There is a Longing

Like their ancestors' flight from Egypt, the crowds followed Our Lord and were led to a deserted place.  Now, instead of fleeing from the Egyptians, perhaps they are seeking freedom from their slavery to the Romans.  In Jesus they have found a refuge amidst political turmoil, mistreatment under the Roman hand, and even disunity among their own people. Yet this refuge is found in a deserted place, not in a fortress or barricade, where provisions are stored.   There is no food and the hour grows late.  But what is there to fear?  As He provided manna for the Israelites in the desert, so too does God now provide food for the hungry crowd.  They have followed Jesus, and now He is almost unwilling to let them go! Neither is He willing to let us go.  We are all invited to follow Our Lord into the desert.  We especially keep this in mind during the season of Lent, but it is true throughout the rest of the liturgical year as well.  The desert might s...

After carrying out their first mission, the Apostles gather again with Jesus to give their reports.  They didn’t just witness miracles, they worked them.  Profound teaching they did not receive, but rather they gave it.  We can imagine what wonder they might have felt.  And now Our Lord has a new mission for them: to follow Him into a deserted place.  Quite a contrast from the awe inspiring journey they have just returned from! Perhaps they were a bit annoyed, when arriving at their destination, they found it crowded with people seeking Jesus’ attention.  Especially if they were looking forward to some rest after their labor, we can almost picture them complaining about it and telling Jesus to dismiss the crowds.  But instead, what is His reaction?  His heart was moved with pity for them .   There is no trouble of ours that does not move His heart.  No sorrow, no pain, no suffering, that He does not feel, and in His infinite l...

We might think the Apostles were lucky.  They were given a specific mission from Our Lord and received clear instructions in carrying it out.  They were sent in pairs and could help each other along the way.  And now we know the Lord has a mission for all of us too, but doesn’t it often seem the case that He leaves us to figure it out on our own and doesn’t provide the instructions? Despite how the situation may appear, we’re not just playing some sort of guessing game when it comes to our mission as Christians.  Note how Jesus entrusted this mission of spreading the Gospel with the Apostles, the Twelve men who had left everything to follow Him.  Similarly, if we are unsure of how to fully live out our mission as faithful Christians, we too must cultivate a deep relationship with Jesus Christ and follow Him.  From there blooms the call, the mission, He has in store for us.  Perhaps that call is to work among the poor or in schools.  Maybe there’s ...

        From an outside perspective, we can take a critical view of the people of Nazareth.  Shame on them for doubting Jesus!  They shouldn't have been so quick to turn Him down.  If only they listened to Him!           But what if we take a look at this event from the inside?  Let’s draw an analogy: how would you feel if your brother or sister took up street preaching and successfully converted thousands?  How would you respond to your cousin if he claimed to have God-given healing abilities?  Would you believe your niece if she started prophesying?            You might respond with some doubt.  This relative, who you’ve known since they were a kid and who has always happened to be completely normal, is suddenly doing something different .  Maybe they’re entering into a realm of the spiritual life that’s just too remote for you to accept.  But what’s r...

  I saw the above quote on a friend's Facebook page recently & right away, I felt the message was directed straight to me!  How many times have I been overwhelmed with the trials & struggles in my life? And during those times, how many have I gone directly to God for guidance instead of attempting to solve the issue in my own ?  Many people think that having faith & trust in God means they'll never face adversity & problems. Everything in life will go exactly as planned & they'll always be happy. The thing is, the plans are theirs not God's. An ytime we deviate from what God has planned for us, things will go haywire. Oh, they might seem great for a while, but eventually, we realize that what we thought was fulfilling a need deep within us was just a fleeting thing. There is still an emptiness inside that we find (hopefully sooner rather than later) can only be filled by God. We sometimes have a tendency to trust God only until our immediate need or ...

Two Sundays ago, I used the above image with the Gospel Reflection for that weekend for Mark 4:35-41. It was an image which I had never seen before, but was drawn to immediately. Since then, I’ve learned it was a painting by Rembrandt titled, “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee” . Dated 1633, it was the only seascape he’d painted in his lifetime. Unfortunately, the painting, along with twelve other pieces of art, was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990. To this date, they have not been recovered. When I first saw the painting, I saw the darkness of the storm & the fearfulness of the disciples while Jesus slept. Basically, I saw the description of the event from the Gospel. I tend to look at the broader picture when I first see a beautiful piece of art, appreciating it for its overall design. As such, I didn’t notice all the striking details. It wasn’t until I took a closer look, zooming in on the men in the boat, that I saw the following: Four d...