Me Tradition – Good News for February 9

Mark 7:1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”

He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”

He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”

The Daily Path: Don’t get me started on human tradition becoming more important than deepening the personal relationship between oneself and God. Imagine what this life would be like if we spent more time focusing on this, INSTEAD of petty little gripes that are only based on the “ME”.

Room to Chat: Father, there is great anger in my heart today. Teach me to both forgive and ask forgiveness.

Reaching for the Tassel – Good News for February 8

Mark 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

The Daily Path: In the Good News we often learn about how the sick or those in need of healing will reach out to touch Jesus’ cloak. These people had enough faith to believe this simple action was all they needed.

After reading Mark’s account of this particular episode in the life of Jesus, I started to reflect on my own quest for healing. What are the ways I have reached out to touch Jesus cloak? Reading Scripture on a daily has become a primary tassel in my life. I can’t begin to tell you what a difference this “reach” has made.

He Appeared To Me – Good News for February 7

St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians 15:3-8, 11

Brothers and sisters,

I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. After that he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one abnormally born, he appeared to me.

Therefore, whether it be I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Daily Path: It’s Sunday! Where will He appear to you?

Rest – Good News for February 6

Mark 6:30-34

The Apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them.

When Jesus disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

The Daily Path: I’ve been away for a few days. No, I’ve not been traveling in the physical sense going from one geographic location to another. But I have been spending a great deal of time traveling within. I’m not solving the problems of the world, but I’m listening… observing what’s going on in my life.

I can hear Stan Doubtsall in the back of the room, “See! Another example of Mr. Cuckoo. Goes off for days at a time to think BIG thoughts of life. Doesn’t even post the Good News as he promised to do!”

Sorry, Stan. I’ll admit that I do get tired some days and fail to meet my obligation to share a passage or two with my fellow travelers. And Stan, you’d be surprised at how small my thoughts are. I’m trying to figure out this transition in my life one little piece at a time. What I’m finding is that it’s not about “figuring” at all. This life in God’s plan is just TOO BIG to figure out. It’s more about flow. Allowing myself to flow in union with God.

There’s a song I’ve heard performed titled: Peace Like A River. I think its music and message are not only therapeutic, they are also metaphoric. It seems the more I try to own this existence by figuring it out, the more weary I become. Kind of like swimming upstream. If I just float down the river, there’s no effort… only a greater sense of peace.

Simeon the Groundhog – Good News for February 2

Luke 2:22-32

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.

He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

The Daily Path: Today, the Roman Catholic Church and others, celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Luke describes the historical event in the life of Jesus in today’s reading. February 2 is also the celebration of Groundhog Day in Canada and the U.S. According to this oral tradition, if a groundhog emerges from his burrow and fails to see its shadow it will leave the burrow thus signaling that winter will end soon. However, if the little creature sees its shadow, back in the burrow it goes for more slumber and six additional weeks of winter.

What do these two celebrations have in common? Nothing. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

Just kidding!

Actually there is some common ground between the two. After a long winter’s nap our rodent friend, Punxsutawney Phil, pops out of his hole and sees not shadow, but light. The big woodchuck is so delighted to be rid of the cold and winter darkness (renewal) that he emerges ready to begin to living again.

Now Simeon, who had been hanging around this earth for a very long time, was also waiting for the end of winter. He’d been living in the darkness waiting patiently to see, as God promised, the light of salvation. The Christ. When Mary and Joseph finally bring Jesus to the temple for the rite of purification, Simeon is released from the burrow of this life to go and bask in the eternal light of the Father in heaven.

Who’d have thought Phil and Simeon had something in common?

Shackles and Chains

Mark 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.

Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (Jesus had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)

He asked him, “What is your name?” He  replied, “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.” And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned.

The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district.

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”

Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

The Daily Path: Do you ever feel like you are always dashing about night and day, not unlike someone possessed? Perpetual “Go! Go! Go!” And as you are busy living, do you ever find the ability to pause and reflect on the “shackles and chains” that have grown about your life? Can you see the restraints that keep you from God?

I find it’s not easy to sit quietly and really examine what’s going on in my life. And maybe that’s the problem. Am I running about only looking at it as MY life. Are these ME shackles? Does each link grow when I’m only acting in MY best interest? Am I happy to stay in that frame of reference or can I break free of the shackles and chains so that I may see the Lord and fall completely before Him?