God's Doesn't Always Meet Our Expectations

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again. 

 Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’(Numbers 11:25-29)

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John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell.^, And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.(Mark 9:38-48)

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One of the lessons I took from these readings is that God refuses to be restricted by our presuppositions or plans. God's grace and God's gifts don't always come to us in ways that we expect. Often we miss these moments of encounter because they do not fit our expectations.

As a result we miss the grace offered us because it didn’t follow our established norms. We run the risk of missing our time of visitation.

While God is a God of order, He is also a God of surprises.

Who would have thought that the Holy One of Israel, who forbade the making of images, would become a human being, born of a virgin?

Who would have thought that the God who has no beginning or end would die on a cross?

Who would have thought that the God who fed His people during their trek through the wilderness would become their Food for the Journey?

Who would have thought that the God who led His people out of slavery would make them heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom?

Who would have thought that to believe is to be open to God’s surprises?

The liturgy provides us with signposts along the path that leads us to the definitive encounter with the Risen Lord.
This passage from the Book of Numbers gives us a brief encounter with the God of surprises. God knows what He is doing, even though we may have a better plan.

We hear how Eldad and Medad failed to show up for the gathering of the elders because they felt themselves to be weak and unworthy. But the Good Shepherd sought out the lost sheep and poured out His Spirit upon them. Immediately they began to exercise the gifts of praying, preaching and praising God as the Spirit moved them.

Because God is a God of surprises, He is not bound by our liturgical forms. Like the wind, He blows where He wills. He surprises the humble by exalting them.

Believing in a God of surprises, are we willing to receive the Lord in all His distressing disguises? We may be surprised if we open the ears of our hearts to hear the voice of mercy calling us to repentance and faith. If we are willing to humble ourselves before the Lord, we will find ourselves being raised up from glory to glory.

A good starting place for each of us the Sacred Word.

By means of the Scriptures God engages us in a heart-to-heart conversation. The Word of the Lord, when received in faith, is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey to the soul.

If we wish to satisfy the longings of our souls, we must drink deeply from the springs of salvation. The things of this world can help sustain human life but cannot satisfy our deeper hunger.

We are called by God to feast at the Banquet of the Lamb and to eat of the Bread that comes down from heaven.

God surprises us again. He emptied Himself of all majesty and made us rich through his poverty. By himself becoming a curse, Christ has given us a blessing.

By dying on the Cross, Christ has given each of us eternal life.

The Gospel passage is a powerful reminder that God is a God of surprises. He is free to do mighty deeds through the instrumentality of whomever He chooses.

Confronted by these surprises, we are challenged to identify the motives of our hearts. Only then can we overcome the prejudice that keeps us from the bond of love and unitythat the Father offers us in Christ.

Many of us are like the disciples in this Gospel passage. We are ready to silence others who have success in bringing sinners to the Lord because they do not belong to our communion of faith.

Christ’s admonition is most needed today. Anyone who works miracles in His name cannot at the same time be against His mission.

If sinners are brought to repent of the sins and to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we can assume that the Spirit of God is working through the messenger. The surprise: God is working to bring about the new creation, using some very strange people in the process.

We need to resist the temptation to limit the grace of Christ. Christ would not have us hinder the movements of the Spirit. Rather, He would have us rejoice that the Seed of the Word is being planted.


Jesus is the Lord of Lords and King of the universe. He is not the special possession of any particular Church or faith communion. He refuses to be put into a tidy little religious box.

The love of God and the mercy of His heart are neither limited nor constricted. There is plenty mercy and abundant compassion for everyone.

The surprise of all surprises: the unseen God took to Himself a visible face.

The all-holy God chose to be a companion of sinners.

The just God chose to manifest His power by performing works of mercy.

The Creator of the universe chose to recreate a flawed world.

He Who once walked in the Garden chose to walk the paths of Galilee making the lame, the deaf and the blind whole.

As heirs of the Kingdom, we act and pray in the name of Jesus, trusting that He will intercede for us before the Father of all Who desires to forgive, to heal and strengthen us and to bring us peace.

May the Lord grant us the grace to align our wills with His.

May He fill our hearts that we can learn to live simply thereby allowing others to simply live.

May we strive to conform our lives to Christ, so that we may become the instruments whereby the whole family of humankind will be made whole.

Let us come to know and to seek the path to Christ that passes through every human heart - even the most sinful, those who are most insecure and hardened.

And when the Lord returns in glory, may He bring us all together into everlasting life. Amen.

Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

The Healing of the Deaf Man

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus heals a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. This is a story about Jesus’s healing power, and in it we find clues about our understanding of sacrament. We are struck by the physical means used to heal the man, the use of spittle and touch. The Church continues to celebrate the sacraments using physical means. In the Sacrament of Baptism, water and oil are used to show the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, we are anointed with holy oil on the forehead and the hands. In the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. We are a sacramental people who believe that God’s grace is given to us through these physical signs. 

 

Some, however, see in this Gospel an image of the proclamation of the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles. The geographic references tell us that Jesus is journeying through Gentile territory. Jesus had previously visited this region and healed a person possessed by a demon. Jesus was already famous there, which explains why people brought the deaf man to him.The story that precedes this reading in Mark’a Gospel sets the stage. Jesus encounters a Gentile, a Syrophoenician woman who asks him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus engages her in a dialogue about not feeding to dogs the food intended for children. Jesus is struck by the woman’s great faith when she replies that even dogs eat the food that falls from the table, and he heals her daughter immediately. The faith of this Greek woman compels Jesus to respond to her plea.

Mark shows that Jesus’s own mission affirms the early Church’s mission to the Gentiles. This was a significant issue to the early Christian community, which found that the good news of Jesus took root and spread quickly among the Gentiles. Yet there is an irony in the story of healing that Mark tells. Jesus gives the man the gift of speech, but then tells him not to use it. Jesus asks that the news of his healing power, which is evidence of his identity as the Messiah, not be spread. This is a recurring motif in Mark’s Gospel and is sometimes called the “messianic secret.” 

All of us baptized Catholics are called to bring God’s healing to others in different ways. Of course the priest anoints the sick which continues Christ’s healing ministry. We may all pray for those who are ill, help care for them, clean their homes, bring them cooked meals when needed. For too long we as a people have left too much to “others”to do for the sick in body, soul or mind. Let us ask the Lord for forgiveness for not personally reaching out to those in need. Let us then ask the Lord to show us what He wants us to do to for others in love. Every act of love, be it a service to others, a kind word, a gentle touch, a home cooked meal, time given to just be with the other...these things bring healing and we are called to be a healing balm to the world.

--Deacon Joseph Pasquella

Guilt and Shame vs. Healing and Mercy

            Guilt and shame are powerful barriers to our relationship with God. They cause us to run and hide from the one person we need the most. They make it almost impossible for us to ask for and to accept mercy. The evil one uses them to keep us from standing before the Lord and seeking His pardon. Because of guilt and shame, we do not enjoy peace of conscience. When our hearts condemn us, it is the Lord who is seeking us and calling us out of our hiding places. At these moments, when the devil would have us wallow in despair, God sends forth His Holy Spirit to prompt us to trust in His merciful love. When we cannot find rest for our souls, God applies the healing balm of the Spirit. When we are speechless, the Lord gives us the Words of everlasting life. God is quite different from sinful human beings. It might be good to ponder these words taken from the Letter to the Romans. “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the One Who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will” (Rom. 8: 26-27). 

            The Evil One seeks to isolate us from one another and from God by accentuating our guilt and shame. God, on the contrary desires to engage us in a dialogue of love and reconciliation. To those who are weighed down with guilt and shame, the Lord calls out, “Don’t hide, but come to me. Lay down your burdens and I will give you rest and peace of mind” (Cf. Mat. 11: 28). The devil accuses us day and night, attempting to make us squirm and hide from God. God, on the other hand never tires of forgiving us. The devil seeks to deafen us with his accusations and the Lord desires to open our ears to the sound of His voice, calling us back to wholeness. The Lord does not condemn us because of our faults; rather, He accepts us no matter how imperfect our efforts. May we recognize the presence of the Lord accompanying us along our life’s journey and allow Him to open our hearts to the healing sound of His voice and the recreating power of His grace.

--Father Jerome Machar, OSCO

Asking God for a Sign

My brothers, consider it a great joy when trials of many kinds come upon you, ³ for you well know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and ⁴ perseverance must complete its work so that you are become fully developed, complete, not deficient in any way. ⁵ Any of you who lacks wisdom must ask God, who gives to all generously and without scolding; it will be given.

⁶ But the prayer must be made with faith, and no trace of doubt, because a person who has doubts is like the waves thrown up in the sea by the buffeting of the wind. ⁷ That sort of person, in two minds,

⁸ inconsistent in every activity, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1: 1-8)

¹¹ The Pharisees came up and started a discussion with him; they demanded of him a sign from heaven, to put him to the test. ¹² And with a profound sigh he said, 'Why does this generation demand a sign? In truth I tell you, no sign shall be given to this generation.' (Mark 8: 11-12)

No sign will be given to this generation. What was the big deal about the Pharisees asking for a sign? The big deal was that they had already received so many signs and one more was not going to matter. This Gospel is in Chapter 8 of Mark’s Gospel. Before we read this Gospel, Jesus had cast out unclean spirits, made a deaf man hear and speak, healed many people with various diseases including leprosy and paralysis, restored a man’s withered and, and multiplied the loaves and the fishes. What more could the Pharisees be looking for? They had received many signs from the Lord. They did not want to see them. No matter what God did, it was not going to matter.

The Pharisees were trying to find a way around the truth. They got mad because Jesus healed a withered hand on the Sabbath, but it was okay to plot to kill him on the Sabbath. Jesus is frustrated with the Pharisees. They were not looking to be open to Jesus. They were testing Jesus. Push him, push him, see how far he will go

Sometimes we test God. We say to the Lord, “Okay, Lord, just one more sign. Just one more sign and I will do what you want. Just let me know for sure that it’s You.”

Are you waiting to know for sure, or are you hoping God won’t answer the way he was answering before? We ask God for a particular direction in life, and we keep on seeing coincidences. Oh, that was a coincidence. Oh there’s another coincidence. And that’s another coincidence. Are these all coincidences? Might God be giving you the signs that you are asking for, and you keep asking for more? Are you truly seeking an answer or do you want God to tell you what you want to hear?

Is it fear, or insecurity, that makes you not accept the signs that God is giving you? Is your brokenness not allowing you to be receptive to what God is saying? Perhaps the battle scares you. St. James acknowledges that it is difficult to follow the Lord. He talks about trials. Trials? You mean there are going to be trials? Were you thinking that following Jesus was not going to be difficult?

He talks about testing of the faith that brings perseverance. Testing? Why testing? Are you afraid to be tested?

You mean I have to work for my salvation? That following Jesus is not an escalator ride? You mean I’m going to have to do battle with myself? That scares me! The struggle and what it requires of me scares me. Why? Because my heart is not yet formed to love. I am not ready to burst forth with the gift of myself.

We have to die to things in our own lives. We need to persevere on those tests of faith that come to us. The Lord will provide the perseverance. St. James says that we must be “fully developed, complete, not deficient in any way.” How do we achieve this? Through perseverance.

 To compete in the Olympics, the contestants must endure many trials and have great perseverance. It is in the perseverance that the gold medals are won. This is the same with virtue. Virtue is not built at the end of the battle, but it is built in the fight, in encountering trials and persevering through trust.

When it is toughest to love, that is when love is built. Love is tested through trials and perseverance. When I marry couples, I tell them that I hope that, when they celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary, they don’t love each other as much as they do on their marriage day. I tell them that I want them to love each other much more because then they will have gone through the trials and struggles their marriage will bring, and they will bear the battle scars of life and the wrinkles of a love that persevered and became perfected and drew strength and power from the times they were together. This is true love. Love is fostered in the fight, not fighting with one another but fighting the battle of life.

If we are scared of the battle, of perseverance, afraid of our weaknesses, we have to come to God and trust. We trust that God will not let us fall. He will be there. We need to have faith in God who loves us. Remember that His Holy Will is to do good for us. What reply can we give to Divine Love except to love back? If I keep asking questions, asking God for signs, then I don’t have to reply to Divine Love, do I? I am waiting for answers.

How do I make an answer to Divine Love? How do I make myself Love’s Reply? Can it be anything less than the fullness of love returned? When I hear the voice of God, I need to respond even though I am facing a future that will have trials and battles, a future that will require perseverance and testing. God will give me the grace to reply to His Love, to listen to His Holy Will, to remove anything that keeps me from Love’s Reply. What about this? What about that? Will I have the strength? Will I have the courage? What if I fail? What if I mess up? Questions. Doubts.

Just reply to God in love. God has taken care of all those things. Trust him with your future because God loves you.

--Transcribed as best as possible from a homily by Father David Mary Engo, FBM

If You Wish, You Can Make Me Clean

The leper fell prostrate, pleaded with Jesus, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,” I do will it. Be made clean.” (Luke 5:12-13)

Jesus Heals a Leper

In Jesus" time, any skin rash, discoloration, or disfigurement was considered to be leprosy. Lepers were considered unclean, and contact with the leper required the individual to bathe and launder extensively, and anything that came into contact with the leper was destroyed. Those who touched lepers were not allowed in the temple or the synagogue. Lepers were not even supposed to speak with other people, so this incident of Jesus speaking to the leper and touching him is quite extraordinary.

The Catholic Church shares this Gospel shortly before the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. Why is this?

The Church is trying to tell us that we are all disfigured with the leprosy of sin. A sinful person has the stench of hell about himself or herself, and sin leads to certain death. Therefore, since only Jesus and the Blessed Mother Mary were freed of sin, we all stand before God with a certain disfigurement due to the leprosy of sin.

The leper said,, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” We say these words to God. “If you wish, you can make me clean.” God cannot be defiled by touching a leper or by touching our sinfulness. Instead we are made clean when God touches us. The healer heals the disease. The sanctifier sanctifies the sinful. God has touched our broken, injured humanity and repaired it. He redeemed creation by becoming one of us, soul, body, and will. He has redeemed our sinful nature so that it can become a divine nature.

At the Jordan River, Jesus entered the water to be baptized. John’s baptism was symbolic, but the baptism which Jesus initiates is real. John’s baptism encourages us to give up sin, but Jesus’ baptism cleanses us, heals us, and removes the sin. John’s baptism washes bodies, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit washes souls. “If you wish, Lord, you can make me clean.” “I do wish it. Be made clean.”

Before his Ascension into heaven, Jesus sends the disciples out to baptize all nations and to ready all humanity for the return of Christ. Baptism does more than take away sin. It makes us the spouse of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the child of God.

In Confirmation we received the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation continues and confirms the graces received at Baptism. The gifts received at Confirmation touch our will and our soul.

We receive the fullness of these in the Eucharist, the miracle of immortality, the Divine Caress in which God touches our souls and our bodies physically. Christ touches us in his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The two become one flesh.

“If you wish you can make me clean.” “I do wish it. Be made clean.” God wills to touch us, to be flesh with us. God wills it so let it be so.

Transcribed from notes taken during a homily by Father David Engo, FFM

Jesus Is in the Boat with Us

The Gospel of St. Mark talks about two storms at sea which affected Jesus and his apostles. One of the storms is in Chapter Four and the other is in Chapter Six of St. Mark’s Gospel. In Chapter Four, Jesus climbs into a boat at the water’s edge and teaches the people from there. When evening comes, and everyone goes home, Jesus tells the apostles to cross over to the other side. Jesus is in the boat, fast asleep when a storm comes up and the apostles are afraid that they are perishing. Jesus calms the storm after they fearfully awaken him, and the apostles  are amazed at this miracle. They wonder who is this who calms the storm and commands the wind and makes the sea die down?

When they reach the other side of the lake, they are in the country of the Gerasenes. Immediately upon disembarking, a man possessed with an unclean spirit rushes out of the tombs at them. Jesus cures this man and sends the Legion of devils within him into the swine. The herd of 2000 swine rush down the hill toward the sea and drown. The swineherds are so frightened that they run into the town to tell the people what happened, and the people come out and tell Jesus to leave. Jesus, however, tells the healed man to go to his relatives and friends and tell them how God had mercy on him.

In Chapter Six of St. Mark’s Gospel, Jesus teaches a crowd of 5000 men plus women and children and works a miracle for them by multiplying the loaves and the fishes. Then he sends them home while also sending his disciples on a boat to cross the sea to go to Bethsaida. After Jesus dismisses the crowd, he crosses the water and would have walked right past his disciples who were rowing mightily against the strong wind. When they saw Jesus walking on the water, the disciples cried out, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Take courage; it is my, do not be afraid.” Then he just got into the boat with them, the storm died down, and they came to the land of Genesereth , and people brought the sick to Jesus to heal. These are the same people who earlier told Jesus to go away from their lands because he had sent the demon from the possessed man into the swine. The people are now bringing their sick to Jesus to heal, because the possessed man who had been healed evangelized his fellow townspeople and told them all that Jesus had done for him. So now they were ready for Jesus’ arrival and brought the sick to him to be healed.

These two Gospels are telling us that Jesus is in the boat with us. Amid the storms of life, when we are confused and tossed about, when we do not know where to turn and when think we are perishing, Jesus is in the boat. He may seem to be asleep, but he is there. He may seem to be walking past us, but he comes and joins us. Jesus is in the boat. He tells us, “Have no fear. It is I.”

Who is this Jesus? Who is this one who calms the wind and the storm? This is God made man. This is God who loves us. This is the God of mercy. This is the God who is Love. We are not to fear him. We are to trust him. If we fear God, then we are afraid of his punishment. When we love him, we trust him. We know that he is in the boat with us. We know that he is Love in bodily form. We know that he is Love who came to drive out demons, to heal us, to find us, to pity us, to love us. He who is Love entered the boat of the world. Because he is in the boat, the storms of this world are different because will face them differently. Jesus can drive out are demons. He can make us whole. He understands us. We need to tell others about what he has done for us.

“Have no fear. It is I.” Love is in the boat with me.

A transcription of thoughts from a homily by Father David Engo, FBM