The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

February 28, 2021 – Second Sunday of Lent - Mark 9:2-10

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Download this simple process to Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method.

Today’s gospel reminds us of two things. First of all, in the end, all will be well. Not only will Jesus be “transfigured” as he once was, but so will we. To know and experience the details of that we will have to wait until after we die and go to that next wonderful place.

Second, before we can fully enjoy life after death, we must accept the challenges of living life here on earth. Although we may desire full happiness and bliss with God right now, we first have to live here on earth with all its joys and sufferings. Minute by minute, day by day.

The disciples who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus were quite amazed. I like the word, “dazzled.” Like those ‘better than average” moments of our life right now, we want the feelings of excitement and full satisfaction to last. We want permanent residence atop that mountain of bliss.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

February 14, 2021 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 1:40-45

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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One of the more dramatic miracles done by Jesus was his curing of lepers. One thing worth knowing is that references to “leprosy” in the gospels likely referred to a variety of skin diseases that were common in the time of Jesus. They were feared because first, they were usually visible and were also thought to be contagious. Healing did happen and there was a Jewish religious ritual to indicate that the person could safely rejoin the community. Additionally, some thought these skin diseases had not only natural causes, but were also a symptom of moral failure.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

February 7, 2021 – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 1:29-39

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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Many years ago, I was enrolled in doctoral courses dealing with Holy Scripture. In a course on the Gospel of Mark, we were discussing its first chapter and the learned professor was commenting on today’s gospel. He loved to add thoughts about aspects of the text many failed to notice. So, he did. That’s what scripture scholars do.

His insight had to do with Peter’s mother-in-law. Some scholars like to point out that this indicated that Peter (the first pope) was married. That’s the only way to acquire in-laws.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

January 31, 2021 – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 1:21-28

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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Religions define and describe the world for their membership. Some acts are judged good and some evil. Some places are thought of a holy and some profane. Some ideas are labelled true and others false. The Jewish religion in the time of Jesus had rules about what was good and pure and what was not. Impurity was to be avoided. And if someone was judged to possess an impure spirit, that person was to be avoided no matter what. It was thought that impurity was contagious. (A little like contagious diseases like Covid-19).

So, we find Jesus in today’s gospel in a holy place (a synagogue) on a holy day (the Sabbath). And who should appear there but someone the community judges as having an unclean (or impure) spirit. Without elaboration here, we should mention that belief in spirits all over the place was common at that time.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

January 24, 2021 – Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark1:14-20

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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I live in Montana where many of my friends, acquaintances and neighbors love to do two things: hunt and fish. Winters are for hunting. Summers are for fishing. Many homes are decorated with stuffed trophies gained on trips into the wild. But I grew up in a midwestern city where very few hunted and fished. My dad was a golfer and hunting and fishing meant hunting for lost golf balls hidden in the weeds or fishing for them submerged in the water. But I digress.

Today’s gospel is about four fishermen who fished not for sport but for their livelihood. Theirs was a family operation. A business. Dads taught their sons how to fish. It was serious schooling. Their survival, along with those who bought part of their catch, depended on this rich supply of protein and nourishment. And it was honorable work, something one could be proud of especially after a good day’s catch.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

January 17, 2021 – Second Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 1:35-42

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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I grew up near a neighborhood park. Most days the boys living close by would gather in the park for games of baseball, football and the like. This was before sports for kids were organized. But there were still rules for play. Two kids, usually older ones, were designated as captains and they would choose their team from those standing around. Being chosen first was everyone’s hope. Being the last one picked – well, not so good. Still, being chosen was of value. It meant you were going to play.

Today’s gospel described how Jesus began what was called his public ministry. Certainly one option might be that he would strike out on his own, preach about God and capture the attention of people by his good actions, especially on behalf of those in need. But that wasn’t how he wanted it to be. He wanted others to help in spreading the Good News about God’s reign on earth that was then beginning. And to show what it was like by their lives.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

January 10, 2021 – The Baptism of the Lord - Mark 1: 7-11

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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Jesus is standing in the river Jordan. John is doing his thing. No one might be impressed except for one addition to the gospel account. As this baptismal event was winding down, the heavens opened. That changes everything!

Here we might have to modify some of the images of “heaven” that we learned in our earlier years. I am referring to a three-story world where heaven is above, where God and the angels live. We are in the middle on earth. And you know who is below. This is called mythological imaging. It’s totally appropriate for children but we are adults. If we don’t reimagine “heaven,” we’ll miss the incredible message embedded in this gospel narrative.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

January 3, 2021- The Epiphany of the Lord - Matthew 2:1-12

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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He came to be seen. But not as one hoping to hear the cheers of the crowds. Not to receive the wealth of a head of state. Not to gain the attention given to a great king. But rather as one of us. An ordinary person. A remarkable person to be sure. But never wanting the spotlight to shine on him and him alone.

Today we are reminded of some of the first humans to see the Word of God made flesh. To see the appearance (that’s what the word, epiphany means) of God in human form. Yet what they saw was simply a newborn child, who looked quite like all the babies born at that time. But in reality, he was so different. For they were seeing God, the creator of the entire universe, as an infant.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

December 13, 2020 – Third Sunday of Advent - John 1:6-8, 19-28

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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In my earlier years, I was a fan of a number of singing groups. Some of them featured folk music and sometimes they entertained sing-along audiences at crazy concerts called “hootenannies.” Full disclosure, I was a member of one of the least known of those groups. In fact, we were so unknown that we didn’t’ even have a name.

As I read today’s gospel, I was reminded of two of the more accomplished groups who were called “the Searchers” and “the Seekers.” I thought of them because today’s gospel is about searching and seeking. Specifically, the one being sought is the Messiah. Hopes for his arrival among the Jewish people were high back around Zero B.C.E..

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

December 6, 2020 – Second Sunday of Advent - Mark 1:1-8

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Download this simple process to Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method.

The message of John the Baptist is clear. “Prepare the way for the arrival of the Lord.” It’s a message that was first proclaimed two thousand years ago. And it’s a message repeated today. Why it is good for us to hear this again? Because preparing for God’s Spirit to enter our lives is always timely. We forget about God’s coming to us Each Day! We are distracted, so we ignore the signs sent our way. We assume we have already prepared. We may claim that we don’t need to do this again. But we’re wrong. And here’s why.

To aid our reflection on “preparing for the Lord,” I offer a narrative from the life of our family right now. Yes, we are preparing for Christmas, although this year it will be a somewhat muted celebration. It’s still the usual decorating customs. A few lights on trees in front of our home. A stable is placed in our living room. A Christmas tree will be cut from our son’s land. (He lives in the woods.) But like most of us, this may simply be a copy of last year’s Christmas – and like the ones for many years before. Of course, maybe our preparation can be different this time - in the sense of “better.”