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Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
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My dear brothers and sisters, today let us reflect on a spiritual practice that can sustain and strengthen our families: the examination of the conscience. In our families, we often look outward for the cause of our struggles and pain. We blame work, society, or even one another. Yet Jesus gently reminds us that what truly shapes our actions and relationships flows from within. He teaches us, 'what defiles us comes from within,' or 'Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Mt 6:21).' If our hearts carry evil thoughts or cherish evil deeds, these will echo through our households. But if we treasure love, patience, humility, and forgiveness, our homes become places where grace can flourish.
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Let me begin with a scene many of us know too well. You finally decide to clean the house not because you are convinced it needs a cleaning but because guests are coming. You clean the drawing room and the dining anyway, Floors shine, kitchen sink is empty, cushions are aligned, tables are clean, everything looks perfect. Then, five minutes before the doorbell rings, you realize the mess hasn’t disappeared; it’s just been pushed into one room. The door is shut. Problem solved, or so we think.
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“With eyes of faith consider the greatness of your mission and the wonderful amount of good which you can accomplish” by Blessed Basil Moreau,CSC In today’s gospel we have Jesus coming ashore on the lake, as soon as he disembarks from the people, many people immediately recognized him, and started pushing and struggling to touch him looking for healing from all their ailments. What did they recognize in Jesus that moved them? It is possible that they had witnessed the miraculous deeds done somewhere else. Now, they recognized him as one with power from God to heal and make whole bodies, limbs, minds and hearts that were beset with diseases and afflictions. They believed that even by mere pressing up to Jesus and touching the fringes of his garment, they would be made well. They were filled with expectant faith that Jesus is ready to meet their needs. We know that Jesus’ mission was to do the will of God and specifically that is what is demonstrated in actions of healing and forgiving sins.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Today, I invite you to reflect with me on a message of courage, faith, and mission—one that speaks directly to the heart of every family. Scripture reminds us that those who trust in the Lord and keep His commandments will find strength for every journey. That promise is as true for families today as it was for the disciples Christ sent out two by two, carrying nothing but faith.
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“When you face rejection, remember you are more than your setbacks.” This quotation simply spells out for us that our worth is not defined by how others see us or how often we may be rejected. It inspires us to maintain our self-esteem and confidence, knowing that our true value comes from within. When we understand this, we can face rejection with grace and resilience, allowing it not to define us. This is what is happening to Jesus who has returned to his home of Nazareth where people knew him so well as the son of Mary and Joseph. He had left Nazareth as a carpenter but now he comes as a great teacher and a miracle worker. For his village-mates this was too much for them. Someone they had known so well now displaying great wisdom in the words he spoke and the great power of his deeds. He is able to heal and chase demons from people. It was to much for the simple people of Nazareth to grasp, leave alone to wrap themselves around it. Jesus was too ordinary, too much like them to be taken seriously. While Jesus could not do any miracle or preach there, this did not deter him from continuing to preach in other places.
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Today, we celebrate the feast of Saint Blaise, the fourth-century physician-bishop martyr famous for saving a boy choking on a fishbone. We will get our throats blessed with crossed candles later at the end of the mass, but the intersection of Blaise’s medical background and today’s Gospel from Mark offers us a radical perspective on what it means to be truly well. In the gospel today we meet two people at opposite ends of the social spectrum: Jairus, the "VIP", a synagogue leader, and an unnamed woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years. Usually, we focus on their faith. But today let’s look at their desperation through the eyes of a doctor like Blaise.
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