Rescue. Ranking. Reset (2021-09-19, Sunday - 25)

___CLICK / AUDIO OF SUN. SEPT. 19, 2021 HOMILY__

Homily –  Sept.  19, 2021  /  25^th Sunday (Year B)  ● Wisdom 2:12, 17-20  ●   Psalm ___ ● James 3:16 – 4:3  ●  + Mark 9:30-37  ●

Title:  Rescue. Ranking. Reset.

__ Click / Watch Video: Sun. 7:30 am Mass, Sept. 19 ___

[__01_]      What made a big impression on me from a family beach vacation to LBI (Long Beach Island), NJ we took in 1976 was that the house we were staying at was very close to the beach and sand.  

We had not rented the house, but another family invited us over for a few days and we were able to see the beach and waves from their front door. It was great.  The location made an impression.

          I also remember there was a small black and white TV (remember those ?)  on which we watched the Summer Olympics in Montreal. It was 1976.  The Olympics made an impression

          Those were pleasant impressions and details. But I truly would have forgotten all of them – not remembered any of these – if there had not been another impressive event for our family that week.

          One day, accidentally and inadvertently, someone got lost. My younger brother – age 4 – was separated from our group on the beach and we did not notice he was missing for a little while…

          Then, the panic started on our secton. There was a full-on search with lifeguards whistling and running … beach patrols on the sand. It was like a cross between Baywatch and Law & Order.

          My parents were frantic, of course, but also determined and searching and calling out for my brother. My brother himself did not know he was lost… he just kept walking… and someone in the crowd realized he was lost  and then learned that there was a search and he was returned to my parents. The whole “Baywatch” episode took – officially - about 25 minutes with no commercials. But, it is so memorable to me, such a big impression, it could have gone on for hours, if not days.

          For years, my mother would not even talk about it.  We were just glad it was over.

          This was a long time ago, 1976 and the big tech innovation at that time would have been if you had cable TV. That would have been the pinnacle of technology.   If Google, Facebook, Instagram, et cetera had existed, we would had have put it on social media and given the LBI lifeguards 5.0 stars with a rave review for the rescue!

          The rescue overshadowed every other detail of importance, although by seeing the “priority” of the rescue, I was also able to see other things in proper context, as part of the environment.

[__02_]      Of course, I do not always see the proper context. And neither do the disciples in this Gospel reading which I would like to reflect on as follows:  [][][]

1^st. Prediction of Jesus’ Rescue

2^nd  Promotion of the Disciples’ Review or Ranking (Reviewers = “the disciples” are self-promoting)

3^rd.  Priority which is Reset.

 

[__02_]      1^st. the Redeemer – Jesus – is predicting a rescue. In the Gospel this is also referred to as the RANSOM he pays for our lives, by giving up his own life.

          “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for the many.”  (Matthew 20:28)

          What we read is: [Mark 9:30-31] “[Jesus] was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.”  But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.” 

In the letter to the Romans this is written by Paul as … ,

(Romans 5:8-11) “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 

The disciples don't comprehend this because they have no definition or category, no file drawer or category in which to store or save a messiah or king who will be crucified and pay the ransom that way, i.e., for …[This prediction is contrary to the disciples’ mindset. There is a higher ransom value because Jesus’s sacrifice gives our lives an eternal value. We are not conquered by sin, by death.

Jesus does something – sacrificially – that is surprising to them. Why would Jesus pay a ransom to rescue to “other people” which might include ]  tax collectors, prostitutes, even Pharisees whom they don’t know personally.

The disciples were grasping why Jesus is paying the ransom – for themselves and their sins --  but not getting how this applies to others.

They're even afraid to ask any questions. Sometimes, those who are weak and vulnerable – needing a ransom - are afraid to ask questions.

The disciples do not recognize this weakness in themselves – quite yet.   When somebody doesn't ask any questions, that’s a problem.

My brother – age 4 and lost on the beach – also would not have asked any questions.  The disciples don’t ask questions, but they don’t recognize the problem yet.

 

[__03_]        2^nd. What are the disciples reviewing and promoting?

          If you went shopping for something recently, did you read the reviews, as to what was being promoted or criticized?

We are surrounded– especially online – by reviews – in the media, in the Star-Ledger newspaper, on AMZN, Facebook, Instagram, Google… or in your e-mail in-box. There is a review waiting for you to open and read.

Reviewers talk and debate. And the disciples are really good at talking and debating. Peter was really good at talking last Sunday's gospel saying you are the Christ. That was the first time the Redeemer predicted His sacrifice. And Peter said, Great, you're the Christ, you're the Messiah. Peter gives Jesus a very positive review!  5 stars!  ☺☺☺☺☺

But Peter is not so good at listening to what Jesus says next, about the RANSOM being paid by suffering.

[Mark 9:33-34] “once inside the house, [Jesus] began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.”

In order for the disciples to compute and calculate who is the greatest, I imagine they would have to be computing and calculating and number-crunching who is the least.

There is a danger in applying this product-review mentality to our relationships and even to ourselves.

That is, do I strive for greatness – which is a good thing on its own – only in light of seeing others “fall behind”. Do I simply try to get ahead of others…. Or do I strive for what is truly good?

It seems that the diciples’ strategy is to find peace – daresay “salvation” – in their own superiority rather than in the sacrifice of Jesus’ life for them.   In short, the disciples are not paying the ransom. Jesus is.

the attainment of greatness or aspiration of excellence – even a positive review -  is good. It’s good …as long it is does not become “god” or an idol.

[__04_]    3^rd. The Priority which is being Reset.

Jesus presses [RESET], in response to all this talk about superiority.

This is the [RESET]:

Jesus said,  “If anyone wishes to be first of all, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all. Taking a child, he placed the child in their midst…” (Mark 9:35)

Why is the child the Gospel solution to the diciples’  “self-promotion” and to my “self-promotion”?

What does the child signfify?

          The message is not that everyone must have his or own child, or that everyone must be  a parent.

          Yet, we are called to welcome Jesus into our lives with the heart of a mother or father.

The child signfiies God’s word and God’s grace because the child:

(1) Has POTENTIAL

(2) Needs PROTECTION

[POTENTIAL] The child – who is full of potential and energy – calls us to this, focus on BOTH what is “now” and “next”  (i.e., future).

          This is also a message for us to consider when we consider our call to forgive those who trespass against us.

To forgive another person – from the heart – requires that we consider “POTENTIAL” as more important than any past harm, of not holding on to what has gone before and thus – RESETTING our priorities and really saying …the LAST SHALL BE FIRST !

          Where does God's Word figure in my calling to forgive someone?

It seems to me that forgiveness calls me not to condescend by my own power, but rather to conceive of and to perceive of the good in another person…if it is hard to see this potential, then we can ask God to help us to see… so that the last shall be first.

[PROTECTION]

          Children need protection.

How many parents – witnessing the illness or suffering would instantly change places with the child, to alleviate the suffering?

          They would pay such a ransom in a heartbeat to shelter, to protect their young person.

          Jesus pays such a ransom for us.

          Coming among us as a child, first, he also reminds us that a child is capable – not by any intentional action but simply by the child’s mere presence of “potential energy”

reminds us that new life is a potential to be protected.  This also includes lives not yet born, a life that is potential, full and needs protection.

          The symbol of the child reminds us of our need to welcome  God’s mercy and grace as our true potential. Also, just as a child needs the protection of “structure”, “consistency” we need prayer and church and private reflection to allow the seeds of God’s word to be planted, nourished and flourish in us.

          It is good that we are here to listen to God’s word and pray… this is our protection, our shelter from the storm …or from other “channels” that may make us think that our personal superiority is all that matters.

          Jesus traded places with us in the same way a parent would with a child.

          Jesus died for you, not to make you superior to others, but to make you know that you are more important than you may realize.

In this “context”, Jesus’ greatness is our greatness. 

Jesus our Lord has made it is priority to pay the ransom for our sins. We are called to follow him, not just as a public act of “reviewing” him or promoting him, but as an intimate choice of welcoming him and knowing him as our Savior and Lord.  

This is what makes you great.  [__fin_]      

Password. Prediction. Perspective (9/11) (2021-09-12 Sunday-24)

__CLICK HERE: AUDIO OF SUN. SEPT. 12, 2021 HOMILY__

Sept.  12, 2021  /  24^th Sunday (Year B)  ● Isaiah 50:4c-9a   ●   Psalm __ ● James 2:14-18  ●  + Mark 8:27-35  ●

__ Click to Watch Video: Sat.5:30 pm Mass, Sat. Sept. 11, 2021 ___

Title:  Person. Prediction. Perspective

[__00_]      What’s your password?

I get it, understand, if you feel uncomfortable telling me your password.

          Because a password not only reveals something about “who you are” but also about “what you do”. It is both an identifier and a purpose.

          “What’s your password?”  is also not such an easy question because you may have more than ONE – as the average person –  you would have 75 passwords to remember in our complex, digital online world for access to money, banking, insurance, school, work….

          In the Gospel, we learn not only about the “password of Jesus” (who he is)  but also the “purpose of Jesus”. (what he’s doing)

         

[__01_]     To remember your password, sometimes you use – we use – hints or clues….

          There are clues leading up to Jesus’ 2-part “password question”

·         “Password” / Question Part 1

·         PREDICTION & Password Part 2

·        PERSPECTIVE of Jesus, for the disciples and us, Part 3

[__02__]    [Password Q.  1]

          This is the first clue:

“Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27)

          Jesus was asking for the “password”.. but they do not have it memorized. The disciples Google-search and come up with other “identities” based on previous national / spiritual heroes, based on “precedent”.

          Jesus is equated with 1 of the prophets, many of some of whom were known for their influential insider status – like a presidential national security adviser, one who has the passwords.

          They were expecting Jesus to be a “Moses version 2.0” who had unlocked them from Egypt ….    And, in fact, Jesus is going to unlock and rescue us from “places” – from our own places and occasions of sin. That liberation is first going to come – on the inside – by repenting of our sins and hearing the Gospel.

          Then, there is the 2^nd clue, a more personal Q # 2:

“Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29)

          Peter knows the password, at least part of the password: “You are the Messiah / the Christ.”  (Mark 8:29).

          Perhaps, we can also know this password– with Peter – “Jesus, you are the Christ, you are my personal savior…”  That ‘s  good.

          But, do we have preconceived notions of what Jesus as Christ and Savior is supposed to do / deliver?

          Peter comprehends the person of the Messiah, but contradicts the next part of the password, the “prediction.”

 

 

[__03_]   [PREDICTION.]

          What’s does Jesus predict in the next part of the password? This is “what he is doing…”

“He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, by the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and rise after three days” (Mark 8:31)

          This “prediction” verse of Mark 8:31 is a really long password,  but some people have long passwords !

          Peter, on the other hand, cannot handle this PREDICTION and longer PASSWORD right now and does not want to release it or memorize it.

          And, because Peter refused the prediction, he is “rebuked” or “reprimanded.”

          How do you feel about being rebuked or reprimanded?

          Usually, I prefer to catch the error of my ways – first – and then correct it …before anyone else notices.

          My parents had me pegged/defined at a young age, pointing out to me that if I was upset or anxious, I would demonstrate this and wear my heart on my sleeve.

          And, I am well aware of my ability to examine or analyze a situation, to be introspective, to be introverted. This attitude, however, does not mean that I come to the right conclusions.

          And, also, do I recognize that my errors do not start in my actions but in my thoughts?  Sometimes, I miss this! Peter is reprimanded not for his actions – but for his “thinking”.

          I believe if you and I are attentive, that God will rebuke us, will reprimand us, sometimes through another person, sometimes in our consciences, in our thoughts.

          And, these rebukes – or reprimands - are not meant to diminish us, to put us down.

          Examples of rebuke. You and I could be “reprimanded” in my conscience or by others with messages such as .. slow down, focus, listen, be on time…  These may seem to be little things, but he who is faithful in small things is faithful in great things.

Also, sometimes, I am trying to do 75+ things, with 75+ passwords. FOCUS !

A rebuke is not an insult. Peter is not being bullied or “put down” but rather being “put right” or “put into line”. Do I have the ears to hear God’s rebuke and Word ?

          A rebuke is not a to-do list

I am an introvert and I want the to-do list. I want to know what to do. But, the rebuke and reprimand of God is reminding that that Holy Spirit is acting even before I do. As Jesus says to all of us, ”It  is not you choose me but I chose you.” (John 16: __?? Vine and branches?)

          So, before I go out and change the world or even change myself, I am called to examine my thoughts, my heart and let the Holy Spirit in, so that I can get out of God’s way + get out of my own way, to allow God to speak, to learn his password, his Word !.

           “The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12)

         

 [__04_]        So, there was the ….

-          “Password” / Question of Jesus

-          “Password / ”PREDICTION of Jesus

 

[__05_]       [PERSPECTIVE]

          Jesus invites us to have a new view, a new perspective.

          In many ways, I am inclined to ask the common question which is also a denial of sorts: “why me?”

          Jesus is prompting me to ask – why not me?

And saying to Peter, “why not you?”

Certainly, Peter thought the suffering was NOT necessary because Jesus Himself was the Messiah with the password with the capital M ! The Messiah is the password that will open doors !

And, I might say – of myself  that it’s not necessary for me to suffer inconvenience due to my own individuality and my own declaration of the right to my life, my liberty and my pursuit of happiness. That’s my memorized password.

Jesus has come among us not just to discipline us with a new action plan but to invite us into friendship with him, to share both our joys and sorrows with him.

Do we not celebrate and suffer – WITH OTHERS - because we do know that is necessary for our survival ? 

We are also called to join our joys and sufferings to God. This is a new perspective.

When we really love someone, we are often willing to endure great struggles for the benefit of the other –even if we are not really smiling through the inconveniences and discomfort – we hear the call in order to be close to supportive someone else. 

St. Paul  said this of his why he accepted suffering:  “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his suffering, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8-11)”

Jesus summarizes his perspective, later in Mark ch. 8:

 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel* will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?”  (Mark 8:35-36)

 

[__08_]       [9 / 11]

Starting a few minutes before 9 am on September 11, 2001, we felt and saw the shocks and aftershocks of the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center (WTC) that also left us with an experience that reminds of a day of:

·        Perspective

·        Predictions of suffering

·        Personal remembrance

1^st. The Perspective

From our neighborhood and locale, and actual visual vista and perspective from Mountain Avenue, Fairmount Terrace or Moore Terrace, from Eagle Rock Reservation, and many other places, we could see the destruction. Some of us lost loved ones on that day. From nearby sidewalks and houses – and certainly at Eagle Rock Reservation – the skyline was clearly visible in high-definition blue sky and smoke.

On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the worst terrorist attack in history, not just in the United States but in the world.

2^nd. Prediction of Suffering

          And, if you went only by the initial PREDICTION, you might think the firefighters and police and first responders would not achieve much. If we had only gone by the prediction of what would happen if such a disaster were to happen, such as the collapse of the WTC Towers, North and South, because of planes crashing into them, these firefighters had limited resources.

They would have to travel so far go up with so much equipment.  The recording of one 911 dispatcher, within one minute of the first attack, is asking for  “every available ambulance, everything you've got, go to the World Trade Center now.”

3. Personal Remembrance

343 firefighters died in the line of duty on 9/11/01, the largest 1-day casualty count for the fire service ever. Most of the FF died after successfully evacuating citizen and after citizen from the WTC towers. When they rescued someone and got him or her to safety, the firefighters would rush back into the burning building to search for more survivors. When the Twin Towers collapsed, the South Tower at 9:59 a.m. and the North Tower at 10:28 a.m., there were still firefighters in the structures doing the job they were hired to do.

There were fire departments from around the tri-state area that rushed into help at Ground Zero that day and on the days to come. The West Orange Fire Department proudly served at the World Trade Center.

In the spirit of the gospel, they were emptying themselves humbled, obedient, even unto death.  They defended us with their courage with their love. That was their purpose. God’s purpose is also that we share in the Cross by taking up the cross.

We pray that God will bless those who died on 9/11, those who dug with shovels and hands for many months thereafter at Ground Zero, those who have died since 9/11 and that their deaths may also remind us that none of us is forgotten and none of us truly dies alone. This is also true of our daily “dying to self” and sacrifices that we are united to Christ and to each other.

 “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.  For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”  (Romans 14:7-9)

[__fin__]     

Vulnerable. "Ida", "Idols" (2021-09-05, Sunday - 23)

__CLICK HERE: AUDIO OF SUN. SEPT. 5, 2021 HOMILY__

Homily – September 5, 2021  /  23^rd Sunday (Year B)

● Isaiah 35:4-7a   ●   Psalm 146    ● James 2:1-5  ●  + Mark 7:31-37  ●

Title:  Vulnerable. To Ida (real storm). To Idols (false gods).

[__01__]  Are you vulnerable? Are we vulnerable? Yes, we were vulnerable to Hurricane Ida of 2021, to the real storm, wind, rain, which did terrible damage and took the lives of more than 40 people in our area.

          We were vulnerable here at Lourdes, even noticing that the force of the water building up actually busted through a door downstairs, and we have had some clean up to do. I am very grateful to our cleaning crew, parish staff and also to the West Orange Fire Department who visited us to pump water out of confined spaces.

          We were vulnerable.

          And, vulnerability means that you are can be the, so called, “sitting duck” or the unprotected goal that the other team will “rain” on, if we don’t get our defenses together.

          Being vulnerable, being capable of being physically or emotionally wounded, we want to put up our defenses, our guard, or guardrails.

[__02__]  Who is vulnerable in the Gospel reading?

          St. Paul famously wrote in 2^nd Corinthians that  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

          There is weakness, vulnerability, in the form of the deafness of the man in the Gospel.

          I’d like to touch on this in 3 ways…

[__03__]   [1^st. Pleading for assistance from J.C.]

[2^nd. Providing assistance by J.C.]

[3^rd. Protection of secrecy.]

[__04__]     [1^st. Pleading for assistance from J.C.]

First, the pleading and begging.

Do your remember Hurricane Henri ? That was the one right before Ida, in mid August. 2 weeks ago. I almost forgot about the storm force of Henri because Ida was so bad.

But, we were vulnerable to Henri even before Ida. During Henri, a a piece of our school roof blew off during Henri and it seemed that we had very little time to get it fixed. This where my feelings of vulnerability turn to panic… and desperation.

So, I had to plead for help from our parish staff, from the Archdiocese, from a contractor… and the good news is – I asked and it was answered.

And, in the end, I also realized that all I did was ASK…I did not make the repair or remediation. Other people did the work, and helped us to be safe.

          But, this reminds you and me to keep asking for help, for aid, when we need it or even if we are not sure what the solution is. I did not really know !  The actual structure and solution turned out to be entirely different – from what I thought it was. 

          I needed the truth and truthfulness to TRANSCEND the situation – God’s word is transcendent for us as well, to help us transcend, to forgive someone who has hurt us, to recognize our need for God’s mercy, to love our enemies, and more..

We may not get an immediate call-back. We also are called to keep our prayers and prayer intentions.

          Sometimes, we do not know what to pray for or how to pray. St. Paul has some advice for us in our 911 of vulnerability in the dark, reminding us that the Holy Spirit is still present:  “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26)

          The man in the Gospel pleads for assistance, for help. Is there, perhaps, an irony that a deaf person wants to hear. I mean it’s a reasonable request, given that – in Jesus’ day – his deafness was a severe deficiency that left him marginalized and abandoned by many.

          Then again, if he is deaf and has never “heard”, he does not know what he is pleading for.

          There is “pleading for assistance”

          Now, I’d like to touch on the PROVIDING of the assistance.

[__05__]      [2^nd. Providing of the assistance by J.C.]

Jesus provided assistance – healing and hearing - to the deaf man, the deaf man. The deaf man signifies you, and signifies me. How does Jesus provide the assistance?

He touches the man's ears, he touches his tongue. And finally the man speaks. One of my teachers pointed out the irony, the ironic characteristic of this episode, it's ironic that Jesus touches the man's ears, nothing happens. Immediately he touches the man's tongue, nothing happens immediately. Finally, Jesus says the words “Ephphatha” or be opened, the man who is deaf now hears him. It's almost as if the other techniques of touching his ears were not enough, or we're just preparatory exercises that the word brings help.

We read that the man was begging and pleading for assistance, pleading for aid for help. I'd like to compare the deaf man and his begging to any one of us who may need to turn away from something that is preventing us from hearing our Lord and Savior from hearing God's word.

In the past few days – after Hurricane Ida and the devastating rainfall and storm --  something has prevented me the past week something has definitely prevented me from hearing God's word.

And, while I would like to blame it on the RAIN…or blame it on the rage of this 2021 Hurricane known as “Ida”…the problem is not Ida “out there”, the problem really is the IDOLS “in here.”

What do we mean by an “idol” in our faith journey?

An IDOL is a false good and something that is visible, but also lacks substance.

Almost, by definition, “money” can be an idol, because MONEY has no substance or meaning on its own. It only has value because we buy things with it. 

Nevertheless, MONEY can be a false god, something without substance.

I've noticed in myself three things that I've idolized not just for the past few days …but really for many years.

I definitely idolized them this week, polished them up, put them on display!   What is the problem with an IDOL ?

As we read in the 115^th Psalm an idol gets in the way of true love an idol gets in the way of God.

We may use the noun “idol” or the verb “to idolize” in casual way, such as to idolize one’s parents or grandparents or a good friend, to describe – in a casual way – someone whom we admire or like.

But we're in danger if the object of our affection or admiration, whether a person or thing becomes a controlling force in our lives. That’s the definition of an idol.

We read this in Psalm 115, about idols. “their idols are silver and gold. They have mouths but they cannot speak. They have ears but they cannot hear.”

So what has become the idol that cannot speak? Or what has become the idol that cannot hear?

These are the three idols for me.

MONEY.  MANAGEMENT. MISERY.

1^st. MONEY.  Money. Saving the parish money is a good thing. And saving the parish money is on my mind due to being vulnerable, potential repairs, cleanup post- Hurricane.  And there are you know, you know. Hurricanes remind us of things that may or may not be covered by insurance.

Hurricanes remind us repairs and things we need to fix. It's not a bad thing to save money, but sometimes even the desire to save money can hold us back from doing what's necessary or maybe doing what's necessary right now. Sometimes I idolize MONEY, even the money in the bank for Lourdes, or the official income statement or balance sheet. That becomes an idol.

2^nd. MANAGEMENT.  “Management” or the ability to manage myself, my schedule is an idol, my desire to have my own way. And Hurricane Ida and all of its weather implications reminds me I am do not select the cause or the effect. I am not in charge of the world.

This distresses me. Management is a good thing to have power. Management can be good, but sometimes we idolize power and I forget easily that “God’s power is made perfect in weakness”…not just a theoretical weakness, but my own where God delivers what I cannot or will not do on my own.

3^rd. MISERY.   This is the most embarrassing one Perhaps the most honest one, MISERY is an idol.

And, as the old saying goes – misery loves company …. Now misery is not necessarily not a bad thing.

The Latin / Spanish / Italian word for “mercy” is based on “misericordia”. Mercy = misery of the heart.

And, we are called to have compassion on those who are miserable.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor, Blessed be Lord. (Psalm 34). 

But feeling sorry for myself amid certain challenges when I could and should give thanks for the many blessings and support. Well, that’s and MISERY and can be an idol. I can idolize MISERY. And we have received many blessings during Hurricane Ida, not the least of which the West Orange Fire Department came to help us in our time of need. But I can idolize MISERY  just as I idolize MANAGEMENT or MONEY.  Turning them into idols, I could have an insatiable desire for them.  I will sacrifice to get them I will put them ahead of Almighty God and in the spirit of Psalm 115, they are idols which do not speak. They have mouths which do not speak they have ears which do not hear and I am in danger of being deaf in the same way.

So what's the solution? to this idealization? What's the solution to this deafness? What's the solution?

  [__06__]    [3^rd. Protection of secrecy] 

Finally, we read that Jesus provides the help in secret, to the deaf man.

There is a PRACTICAL and PERSONAL spiritual reason for this “secrecy”.

First, the practical.

Now, in the context of the gospel of the timeline of Jesus's mission, this secrecy is something strategic on Jesus's part that he does not want his movement to be stopped by the Roman authorities, especially the Roman authorities too soon, if he's picked up as the picked up on their radar screen, or on their intelligence, Homeland Security, as a potential Messiah, they may stop his movement, they may arrest him in the first few months of his movement, but he needs yours in order to educate his disciples, and then he will submit himself to their arrest. And actually, this submission to their arrest will be a big part of next Sunday's gospel. But for now, he's urging secrecy.

Second, the personal.

Jesus urges his personal secrecy because he wants each of us to know him secretly, personally, deeply, especially when we feel vulnerable.

And, Jesus urges that our faith not be based on spectacular miracles, but on our knowledge that we can plead for his assistance, that we will be provided with assistance when we ask that he is also protecting us by his mercy.

The Messiah is a secret. The Messiah really isn't a secret in the official sense that we don't want anybody to know about it. But the Messiah is a secret to the extent that all of us are called to have a personal relationship with Him. And you and I don't know exactly how Jesus works in everybody else's life. That's part of the secrecy that's part of and others don't necessarily know how Jesus is working in our lives.

But nevertheless, that secrecy helps us to grow it helps us to grow in faith.

Yes, we are vulnerable, sometimes lack the strength we would like. Thus we pray, we are here. For …  “God’s power is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9)    [__fin__]