The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 
July 29, 2018 – 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
John 6:1-15

There are many ways to interpret today’s gospel. It’s also one of the most immediately recognized gospels when mere mention is made of “the loaves and fishes.” What an amazing miracle! From five loaves and two fish Jesus makes enough food for thousands! And there are even leftovers. Twelves baskets! (Side comment: It was at this time that Jesus invented a kind of food that has nourished an untold number of families for centuries, namely, “leftovers”!)

But seriously, there is a very important point about this gospel. This account of Jesus feeding the multitude is a sign of God’s generous love, of God’s unlimited forgiveness and mercy. And why is this important to think about? Because we often limit our calculation in human situations, especially those involving the act of giving, to what is called “zero-sum thinking.” A word about that.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 
July 22, 2018 – 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 6:30-34

It is mid-summer. It’s a good time to recall the song, “Summertime.” Many of us can fill in the next line: “When the livin’ is easy.” Summer is often connected with the idea of holiday and vacation. Travel and leisure. A time to take it easy. Today’s gospel addressed the importance of taking a breather when needed. It’s akin to a Sabbath rest – although in this instance, there is no mention of that. Still, Jesus noticed that the disciples were busy with pressing crowds and ceaseless activities and that they needed a break. So, he said, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.”

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 
July 15th, 2018 – 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6:7-13

Here are your orders for your first apostolic “sales” trip. Take one walking stick, no extra clothes, no food (you’ll be able to eat when you arrive at a welcoming destination) and travel with one other person. Two-by-two –- like Noah’s Ark.

Thus began the first venture at evangelization by the disciples of Jesus. They were also told to keep their message simple. If anyone does not want to listen to their “pitch,” they are to simply bid them adieu and move on to the next household. Mark’s gospel is disappointedly brief in this description. We’d like to know more.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 

July 8th, 2018 – 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 6:1-6

Is Jesus not the carpenter’s son? We know his family. We know where he comes from. We saw him grow up in our midst. We know his laughter and his tears. We’ve watched him day after day. He played with our children. He danced at our festivals. He helped his dad at the shop. He’s not special because he is one of us. Don’t expect more.

I am adding to the words of today’s gospel but not without purpose. I want to highlight the “problem” that those who knew him well and concluded that Jesus was in no way special. And that same reasoning can also spill over into how we think about ourselves. Let’s call it the problem or familiarity. Let’s also call it the problem of thinking about ourselves as “just ordinary” and therefore, “insignificant.”

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 

July 1, 2018 –13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 5:21-43

Everyone experiences times of difficulty, even desperation. Relationships might be weakened, unpaid bills can come due, unexplainable pains might afflict our bodies. We all have stories of when we were pushed to the edge. Our strength and resources are simply not enough to deal with what’s afflicting us. It may be something physical. It could be a relational problem with a spouse, a close friend or one of our children. It can be almost anything that causes us to cry out, “I cannot do this!” At that moment we feel that we lack the strength and stamina to deal with what’s facing us.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 

June 24, 2018 –The Nativity of John the Baptist - Luke 1:57-66, 80

It’s helpful to think of the events surrounding the life of Jesus as a drama, a play or a narrative. Many films makers have made movies about the life of Jesus. This can be done because the gospels contain so many elements of “the life of Christ.”

Many years ago, I was invited to play small roles in local stage productions. Once I played the role of “Knowledge” in the medieval morality play called “Everyman.” I also played a small role in a passion play. I was a Roman soldier (not the one who had his ear removed.) We are familiar with stage performances where there is a main character (or characters) and many bit parts. In stage jargon, I was “a bit player.”

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 

June 17, 2018 –11th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 4:26-34

What a great teacher Jesus was! And this is shown in no small way by the way he taught his first listeners (and now us) by using stories and images to help us understand the deep truths that he wanted us to know. We might also think of him as a great poet, one whose “poems” till speak to us today. And this is well illustrated by today’s gospel where he likens the Kingdom of God to the growth process of a mustard seed. Very small at the start and magnificently large and abundant in the end.

I have held mustard seeds in my hand. A diaconate student of mine runs a mustard seed business and one day he brought a small bag full of these remarkable seeds for everyone to inspect. They were indeed tiny and they would, if treated properly, result in becoming a giant bush. We were all impressed as were those who heard Jesus using this image in his teaching.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 

June 10, 2018 –10th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 3:20-35

Today’s gospel provides us with one of the few appearances of Mary, the mother of Jesus, during his public life. Jesus is teaching near his home town, so it is not surprising that his mother appears on the scene. He is inside and she is outside and he is told of her nearness. His response is not easy to understand. Some have thought of it as a rebuke, a distancing of him from his mother. But I don’t think it is. In fact, I interpret his words as high praise for his mom.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 
June 3, 2018 –The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

Each year the Church creates a Sunday for us to celebrate and reflect on the meaning of the Eucharist. Our gospel reading for our annual meditation is the brief account of the Last Supper from Mark’s gospel. This meal with the Lord might also be called “the First Supper of the New Covenant” established through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is one of those feasts (like Christmas and Easter) that is a bottomless reservoir for our reflection. Here are some ideas for this year’s celebration.

The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for the home 
May 27, 2018 – The Most Holy Trinity
Matthew 28:16-20

A common phrase that often occurs in the Bible is that activities of one sort or another are to be done “in the name of ….” In today’s gospel the disciples of Jesus are told to baptize new followers of Jesus “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We all recognize this statement as the “sign of the cross.” Let’s explore what it means to do something “in the name of.”

In the Bible there are countless references to doing something “in the name of God.” When something was done in that way, God’s own presence and power was said to operate. Clearly, using God’s name in that way was not to be taken lightly. One of the Ten Commandments forbids “using God’s name in vain.” At times, faithful Jews would not even mention the name of God because of the great reverence they had for it.

When I was first taught the basics of Catholic faith, we were told that the name, Jesus, was not to be used in inappropriate ways. For example, when accidently hitting one’s thumb with an erratic hammer blow, we were not supposed to say that name.