Summoned and Sent

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:7-13.

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick—
no food, no sack, no money in their belts. 
They were, however, to wear sandals
but not a second tunic. 
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. 
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.” 
So they went off and preached repentance. 
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

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Reflection

In Jesus company of disciples, a smaller group of twelve have always earned the reverence of the rest. Here mentioned as the “Twelve”, they were summoned and sent out by Jesus two-by-two in order to share in His ministry. Jesus was a leader who delegates that the task of spreading the Kingdom of God might benefit from the concerted efforts of many. This is not a sample case of the multiplier effect, however, but the summary of Christian life.

We all have been summoned to Jesus side. From our baptism to our Sunday celebrations of the Holy Mass, we are summoned time and time again to renew our relationship with Him, to receive instruction from Him, so as to share in His authority. Ours is not a mission, but a co-mission. We are summoned to Jesus, and share in Jesus, so that we may spread Jesus.

The idea of repentance is not limited to being sorry for one’s sins. In its original Greek meaning, it refers to a change of heart, and mind, and personhood. The Twelve were sent to preach repentance: of spreading Jesus’ words and works so that those who receive them may become more and more like Jesus. This constitutes Christian life. We become more and more like Christ, by answering His summons, listening to His words, and sharing in His works.

Open to Surprises and Gifts

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 6:1-6.

Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished. 
They said, “Where did this man get all this? 
What kind of wisdom has been given him? 
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! 
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? 
And are not his sisters here with us?” 
And they took offense at him. 
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.” 
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

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Reflection

Jesus’ statement, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house,” is one of the most famous and quoted. Working prophetic signs and uttering prophetic words, Jesus is amazed at the lack of faith from His own people, the very people who knew Him most. They thought they knew Him as He grew up in their midst, but the wonders that Jesus was doing and saying simply broke through their calcified image of their neighbor. They could not take that Jesus was breaking through their preconceived ideas of Him.

Perhaps, the people from Jesus’ town were already comfortable with their images of their neighbors that anyone who tries to go beyond the comfortable levels are looked upon with suspicion. Even with Jesus’ miracles they then refused to believe. Their lack of openness led to a lack of faith.

Many of us fall into the same mistake of putting people into our own mental boxes and labelling them, stacking them up in our garage of biases. We even fall into the mistake of putting God into a box and expecting Him to act according to our own image of Him. But people and God are mysteries who will always challenge our measures. Persons, both our neighbors and God, are gifts that we continually peel-off layers of wonders. Our Gospel reminds us today to be open: open to people, open to God, and open to surprises.

The Touch of Jesus

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 5:21-43.

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat
to the other side,
a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea.
One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward.
Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying,
"My daughter is at the point of death.
Please, come lay your hands on her
that she may get well and live."
He went off with him,
and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him.

There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.
She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors
and had spent all that she had.
Yet she was not helped but only grew worse.
She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd
and touched his cloak.
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured."
Immediately her flow of blood dried up.
She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him,
turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?"
But his disciples said to Jesus,
"You see how the crowd is pressing upon you,
and yet you ask, 'Who touched me?'"
And he looked around to see who had done it.
The woman, realizing what had happened to her,
approached in fear and trembling.
She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth.
He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you.
Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."

While he was still speaking,
people from the synagogue official's house arrived and said,
"Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" 
Disregarding the message that was reported,
Jesus said to the synagogue official,
"Do not be afraid; just have faith."
He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside
except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official,
he caught sight of a commotion,
people weeping and wailing loudly.
So he went in and said to them,
"Why this commotion and weeping?
The child is not dead but asleep."
And they ridiculed him.
Then he put them all out.
He took along the child's father and mother
and those who were with him
and entered the room where the child was.
He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum,"
which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!"
The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.
At that they were utterly astounded.
He gave strict orders that no one should know this
and said that she should be given something to eat.

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Reflection

Our Gospel this Sunday portrays Jesus as the healer. He goes around manifesting His power and authority over human ills, and in our story today heals a woman suffering from hemorrhage and restores the life of a young girl. Jesus who preaches the coming of the Kingdom backs up His claim with marvelous signs of healing.

These healings happened through the experience of touch. The woman fought her way through the crowd, and with faith in her heart, believed that touching just His clothes would heal her. This continues on today in the many devotees and believers who, wishing that their prayers be granted, touch objects and relics that are connected to the Divine and the Saints. Jesus took the girl’s hand and raised her up from death, telling her to “arise”!

Our encounter with Jesus should not be limited to lip service but should touch us in our deepest consciousness. Jesus’ wishes to touch those whose hearts have been bleeding for years and those who have fallen into spiritual death. His touch leads to faith, and from this faith all fears are dispelled and restores our wholeness. From the dirt of our fears and sickness, Jesus extends His hands to touch us today, lifts us up with His consoling words, “arise”!