Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
The author of the Book of Wisdom writes that “God formed man to be imperishable….in the image of His own nature.” In Jesus we get to see the image of God dwelling among His people. Jesus is tireless in preaching the kingdom of God. Mark relates the story of Jesus as He encounters people in need of healing. Returning to the Jewish side of the lake, after curing the man who was possessed, Jairus implores Jesus to come to his house where his daughter lies near death. As Jesus begins His journey, He senses “power had gone out from Him”, power that had been usurped by the hemorrhaging woman who found herself healed.
Jesus brings about much healing in the Mark’s Gospel. It is interesting to note that the word that Mark uses for the healing is the Greek word “sōzō” which not only means “to heal” but also “to save”. In other words, Jesus not only heals people from their sickness but also, he saves and restores them to the original state they were created, as “imperishable” beings made in the image and likeness of God and destined to share eternity with Him.
A challenge we face in our busy world is that there are so many activities and so much technology available to entertain us that we have little time for spiritual reflection or for any other reflection for that matter. And so, we go from one activity to another, from work to recreation, get a little sleep, cut the grass, do the shopping, bring the kids to this thing or that…. We are so fatigued at the end of the day; we go to sleep only to rise the next morning and begin all over again. For most people, this is “living the dream”. But are we really experiencing God in any of the things we do?
We all long for the presence of God that touches and heals us and brings us His salvation. But in order to find it, we must experience the presence of God in the ordinary events that are a part of our day to day lives. If we think about it, eternity has already begun…. for, as the Book of Wisdom reminds us, we were made in the image of God’s own nature… so we can trust that we have been made to go the distance. We are “built to last”.
Happy 4th of July…Enjoy this special day and give thanks to God for the freedoms we enjoy and that we are blessed for years to come!
Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom
Please Visit www.deaconspod.com and listen in as the three deacs engage in a contemporary conversation exploring the treasures our Catholic faith has to offer to those thinking of coming into or leaving it.
OTHER RESOURCE
Recommended Reading: A Concise History of the Catholic Church by Thomas Bokenkotter has been one of the bestselling religious histories of the past two decades and a mainstay for scholars, students, and others looking for a definitive, accessible history of Catholicism. A good Summer Read!
Recommended YouTube Video: Authentic Happiness and Human Flourishing Series - Week Three - In this four-week series, Dean Steve Thomason draws on resources from Martin Seligman, Berne Brown and Richard Rohr, using scientific work to explore elements of human experience that lead to authentic happiness, flourishing and deep meaning, and set all that against a backdrop of the gospel as good news, inviting all people into the fullness of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment