The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

August 15, 2021 – The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Luke: 1:39-56

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

Rarely (except for this Sunday) does a major feast of the Church occur on Sundays, thus out-shining the importance of the ordinary Sunday liturgy. Today we celebrate the important feast of the Assumption, a feast that recalls and honors Mary who was taken by God into heaven. She is now fully present with the loving God and her son, Jesus Christ.

Let’s mindfully read the gospel chosen for today’s feast, which recalls Mary visiting her pregnant cousin, Elizabeth. I was struck by something I had never noticed before, namely, Mary’s reaction to Elizabeth’s attempt to praise Mary because of her role in God’s plan for us.

While Elizabeth wanted to praise Mary, Mary immediately diminished her own importance in pointing out that this was God’s doing. God, she said, should be the focus of attention, not her.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

August 8, 2021 – 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6:41-51

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

After hearing Jesus say that he was the bread of life from heaven, the gospel notes that the people murmured, a common biblical comment. That could mean that they didn’t understand what he had said, or that they disagreed with him, or that they thought he was a bit crazy. My guess is that it was all of that and who knows what else.

My own take is that the mind of Jesus saw the deepest reality of what creation, and our personal existence, was all about. It was rooted in the great mystery of God’s presence and care for us. But if you think that this all makes clear and reasonable sense, you probably don’t grasp the full truth of it. Understanding the teaching of Jesus always includes a stretch of our imagination, or as theologians say, “a leap of faith.”

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

August 1, 2021 – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6:24-35

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

My wife and I were making our weekly visit to our local Safeway when I asked her, “How do they keep track of all this food? There must be thousands of different items on the shelves. And how can one choose amid such plenty?”

She quietly thought about this and gave me her answer. “Just focus on those items under ‘the manager’s special’ sign. That makes our picks easier. Also, we only need what’s on our shopping list. And stay out of the candy aisle.”

So goes our weekly adventure of food shopping. We need to eat but we must also be careful of what we eat. It must be healthy, and it must be on sale.

Today’s gospel is also about food.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

July 25, 2021 – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - John 6:1-15

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

Imagine the look on the disciples’ faces when Jesus pointed to the little boy with the five loaves of bread and two fish and then declared that this would be enough to feed the 5000 (give or take a few) who were out in the middle of nowhere – and were hungry. Yes, five loaves of bread and a couple of fish could feed a medium sized family. But a crowd like this? To use an over-used word these days, that was crazy!

We know the rest. They were all fed and departed for their homes that evening after having eaten that amazing feast of plenty. And I must add too that event also invented one of my favorite foods, leftovers!

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

July 18, 2021 – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6:30-34

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

A recurring theme in Mark’s Gospel is that of the growing popularity of Jesus during his public life. Small gatherings turned into large crowds. The task of caring for the many needs of these larger groups must have fell on those who accompanied Jesus as he went from place to place. This was trying work and Jesus noticed that his disciples needed a break. Thus, Mark quotes Jesus in today’s gospel saying that they should “come away and rest awhile.”

I am a student of culture, past and contemporary, which includes noticing how societal patterns develop in daily life, especially those that might be related to religious practice. For instance, the Jewish practices associated with “keeping the Sabbath” or the Christian practice of Sunday worship and rest.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

July 11, 2021 – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6:7-13

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

Today’s gospel recalls the time when Jesus sent out his first followers to communicate to others his message and report on his deeds. Yet he was not a soloist but a communal one who sought the help of others. So, he nurtured disciples not just for their own good, but for them to reach out to others, to spread the Word of God to the ends of the earth, a project by the way that continues to this day.

What’s especially notable to me is that he sent them out in twos. Would it not have been more efficient to send them out individually? Then they could cover more ground. Make more contacts. Be more efficient.

But he didn’t, and I think for good reason. The message and the ministry of Jesus is not intended as a private reality. It was to be shared. It was to be lived communally.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

July 4, 2021 – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6:1-6

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

He left as the son of Joseph. He returned as the son of God. He had changed in their eyes. And his former neighbors didn’t like this. But that’s not so surprising. Many of us are uncomfortable with change, especially when it’s with people we thought we knew.

That is the reaction which is at the heart of today’s gospel. Jesus grew up in the relatively small village called Nazareth. It was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone who lived there. They had formed opinions of each other. Jesus had left those familiar surroundings to begin his public life. We are not given exact ages, but he was gone long enough to have had new experiences, and – as was noted – he had changed.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

June 27, 2021 – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 5:21-43

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

We live during a time of deep social change. Old beliefs and behaviors are being challenged. Outdated laws and customs are debated. And our awareness of others is especially under examination. Are we a society of fairness and justice? Do we believe that all humans are created and loved by God in equal measure? These are questions for church and society, and for each of us as well.

Although today’s questions and discussions are many, today’s gospel alerts us to two specific social groups that we might consider with new eyes. They are featured in Mark’s gospel, which often focuses on the healing ministry of Jesus.

More specifically, we are invited to attend to the situation of women and children, from both a societal and religious perspective. And personally.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

June 20, 2021 – 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 4:35-41

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

A favorite subject of artists depicting scenes from the life of Christ is the storm at sea. Waves lashed against the fragile boat. The disciples of Jesus had the look of terror. And there at the bow of the boat was Jesus, sound asleep. A vivid scene of contrasts.

We know how the narrative ends. They wake Jesus. He looks around in a relaxed manner, says something and the storm departs. Then he says to his friends something like, “Relax.
Enjoy the boat ride and have greater trust. And finally, expect an occasional storm.”

When I read the gospel for today, it dawned on me that there is more than one kind of storm in our lives. Yes, there are storms caused by nature and sadly they seem on the rise. But there are also storms in society, in governments and even in our church.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

June 13, 2021 – 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 4:26-34

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

Scientists these days are carefully rewinding the clock concerning the history of our home, planet Earth. The story begins with its initial formation over four billion years ago. Hidden in that long passage of time is a major breakthrough when non-living matter transformed itself into matter that was alive. It could reproduce itself and grow through complex processes of nourishment that turns something inert and lifeless into something that starts from a small seed and develop into something magnificent. Because we arrived here well after life began on Earth, we might assume it was always that way. Of course, we now know that it wasn’t.

And we also know that life is not necessarily permanent. It can cease to be, or be compromised by various disasters, some of which we humans create. As Pope Francis never tires of reminding us, life is fragile and requires our attention and care. In all its forms.