Ash Wednesday Year B
Homily by Deacon Joe Stackhouse
February 22, 2012
On Ash Wednesday, it seems appropriate to talk about two traditional themes of Lent. One is prayer and the other is fasting. When it comes to prayer, Jesus is our model. We read in Scripture that Jesus often went out alone to a secluded place and prayed. We can only imagine what the content of his prayer was, but we can be sure that he spoke openly and honestly with his heavenly Father. We can also be sure that, since he came to do the Father’s will, he spent time in prayer discerning what that will might be. If Jesus found it necessary and beneficial to pray to the heavenly father, surely we can do no better. The Lord’s Prayer offers a loving and beautiful way to spend time talking with our heavenly Father, for the words that Jesus gave us contain all that we need to know about how to pray.
When it comes to fasting, we usually think of this in terms of giving up food. Kids are especially fond of this method. My grandson told me that he was going to give up chocolate and diet soda for Lent. He changed his mind about the diet soda, however. The idea of fasting by giving up food is certainly appropriate for adults as well, but there are other ways of fasting. We can give up our critical remarks about others. We can give up our rejection of others. We can give up those ambitions that we know are not in keeping with the Father’s will. There are many other ways of fasting that one can think of with some reflection.
If we apply these two themes to our daily lives during this season of Lent, I suspect that we will be better off at the end of Lent than when we began. Happy Lent.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Hope and Trust in God
6th Sun in Ordinary Time Year B
Gospel of Mark 1:40-45
Homily by Deacon Joe Stackhouse
February 12, 2012
The story about Jesus healing the man with leprosy is a story about faith in God. Today, we tend to think of faith in fairly static terms. In modern terms, having faith in God is commonly understood as believing that he exists, while the content of faith itself is often viewed as a set of beliefs about God. This understanding does not do justice to how the ancient Hebrews understood faith. For them, faith was a two way street. God wanted and sought out a relationship with his people. They responded and entered that relationship by placing their hope and trust in God.
For the ancient Hebrews, faith was an active relationship with God built on a lively belief that God would make good on his promises; that God would indeed do as he said he would. Their lives centered on their faith, which in turn, shaped and influenced the way they lived. In other words, faith in God was a matter of living in a vibrant, dynamic relationship with God. Isaiah expressed faith in exactly these terms when he foretold that God would bring liberation and renewed life to his oppressed people. The prophecy of Isaiah is that God himself will be their savior. This was the basis of the hope and trust that the ancient Hebrews had in the Lord.
This is the background for the story of healing in today’s gospel. That story begins with the first reading from the Book of Leviticus. The ritual provisions in Leviticus led to a rather gloomy predicament for a leper in the ancient world. According to those provisions, lepers were forbidden to come into the city at all, or to live with any others. They had to live apart as though they were dead persons (Josephus).
Such persons lived apart not only because they had a contagious disease. The leper was considered unclean under Mosaic Law because the disease itself was viewed as a punishment for sin. Thus, the leper was no longer holy before God. For this reason, the leper was cut off from the living faith community, and stood to forfeit for all time his or her relationship with God and with others.
The only available remedy in the ancient world was to be healed through a direct intervention by God (Ex. 15:26), or through an appeal to God’s mercy and compassion by a prophet, such as Moses, Elisha, or Isaiah (Ex. 15:25; II Kings 2:21; II Kings 20:7–8). Either way, the one who was afflicted with the disease was expected to pray and fast for healing.
The fortunate person who experienced a cure still had to undergo a process of purification as specified in the Book of Leviticus. First, the person went to the priest, who affirmed that the cure had indeed taken place. Then and only then did the priest initiate the purification process. The priest, however, did nothing to promote the cure. His rituals were performed only after the disease had passed (Dt. 24:8–9).
This context gives deeper meaning to the story in Mark’s gospel. Notice that the man with leprosy does not ask Jesus for healing. Rather, he begs Jesus to make him clean. He says, "If you wish, you can make me clean." This approach alone reveals humility and courage on the part of the leper, as well as hope and trust. For, under Mosaic Law, because he still had the disease, he should not have approached Jesus, and under the Law, Jesus should not have touched him. His desperate need to be among the living once again, however, compels the man to seek Jesus. And, in his compassion, Jesus meets the man where he is. Their encounter shows that hope, trust and compassion are deeper than law and ritual. It also shows that the relationship between believer and Jesus is personal.
The actual request of the leper in these circumstances reveals even more. In essence, his request acknowledges Jesus’ divine power to heal, as well as his authority to forgive sins and welcome the sinner back into the faith community. The leper approaches Jesus with hope for a cure, and he trusts Jesus to respond with compassion. In placing his hope and trust in the person of Jesus Christ to make good on his request, the man with leprosy reveals the true nature of faith in God as a matter of hope and trust. And, Jesus responds to and affirms the authenticity of such faith when he ignores all taboo and stretches out his hand, touches the man, and says, “I do will it. Be made clean."
There are other such stories of those in need of healing who reach out to Jesus, despite social and religious convention to the contrary: Jairus, whose daughter was dying; the woman with the hemorrhage who touched Jesus' cloak; the Roman centurion whose servant was ill. Like the man with leprosy, these folks did not follow social convention or stand on religious ceremony before approaching Jesus. And, Jesus responded to them as he did to the leper—where they were and in their need.
The life and mission of Jesus makes it clear that he is willing to respond to us, and that he wants us to dare to seek him. Jesus wants a relationship with us and he seeks us out. For this reason, Jesus did not restrict who may seek him. Clearly, the man with leprosy sought Jesus WHEN he was in need of healing, BEFORE he was clean. Jesus is not saying: Get holy, and then knock on the door. Rather, Jesus is saying: Knock on the door and I will show you how to be holy. From this personal standpoint, the question may be: What do we want from Jesus. What do we ask for? What do we seek? Where do we knock?
Although each of us will answer these questions in different ways, the encounter between Jesus and the man with leprosy demonstrates that we can approach Jesus no matter what our circumstances. Jesus meets us where we are. He looks for and is eager to respond to the faith that each of us can muster. We can trust that Jesus will respond to our needs with compassion. That is the nature of his love. Our hope is that the man with leprosy will inspire and strengthen our own faith as we seek to follow Jesus more closely in our daily lives.
Gospel of Mark 1:40-45
Homily by Deacon Joe Stackhouse
February 12, 2012
The story about Jesus healing the man with leprosy is a story about faith in God. Today, we tend to think of faith in fairly static terms. In modern terms, having faith in God is commonly understood as believing that he exists, while the content of faith itself is often viewed as a set of beliefs about God. This understanding does not do justice to how the ancient Hebrews understood faith. For them, faith was a two way street. God wanted and sought out a relationship with his people. They responded and entered that relationship by placing their hope and trust in God.
For the ancient Hebrews, faith was an active relationship with God built on a lively belief that God would make good on his promises; that God would indeed do as he said he would. Their lives centered on their faith, which in turn, shaped and influenced the way they lived. In other words, faith in God was a matter of living in a vibrant, dynamic relationship with God. Isaiah expressed faith in exactly these terms when he foretold that God would bring liberation and renewed life to his oppressed people. The prophecy of Isaiah is that God himself will be their savior. This was the basis of the hope and trust that the ancient Hebrews had in the Lord.
This is the background for the story of healing in today’s gospel. That story begins with the first reading from the Book of Leviticus. The ritual provisions in Leviticus led to a rather gloomy predicament for a leper in the ancient world. According to those provisions, lepers were forbidden to come into the city at all, or to live with any others. They had to live apart as though they were dead persons (Josephus).
Such persons lived apart not only because they had a contagious disease. The leper was considered unclean under Mosaic Law because the disease itself was viewed as a punishment for sin. Thus, the leper was no longer holy before God. For this reason, the leper was cut off from the living faith community, and stood to forfeit for all time his or her relationship with God and with others.
The only available remedy in the ancient world was to be healed through a direct intervention by God (Ex. 15:26), or through an appeal to God’s mercy and compassion by a prophet, such as Moses, Elisha, or Isaiah (Ex. 15:25; II Kings 2:21; II Kings 20:7–8). Either way, the one who was afflicted with the disease was expected to pray and fast for healing.
The fortunate person who experienced a cure still had to undergo a process of purification as specified in the Book of Leviticus. First, the person went to the priest, who affirmed that the cure had indeed taken place. Then and only then did the priest initiate the purification process. The priest, however, did nothing to promote the cure. His rituals were performed only after the disease had passed (Dt. 24:8–9).
This context gives deeper meaning to the story in Mark’s gospel. Notice that the man with leprosy does not ask Jesus for healing. Rather, he begs Jesus to make him clean. He says, "If you wish, you can make me clean." This approach alone reveals humility and courage on the part of the leper, as well as hope and trust. For, under Mosaic Law, because he still had the disease, he should not have approached Jesus, and under the Law, Jesus should not have touched him. His desperate need to be among the living once again, however, compels the man to seek Jesus. And, in his compassion, Jesus meets the man where he is. Their encounter shows that hope, trust and compassion are deeper than law and ritual. It also shows that the relationship between believer and Jesus is personal.
The actual request of the leper in these circumstances reveals even more. In essence, his request acknowledges Jesus’ divine power to heal, as well as his authority to forgive sins and welcome the sinner back into the faith community. The leper approaches Jesus with hope for a cure, and he trusts Jesus to respond with compassion. In placing his hope and trust in the person of Jesus Christ to make good on his request, the man with leprosy reveals the true nature of faith in God as a matter of hope and trust. And, Jesus responds to and affirms the authenticity of such faith when he ignores all taboo and stretches out his hand, touches the man, and says, “I do will it. Be made clean."
There are other such stories of those in need of healing who reach out to Jesus, despite social and religious convention to the contrary: Jairus, whose daughter was dying; the woman with the hemorrhage who touched Jesus' cloak; the Roman centurion whose servant was ill. Like the man with leprosy, these folks did not follow social convention or stand on religious ceremony before approaching Jesus. And, Jesus responded to them as he did to the leper—where they were and in their need.
The life and mission of Jesus makes it clear that he is willing to respond to us, and that he wants us to dare to seek him. Jesus wants a relationship with us and he seeks us out. For this reason, Jesus did not restrict who may seek him. Clearly, the man with leprosy sought Jesus WHEN he was in need of healing, BEFORE he was clean. Jesus is not saying: Get holy, and then knock on the door. Rather, Jesus is saying: Knock on the door and I will show you how to be holy. From this personal standpoint, the question may be: What do we want from Jesus. What do we ask for? What do we seek? Where do we knock?
Although each of us will answer these questions in different ways, the encounter between Jesus and the man with leprosy demonstrates that we can approach Jesus no matter what our circumstances. Jesus meets us where we are. He looks for and is eager to respond to the faith that each of us can muster. We can trust that Jesus will respond to our needs with compassion. That is the nature of his love. Our hope is that the man with leprosy will inspire and strengthen our own faith as we seek to follow Jesus more closely in our daily lives.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Offended by the Lord
Wednesday in Ordinary Time Year B
Gospel of Mark 6:1-6
Homily by Deacon Joe Stackhouse February 1, 2012
Can you imagine being offended by the Lord? Yet, that is what Mark records in his gospel for today. On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. At first, the people were impressed with his wisdom and with what he had to say. In short order, however, they took offense, although Mark is not entirely clear about the cause of their indignation.
Was it that Jesus spoke as an ordinary person, a carpenter who earned his living, with no religious authority to teach? Was it that he said something that caused them to take offense? Perhaps it was both. Perhaps he first said something that challenged their way of seeing things. And had they accepted what he said, they would have had to change their way of living. Since they weren’t willing to do that, they simply dismissed what he said. An ordinary guy with an opinion they didn’t like was just that. No reason to listen to him. Indeed, they were offended.
We can well imagine the message that Jesus delivered that day. It would have been the same message he repeated throughout his mission on earth: I don’t see any true faith in this place. You are more interested in doing religion than in doing justice. You are more interested in my miracles than in caring for the poor, the vulnerable, the outcast, the sick, the marginalized. You are more interested in religious ritual and celebration than in living a life of loving sacrifice for others. You substitute following religious rules for doing God’s will. This is likely the message that caused the people in his day to take offense, and no wonder. All this from a carpenter, an ordinary person who works for his living; no different from them.
The message that Jesus preached that day so long ago is far more familiar to us than it was to those in the synagogue. His message—as much now as it was then—is a call to follow him, to live a certain kind of life, to be a certain kind of person. The decision to follow Christ is a decision to be a person who is loving, kind, patient, understanding, merciful and just towards others, especially the poor and vulnerable members of society. Or as St Paul puts it, the Christian way of life is life in the Spirit. The Spirit of God helps us be the kind of person we are called to be.
This is what motivates Jesus to say on another occasion, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Mt 11:6). The invitation that Jesus extends is not a reason to be offended, but a blessing that leads to eternal life. Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the full. For this reason, we are indeed blessed that God so loved us that he became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ. We are blessed that Jesus is like us in every way, as St. Paul says—in failure and success, in sorrow and in joy, in doubt and in faith—in all ways except in sin. Jesus came to show us who the Father is and how we can get to his home. This is the good news that Jesus preached in the synagogue so long ago. We are truly blessed to hear his message once again.
Gospel of Mark 6:1-6
Homily by Deacon Joe Stackhouse February 1, 2012
Can you imagine being offended by the Lord? Yet, that is what Mark records in his gospel for today. On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. At first, the people were impressed with his wisdom and with what he had to say. In short order, however, they took offense, although Mark is not entirely clear about the cause of their indignation.
Was it that Jesus spoke as an ordinary person, a carpenter who earned his living, with no religious authority to teach? Was it that he said something that caused them to take offense? Perhaps it was both. Perhaps he first said something that challenged their way of seeing things. And had they accepted what he said, they would have had to change their way of living. Since they weren’t willing to do that, they simply dismissed what he said. An ordinary guy with an opinion they didn’t like was just that. No reason to listen to him. Indeed, they were offended.
We can well imagine the message that Jesus delivered that day. It would have been the same message he repeated throughout his mission on earth: I don’t see any true faith in this place. You are more interested in doing religion than in doing justice. You are more interested in my miracles than in caring for the poor, the vulnerable, the outcast, the sick, the marginalized. You are more interested in religious ritual and celebration than in living a life of loving sacrifice for others. You substitute following religious rules for doing God’s will. This is likely the message that caused the people in his day to take offense, and no wonder. All this from a carpenter, an ordinary person who works for his living; no different from them.
The message that Jesus preached that day so long ago is far more familiar to us than it was to those in the synagogue. His message—as much now as it was then—is a call to follow him, to live a certain kind of life, to be a certain kind of person. The decision to follow Christ is a decision to be a person who is loving, kind, patient, understanding, merciful and just towards others, especially the poor and vulnerable members of society. Or as St Paul puts it, the Christian way of life is life in the Spirit. The Spirit of God helps us be the kind of person we are called to be.
This is what motivates Jesus to say on another occasion, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Mt 11:6). The invitation that Jesus extends is not a reason to be offended, but a blessing that leads to eternal life. Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the full. For this reason, we are indeed blessed that God so loved us that he became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ. We are blessed that Jesus is like us in every way, as St. Paul says—in failure and success, in sorrow and in joy, in doubt and in faith—in all ways except in sin. Jesus came to show us who the Father is and how we can get to his home. This is the good news that Jesus preached in the synagogue so long ago. We are truly blessed to hear his message once again.
Jairus and the details
Tuesday in Ordinary Time Year B
Gospel of Mark 5:21-43
Homily by Deacon Joe Stackhouse January 22, 2012
There are some details in the story about the raising of Jairus’ daughter that don’t receive the attention they deserve. For one, Jairus is a ruler in the synagogue. In that role, he would have been concerned about the observance of the law, especially regarding things clean and unclean. For that reason, Jairus would have known that when the woman who is ritually unclean touched Jesus, he too became ritually unclean at that moment. Jesus then could not heal his daughter by the laying on of hands until Jesus had been purified. Yet, Jairus never raises the issue, and Jesus does not let this breach prevent him from curing Jairus’ daughter. The reason is clear. Love and compassion always trump the requirements of ritual.
Another detail that often gets overlooked is the difference in religious standing between Jairus and Jesus. Jesus has no official standing in the synagogue. Jesus is merely a local carpenter. Indeed, his authority to heal has not been established or approved in any official manner. As a result, asking Jesus to cure his daughter could have cost Jairus his job and his reputation in the religious community. A costly mistake for sure. Nevertheless, Jairus remains undeterred and shows no hesitation in asking Jesus for help. From this perspective, Jairus’ boldness provides an unexpected lesson in trust and humility despite the cost.
One other detail should be mentioned. The faith shared by Jairus and the woman tends to get obscured by the difference in Jesus’ response to each. In responding to Jairus, Jesus does not immediately heal Jairus’ daughter from a distance. Although such a response on his part was clearly possible, Jesus instead simply goes with Jairus without indicating what he will do. Along the way, their journey gets delayed when Jesus responds to a woman who doesn’t even ask to be healed. She simply runs up and touches Jesus, and she is healed on the spot. Jesus responds with praise for her faith. Jairus, on the other hand, must patiently wait for this interlude to end before he and Jesus can resume their journey. When they reach their destination, they meet with further disturbance that Jesus resolves before ultimately healing Jairus’ daughter.
These differences in the way Jesus responds show that Jesus meets us where we are. He looks for and is eager to respond to the faith that each of us can muster. The woman quietly touches his robe, but believes. Jairus approaches him face to face. In both cases, however, their request reveals an unwavering trust and confidence in the love and compassion of Jesus. Their faith demonstrates that we can approach Jesus no matter what our circumstances.
Jesus looks for this same kind of faith in us as well. Our hope is that the trust and confidence expressed by Jairus and the woman will inspire and strengthen our own faith as we seek to follow Jesus more closely in our daily lives.
Gospel of Mark 5:21-43
Homily by Deacon Joe Stackhouse January 22, 2012
There are some details in the story about the raising of Jairus’ daughter that don’t receive the attention they deserve. For one, Jairus is a ruler in the synagogue. In that role, he would have been concerned about the observance of the law, especially regarding things clean and unclean. For that reason, Jairus would have known that when the woman who is ritually unclean touched Jesus, he too became ritually unclean at that moment. Jesus then could not heal his daughter by the laying on of hands until Jesus had been purified. Yet, Jairus never raises the issue, and Jesus does not let this breach prevent him from curing Jairus’ daughter. The reason is clear. Love and compassion always trump the requirements of ritual.
Another detail that often gets overlooked is the difference in religious standing between Jairus and Jesus. Jesus has no official standing in the synagogue. Jesus is merely a local carpenter. Indeed, his authority to heal has not been established or approved in any official manner. As a result, asking Jesus to cure his daughter could have cost Jairus his job and his reputation in the religious community. A costly mistake for sure. Nevertheless, Jairus remains undeterred and shows no hesitation in asking Jesus for help. From this perspective, Jairus’ boldness provides an unexpected lesson in trust and humility despite the cost.
One other detail should be mentioned. The faith shared by Jairus and the woman tends to get obscured by the difference in Jesus’ response to each. In responding to Jairus, Jesus does not immediately heal Jairus’ daughter from a distance. Although such a response on his part was clearly possible, Jesus instead simply goes with Jairus without indicating what he will do. Along the way, their journey gets delayed when Jesus responds to a woman who doesn’t even ask to be healed. She simply runs up and touches Jesus, and she is healed on the spot. Jesus responds with praise for her faith. Jairus, on the other hand, must patiently wait for this interlude to end before he and Jesus can resume their journey. When they reach their destination, they meet with further disturbance that Jesus resolves before ultimately healing Jairus’ daughter.
These differences in the way Jesus responds show that Jesus meets us where we are. He looks for and is eager to respond to the faith that each of us can muster. The woman quietly touches his robe, but believes. Jairus approaches him face to face. In both cases, however, their request reveals an unwavering trust and confidence in the love and compassion of Jesus. Their faith demonstrates that we can approach Jesus no matter what our circumstances.
Jesus looks for this same kind of faith in us as well. Our hope is that the trust and confidence expressed by Jairus and the woman will inspire and strengthen our own faith as we seek to follow Jesus more closely in our daily lives.
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