[Mark 1:21-28 RSV] And they went into Caper'na-um; and immediately on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching! With authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
CCC 2173: The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day. He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing. The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God. "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."
When is the last time you truly rested?
As a father of 4 young kids, I often hear the comment, “wow you guys must be busy?” And this more often than not, leads me into some not so holy thoughts about the week ahead. There are bills to pay, dishes in the sink, homework to finish both mine and the kids, and don’t forget we need to leave for wrestling practice by 4:45. This world very quickly surrounds us with all kinds of things to do, all sorts of activities designed to keep us busy and on the go. Sometimes it can feel like the last person I can find time for is Jesus. But at least on Sunday, we can find the Mass time that best fits our schedule, and book our weekly appointment with the Lord.
The people in Peter’s hometown of Caper’na-um were probably in a very similar situation and going about their normal routines when they had an encounter with Jesus. He met them on the sabbath and came not with more of the rote teachings of the day, but with a clear authority as one who intimately understands God and his Gospel. Can you imagine yourself there? All of a sudden a man comes in and blows you away with his knowledge of the faith and zeal for God. Then a voice cries out from the crowd, “what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” Pope Benedict XVI has a beautiful quote that comes to mind as we picture ourselves there in the synagogue, “are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives… He might take something away from us?” Our Catechism is clear, Jesus never contradicts the laws, but rather unpacks their full meaning. ”The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” But in our crazy lives, Sunday becomes a day where we squeeze in our Sunday obligations, and carry on with our day, because we have things we need to get done, like getting groceries, or finishing off a work project, or getting to a hockey game.
Jesus is calling us into something more than just coming to Mass each week. He wants us to be refreshed and strengthened so that we are no longer afraid of letting the things of this world go. I wonder how long the man in the Gospel suffered with the voice of the unclean spirit inside him? Did he go to temple every sabbath and sit among the flock? What are you holding onto in your quest to fulfill your schedule requirements? Pope Benedict XVI goes on to tell us that when we open the doors to Christ, we are our most free, “If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide.”
Your Brother in Christ, Tyler Nadeau, Director of Evangelization and Catechesis
Mark 1:29-39 RSV: And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered together about the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
CCC 2602: Jesus often draws apart to pray in solitude, on a mountain, preferably at night. He includes all men in his prayer, for he has taken on humanity in his incarnation, and he offers them to the Father when he offers himself. Jesus, the Word who has become flesh, shares by his human prayer in all that "his brethren" experience; he sympathizes with their weaknesses in order to free them. It was for this that the Father sent him. His words and works are the visible manifestation of his prayer in secret.
Just give me a minute… Please?
Have you noticed that time seems to be speeding up? It seems as though we just celebrated Christmas, and Spring is right around the corner. And it feels like every other month one of my children have a birthday and that they are aging at the speed of light. Some days I just want things to slow down and pause, if only for a moment. But life goes on with it’s regular routines and if we are lucky, my wife and I find the time to fill each other in on the day and maybe steal a kiss goodnight— if one of us doesn’t doze off first. Then every once in a while, someone falls ill. They catch a cold at school, or some stomach bug, and life grinds to a halt. All the plans, the work schedule, and sometimes even vacations, get thrown off balance and our focus goes into trying to care for the sick child.
Can you imagine being Simon (who would later be called Peter) listening to Jesus for the first time and seeing him cast out unclean spirits? Jesus had asked Simon to follow him, but was there something holding him back? Simon goes on to invite Jesus back to his home where he told Jesus of his ill mother in-law. I imagine myself in this position saying, “Lord I want to follow you, but I have a duty to care for here.” Jesus of course heals her, which if you notice, he was invited in and does so through touch. There is a power in the presence of Jesus and he will only heal those who invite him in.
How often do we use our responsibilities as an excuse to sit still for a moment? As though no one can understand what we have to do. We tell Jesus, “you don’t know what it is like, the burden this task has placed on me. I would follow you, but I HAVE to take care of this first.” Our Catechism tells us that, “Jesus shares by his human prayer in all that "his brethren" experience; he sympathizes with their weaknesses in order to free them.” You see, Jesus does know what it is like to care for a sick member of his family and even though he had called Simon to ministry, he still was able to live his vocation as a husband and a family, by inviting Jesus into his life. And what does Jesus do in his human form, his Word made flesh? He draws away in solitude, offering up to his Father all men in prayer. Jesus refreshes his mortal body in the silence of creation.
As we search for that mythical pause button on life, we have to remember that Jesus has already shown us where it is. It is in praying as he prays. Taking the time to be with the Father in quite solitude. I heard a phrase once at a men’s conference that always stuck with me, if not in practice at least in thought, “that there is no issue that cannot be solved by waking up an hour earlier.” As we care for our families, as we live out our vocations, try to make it a point to rise before the rest of the house and crack open the Scriptures. Spend time in the silence before the kids start their day and offer up to God all of your life, ask him to heal the ills so that you can follow him today. Jesus has been where you are now, and he is not the God who was, but the God who is. He is calling you to follow him, even if it is only into the other room.
[Mark 1:12-15 RSV] The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."
CCC 540: Jesus' temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him. This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning." By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.
All the Comforts of Home
Our society over the centuries has adapted and overcome many obstacles in our efforts to conquer the
wilderness. We build homes with the ability to cook inside and deliver water without going out to the well. We carry devices that can communicate that there has been an accident or that we are lost. Even most cell phones now include the ability to use the camera flash as a light when you drop your car keys under the vehicle. When you stop to think about it we now have a dedicated industry to making the outdoors as comfortable as being indoors. We call it camping. From the day we left the garden we have been designed to seek comfort and shelter. After all, the more rested man is able to provide and live another day. My family and I are guilty of what we call “glamping” or fancy camping. We have our camper to keep us out of the elements and we drive it out into the woods on a weekend to set up camp. We bring our gas fireplace, microwave, tv, and most importantly indoor plumbing. The thought of us spending 40 days in the wilderness, doesn’t seem like much of a challenge in today’s context.
But what happens when we go out a little further? Beyond the nearest KOA or Yogi Bear, what do we encounter? When we go out beyond what is comfortable and into uncharted woods, we enter into what can be a very challenging time if not properly equipped. So how do we best prepare for a challenge like this? We pack for the worst and hope for the best. But in life we know that we cannot and do not always have what we need at the ready. What is it they say about the best laid plans? Life has a way of getting us off track. Maybe it is a cancer diagnosis, or an expensive home repair, a bad relationship, or anything in between. Life happens and we think that we are all alone. That no one has faced what we are facing. In these moments Satan appears to us and is veiled in what seems like an easy solution to a difficult problem. A predatory loan, or a bargain product for a quick healing, and we are tempted most when we are isolated. We cry out to into the desert God begging for help, desperately wanting this trial to end and hoping that He hears us.
If God was really there he would heal my Mother. If God really cared he would give me a winning lottery ticket. If God really loved me this life wouldn’t be so hard. This is the enemy talking. This is the way in which Satan approached Jesus. Our Catechism tells us that “This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: "For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning.”” Jesus has been where you are! And no matter how bleak the situation gets, just when you think it couldn’t possibly get any worse— Jesus offered it all to his Father and died— so that you might live. In my own life I lose track of this. The phrase, "you can’t see the forest through the trees” comes to mind.
As we enter Lent, let us clear our hearts and minds. Let us head away from what is comfortable and known. Let this be the Lent we face the wilderness and say NO to the calls of this world. We know that what is awaiting us in the next has so much more to offer us than what satisfaction we can find here. Lent is a wonderful period of practice. A time of flexing and growing our spiritual muscles, and while there are things in this world that do make life more tolerable, are we equipped to survive when we must do without? We call it practicing the faith because it is not a one time commitment but rather a discipline that must be renewed and engaged every day. Are we ready to face our temptations in the desert with courage? Do we have the faith to know that Jesus has cleared the way before us? Remember after the trial was over and he said no to sin, the angels came and refreshed him. God never leaves us alone.
Your Brother in Christ, Tyler Nadeau
Director of Evangelization & Catechesis