t touch Him–at least not in person. He has been coming to us everyday in the Liturgy, in daily readings and in our brothers and sisters. And we can give others the healing touch that we have received from Him to “cure many.”
“Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him.” (Mk 3: 2)
For what reason do we watch Him? To admire, to be inspired, to praise or to accuse him? It is so odd that people would “watch Jesus closely” for that kind of reason. Unfortunately, the temptation to “watch Jesus closely” for the wrong reasons is near us when we think that prayer is to change God’s will. We pray to understand His will and to change our hearts, not His. He doesn’t need extra motives to love us; His love is unconditional and forever. We “watch Him closely” to be closer to Him, to listen to Him and to answer Him throughout our relationships and in our lives.
“Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones.” (Heb 6: 10)
We are happy and really blessed when we can serve “the holy ones,” our brothers and sisters. It touches God’s heart when we do for others what He does for us. Our “work” and “love” is in the service, in the support and in the time we spend with others.
“May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call”. (Gospel Acclamation)
“Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day.” (Mk 2: 19-20)
We received today a very good strategy for “the” situation when “the bridegroom is taken away from” us: when we feel abandoned and left alone or when we pray and we feel that nobody listens to us: “fast on that day.” Go into your loneliness and abandonment with fasting on bread and water (or any other version for fasting which is more tailored for your situation), and He will come again.
“The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect.” (1 Sam 3: 9-10. 19)
Samuel is a very good example for us, listeners to words of the Lord. What we can do is to take one or two words from the daily readings as a direction or suggestion for us for this particular day with a goal: “Not permitting any word of His to be without effect”–being more gentle, more respectful, more giving than demanding, spending more time with our spouses (more sometimes is just 5 minutes), more patient and more pure in our hearts and bodies. Every day we will find a variety of occasions to practice cooperation with God’s words. His word is always about His compassionate, unconditional love for us. Our role is to keep His word alive in our hearts and relationships.
“We have found the Messiah: Jesus Christ, who brings us truth and grace.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” (Heb 4: 15-16)
Even in our weaknesses, we are not alone; there is Someone Who is able “to sympathize with our weaknesses,” Who understands us and is able to help us. Our Lord has abundant graces for us: grace “to receive mercy,” grace “for timely help,” and many other graces we need to be closer to Him, because He “did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
“The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.” (Gospel Acclamation)
