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The Lord is just, and his justice is impartial. We too are exhorted to be just and impartial by the apostle James in his letter. Not conferring special honours to one, while denying others the dignity due to them and to all. That is not the example that Christ has left us with.

Today’s Gospel demonstrates this for us first by the locations encountered: Tyre, Sidon, the Decapolis. Although nearby, these are not Israelite territory but Gentile. Jesus may be showing his impartiality in another manner also, in whom he is dealing with in these territories. That is possibly to Gentiles, not fellow Israelites.

“Here is your God” proclaims Isiah – pointing to the fact that all that follows is not only God’s promise to be carried out, but that it will be conducted by God himself. This passage reminds of me of another. Pilate proclaiming as he presents Jesus to the crowds, “Behold the man!” Both are true in the person of Christ, and we see both present in the Gospel. He demonstrates his divinity by acting in the person of God himself, in fulfilling his promises made which we have heard in the prophet Isiah, and his true, bodily humanity in the way he performs this healing.

However, unlike other healers who acted similarly at the time, Jesus then instructs them not to tell of it. He is not seeking any attention, anything for himself or another motive, but only the glory of God. As he says elsewhere, he is looking to find and establish true worshipers of God, “in spirit and in truth” – another line of Jesus elsewhere to a non-Israelite.

This theme of Jesus sometimes conforming to the norms of his time and place and yet simultaneously turning them on their head is constant in his life. Like his impartiality, it demonstrates the inexhaustible mystery of God. This helps prepare us for the upcoming Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The cross, which was not only a sign, but the reality of defeat and death has been absolutely transformed and established as the sign and reality of victory and of eternal life.

– Aaron Neiva 

By Eddie MacDonald

“Eat your supper,” your mother says; “Clean up your plate”. “Do you want to make that a combo?” asks the girl behind the counter at Wendy’s. “How about an extra patty on your burger?” she asks. At what point did we go from eating enough for our bodies to work, to the sin of gluttony?

Today’s readings remind us how we are much like our ancestors in the desert, how easily we fall into the pleasure and contentment of food, no matter what the risk is to our physical and spiritual health. The Israelites forgot their miraculous escape and preferred to be slaves. And in the Gospel the followers of Jesus thought the meal to be so good the first time that they ask for another “show”. Each missed the point. It is not the food itself but the witness of the miraculous. The Psalmist shares the truth of the situation: God rained down on the Israelites the food of heaven, the food in which the angels partake. This is a glimpse of what is to come, the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the form of bread and wine.

How often in Mass do we go through the gestures – kneeling upon the consecration of the host; the moment of transubstantiation lost as we daydream about what’s for lunch! We are present for the most important sacrament – and often we let it slip by us. The real food that nourishes our soul and prepares us to be in heaven one day for that heavenly banquet. Let us come often to the sacrifice of Christ on the altar and stay alert to this truly life-changing bread.

In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah compares political and religious leaders of Israel to bad shepherds leading their flock astray. In contrast, the author of the responsorial psalm points to the Lord as the good shepherd taking exemplary care of every individual sheep. The Gospel confirms that Jesus excelled in that role by showing compassion to people deprived of meaningful guidance in their lives.

As Christians, we should help people, especially young people, to navigate rightly their lives when so many voices try to draw their attention. Let us assist them in the discernment between Jesus the Good Shepherd on one side; and false gurus leading to self-destruction, dominant fads, prevailing mass media trends, or harmful ideologies, on the other one.

To make correct choices, it is necessary to pray in solitude as Jesus planned to do in a deserted place. Very often someone complains about of time. However, he/she wastes precious time on watching frivolous movies or searching for meaningless information on the internet. Let us use our time to serve others as best as we can while lack simultaneously asking Christ for the perfect balance between action and contemplation. 

– Fr. Toni Baranowski SJ

Our first reading today is from the prophet Amos, a humble and wise man, as all true and real prophets are. Amos was called by God from what he was doing, tending flocks, and was sent to prophesy to the northern tribes of Israel. They did not want to listen to him but sent him away because he was warning them of pending doom if they didn’t change.

Amos is challenging us personally to a change of our behaviors, and to challenge ourselves to a change of heart. We live in a world that promotes consumerism, self-gratification, power, control, and prestige that flatters the ego. Amos is challenging us to keep a close check on ourselves so as not to get caught up in the passing pleasures that are self-destructive. If we can keep our hearts in check, and focused on God, practicing our ancestral teachings, we will reap the fruits that will turn us into people like Amos. We are all called to be prophets; and to be a prophet, one has all those teachings imbedded into their person. That is our call.

In the gospel of Mark, Jesus sends his disciples on mission, telling them to take nothing with them and to stay wherever they were welcomed. If people refused to listen to them, they were to shake the dust from their feet when they left the area. Jesus sends out his disciples to bring healing to the sick, to spread the good news, and to practice a simple life.

Like the disciples, Jesus is sending us, too. We are called to bring healing to those who are suffering, and to invite all to a change of heart, from selfishness to self-giving. Jesus modelled that life to his disciples and had his disciples do the same on their journey. We too need to become true, honest, respectful people, with courage to live our faith. The gifts of wisdom, humility and love will be the qualities we receive and we need, to be prophets for our community. In Anishnaabe language or terminology, it means becoming the “elders” who will speak up to admonish the younger generation. To be a prophet is what St Paul talks about in his letter to the Ephesians when he says, “with all wisdom and insight God has made known to us the mystery of his will…”. This is what a prophet is endowed with; and you are already prophets because Jesus, the greatest prophet, the son of God, lives in you.

– Sr. Terry (Kateri) Beaudry CPS

Today’s Gospel weaves together two separate healing events. The first healing is of a woman who is bleeding. The second is of a child whom Jesus resuscitates.

In both instances healing occurs through touch. The woman with the hemorrhage, believing in his power to heal, reaches out to touch Jesus. In the case of the child, it is Jesus who reaches out with his hand to lift her up.

There are two distinct lessons for us here. On one hand, like the woman who trusts in the power of Jesus to help her, we are all encouraged to reach out to Jesus for the healing we need. We are all wounded, Fr. Henri Nouwen reminded us. We may or may not be shedding blood, but we have wounds that Jesus can heal if we but believe and go to him.

On the other hand, we are called to be healers if, like Jesus, we are willing to go to the side of others who are suffering, even someone who may seem beyond help. “Jesus has no hands but yours”, said St. Teresa of Avila, to bring his healing touch wherever there is suffering.

Speaking of our woundedness, Fr. Nouwen observed that unless we let Jesus heal us, the danger is that we can wound others with an angry touch. But if we allow the healing power of Jesus to touch our wound and heal us, we too, like Jesus, can be “wounded healers.”

– Fr. Mark Hoelsken, SJ

In the Gospel of this Sunday, Jesus, with the disciples, are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, when they are suddenly caught in a storm, with violent wind and waves (Mark 4.35-41.). Everyone fears for their lives. Everyone, that is, except Jesus, who continues to sleep as the tempest rages. How can he continue to sleep, and do nothing to save the others, and himself?

Perhaps, the scene may resonate with something that confronts us personally, today: a family problem; a personal crisis; the state of the economy; our victimization by crime; the tribulation of wars in the world; the out-of-control ecological crisis. There are many occasions when it seems to us that there is very little we can do to lift ourselves out of trouble. What is God doing in the midst of these calamities?

As, from the whirlwind, God answered Job’s complaint with questions, Jesus responds also to his companions with questions: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Jesus quells the raging storm and calms the sea, demonstrating that nothing is beyond his reach. The Gospel challenges our belief, trust, and faith in Jesus, for whom nothing is impossible.

The Gospel scene reflects, as well, our own interiority, our own relationship in prayer with God, with Jesus Christ. Do the “storms” of our lives, the troubles of the world, that seem to come out-of-the-blue, upset the inner calm and peace of Christ within us? Perhaps, they do for a while, for we are human and, like Jesus’ hand-picked disciples, we are prone to doubt, and fear of the unknown. Yet, Jesus is always with us, and continues to call us to deeper trust, to certain faith in God’s steadfast love for us.

Indeed, in the tribulation of his crucifixion, Jesus surrendered, not to the world, but to the enduring, everlasting love of God. Are we not, in Jesus Christ, “a new creation”? (2 Corinthians 5.17) As members of the Body of Christ, alive in the world, we are all the more alive in Christ, with the freedom of the children of God. May the peace of Christ, who lives with us and in us, calm the storms within, and may we always trust that nothing is impossible for God.

– Fr. Gerry McDougal, SJ

The Lord, speaking to Ezekiel, and in the parable of the mustard seed in the Gospel, is talking about how he is to form his people. There is an allusion in Ezekiel to the Lord “taking his people from the midst of another people/nation”, that’s referenced elsewhere in Scripture, to the Exodus from Egypt. For the Lord to form us as individuals and peoples for himself, he often must take us from another/from elsewhere – away from our place of slavery and sin that robs us of life. And he can do this with very little. That’s all he may require from us, and all that we’re capable of giving him either in the beginning or at other difficult times along our spiritual life.

He wants to take that little bit and bring it on high, make it large, bear fruit, attract others to it and restore it to the dignity and purpose that the Lord has desired for us from the beginning, and communicate the same to others. Jesus says in the gospel of John, “I’ve come that they might have life and to have it in abundance!” If this seems difficult or impossible to us, it is made abundantly clear, “I, the Lord, have spoken; I WILL accomplish it”. We might not see the fullness of that in this life, just like the divine justice upon the wicked, but we are assured that the Lord will see to it that everything will be set right, brought to completion and be beyond our expectations.

Paul, in his letter, expresses a strong longing for and confidence in that fulfilment. Even now, and no matter what, we are God’s – so we should strive to make everything a pleasing offering to him. The first parable of the Gospel also reminds us that the work we are called to do here is an active participation in that work of Christ. Though we may not know what effect we’re having, we are assured that when things are ready, we will be aware and that the proper course of our action should be obvious to us and will lead to good and Godly things.

– Aaron Neiva

Today’s readings are about disobedience and hope, faith and hardships, redefining family, and oppositions.

In the First Reading from Genesis 3:8-15, God confronts Adam and Eve who disobeyed by eating from the forbidden tree in the garden of Eden. They blame each other and blame the serpent, who is then cursed by God. Now they must face the consequences.

When we sin, disobeying God, we become separated from God and that affects our relationship with Him; but there is a promise of redemption. God promises victory over sin through the woman’s offspring, Jesus, who will crush the serpent’s head, who will defeat sin and bring hope.

The Responsorial Psalm,Psalm 130, is a cry out to God to hear our prayer, knowing that He is loving, merciful, and forgiving, with great power to redeem.

The Second Reading, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, is about persevering with faith, staying strong in faith, not losing heart, despite hardships that are momentary but that prepare us for eternal life with God in our home in heaven. We must look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, that is eternal. We know God raised Jesus and so He will also raise us.

The Gospel ofMark, 3:20-35, is about opposition that Jesus faced from his own family who did not understand him, and opposition from the religious leaders. Through all this opposition, Jesus kept to his mission. Jesus redefines true family, saying, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Here he emphasizes that spiritual kinship is more important than blood relations. We are all members of God’s family. As we face opposition and many challenges in our lives, we must be like Jesus, and remain committed to doing God’s will.

Creator God, thank you for your steadfast love and mercy. As we face opposition and challenges in our lives, help us remain strong in our faith and stay committed to your will. May we always remember that we are spiritual brothers and sisters, part of Your true family, supporting and loving each other. Guide us and give us strength in our daily lives. Amen.

                                                                        Rosella Kinoshameg, DOS

We read in John’s Gospel that, when Jesus was on the cross and had died, “one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out” (19:34). The passage that includes this verse is read on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which, this year, is celebrated this Friday, June 7^th. It is also a verse, a passage, which fits with today’s (Sunday’s) celebration of the Body and Blood of Christ.

There is a link between these two feast days: the Body and Blood of Christ, and the Sacred Heart. They are intentionally, purposefully placed close together on the calendar. One connection that can be made is this: if we think of Jesus’ body and blood, well, his heart is at the center of his body, and the heart keeps the blood flowing. Jesus’ heart can be seen as a source of love, as that which keeps the love flowing. That love was and still is shared with us by Jesus, including through the Eucharist.

Here are a couple of verses from one of the other readings of the June 7 Mass for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These verses also fit with today’s feast of the Body and Blood of Christ: “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19).

– Fr. Paul Robson SJ

A Reflection by Eddie MacDonald

Every day, around the world, millions of Catholics make the sign of the cross.  We all begin our prayers with this blessing of ourselves in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Throughout the day we may find ourselves doing this blessing as we pass Catholic churches, when we see a funeral pass by or even as an ambulance screams by us.  We may hold a baby and gently make the sign of the cross over their forehead or bless our children as they fall asleep.  When we get startled or seriously frightened, we make the sign of the cross.  Even in the movies we can see people make the sign of the cross before they do something difficult.

Why is it that we call upon each of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit throughout the day and sometimes even in the middle of the night?  Why?  Because we are calling on the Wholeness of God, the Holy Trinity to come to our aid. 

A way to visualize this love of God put into action is through Confirmation.  I always loved Confirmations.  I prepared students and attended Confirmations for many years.  The renewal of our Baptismal vows, the receiving of Christ in the Eucharist and that special moment when one is sealed with the Holy Spirit.  The Bishop lathering on the heavily scented oils on the forehead of wide eyed recipients and sometimes the smell of lemons as he tries to clear the oils off of his fingers. The last of the Rites of Initiation, being sealed by that which is the action of God, the Holy Spirit.  Jesus, the way, the truth and the life ever present to us as he is the Bread of Life. And again, the Holy Spirit pouring over us in our Baptism, breaking the barrier that barred us from eternity!  What an amazing gift – God Himself through the sacraments, through the daily blessings. 

In the name of the Father.  The Creator of all who is called “The Father”, we touch our forehead.  In the Son (in is referring to us living within Christ).  We then touch below our heart to intentionally include our heart; and then we cross over our entire selves saying and the Holy Spirit.  And meaning inclusive, the Holy Spirit being the Action of God, called love.  All together.  The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is one.  They are the Holy Trinity – the three of them.  Each comes from the same source, God, yet each has a role, a purpose to play in our lives.  Together they are power, they are grace.  They are the Most Holy Trinity. We are truly blessed!