Weekly Reflection: 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B
Reading References
1st Reading: Amos 7:12-15
Psalm: Ps 84:9-14. R. v. 8
2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
Who really wants to hear the word of God? How many among us already think we know what God is saying and shut our minds and hearts to God’s word? Are we like Amaziah in our first reading who just wants Amos to go back where he came from and is closed to hearing the word?
God speaks to us in our every day lives through various events but particularly through others. Too often we think if we follow formulas and laws (such as Amaziah) then that is what God is asking of us. When we do this we become static and faith in Jesus is anything but static.
We can follow all the right formulas and laws and at the same time behave appallingly towards each other and we often don’t seem to make the connection.
And yet in spite of our broken behaviour and our blindness our God continues to love us and to have mercy on us – God “chose us in Christ” and continues choosing us every moment of every day. Isn’t this truly extraordinary?
Jesus is our key. It is Jesus who sends us out to each other. It is Jesus who calls us to mission. It is Jesus in whom we must trust. It is Jesus who is our prayer.
In our Gospel today we hear those universally known words: “shake the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.” I suspect that this statement is somewhat misunderstood in our modern world. Love that is real and true will never force itself upon another, but at the same time it will never stop loving. But in today’s world we can twist it to mean things such as the following: if a relationship breaks down such as a marriage or a friendship or a working relationship etc then we often hear the words said: I wiped the dust off my feet. But at the same time our behaviour and attitudes are filled with bitterness and often revenge and a whole cycle of hurt and resentment is kept alive.
Sometimes there are circumstances in relationships where it is important to walk away for many reasons. But so often when we do walk away we walk away with bitterness in our hearts and we act out that bitterness. We set out to hurt the other person/s by whatever means possible. We want to hurt them because they have hurt us. We can engage in the most dreadful behaviour because we are consumed with revenge and retaliation.
But this is not what this phrase is saying to us today. It is saying to walk away when it is necessary but to keep loving. To not let our hearts be poisoned by what has happened. Now anyone who has been very hurt or rejected will know just how difficult this can be, but this is what is being asked of us today. It is saying do not let any of the contamination of the breakdown of the relationship stay with you – leave it all behind. But the pain can be so intense and it is here where we must turn to Jesus because we simply cannot do it on our own.
The world in which we live gives great evidence to this. A world that is consumed with the self and its own self importance and self reliance. We so openly accept the attitude of revenge “get even” and it breeds further contempt and now we see it all around us. This surely alerts us to a world that has lost its way. It has stopped listening to the prophets in its midst and it certainly isn’t listening to Jesus.
Who of us has the courage to break this destructive cycle? We must begin with our own hearts and we must turn to Jesus. With many of us there will be a great struggle but if we truly listen to our hearts we will be carried through it. We may think all sorts of negative thoughts but if we let Jesus walk with us we will not act upon these negative thoughts and feelings. It is not the thoughts that do the damage it is the acting upon them that creates havoc.
It is these people who have learned to listen to their hearts that are the prophets in our midst. Do we want to hear them? Do we really want to listen to Jesus?
This is the healing Jesus invites us to be part of today. Jesus makes it very clear that we will have to trust him and that we will have to let go of all that we have relied on or held onto in the past. We are entering into mysterious territory that goes way beyond our own knowledge or understanding – this is the place where all we can do is trust in Jesus. But to trust him we must let our hearts know him and listen to him – do we want such a journey?
In the coming week let us pray for the grace to truly believe in Jesus and all that is being offered to us today.
1st Reading: Amos 7:12-15
Psalm: Ps 84:9-14. R. v. 8
2nd Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13
Who really wants to hear the word of God? How many among us already think we know what God is saying and shut our minds and hearts to God’s word? Are we like Amaziah in our first reading who just wants Amos to go back where he came from and is closed to hearing the word?
God speaks to us in our every day lives through various events but particularly through others. Too often we think if we follow formulas and laws (such as Amaziah) then that is what God is asking of us. When we do this we become static and faith in Jesus is anything but static.
We can follow all the right formulas and laws and at the same time behave appallingly towards each other and we often don’t seem to make the connection.
And yet in spite of our broken behaviour and our blindness our God continues to love us and to have mercy on us – God “chose us in Christ” and continues choosing us every moment of every day. Isn’t this truly extraordinary?
Jesus is our key. It is Jesus who sends us out to each other. It is Jesus who calls us to mission. It is Jesus in whom we must trust. It is Jesus who is our prayer.
In our Gospel today we hear those universally known words: “shake the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.” I suspect that this statement is somewhat misunderstood in our modern world. Love that is real and true will never force itself upon another, but at the same time it will never stop loving. But in today’s world we can twist it to mean things such as the following: if a relationship breaks down such as a marriage or a friendship or a working relationship etc then we often hear the words said: I wiped the dust off my feet. But at the same time our behaviour and attitudes are filled with bitterness and often revenge and a whole cycle of hurt and resentment is kept alive.
Sometimes there are circumstances in relationships where it is important to walk away for many reasons. But so often when we do walk away we walk away with bitterness in our hearts and we act out that bitterness. We set out to hurt the other person/s by whatever means possible. We want to hurt them because they have hurt us. We can engage in the most dreadful behaviour because we are consumed with revenge and retaliation.
But this is not what this phrase is saying to us today. It is saying to walk away when it is necessary but to keep loving. To not let our hearts be poisoned by what has happened. Now anyone who has been very hurt or rejected will know just how difficult this can be, but this is what is being asked of us today. It is saying do not let any of the contamination of the breakdown of the relationship stay with you – leave it all behind. But the pain can be so intense and it is here where we must turn to Jesus because we simply cannot do it on our own.
The world in which we live gives great evidence to this. A world that is consumed with the self and its own self importance and self reliance. We so openly accept the attitude of revenge “get even” and it breeds further contempt and now we see it all around us. This surely alerts us to a world that has lost its way. It has stopped listening to the prophets in its midst and it certainly isn’t listening to Jesus.
Who of us has the courage to break this destructive cycle? We must begin with our own hearts and we must turn to Jesus. With many of us there will be a great struggle but if we truly listen to our hearts we will be carried through it. We may think all sorts of negative thoughts but if we let Jesus walk with us we will not act upon these negative thoughts and feelings. It is not the thoughts that do the damage it is the acting upon them that creates havoc.
It is these people who have learned to listen to their hearts that are the prophets in our midst. Do we want to hear them? Do we really want to listen to Jesus?
This is the healing Jesus invites us to be part of today. Jesus makes it very clear that we will have to trust him and that we will have to let go of all that we have relied on or held onto in the past. We are entering into mysterious territory that goes way beyond our own knowledge or understanding – this is the place where all we can do is trust in Jesus. But to trust him we must let our hearts know him and listen to him – do we want such a journey?
In the coming week let us pray for the grace to truly believe in Jesus and all that is being offered to us today.
posted by Annemarie Reiner at 7:16 PM
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