A Moral Lesson from Jesus’ Multiplication of the Five Loaves and Two Fish

One important lesson we can learn from Jesus multiplying five barley loaves and two fish to feed a large crowd of at least 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21//Mark 6:31-44//Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-14) is that what seems “insignificant” in our minds can be made great through Christ.

Among the disciples, who would have thought that a scanty amount of food, only give loaves and two fish, could feed more than 5,000 people? Nobody. They thought such a small amount of food would be like a drop in the ocean in feeding such a great crowd. They just could not think of anything possible to feed them.

Even when Andrew found a boy with the five loaves and two fish, he was doubtful. So he said, “What good are these for so many?”(John 6:9b). Then, he must have been stunned that Jesus signaled to get the crowd ready to eat and took the loaves and fish, giving thanks to the Father, thinking, what in the world was Jesus doing with such an insignificant amount of food in front of such a huge crowd?! (i.e. John 6:10-11a). But, voila! There were more than enough loaves and fish to feed the crowd, and there were even plenty of leftovers to fill twelve wicker baskets (John 6:11b-12). Then, nobody could underestimate the potential in something seemingly negligible, when Jesus was present.

Had Jesus not been in the scene, Andrew’s assumption on the mere five loaves and two fish would have been validated. Such a little amount of food would not feed even a fraction of such a great crowd. But as the boy let Jesus have his loaves and fish, these became more than enough to satisfy everyone in the crowd.

We are like Andrew. We often say, things like, “This won’t do it because it does not have enough value”, “Are you crazy? Do you think such an insignificant thing can cover the whole thing?” So we tend to dismiss what we see “too small”, “unimportant”, “of little value”, “impotent”, and so forth.

This kind of human thinking may fit in utilitarianism. For the sake of maximization “happiness” for the great mass, things like five loaves and two fish in front of a crowd of at least 5,000, are not even considered at all. Philip's "calculation" (John 6:5-7) was reflects utilitarianism. But, we can change this thinking as we offer what we may think insignificant to Jesus and let him handle it, as the owner of the five loaves and two fish did.

As we let Jesus work on, even our own weakness is no longer weakness as his power is made perfect in it (i.e. 2 Corinthians 12:9). This way, we no longer need to be ashamed of our weakness as we become more resilient in facing life’s challenges (i.e. 2 Corinthians 12:10). Likewise, as we offer what we would and could belittle and dismiss as useless, meaningless, insignificant, such things can be made of great values and potentials – just as something as insignificant as only five loaves and two fish were transformed into more than enough foods to feed the great crowd of more than 5,000.

This lesson certainly apply to us in our association and interaction with those whom Jesus refers as “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine”(Matthew 25:40). We must ask who they are to have been neglected and marginalized in our society today. And we must let Jesus work on them through our apostolic work so that their potential will be “multiplied” greatly to do more than for maximization of happiness of great mass. If we judge these “least of these brothers and sisters” as unimportant and insignificant, then, we should not receive the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist, because such a mindset cannot appreciate the fact that Jesus’ multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is emblematic to the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist, which is the very living Body and Blood of Christ, through transubstantiation of bread and wine (i.e. John 6:1-15, 22-69).

God Satisfies Our Needs in Mysterious Ways to Save and Make US in Communion - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

In juxtaposing the First Reading (2 Kings 4:42-44) and the Gospel Reading (John 6:1-15) of the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, we see God’s generous and caring will to satisfy us in meeting our needs, as reflected in the Responsorial Psalm (145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18). But, there is a mystery that we cannot fully comprehend with our minds.

Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, must have thought that it would be impossible to feed 100 people out of 20 loaves of Shavuot offering loaves of first fruit barley breads (Leviticus 23:17), brought by a man from Baal-shalishah, when Elisha commanded to feed them out these loaves (2 Kings 4:42-43). Nevertheless, all of them were able to eat, and there were some leftovers, as God had said to Elisha (2 Kings 4:44).

Philip thought it would be too expensive for Jesus and his disciples to feed a great crowd of at least 5,000, because even wages for 200 days would not cover the cost (John 6:5-7).

Andrew must have thought that Jesus was out of his mind for thinking to feed the great crowd out of the five loaves of barley breads and two fish (i.e. John 6:8-10).

So, out of mere five loaves and two fish, Jesus fed the great crowd to their satisfaction, and there were plenty of leftovers (John 6:11-15).

Thinkings of Gehazi, Philip, and Andrew, are typical human thinkings. But God thinks things differently, because His thoughts transcend ours, for His mind is higher than ours (i.e. Isaiah 55:18-19.

Though we the humans cannot practice creatio ex nihilo (creating something out of nothing),  God sure can, as He created things with forms out of תֹּהוּ/tohu (formlessness, emptiness)  - תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ/ṯohu wabohu (without a form)(Genesis 1:1-2). As the Creator, God can make something new and draw water where there was no water (i.e. Isaiah 43:18-19). And He made the Virgin conceive His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-35), because there is nothing impossible with God (Luke 1:37). So the Son multiplied the five loaves and two fish to feed the great crowd of at least 5,000 to satisfaction so that the crowd would not be dispersed (John 6:1-15), after turning water into wine to keep the guest sat the wedding (John 2:1-11).

Whether creating something new out of nothing or making the Virgin pregnant or feeding a crowd to satisfaction out of a scanty amount of food, it is possible with God, as he wills and as He speaks (i.e. Hebrews 11:3). In multiplying the five loaves and two fish, Jesus spoke in thanksgiving (John 6:11).

Jesus’ mighty deed of feeding the create crowd of at least 5,000, out of five loaves and two fish (John 6:1-15) was just an introduction to what he really feeds us for eternal life, calling himself as the bread of life (John 6:35) and the living bread of life (John 6:51). And the bread he offers us to eat is his living flesh (σὰρξ/sarx) (Ibid.), not dead meat (κρέας/kreas). Because it is his living flesh, Jesus also offers us his blood to drink (John 6:53-58; cf. Leviticus 17:14).

So a typical human mind will ask, “How can bread become living flesh of Jesus?” And this is a question that many people ask about the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, bread becoming the Body of Christ (Corpus Christi) and wine becoming the Blood of Christ. (Sanguis Christi) , though no change is observed in our eyes even when the bread and the wine are consecrated by a priest during Mass. So a human mind asks, “How can the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine become the Blood of Christ even though the bread still looks and taste as the bread, and the wine still looks and taste as the wine??

The Body and the Bood of Christ were transubstantiated out of the species of the offered bread and wine, as St. Thomas Aquinas argued (Summa Theologiae, III-q78), by the power of the Holy Spirit in Epiklesis, as a priest prepares for the Eucharist during Mass. Because this is what God wills and what the Son spoke (Matthew 26:26-30//Mark 14:22-26//Luke 22:14-20).

To typical human mind and thinking, feeding 100 out of 20 loaves, feeding a crowd of at least 5,000 out of 5 loaves and two fish, and turning bread into the living Body of Christ and wine into the Blood of Christ, seem impossible and incomprehensive, because out mind is not like God’s. But we can only believe and graciously accept such mysteries as God’s will for us to be fed, even though we may not fully understand. And such are not just to feed us but to bring us as one, make us in one communion not only with each other but with God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as reflected in the Second Reading (Ephesians 4:1-6).

Enduring Faith of St. Joachim and St. Anna, Tested in Adversities of Childlessness, Results in Christ to See and Hear, Through Mary, Their Daughter and the Theotokos

On July 26, the Roman Catholic Church honors the lives of St. Joachim and St. Anna, who are the parents of Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. However, nothing is written about Joachim and Anna in the canonical books. The only available document, which mentions them, is the he apocryphal Protoevangelium of James. Though it is not believed to have been written as inspired by God, Protoevangelium of James is nevertheless important as a supplemental document to the Gospels, because it describes not only Joachim and Anna but also how Mary was born, how she grew up, and how she was betrothed to Joseph. It also describes the birth of Jesus.

The First Reading (Sirach 44:1, 10-15) reflects that St. Joachim and St. Anna were virtuous. However, as written in Protoevangelium of James, this righteous couple suffered from childlessness (Protoevangelium of James, 1-3). Because baring children reflected God’s blessing covenant with Abraham (i.e. Genesis 15:5; 17:2) and with Jacob (Genesis 35:11), childless Jewish couples had to live in shame. Joachim and Anna were no exception even though they faithful to God. Because of this, Joachim’s offering in the Temple was rejected, and he was told by Rubim, a priest, “It is not meet for you first to bring your offerings, because you have not made seed in Israel”(Protoevangelium of James, 1).

This rejection really hurt Joachim. But his grievance did not turn him away from God. Rather, it prompted him to pray and fast in the desert for 40 days, saying, “I will not go down either for food or for drink until the Lord my God shall look upon me, and prayer shall be my food and drink (Ibid.).

In the meantime, Anna grieved severely, as her anguish was twofold: being barren and her husband, Joachim, being absent. So she said, “I shall bewail my widowhood; I shall bewail my childlessness. And the great day of the Lord was at hand”(Protoevangelium of James, 2). Her maid-servant, Judith, tried to comfort her but Anna’s grief was too deep to appreciate Judith’s care (Ibid.). Then, she lamented, saying:

Alas! Who begot me? And what womb produced me? Because I have become a curse in the presence of the sons of Israel, and I have been reproached, and they have driven me in derision out of the temple of the Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the fowls of the heaven, because even the fowls of the heaven are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like the beasts of the earth, because even the beasts of the earth are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like these waters, because even these waters are productive before You, O Lord. Alas! To what have I been likened? I am not like this earth, because even the earth brings forth its fruits in season, and blesses You, O Lord (Protoevangelium of James, 3).

Though Joachim and Anna suffered, God certainly heard their cry. Through an angel of the Lord, God responded to Anna and Joachim respectively.

To Anna, God said:

Anna, Anna, the Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world (Protoevangelium of James, 4).

Anna replied:

As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God; and it shall minister to Him in holy things all the days of its life (Ibid.).

Then, two angels spoke to her:

Behold, Joachim your husband is coming with his flocks (Ibid.).

An angel of the Lord also spoke to Joachim:

Joachim, Joachim, the Lord God has heard your prayer. Go down hence; for, behold, your wife Anna shall conceive (Ibid.).

Then, Joachim came out of the desert and ordered his shepherd to bring 10 unblemished female sheep to offer to the Lord and 12 tender calves to offer to the priests and elders. And he came back to the city with his flocks, and Anna was waiting for him at the city gate (Ibid.). As soon as she spotted Joachim coming, she rand to him and hugged him, saying, “Now I know that the Lord God has blessed me exceedingly; for, behold the widow no longer a widow, and I the childless shall conceive. And Joachim rested the first day in his house”(Ibid.).

Joachim brought the offerings to the Temple and went up to the Alter of the Lord and saw no sin in himself (Protoevangelium, 5). He said, “Now I know that the Lord has been gracious unto me, and has remitted all my sins”(Ibid.). Joachim came out of the Temple, justified. And Mary was born, and Anna breastfed her daughter, completed her postpartum purification (Ibid.).

This is how Protoevangelium of James describes St. Joachim and St. Anna, leading to the birth of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, the mother of Jesus.

Now, what can we learn from Joachim and Anna?

Just because being faithful to God does not mean that our life of faith goes smoothly. Being blessed by God does not necessarily mean to have a life without a challenge. Rather, our virtuousness can be tested through adversities. However, as we endure difficult times with forbearance (μακροθυμία/macrothumia), which is one dimension of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), our faith further grows and becomes refined.

Joachim and Anna had to go through humiliations because they were childless, even though they were righteous. God certainly heard the prayer of Joachim and cries of Anna. Though she withdrew to herself in her painful twofold grief, Anna did not withdraw herself from God. On the other hand, Joachim withdraw to the desert and prayed and fasted to communicate with God during his intensely painful time.

The Gospel Reading (Matthew 13:16-17) to honor St. Joachim and St. Anna were Jesus’ words to his disciples, reminding them of their privilege for being able to see him and hear him, though not everyone had such a privilege. Jesus also reminds that people under the old covenant longed to see and hear Christ. 

Joachim and Anna did not have the privilege that the disciples of Jesus had. They only hoped to see and hear the Messiah. However, because they endured the humiliatingly difficult time of childlessness through unwavering faith, they were given the Mother of the Messiah as their daughter. It was through their virgin daughter, Mary, God brought His only begotten Son to us by the power of the Holy Spirit (i.e. Luke 1:35), so that the disciples were able to see and hear the Messiah. And we can also see and hear him through the Holy Spirit, the Word in the Scriptures, and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, as the enduring faithfulness of St. Joachim and St. Anna brought Mary, the Blessed Virgin Theotokos.

St. James the Greater: The First Apostle to Drink the Cup That Jesus Drunk

St. James the Greater (St. James the Major) is one of the Twelve Apostles. He was one of the earliest disciples to be recruited by Jesus in Galilee, along with his younger brother, John. His father, Zebedee, James and John, were fishermen in Galilee, like Peter and his brother, Andrew, who were also in the first batch of Jesus’ recruits.

It means that James was one in the first batch of the disciples, accompanying Jesus from the beginning of his public ministry in Galilee. And his mother, Salome, was also with Jesus and his apostles.

The Roman Catholic Church honors the life of St. James the Greater on July 25. The Gospel Reading of his feast is Matthew 20:20-28.

It was when Jesus foretold his passion, death, and resurrection, for the third time, as he was about to start his journey to Jerusalem (Matthew 20:17-19), the mother of James and his younger brother, John, approached Jesus and asked him a favor to grant her two sons a higher position in his Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-21). Asking Jesus to command her sons, one to his right and the other to his left (v.21) means to have her sons as Jesus’ right and left arms in his Kingdom.

In reply, Jesus said:

You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink? (Matthew 20:22).

And they said, “Yes”(ibid).

Then Jesus said:

My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father (Matthew be20:28).

Did James and John really understand what it means to drink the up that Jesus was going to drink? In other words, did they know it would mean to die as Jesus was going to?

Jesus just spoke for the third time that he was going to suffer at the hands of Gentiles (Roman soldiers) and die by crucifixion, but be raised, as he getting ready to head out to Jerusalem (Matthew 20:17-19). This makes it clear that Jesus was referring to his impending passion and death in Jerusalem by saying the cup that he was going to drink. Though James and John responded as if they would be able to die like him, Jesus knew that they really did not understand what it means to drink the cup that he was going to drink. Nevertheless, he knew that both James and John were going to suffer eventually, as he said that they would drink the cup.

In fact, St. James became the first Apostle to drink the cup among the twelve, as he was the first Apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:1-2), following St. Stephen to be the first deacon to be martyred (Acts 7:54-60). As for James’ brother, John, it has been believed that the cup he drank, had a different “taste”, as he was not killed as James and other Apostles were. Rather, he was kept alive to fight growing heresies, especially Gnosticism and keep the witness (i.e. John 21:20-22). For this, John’s martyrdom was a life of long suffering until his death.

As for the matter of who is to be on his right and on hid left, it is not decided by Jesus but by the Father. So, asking Jesus a favor to put one of her sons on his right and the other son on his left was nonsense. And there is no way that Jesus would have favoritism on certain disciples as God shows not partiality (Romans 2:11). Therefore, if the Father is to decide who is to be on His Son’s right and on his left, it should be based on a certain merit.

So what can be the merit?

One thing for sure is humility.

In response to the mother of James and John asking Jesus a favor for her sons, the disciples grew indignant at these two brothers (Matthew 20:24).

Why did they become angry at Jamese and John because their mother asked Jesus for a special treatment on her sons? It is because of their jealousy. And this pathological emotion, driven from our narcissistic disposition, will not get anyone to the Kingdom, as a lesson from Saul’s fall from grace (1 Samuel 18:6-9) humbly reminds us.

When Jesus spoke how he would suffer, die, and be raised, for the second time, according to Luke, the disciples argued which one of them was the greatest (Luke 9:44-45), acting out of their self-centeredness and potential arrogance. And Jesus taught them the importance of child-like humility (Luke 9:47-48). In other words, with Jesus, no one is greater than anyone else, in terms of privileges, though everyone is unique.

Then, when Jesus foretold his suffering, death, and resurrection, for the third time, the mother of James and John was bold enough to ask him to give her sons more privileged positions in his Kingdom. Since she had been with Jesus and his disciples, including her two sons, James and John (i.e. Matthew 27:55-56), she should know that Jesus wanted the disciples to remain humble (Luke 9:48). This is why Jesus had to preach on humility again, summoning the disciples to him, so that they would not let their selfishness break their oneness with him.

Jesus said:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:25-28).

Contrasting those who have no faith, represented by the Gentiles, and those who have faith, represented by the disciples, Jesus spoke that the believers remain to be humble servants, as exemplified by Jesus himself, while arrogant and greedy non-believers want to dominate those whom they conquer. In fact, his exemplary humility was demonstrated by his servant leadership (John 13:1-20, 31-35). He had already taught to learn humility from him as coming to him not only for respite but to be one with him (Matthew 11:28-30).

Nobody is as humble as Jesus is. And his exemplary humility was associated with the cup he drunk So, Paul wrote:

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

To be in his glory in his Kingdom, whether prepared by the Father to be His Son’s right or left or not, we must strive for Christ-like humility. Then, we can also give witness to this truth through our martyrdoms, drinking from the cup that he drunk.

The First Reading (2 Corinthians 4:7-15) reminds us that drinking the cup that  Jesus drunk entitles us to new life in resurrection. This is a life of abundant grarice bestowed in us, because Jesus drunk the cup of suffering and death, and the Father raised him because of this.

St. James became the first Apostle to actually drink the cup that Jesus drunk. But he enjoys a risen life with abundant grace bestowed because of this. Perhaps, this is why it has been believed that he helped the Reconquista of Spain, where he was believed to have preached before he returned to Jerusalem and was killed by Herod Agripa. Being known as Santiago in Spain, St. James has been the Spaniards’ beloved patron Saint.

A Lesson from Mary Magdalene’s Thirst for Jesus

The Roman Catholic Church honors the life of St. Mary Magdalene on July 22. Though she has been an object of various controversies, being falsely assumed to be a “prostitute” and to have “married to” Jesus, St. Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ disciples, who faithfully followed him all the way to the foot of his Cross and to his tomb, from Galilee (i.e. Luke 8:1-2; John 19:25; 20:1-2, 11-18). Based on the scripture-based fact on her, we find her an object of our admiration and inspiration.

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

This responsorial Psalm refrain from Psalm 63:2 reflects how Mary Magdalene was to Jesus, as reflected in the First Reading (Song of Songs 3:1-4b) and in her behaviors early in the resurrection morning, as described in the Gospel Reading (John 20:1-2, 11-18).

Mary Magdalene was really thirsty for Jesus, her Lord. That is why she rose and went to the tomb where the corpse of Jesus had been buried since the day of his death (John 20:1). The death and burial of Jesus (John 19:25-42) did not diminish her desire to see him – her thirst for him. However, it could have costed her life to seek Jesus in his tomb because it would be regarded as being his disciples. Perhaps, for their fear of being arrested for their association with him, the male disciples did not even dare to go to Jesus’ tomb. But Mary Magdalene was not afraid. Her soul’s thirst for him made her fearless. Though his corpse was nicely treated with 100 pounds of the mixture ointment of myrrh and aloe at the time of the burial (John 19:38-42), Mary might have wanted to anoint him herself (i.e. Mark 16:1).

Unbeknownst to her, however, Jesus had already risen from the dead, by the time Mary Magdalene arrived at his tomb. The corpse of Jesus was not there, obviously. So she found the tomb empty.  She assumed that the corpse of Jesus was taken away from the tomb during the sabbath, and she rushed and reported so to Peter and John (John 20:2). In response, these they went to the tomb and saw the empty tomb by themselves, so they went home (John 20:3-10).

It was not just Peter and John to have gone to the tomb of Jesus, upon hearing Mary Magdalene’s report about the empty tomb. She also went back to the tomb.

Though Peter and John left the empty tomb, not only she remained there but she herself entered the empty tomb this time, weeping (John 20:11). In the tomb, she saw two angels in white, and they asked her why she was weeping (John 20:12-13a). And she answered, because Jesus’ body was taken away and she did not know where he was laid (John 20:13b).

Then she turned around and saw risen Jesus, though she did not recognize him yet (John 20:14). So Jesus said to her:

Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for? (John 20:15a).

Thinking that this man who asked her why she was weeping and who she was looking for was a gardener, she said to him:

Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him (John 20:15b).

Then, risen Jesus called her by her name, “Mary!” and she finally recognize the man, whom she had thought as a gardener was really Jesus, whom her soul has been thirsting (John 20:16). At this joyful moment, Jesus commissioned to be an evangelizer with this command:

Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17).

So she went away from the empty tomb and announced to other disciples, “I have seen the Lord” and told them of the imminency of risen Jesus’ ascension to the Father in heaven, as commanded by him (John 20:18).

What can we learn from this Gospel narrative of Mary Magdalene?

Her soul’s thirst for Jesus was not quenched even when she saw him until she recognized him as Jesus. This tells us that we must have convicting faith in him to have our soul’s thirst for him to be put out. Then, once our soul’s thirst for him is extinguished not only by our personal encounter with him but with the conviction of faith, we no longer cling to him. This reflects what John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth define as “secure attachment” that an infant forms with his or her mother (primary caregiver) in their attachment theory. And this “secure attachment” that Mary Magdalene established with risen Jesus was fortified with what Jean Piaget describes as “object permanence”, because she no longer had to see him in her bodily eyes to know that he is with her. Remember, Jesus reminded her of the nearness of his ascension. Note that she did not protest the prospect of his ascension at all. And she did not resist when Jesus let her go with a mission to evangelize the good news of his resurrection and the imminence of his ascension.

An important lesson that we learn from Mary Magdalene and her soul’s thirst for Jesus is that we no longer live for ourselves and according to the flesh but serve as apostolic servants to convey the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection for us, as compelled by his love (i.e. 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, optional First Reading) which extinguishes the thirst of our soul and enables us to attain “secure attachment” with him through “object permanence”.

After Unscrupulous Shepherds Scattering God’s Sheep, God Himself Shepherds as the Good Shepherd through His Son – Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

In the First Reading of the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, Jeremiah 23:1-6, we see God replaces and punishes kings who failed to govern God’s people according to His will and eventually replaces them with the Davidic Messianic King (Jeremiah 23:5; 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23; 2 Samuel 7:12), as He takes the matter to His own hands (Jeremiah 23:4-6; cf. Ezekiel 34:11-16; cf. Zechariah 11:15-17). And He sends His only begotten Son for our salvation (1 John 4:14), to be our Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14) and King (Revelation 19:15-16). In the Gospel Reading (Mark 6:30-34), we see Jesus, the Good Shepherd, reaching out to a large crowd, who were like sheep without a shepherd, with compassion. In the Second Reading (Ephesians 2:13-18), we see that we become one flock in Christ, through his sacrificial blood, no longer scattered but becoming one as the new creation in him.

During the period of monarchy in Israel, it was a king, who served as a shepherd to God’s people (His sheep). However, except for a few, like David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, many kings were unfaithful to God and failed to govern kingdom and shepherd the people. Even Solomon, who started his reign with great wisdom, given by God, fell (1 Kings 3:1-12:43).

After Hezekiah, Manasseh and Amon, scattered people of God away from Him as these detestable kings promoted pagan deity worship (2 Kings 21:1-25). Then, Josiah brought Judah back to God (2 Kings 22:1-23:28). However, all his successors were corrupt and led the remaining Jewish kingdom to its demise because they failed to govern – failed to shepherd God’s people of Judah (2 Kings 23:31-25:30). God foresaw these kings after Josiah were troublesome leaders. Through Jeremiah, He spoke, juxtaposing these kings to unscrupulous shepherds. So, Jeremiah wrote:

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the flock of my pasture—oracle of the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have banished them and bring them back to their folds; there they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear or be terrified; none shall be missing—oracle of the Lord. See, days are coming- oracle of the Lord - when I will raise up a righteous branch for David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name to be given him: “The Lord our justice” (Jeremiah 23:1-6).

The pasture in this context is Judah, the remaining Jewish kingdom, after Israel (northern ten tribes’ kingdom) was destroyed by Assyrian Empire in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:1-23).  God called Jeremiah to prophesize against not only Israel’s (northern kingdom’s) corrupt monarchy but also Judah’s corrupt kings (Jeremiah 1:1-19). Specifically, God’s woe (Jeremiah 23:1) was addressed to the last four defiled kings of Judah: Zedekiah (Jeremiah 21:4-10), Jehoahaz (Jeremiah 22:10-12), Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 22:13-19), Jeconiah (Jeremiah 22:20-30). Their failures to govern Judah led to the fall of Judah to the Babylonia (2 Chronicles 36:15-21).

Because of these last four crook shepherds (kings) of Judah, God’s people (sheep) of Judah, who survived Babylonian seizes of Jerusalem in 597 and 587 BC, were taken to Babylon. God’s people (sheep) in Judah were scattered away to a pagan nation (Babylonia) because of these unscrupulous shepherds (kings) (i.e. Jeremiah 23:1-2). However, as God says that He will bring his people in the Babylonian exile back to Jerusalem, as He will take the matter to Himself (i.e. Jeremiah 23:3). This suggests that the exile’s return to Jerusalem, led by Ezra (Ezra 1:1-8:36). And the first new post-exilic shepherd (governor) to rebuild Jerusalem was Zerubbabel (Haggai 1:1; 2:2, 21). Though he did not shepherd God’s people (sheep) upon their return from the Babylonian exile as king, he served as the first governor to rebuild Jerusalem, and he hailed from the Davidic lineage (Matthew 1:6-12), and Jesus, the Good Shepherd, comes from this lineage (Matthew 1:6-16). So, from David to Zerubbabel to Jesus, God’s oracle for the Davidic Lord of Justice (Jeremiah 23:4-6; cf. 2 Samuel 7:12-16; cf. Ezekiel 34:23-31) has been fulfilled, as he was sent by God to save us (i.e. John 3:16; 1 John 4:9).

Though the post-exilic period is known as the second temple period, as the Temple was rebuilt after the Babylonian exile, God’s people went astray again, because they did not listen to prophets (e.g. Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-17; Zechariah 1:1-6), God announced His judgement upon the wicked and coming of Christ (Messiah) as the Sun of Justice (Malachi 3:20, NABRE), forerun by John the Bapti, wst (Malachi 3:1, NABRE) to establish the New Covenant through him (Malachi 3:1-24, NABRE).

The Davidic Messiah King shepherd (Jeremiah 23:4-6; cf. Ezekiel 34:10-16) has come as the Good Shepherd, shepherding us to eternal life (John 10:1-18, 27-30).

In the Gospel Reading (Mark 6:30-34), we see the Good Shepherd in action.

This Gospel Reading has two parts: the Good Shepherd takes care of the shepherds in training (his disciples) upon their return from mission work (vv.30-33) and the Good Shepherd takes are of lost sheep (v.34).

As spoken in God’s oracle to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:4-6), Jesus, who is the Christ, the Son of God, is Davidic (Matthew 1:6-16) and came to us as our Good Shepherd so that we may enjoy eternal life (John 10:1-18, 27-30).

Jesus knew that his task as the Good Shepherd needed to be delegated to his disciples so that his shepherding and pastoral work can be done on a greater scale (i.e. John 14:12). In order to prepare them for their apostolic mission upon his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, he sent them with his authority over unclean spirits, and they accomplished their mission. as read on the Fifteenth Sunday (Mark 6:7-13). So they returned to Jesus and reported all they had done in his name (Mark 6:30). Knowing that they were tired and needed to recuperate, Jesus sent them to a deserted place so that they could rest for a while (Mark 6:31a). Because a great number of people were coming toward him, Jesus and the disciples did not have a time to eat together, before they would leave by boat to rest (Mark 6:31b-32). The Good Shepherd wanted take care of the future shepherds. Then, a large crowd saw Jesus and his disciples leaving to cross the Sea of Galilee and hastened to catch them on the other side of the sea on foot (Mark 3:33).

When he was getting off the boat, upon crossing the sea, Jesus saw the approaching crow and had compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34a). Then he began to teach them many things (6:34b).

Upon taking care of his disciples, who were to be the succeeding shepherds to the Good Shepherd, Jesus, the Good Shepherd now takes care of the crowd, who desperately sought him. He was moved by compassion and began to take care of this herd of lost sheep (sheep without a shepherd) by teaching many things (Mark 6:34) and feeding out of five loaves of bread and two fish (Mark 6:35-44).

One important character of the Good Shepherd is his compassion. Though he could have postponed in tending to the lost sheep’s needs for having a small retreat with the future shepherds first, the he rather chose to take care of the lost sheep immediately, because of his compassion for them.

The Greek word for “compassion” is σπλαγχνίζομαι/ splagchnizomai. This word literally means to have internal organs shaken, as it is derived from σπλάγχνα /splagchnon, which means internal organs or inward parts. In other words, in the Biblical Greek, compassion is visceral. As such an emotion runs through the limbic system of the brain, is it powerful and fast. Given that the Good Shepherd is not only fully divine but also fully human, for he has been incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus (i.e. John 1:14; cf. Luke 1:35), Jesus’ compassion for the lost sheep was visceral. That is why he did not wait until he finish a little retreat with his disciples, in taking care of them.

There were lost sheep because unscrupulous shepherds did not take care of them (i.e. Jeremiah 23:2). But it is God who takes care of them by way of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18, 27-30), who is also the Davidic messianic King (Jeremiah 23:2-6; cf. 2 Samuel 7:12-16; cf. Ezekiel 34:23-31; cf. Matthew 1:6-16). So he took care of them by teaching (Mark 6:34) and feeding (Mark 6:35-44). He responded to the lost sheep with his spiritual work of mercy and corporal work of mercy, as he was moved from deep inside by compassion for them. This way, they were no longer lost as they were under the care of the Good Shepherd. Thus, they are satisfied (Mark 6:42), having nothing they want, as reflected in the refrain of the Responsorial Psalm: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want (Psalm 23:1).

For the next five consecutive Sundays (17^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st Sundays in Ordinary Time, Cycle B), the Gospel Readings are drawn from John 6, to address what the Good Shepherd really feeds us with for our eternal life. The multiplied bread and fish to feed the lost sheep were just temporary and would not lead to eternal life, just as manna in the desert did not, but his flesh, as the living bread of life, and his blood, as the true drink, keep us satisfied thus from hunger, and entitle us to eternal life (John 6:35-58). So, this is how God Himself takes care of His sheep, by sending His only begotten Son (1 John 4:9), who is, indeed, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14) and the Living Bread of Life (John 6:51). Thiis how God’s oracle to care for his flock through the Davidic messianic shepherd (Jeremiah 23:2-6; cf. 2 Samuel 7:12-16; cf. Ezekiel 34:23-31; cf. Matthew 1:6-16) is fulfilled.

The Good Shepherd lays down his life to save his sheep (John 10:11-18). In the Second Reading (Ephesians 2:13-18), we see how we are brought back to him through his redemptive blood, as he laid down his life on the Cross, even we may have gone far off, fallen to sin and have become lost sheep (v. 13). And he is our peace, bringing us together as communion, breaking down what can divide us, by offering his total self – his body, blood, soul, and divinity (v. 14; cf. John 6:53-58). Namely, this refers to the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Communion. Then, we shall transcend the Law, reconciling with God, and have access to the Father (vv. 15-18).

Ultimately, the Good Shepherd leads us to the Father as the way, the truth, and the life for us (John 14:6). The messianic mission of the Good Shepherd, the eternal Davidic King, is to bring sheep scattered by defiled shepherds to one flock, shepherded by him to the Father. And this is what God’s oracle to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:1-6) means.

Being Sent Out On Mission as Amos was and as the Disciples were: Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

On the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, the First Reading (Amos 7:12-15) and the Gospel Reading (Mark 6:7-13) are about being sent on God’s mission. In fact, as we are one holy catholic (universal) apostolic Church. It means that we are to be sent out on our apostolic mission (i.e. Matthew 28:19//Mark 16:15; cf. John 20:21; cf. Acts 1:8).

What is the purpose of being sent on mission?

It is to partake in Christ’s salvific mission on earth (i.e. John 14:12). And this stems from the mission work of Jesus, who was sent to the earth, incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; John 1:1, 14), to do the Father’s salvific work (i.e. John 5:19-38).

Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-24), we have been fallen to sin, rebelled against God. He has sent prophets to turn our ancestors back to Him with warnings against continuous sinfulness. But they did not listen to them and did not turn themselves back to God, as they even killed prophets (i.e. 1 Kings 19:10, 14; Romans 11:3). Then, in the fullness of time, He sent His only Son to save us, through his teaching, but we killed him, the incarnated Christ, the Son of God (i.e. Acts 2:22-23; 4:10-11). This is reflected in Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenant workers (Matthew 21:33-46). But his death was the salvific Paschal victory, as we have been saved by his blood (i.e. Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7).

In the First Reading (Amos 7:12-15), God sent Amos to Bethel in Israel (Northen Kingdom) to warn about devastating consequence of their defilement. But Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, told him to go back to Judah, “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple”(Amos 7:12-13).  Basically, Amaziah was telling Amos that the affairs in Israel are none of his business, therefore, go back to Judah and mind his own business there.

Bethel is where Jeroboam I built a shrine of golden calves worship, after breaking away with the ten tribes from the southern two tribes (i.e. 1 Kings 12:26-33). Now, Jeroboam II rules Israel with this pagan worship. And Amaziah is the priest of this defiled worship.

To Amos, God first ominously said of Israel for their sin of golden salves worship:

The Lord will roar from Zion, and from Jerusalem raise his voice: The Pastures of the shepherds will languish, and the summit of Carmel wither (Amos 1:2).

The Lord roars at Israel in the north from Jerusalem (Amos 1:1) through Amos (Amos 2:6-7:9)!

But, Israel refused to turn to God and reject Amos.

So Amos spoke these words of God to Israel through Amaziah:

Now hear the word of the Lord: You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, do not preach against the house of Isaac.’ Therefore thus says the Lord: Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword. Your land shall be parcelled out by measuring line, and you yourself shall die in an unclean land; and Israel shall be exiled from its land (Amos 7:16-17).

This foreboding prophetic message against Israel includes that tragedies would fall on Amaziah’s family: his wife made to be a prostitute for soldiers, who conquer Israel and his children being killed by them. Basically, this paints the tragic end of Israel (i.e. 2 Kings 17:5-23).

Unrepentant Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians. But Judah was spared, though the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and those who survived the seize were exiled to Babylon (i.e. 2 Kings 24:1-25:30). God used Persia, which conquered Babylonia, sending the those who were in exile to Jerusalem to rebuild Judah (i.e. Ezra 1:1-3:13).

In the Gospel Reading (Mark 6:7-13), Jesus sent his twelve disciples on mission with his authority over unclean spirits (Mark 6:7). This took place after he was rejected by people of his hometown, Nazareth, as Amos was rejected in Bethel by its priest, Amaziah (Mark 6:1-6 - The Gospel Reading of the Fourteenth Sunday).

Jesus did not send them without the authority. Otherwise, their mission would not succeed. He sent them on mission with his authority over unclean spirit and two-by-two, not alone. Everything else depended on what God would provide. This is why Jesus instructed the disciples to go with bare minimum necessities, including one pair of sandals and walking stick. No food. No bag. No money. No second tunic. Each disciple only had Jesus’ authority and a companion to go on mission (Mark 6:7-9). This means that they had to trust God and His provision along the way. They had to experience how God would provide through generous people for their sustenance.

Jesus also told the disciples to stay at houses of those are hospitable and listen to them but not to waste time and energy with those who are inhospitable and do not listen (Mark 6:10-11). But as they leave those who did not accept them, Jesus instructed:

Shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them (Mark 6:11b).

This can be done by simply dusting off feet. But this can also be done by speaking consequences of their rejection, as Amos did to Amaziah (Amos 7:16-17).

So the disciples went on preaching repentance, exorcised, and cured the sick by anointing (Mark 6:12-13). They were able to do all of these because they had Jesus’ authority over unclean spirits and they could help each other as they were sent two-by-two. And they had nothing to distract them from the mission as they went on mission trusting God’s provision, carrying nothing extra.

Amos was sent by God with His prophetic message to Israel, upon being called out of his work as a herdsman and caretaker of sycamore trees (Amos 7:14-15). The disciples were sent by Jesus, who was sent by the Father, with his authority over unclean spirits, after being called out of their previous occupations, such as fishermen.

Amos’ mission was to warn defiled Israel for God’s judgement (Amos 2:2-7:17), hoping to listen to the roaring of the Lion of Judah (i.e. Amos 1:2; cf. Genesis 49:9; Revelation 5:5). The disciples’ mission was to let sinners repent, expel evil spirits, and cure the sick, by Jesus’ authority (Mark 6:7-13).

Since Christ was sent, mission is to continue his salvific work, as demonstrated by the disciples, who were sent by his authority. As the Second Reading (Ephesians 1:3-14) reminds us, it is to restore our original holiness and unblemishedness in Christ, as we were created in God’s Triune image (Genesis 1:26-27), for it is how God predestined us, to be adopted as His children through Christ. In other words, Christ’s salvific mission continues on now through us, one holy catholic apostolic Church, so that each of us may be redeemed to be adopted as God’s child, reconciled with God, and our original holiness and purity are restored in Christ.

Whatever we do for living, Christ may call us to go on mission. For some, it can be prophetic work, as Amos and other prophets did. For others, it can be pastoral work, as the disciples did. But we must leave what we do now when we are called to be sent on our mission to restore our original state as being created in God’s image and to be redeemed as God’s children, overcoming whatever defiles us.

St. Benedict of Nursia - Establishing Monasticism to be Endowed with What Comes out of God's Mouth and to Inherit the Kingdom

 On July 11, the Roman Catholic Church honors St. Benedict of Nursia, and St. Scholastica is his twin sister. He strove to perfect monasticism.

Benedict’s monasticism is for Χριστιανική κοινότητα (Christianiki koinotita), Christian community, where members are committed to peace and well-being of one another through ora et labora (prayer and work). For this, the members treasure God’s commands (Proverbs 2:1). So, they turn to God.

Benedictine taught fellow monks to first humbly turn to God and listen to Him. So he wrote in his Rule:

If we wish to dwell in the tent of this kingdom, we will never arrive unless we run there by doing good deeds. But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet: Who will dwell in your tent, Lord; who will find rest upon your holy mountain? (Ps 14[15]:1) After this question, brothers, let us listen well to what the Lord says in reply, for he shows us the way to his tent. One who walks without blemish, he says, and is just in all his dealings; who speaks the truth from his heart and has not practiced deceit with his tongue; who has not wronged a fellowman in any way, nor listened to slanders against his neighbor (Ps 14[15]:2-3). He has foiled the evil one, the devil, at every turn, flinging both him and his promptings far from the sight of his heart. While these temptations were still young, he caught hold of them and dashed them against Christ (Ps 14[15]:4; 136[137]:9). These people fear the Lord, and do not become elated over their good deeds; they judge it is the Lord’s power, not their own, that brings about the good in them. They praise (Ps 14[15]:4) the Lord working in them, and say with the Prophet: Not to us, Lord, not to us give the glory, but to your name alone (Ps 113[115:1] :9). In just this way Paul the Apostle refused to take credit for the power of his preaching. He declared: By God’s grace I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10). And again he said: He who boasts should make his boast in the Lord (2 Cor 10:17). That is why the Lord says in the Gospel: Whoever hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house upon rock ;the floods came and the winds blew and beat against the house, but it did not fall: it was founded on rock (Matt 7:24-25).  Prologue, 22-34, the Rule of St. Benedict

This is reflected on these words from the First Reading (Proverbs 2:1-9):

Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding; Yes, if you call for intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice; If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out, then will you understand the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find; for the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (vv.2-6).

St. Benedict believes that worldly noises can distract us from listening to God, keeping us from necessary knowledge and understanding that come out  God’s mouth (Proverbs 2:6). After all, we cannot live by bread alone (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). We may obtain bread but it is difficult to attain what comes out of God’s mouth in the materialistic and hedonistic world. This is why he left his wealthy family and noisy city and sought out a monastic life when he was young.

Benedict’s early life’s personal detachment from his family’s material wealth to listen to God, to be endowed with what comes out of God’s mouth, is reflected in the Gospel Reading (Mathew 19:27-29).

This Gospel Reading follows the narrative of the rich young man forfeiting a possibility of eternal life because he was not able to let go of his personal wealth (Matthew 19:16-22) and the narrative of Jesus’ teaching to the disciples on a lesson to be learned from the rich young man’s choice of letting his personal wealth be an obstacle to receive eternal life (Matthew 19:23-26).

So Peter asked Jesus:

We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us? (Matthew 19:27).

And Jesus replied:

Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:28-29).

And as the disciples of Jesus detached themselves from their personal possessions and worldly affairs, St. Benedict left his wealthy family and materialistic world to enter into a monastic life.

A reward for this choice cannot be measured by the world’s standards. But, as Jesus has said, those who chose to follow him by detaching themselves from their material possessions and worldly interests will enjoy immeasurable rewards and eternal life. Namely, this is the first beatitude: Blessed are anawim (עֲנָוִ֣ים) for there is the Kingdom for them (Matthew 5:3).

This is, in fact, reflected in the Rule of St. Benedict:

Above all, this evil practice must be uprooted and removed from the monastery. We mean that without an order from the abbot, no one may presume to give, receive or retain anything as his own, nothing at all–not a book, writing tablets or stylus–in short, not a single item, especially since monks may not have the free disposal even of their own bodies and wills. For their needs, they are to look to the father of the monastery, and are not allowed anything which the abbot has not given or permitted. All things should be the common possession of all, as it is written, so that no one presumes to call anything his own (Acts 4:32). But if anyone is caught indulging in this most evil practice, he should be warned a first and a second time. If he does not amend, let him be subjected to punishment (The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 33).

The evil practice refers to hedonism and materialism, as well as, greed, due to inability to detach oneself from material wealth and worldly pleasures. Such things not only keep monks from what comes out of God’s mouth but also are detrimental to peace and harmony of the monastic life.

The monasticism that St. Benedict taught and led is modeled after what Peter led in the nascent Church (Acts 4:32-37), and this is an idealistic life style to inherit the Kingdom. And Chapter 34 of the Rule of St. Benedict reflects this:

It is written: Distribution was made to each one as he had need (Acts 4:35). By this we do not imply that there should be favoritism–God forbid–but rather consideration for weaknesses, Whoever needs less should thank God and not be distressed, but whoever needs more should feel humble because of his weakness, not self-important because of the kindness shown him. In this way all the members will be at peace. First and foremost, there must be no word or sign of the evil of grumbling, no manifestation of it for any reason at all. If, however, anyone is caught grumbling, let him undergo more severe discipline.

Jesus the Rejected Prophet: Our Own Familiarity Can Destroy Our Faith and Reject Christ but Christ’s Grace Can Remedy – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

 Following his baptism by the John the Baptist in the Jordan River, Jesus spent 40 days and nights fasting and fending off Satan’s temptation attacks (Mark 1:9-13). Then he began his public ministry and found his operation base in Capernaum, after John the Baptist was arrested (Mark 1:14-34). With his disciples, Jesus ministered around the coasts of the Sea of Galilee on the side of Capernaum for a while (Mark 1:35-4:34). Then, he and the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee and reached out to the other side, the territory of Gerasenes in the Golan Heights area, where Jesus was less known at that time (Mark 4:35-5:20). After healing a demonic man there (Mark 5:1-20), Jesus and the disciples crossed the Sean of Galilee again and returned to Galilee, and he healed a woman with hemorrhage and raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:21-43). Then, with his disciples, Jesus came back to Nazareth, where he grew up, and began to teach on Sabbath in the local synagogue (Mark 6:1-2).

The Gospel Reading of the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, Mark 6:1-6, describes how people of Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, reacted to him as he taught in the synagogue.

At first, they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! (Mark 6:2). But then, realizing that this amazing teacher with mighty power, who came to Nazareth, was a man they were so familiar with, the carpenter and Mary’s son, they became indignant (Mark 6:3). 

Up to this point, since he began his ministry, people Jesus met welcomed him, and they rather kept following him to hear his teaching and to be healed by his mighty deeds. Up to his return to Nazareth, Jesus had never had such a rejecting response. 

So Jesus said:

A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house (Mark 6:4).

These words of Jesus rather juxtapose to this from the Gospel of Thomas (4:31):

No prophet is acceptable in his village, no physician heals those who know him.

In fact, the angry reaction to Jesus by people of Nazareth made it impossible for Jesus to perform his mighty deeds for them, except for healing a few sick people (Mark 6:5). And Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith (Mark 6:6).

After being absent for some time, Jesus finally returned to his hometown. When he left there, he was seen as the carpenter and Mary’s son. But when he returned, accompanied by his disciples, at first, he was an astonishing teacher in the synagogue, to them, and they also learned about his mighty deeds. Perhaps, they wondered if this amazing man who just came to Nazareth could be the Messiah, whose coming they had long waited. But, as soon as they recognized him as just the carpenter and Mary’s son, they knew, they took offense at him. And this resulted in great difficulty for Jesus to minister there. Then, he regarded himself as a rejected prophet at his hometown and saw the problem as his hometown people’s lack of faith.

Their familiarity with Jesus, as their fellow town folks, whose mother and siblings they even knew, made it impossible to accept Jesus as a messianic person with astonishing wisdom and mighty power. They probably wonder how it could be for an ordinary man, just like them, in Nazareth, to become such an extraordinary teacher with powerful deeds. Their view of Jesus as their fellow ordinary neighborhood carpenter and Mary’s son just could not match a powerful messianic figure. So they must have thought that Jesus was out of his mind. In rejecting him, they were probably thinking, “Jesus, we know you! Stop fooling us by acting as if you were an astonishing messianic figure!”.

It was their familiarity with Jesus and fixation to their view of him as the carpenter and Mary’s son. This prevent their small minds to accept that this man of their town, Nazareth, was also the Messiah. And this, Jesus called a lack of faith.

One lesson that we take from this Gospel narrative (Mark 6:1-6) is to examine how our biases and stereotypical preconception can become obstacles to faith.

This Gospel story of Jesus being rejected by his hometown folks also foreshadows the fact that he was eventually rejected primarily by his people, Jews. The high priest, the most powerful man among the Jews, took offense at Jesus as self-claimed Messiah (i.e. Mark 14:60-65). He and his council, the Sanhedrin, just could not accept Jesus as the Messiah. Then, he was alleged to be the man who identified himself as the king of Jew in the court of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, though Jesus had never identified himself as such, to have the Roman authorities execute him (i.e. Mark 15:1-39). Indeed, Jesus become the rejected stone (Psalm 118:22a).

We see how human stereotype and preconception can not only prevent us from believing but also lead to our destructive denial of Christ. And it can all begin with our own familiarity, as the Gospel Reading (Mark 6:1-6) describes.

Let us remember that there can be a potential factor to destroy our faith in our own familiarity. And we must find out what it is in what we are familiar with and overcome it.

But, it is not possible to eradicate this problem, as Paul humbly reminds us in the Second Reading (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). What Paul metaphorically describes as “a thorn in the flesh”(v.7) may be understood as what can potentially impede and even destroy our faith in Christ. This cannot be taken away but its effect can be sufficiently overcome by Christ’s grace as we let his power dwell in us (v.9). This is a really good news!

With Christ’s grace, having his power in us (2 Corinthians 12:9), we can be sent to those who are rebellious to God, as Ezekiel was, as reflected in the First Reading (Ezekiel 2:2-5). We may be greeted with rejection as we are sent to evangelize people who know us so well, as Jesus was not welcomed by his hometown people, as soon as they recognized him as the carpenter and Mary’s son, whom they knew so well (Mark 6:1-6). But we must go on as sent on our mission, because we are the apostolic Church, while we overcome the potential problem to destroy our faith hidden in our own familiarity. For this let us keep these words of Paul in mind:

I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10)

And this is made possible because of Christ’s grace (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Yes, Jesus, your grace is enough! 

A Story Behind the Independence of the United States of America: Oliver Branch Declaration to George III in 1775, Declaration of Independence in 1776, Treaty of Paris in 1783

The day of July 4, 1776, has been known as the independence day of the United States of America. And it is a national holiday in the United States. In light of international law and international conventions, however, July 4, 1776, is not really the independence day of the United States. It is the day when the Continental Congress, representing the 13 British colonies of America, declared their independence, having voted to approve Virginia’s motion to break away from Britain on July 2, 1776. As of July 4, 1776, the fight, known as the American Revolutionary War, which started on April 19, 1775, in Lexington, Massachusetts, kept raging on, while the Continental Congress declared the independence of the 13 colonies as the United States of America, as drafted by Thomas Jefferson.

This war did not officially end until September 3, 1783, when the Treaty of Paris was signed by John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, from the United States, and David Hartley of Britain. On this peace treaty, Britain officially acknowledged the sovereignty of the United States with these words:

His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to be free sovereign and Independent States; that he treats with them as such, and for himself his Heirs & Successors, relinquishes all claims to the Government, Propriety, and Territorial Rights of the same and every Part thereof  (Article 1, the Treaty of Paris, September 3, 1783).

There shall be a firm and perpetual Peace between his Britanic Majesty and the said States, and between the Subjects of the one and the Citizens of the other, wherefore all Hostilities both by Sea and Land shall from henceforth cease:  All prisoners on both Sides shall be set at Liberty, and his Britanic Majesty shall with all convenient speed, and without causing any Destruction, or carrying away any Negroes or other Property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his Armies, Garrisons & Fleets from the said United States, and from every Post, Place and Harbour within the same; leaving in all Fortifications, the American Artillery that may be therein: And shall also Order & cause all Archives, Records, Deeds & Papers belonging to any of the said States, or their Citizens, which in the Course of the War may have fallen into the hands of his Officers, to be forthwith restored and delivered to the proper States and Persons to whom they belong (Article 7, ibid.).

One interesting fact about the independence of the United States is that John Jay, who is recognized as one of the founding fathers of the United States, did not sign the Declaration of the Independence on July 4, 1776. He was not really in favor of fighting a war against Britain. Rather, he preferred to have a reconciliation with the British government. This is why he supported the Oliver Branch Petition, drafted by John Dickinson, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 5, 1775. This petition was sent to George III of Great Britain, to appeal to him to ease Britain’s oppressive rule of the colonies, for reconciliation. But, the British king did not accept it. This is why the Continental Congress voted to declare independence of the 13 colonies, with their explanation to rebel against George III’s tyranny. In a way, it is the 13 colonies’ formal “declaration of war” against the British oppressive rule over the 13 colonies.

Had George III ever accepted the Oliver Branch Petition in 1775, resulted in reconciliation between the 13 colonies and the British government had achieved, as John Jay had desired, it would have been less blood being shed. But it would mean that the colonies would have remained under the British colonial rule.

Britain could have kept these 13 American colonies if its king, George III, accepted the Oliver Branch Petition, and the war could have ended rather quickly. It would not have given a chance for the Continental Congress to declare the 13 colonies’ secession from Britain. But British refusal to honor the Oliver Branch Petition in 1775 resulted in more blood shed and loss of its American colonies.

Following the Treaty of Paris, on September 3, 1783, to formally end the American Revolutionary War, which began on April 19, 1775, the independence of the United States, was official, in light of international law and international conventions. And Continental Congress ratified this on January 14, 1784. Thus the United States of America was established.

In 1794, George Washington, the general of the Continental Army, who became the first President of the United States in 1789, sent John Jay, who became the first chief justice of the US Supreme Court in 1789, a man who prefer a peaceful settlement to settling through a war, to Britain in order to prevent a resurgence of war, as British grievances remained strong even after the Treaty of Paris.  The year 1794 was when the tension between the nascent United States and Britain was heightened because of these nation's stances to France, upon the French Revolution in 1789, edges these two nations toward a war. However, thanks to what is known as the Jay Treaty in 1794, the United States and Britain were able to remain peaceful upon the Treaty of Paris in 1783. However, in the United States, the Jay Treaty triggered to intensify the Federalists, who were pro-Jay-Treaty with Britain, and anti-Federalists, who were not in favor of a central federal government, debates. So, this was how the United States history began as a sovereign nation.