February 3, 2015

Blase

February 3, 2015:  Tuesday, 4th week, Ordinary Time / St. Blase...

Found 10 connections with today's readings and feast?
ǝuıɯ ɹoɟ ǝƃɐd ɟo ɯoʇʇoq ǝǝs

Listen

Pope Francis
Homily:  “Keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus” is the core of hope.  If we don't listen to the Lord, we won't have the hope we learn from contemplating Christ.  Contemplative prayer is important and can only be done with the Gospel in hand.  I contemplate with today’s Gospel by seeing Jesus among the people, surrounded by a crowd.  I think, most of his life was with the crowd.  Did he rest?  Once he was sleeping on the boat, but the storm came and the disciples woke him.  Jesus was constantly in the midst of the people.  That's how I look at, contemplate, imagine Jesus.  And I tell him what comes to my mind.
Jesus realized a sick woman in the crowd touched him.  He not only understood the crowd, he felt them; he feels our heartbeat and cares for each of us, always!  Jairus' case is similar:  Jesus leaves everything to take care of it.  He arrives, women are crying because the girl is dead, he tells them to be calm, and they scorn him.  See Jesus' patience.  After her resurrection, instead of "Praise God!", he says, "Give her something to eat," thinking of the little things.
That was a prayer of contemplation:  read and imagine a scene, imagine what happens, and talk to Jesus from the heart.  We allow hope to grow, because our gaze is fixed on Jesus.  Pray like that:  in 15 minutes, pick a small gospel passage, imagine what happened, and talk with Jesus about it.  You'll be focused on Jesus, not on gossip....  Contemplation helps us in hope to live the Gospel.  Hope comes from this prayer; our Christian life unfolds, between memory and hope:  memory of our journey, graces from the Lord, and hope, looking at him, the only one who can give hope.  Your knowledge of Jesus will be bigger and your hope will grow.
Presentation homily focused on the virtue of obedience, keystone of religious life.  In persevering along the path of obedience, wisdom matures, and it becomes possible to adapt to the times; aggiornamento is the fruit of wisdom forged in docility and obedience.  Bring others to Jesus, but also allow him to lead you.  Be guides who are guided yourselves. 
Read

  • Heb 12:1-4  We're surrounded by a cloud of witnesses; rid yourself of sin and run the race, keeping eyes fixed on Jesus who endured the cross and took his seat at God's right.  He endured opposition so you wouldn't lose heart.  You haven't struggled to the point of shedding blood.

    'Cloud of witnesses' word cloud
    (animate)
  • Ps 22:26b-28, 30-32  "They will praise you, Lord, who long for you."  I'll fulfill my vows.  The lowly shall eat their fill.  All shall turn to the Lord and bow.

  • Mk 5:21-43  Synagogue official Jairus asked Jesus to lay hands on his daughter to heal her; they went off.  A woman with hemorrhages touched Jesus' cloak and was cured.  "Who touched my clothes?"  She told him everything.  "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."  To Jairus:  "Your daughter has died."  Jesus, hearing the wailing:  "She's asleep."  He took her by the hand:  "Arise!"  She rose; all were astounded....
Reflect
    • Creighton:  Faith and the life-giving power of God in Christ:  Mk 4:  4 episodes in succession re Lord's life-giving power:   over nature (calming of storm), demons (Gerasene demoniac), illness (hemorrhagic woman), and death (daughter of Jairus).
      Both of today's episodes are about women in life/death situations, called daughter, needing rescue, before skeptical onlookers who become dumbfounded.  Faith unleashes the Lord’s power.  The stories anticipate the Resurrection...
    • One Bread One Body:  "The touch":  The hemorrhaging woman's touch made Jesus ritually unclean but healed her.  Jesus' touching the dead girl also made him ritually unclean, but it revided her.  Jesus can touch you through members of his body, the Church, or in the sacraments; be in touch with life, love, hope, peace, freedom, joy, purity, and victory, healing, resurrection, and God.
      St. Blase
    • Passionist:  "Jesus despised the shame of the cross," enduring it to conquer sin and death and opening the door for us to do likewise.  This gives hope to all struggling with shame one through and He has felt the shame that we feel. We can learn to stop the negative thoughts and tame the shame. Get counseling if you need help but don't let your past keep you from living life to the fullest today. 
    • DailyScripture.net:  Ephrem the Syrian re woman healed from hemorrhage:  "Glory to you, Son of God; your healing power is proclaimed through her suffering.  Through her they could see the divinity that couldn't be seen. Through his healing power his divinity became known.  Through her healing her faith was made manifest.  She caused him to be proclaimed, and was honored with him.  For truth was proclaimed together with its heralds.  She was a witness to his divinity; he was a witness to her faith... He saw through to her hidden faith, and gave her a visible healing."
    Jesus gave hope to Jairus who had the courage to go to him openly, inviting scorn.  People had no hope, but Jesus took his daughter by the hand and delivered her from death.  Peter Chrysologus:  "The man was a ruler of the synagogue, and versed in the law. He'd surely read that man had been created by God's hand.  He trusted his daughter would be recreated and restored by that same hand...."
    Today's Saints, thanks to Universalis
    Bring your throat to Mass...
    • Blase (Blaise), bishop, missionary, martyr; see Catholic Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.  “Through the intercession of St. Blase, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil.”
    • Dunstan of Canterbury, abbot, bishop, restored churches, judged suits, defended the weak, reformed institutions; see Catholic Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
    • Werburg, religious
    • Anne Line (Heigham), convert, martyr
    Clothing legend
    • Red and white shirt:  red for today's martyrs, white for Christ Light of the World (Presentation gospel)
    • Tie with clouds:  "We're surrounded by a cloud of witnesses" (1st reading)
    • 'Runner' tie pin:  Persevere in running the race... (1st reading)
    • 'Eyeball' tie pin:  ...keeping eyes fixed on Jesus (1st reading)
    • 'Cross' tie pin:  Jesus endured the cross (1st reading)
    • 'Blood drop' pin:  You haven't struggled to the point of shedding blood (1st reading); woman with hemorrhage (gospel); today's martyr-saints
    • 'Kneeling person' tie bar:  All shall bow before him (psalm)
    • 'Hand' tie pin:  "Lay your hands on my daughter"; Jesus took her by the hand (gospel)
    • 'Girl with heart' pin:  Daughter of Jairus (gospel); don't lose heart (1st reading); may your hearts be merry (psalm)
    • Clothes (:-):  "If I just touch his clothes, I'll be cured"/"Who touched my clothes?" (gospel)
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