Homily for 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

You, the beautiful people of St. Monica and St. John communities have invited me to dine with you. You have set me up with a little room with a bed, table, chair, lamp, computer, and Putnam County hospitality in order that I may stay with you. You are wonderful stewards of your community, love for the poor, faithfulness, small faith communities, thirst for wisdom, and Eucharist. All of us have been baptized into Christ Jesus. We were baptized into his death. Here, we learn to pick up our crosses and follow Jesus.

Bishop Felipe has invited me to stay awhile with this community just like Father Amar was urged to do three years ago. And so I have come to stay with you, break bread with you, and love ya’ll.

Jesus has told me that whoever receives me, receives Him. And whoever receives Jesus receives the one who sent him… God alone. Amazing!

Since I received First Communion, we have come up to this table with this short prayer on our lips. “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

And yet we often love father or mother, son or daughter more than Jesus. We don’t always take up our crosses and follow after Jesus. We are not worthy of Jesus. I certainly am aware that I am not worthy to be your pastor. But here is the really Good News: If we give only one cup of cold water to one of God’s little ones to drink, we will not lose our reward. We are worthy because Jesus says so. His blood and love make us worthy. What a punch line!

Thank you for your cold cup of water and oh so much more. I see Jesus in you.

Once we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus we receive Jesus and God into our bodies and souls. Potential converts look at us and say, “See how they love. I want what they have!” Then we give others the opportunity to invite Jesus into their souls and give Jesus a cold cup of water. It is too easy to focus on our setbacks like our crosses, our abusive upbringings, our brokenness, our war stories, or our addictions. These are setbacks. But if we can focus on the truth that we are God’s sons and daughters, then the cross we carry becomes our joy and Good News today! We cry out, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus responds to our kindness, our cold up of water; “Today, my beloved, you will be with me in Paradise.”

As Father Amar has reminded us so often, “Why are you so stressed, if I am not? I am not attached to anything, just as long as I am with the Lord.” We are not only with the Lord, but the Lord is within us! O my!

Behold the Lamb of God!

Behold the Lamb of God ~ 2^nd Sunday Ordinary Time ~ St. John 1:29-34:

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him… Behold the Lamb of God; I did not know him; baptize with water; baptize with the Holy Spirit; Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.

The following prayer has guided my life. The Cursillo prays it before they witness to their study, piety, action and close moment with Jesus:

Come Holy Spirit,

Fill the Hearts of your faithful.

Enkindle in us the fire of your Love.

Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created,

and you shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructs the hearts of your faithful,

Grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise,

and forever rejoice in your consolation, through Christ Our Lord. Amen!

Do you know what happens to black coal if it is deep enough in the ground, under great enough pressure, suffering and a million years? Yes, it becomes a crystal clear and radiant diamond. We don’t have to wait millions of years to become God’s diamonds, God’s children… because Jesus, the Lamb of God, takes the suffering on himself.

This week I had the opportunity to celebrate Mass at one of our nursing homes. O how they suffer. It was amazing how Jesus spoke through them. When they were anointed, they were reminded that they would be healed of something to help them renew the face of the earth. I asked them what they wanted to be healed of. They didn’t look at me like I was off my rocker. They didn’t say, “Duh, cant’ you see I need healing of my abandonment or bitterness or physical suffering.” They didn’t want temporary relief, but everlasting healing. What they asked for was wisdom, knowledge and understanding… courage, counsel and reverence… wonder and awe. They wanted the Holy Spirit! After communion we sang this song. We heard Jesus cry out to us,”

Come, come unto me

I will make you a jewel, precious and rare, the glory you’ll bear,

In the crown of God.

~From the dawn of creation, to the tree on Calvary

I chose you and gave my life, to be my own and to be my delight.

~There are words you alone can say, and there are deeds only you can do.

Trust in me and do not tremble, for I go with you to show you the way!

*Come, come unto me…   (Bob Hurd)

While holding the Body and Blood of Jesus, the priest proclaims: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the LAMB!” We respond, “O Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.”

Since we were little children, we have been saying this every Sunday, if not more, but I sense we get stuck on the first part of unworthiness. God wants to heal us. We just have to ask. God sent God’s own beloved son to us so that we can feast on His Body and Blood and become what we eat. (The Lamb of God.) Two thousand years before Jesus, Isaac was carrying the wood on his back while his father, Abraham, was carrying the fire. He cried out, “Dad! Here is the wood and you have the fire. Where is the sacrifice?” Abraham gently responded to his son knowing what he was about to do, “Son, God will provide.” The ram was caught in the thicket and took the son’s place.

Now Jesus is carrying the wood of the Cross and he cries out to God, His Father, “Abba, Daddy! Here is the wood, and here is the fire (anger) of the people. Where is the sacrifice?” God responds with a whisper, “My Beloved Son… You are the sacrifice!” Jesus says, “Your will be done.” God allows us to sacrifice his Son.

So both father and son will die.

When we dare to eat the body and blood of Jesus, we become God’s daughters and sons. We will either watch our beloved ones die, which is really death itself, or we become like Jesus… the sacrifice. We die.

Like John the Baptist, we are not worthy to receive Jesus. We need to be healed. Our black coal needs to radiate Christ within us. Sometimes, I say to Jesus, “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul will be healed of… my doubt… my addictions… my depression… my anxiety… my bitterness… my unforgiveness… my jealousy… my need to control… my lack of generosity…” Then I can help renew the face of the earth.

Soul healing comes through the fire of the Holy Spirit, the Blood of the Lamb.

“Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.” Jesus needs to heal us, so that the Jesus in us will attract others. It is Jesus working through us, and it is not because we are worthy.

All of us, with Jesus in our bodies and souls, cry out to the world:

We are one body, one body in Christ

And we do not stand-alone

We are one body, one body in Christ

And he came that we might have life.

                               ~When you eat my body and you eat my blood

               I will live in you, and you will live in my love. (2X)

                                                Table of Plenty – John Michael Talbot

Truly, the Mass never ends, we take it with us. Thanks be to God!

God is Love. God is Good…

All the Time!

“Behold the Lamb of God!”

Remember what He said to you…

Easter- 2016 ~ Luke 24:1-12 ~ At daybreak on the first day of the week, the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them (Moses & Elijah of Transfiguration?). They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” And they remembered his words. Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others.

The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James (Peter, John and James in Transfiguration); the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home amazed at what had happened.

 I am amazed and humbled that with two phenomenal preachers here at Queen of Peace, I was asked to preach today like a third string quarterback. O well, pray for me!

We remember.

We celebrate.

We believe.

Jesus, we remember how you washed our feet. In his homily on Holy Thursday, Father Jeff helped us understand that it is you, Jesus, who consecrates and breaks the bread, feed our souls, baptizes and anoint us. You heal us so often even when we complain that we can’t find you.

Even though Jesus walked with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they didn’t recognize him because they were too caught up in their own terror, fear and anxieties.

Their hopes were not as big as God’s hopes and dreams for them. But Jesus was patient and asked the two to remember all the way to their dinner table. They celebrated and believed when he said the blessing and broke the bread. Another miracle of Easter is that the men finally believed the women.

Though we don’t always recognize Jesus present in our sufferings and distractions, we do believe he is with us at this moment and for all eternity. In fact, Jesus can’t imagine heaven without every one of us today! We have trouble accepting such a magnificent love. Too often, we seek the living one among the dead.

The living one is seeking us today.

Jesus, we celebrate the breaking of your body and the water and blood that flowed from your side. When we are terrorized by hatred, unfaithfulness and betrayal, you show us how to love. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” and “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Your sacrificial love is our only hope to end all wars, hatred and fear. Yes, it was a truly Good Friday.

Jesus, we celebrate how you eat and drink with us every time we come to Eucharist. “Lord, I am not worthy for you to enter into my body, but only say the Word, and my soul will be healed.

Here a million wounded souls, are yearning just to touch you and be healed.Gather all your people, and hold them to your heart.

We remember how You loved us to the end.

And still we celebrate, for you are with us here;

and we believe that we will see you when you come in glory, Lord.

We remember. We Celebrate. We believe.   (Song by Marty Haugen, 1980)

The key to Easter is that God loves us and wants to spend time with all of us. (Lots of time and for all of eternity).

It isn’t so much that we are seeking God, but God is seeking us.

It is through the birthing pains of our faith, the way of the Cross, that we understand this. When we encounter the empty tombs, keep searching. We must seek more diligently than the kids who will be seeking those Easter eggs in a few minutes, which might seem like hours to them. It is not an easy task, but with love of God and one another in our hearts… Jesus walks with us this Easter Morning today… even before we find him or recognize Him. He is alive with us… TODAY!

We remember his words.

We celebrate his love and mercy.

We believe how much God loves all of us… no exceptions.

He is Risen! Halleluiah!

WOW!

Let us raise our voices with Father Kaz.

Discover the Risen Christ, the Beloved, as we sing our Easter Joy with Hallelujahs…

Life is changed…not ended.

Anchor

Yes!

Why are you terrified?

A Father’s Love

The Woman gets Alone Time with Jesus

5^th Sunday of Lent – March, 2016

Isaiah 43:16-21 ~ “In the desert I make a way,… for I put water in the desert and rivers in the wasteland for my chosen people to drink, the people whom I formed for myself, that they might announce my praise.”

Psalm 126 ~ The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy

Philippians 3:8-14 ~ Brothers and sisters: I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and Beloved. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him…

John 8:1-11 ~ Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.

And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

 

If anyone threw a stone in their arrogance, Jesus would protect her.

There is a growing time bomb beneath the soul of human kind.

The last century has been an accumulation of nuclear and hydrogen bombs and weapons. Polarization just like the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time is taking place. Jesus was the scapegoat then, now it is the nasty opinions and anger. Automatic weapons and a plethora of guns keep stockpiling.

This is just like the Israelite community after “escaping” Egypt with Moses and Aaron.

No water.

No food.

A desert.

Grumble…Grumble…Grumble

God is bringing us Home forever.

We complain about the transport!!

We in the United States are

Blessed for no other reason:

IN GOD WE TRUST

Not everyone has to agree with us.

We can still love those with differing opinions…pray for them.

We have unheard of freedoms,

Speech

Religion

Rights

Food (freedom from hunger)

Wealth and safe water

Even crumbling infrastructure that still works

Ability to travel anywhere in the world safely

Citizenship and

Immigrants from every country in the world

The rest of the world is jealous… Can we blame them?

We can wake up in the morning and choose to walk with Jesus,

The creator of the world…

Of what could we be afraid?

Though you are homeless

Though you’re alone

I will bring you home

Home to your own place

In a beautiful land

I will bring you home

 

I will be your home

I will be your home

In this feared and fallen world,

I will be you home.

 

Whatever’s the matter

Whatever’s been done,

I will be your home…

                  (Song composed by Michael Card)

 

For all that happened to the poor woman dragged in front of Jesus,

She gets alone time with Jesus…

Are we jealous of her?

Such intimacy

Such love

Such mercy

She is my nomination for the Supreme Court justice…

Very, very liberal in Mercy!

O to Good News!!!

 

Put out into the deep and trust Jesus!

Jesus and Father John Lenihan

Beauty of My Sunset

The founding pastor of St. Patrick’s
A soul, a blessing, a man, a friend
What I loved about Johnny was
his unholy holiness
raw love that could be abrasive
He mentored me here and there
Let me vent…
…and sometimes vented along with me!

John assured me of my goodness,
especially when I struggled with how others
believed in my lack of goodness.

Father John is to my left and behind me.

Johnny was fun to be around
A true brother of no nonsense

A soul, a blessing, a man, a friend
Calling me to the same…
A soul, a blessing, a man, a friend
O my!!!

Standing tall

Father John Lenihan died this week. He is a priest of the Diocese of St. Augustine. He was the first pastor of St. Patrick’s in Jacksonville. I was the 7th pastor.

LOOKING FOR JESUS

 

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

                                                                                                John 6:24

 

 

Where is Jesus in your life?

For me, Jesus is in the Eucharist.

I eat his body and drink his blood every Sunday. His love permeates my heart and soul on a daily basis. And yet, sometimes I feel that Jesus is nowhere to be found.

 

When Jesus was just twelve years old, his parents thought he was with the family in the caravan leaving Jesus after the holy days. They searched for him for three days. Finally they went to the Temple to most likely pray in desperation. When they saw him teaching the elders and listening, they were astounded and hurt.

 

His mother said, “Jesus, why have you done this to your father and me? Did you not know we would be looking for you?”

Jesus answered, “Why did you look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

 

Jesus says in John 6:35:

“I am the bread of life. All who come to me will never hunger. And all who believe in me will never thirst.”

 

I don’t know about you, but I hunger for Jesus. I thirst for the blood and water that flows from his side.

 

St. Augustine says:

“Christ the Lord wants to come into us and dwell in us. Like a good builder he says: A new commandment I give you: Love one another. He says, I give you a new commandment. He means: Before, you were not engaged in building a house for me, but you lay in ruins. Therefore, to be raised up from your former state of ruin you must love one another.”

 

Jesus is already in our midst. Jesus might be looking for the real you and me already. Will Jesus find us? I think so. And so this past weekend, in my homily at Queen of Peace in Gainesville, I emphasized their mission statement:

 

As Christians we receive God’s gifts gratefully,

cultivate them responsibly,

share them lovingly in justice with others,

and return them with increase to the Lord.

I realized that Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of God did just that.

She received God’s gift of Jesus into her body and womb with gratitude.

She cultivated the gift by bring Jesus up with a great love for God.

She shared Jesus loving in justice with others even if it meant that her heart would be pierced.

And she also returned the broken body of Jesus as in the pieta with increase. Jesus was given to all of us in the Eucharist.

 

Have a blessed week.

Love, joy, peace,

Father Ron Moses +

 

P.S. I will be starting school at Loyola University Maryland in September. Pray for me as I pursue doctoral studies in Pastoral Counseling. I love the Jesuits!

Get out of the Boat!

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “there is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about fie thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.” Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.                                                                                                                   Mark 6:1-15

 

Beloved, 

When Jesus got out of the boat, he was moved with pity for them.

He loves the people, saint and sinner.

Jesus wants to feed us and heal us.

Just like a rose, Jesus gives off abundant love, beauty and hope.

All we need to do is take it in.

As long as we judge no one, we will not be judged.

We can be like the people who search on foot…or we can be the disciples who get in the boat with Jesus.

And then we simply listen to Jesus.

 

When I was called by the Navy to go to Iraq, I didn’t think God wanted me to go. I put my orders on the altar and told Jesus what I think should happen. Then Jesus spoke to me and said He wanted me to go to serve with the Marines. I was so convinced that God did not want me to go, I reacted and told Jesus he must be mistaken. And then Jesus insisted. Finally, I told Jesus I couldn’t go because I complained to much.

Jesus said, “You do complain a bit too much.”

Then I knew it was God. I knew I complained too much.

Even though I hated that I would be going to Iraq, I am so glad I listened. I went to Hell…but I went there with Jesus.

So the best way to listen to Jesus is to seek him where he has gone…up the mountain to pray ALONE.

 

Open my eyes, Lord, help me to see your face.

Open my ears Lord, help me to hear your voice

Open my heart Lord, help me to love like you….

 

And then I hear God sing to me:

 

I live within you, deep in your heart o Love, I live within you, rest now in me.

 

Come and rest awhile with Jesus.

And then he will tell you to get out of the boat and share His love with all.

 

Love, joy, peace,

Father Ron

 

God is of many Colors!

 

 

 

   As I take in the sights, smells, touch, sound and beauty of spring I am alive in God’s love. God becomes the beloved for me. This beautiful fasciae flower was all around the Irish countryside. I even learned to drink her nectar. She seems to be singing and basking in life. There is so much we can learn about living from flowers. Be radiant! Be beautiful! Be exciting! Be amazing! Be colorful!

 

 

 

   I don’t always see at first the details of the flower until I snap a close-up of the beauties in my backyard. Then I see the glorious little intricacies of love in the picture. This is a “ground orchid” and she defies all assumptions. She loves the sun and is my most faithful flower in my garden. She blooms longer and more brilliantly than all the others. I love to sing to her. I gave one of these flowering plants to my spiritual director. I told Mary that her name is “Sofia” which means “Wisdom”. 

 

 

 

   In my homily this week, I asked the people which they most resemble. When faced with the boiling water of suffering, are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?  I have been all three, but I want to be a coffee bean.

 

   A carrot is hard and set in its way before it goes into the boiling water of suffering. But after it goes into the water, it becomes mush! This is when we know we are “right” or become very “religious”, but when the suffering comes, we become all stressed out and unable to accept our crosses. This only leads to mush.

 

   An egg is real fragile by itself. However, what happens if the egg is placed in the boiling water of suffering? Yep! In less than five minutes it becomes hardened. We call them “hard boiled eggs”! These are the people who have encountered horrible abuse or emotional torment and then become unforgiving and bitter. They are victims and fail to let go of the hurt. They are the ‘pleasers’ and ‘vulnerable’ of society. Our Blessed Mother Mary was vulnerable as an unwed teenage mother, but when she was thrown into the boiling water, she didn’t get a hardened heart. On the contrary, she allowed the sword to pierce her heart. She allowed her heart to transform the world. She was more like a coffee bean!

 

   An insignificant coffee bean when placed in a big pot of boiling water does what? It doesn’t seem to change as it ‘transforms’ the whole pot of water. It is like Jesus who bleeds and transforms the world by the blood from the pulpit of his cross. Just think of our flowers that are absolutely gorgeous in spring. They don’t look like they suffer much as the heat gradually rises by the days. They keep giving off nectar, aroma and beauty without cost to others. They transform the environment and even the mood of bees and me! But eventually the flower is spent and seems to wilt or disappear from sight.

 

   Jesus is like the coffee bean. He bleeds out his life like the picture of the Divine Mercy. Then he surprises us after we believe he has wilted and died. He enters our room and simply says, “Peace be with you!” His flower is eternal. “Come and drink!” he cries. And after we drink in the nectar, fragrance, texture and beauty of Jesus. Go and do the same! Be awesome! Be beautiful! Be eternal flowers of love!

 

Love, joy, peace,

Father Ron Moses +

Jesus reached out his hand and touched me!

Still in chapter one of the Gospel according to Mark (1:40-45), we encounter the touch of Jesus.

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

How amazing, that a mere human being can move God. And yet, we rarely understand this to its full impact. We are like the cubs that a mother elephant defends to her death. There are so many instances where nature merely gives a hint to the compassion and devotion of a mother for her child. The Prophet Isaiah is quite clear about it in chapter 49, as he is the voice of God:

I will never forget you my people. I have carved you in the palm of my hand. I will never forget you; I will not leave you orphaned. I will never forget my own. Does a mother forget her baby, or a woman, the child within her womb? Yet even if they forget, yes even if they forget, I will never forget my own.

Absolutely remarkable is that God is saying that even if the Alpha and Omega were to die and leave us orphaned, God will rise above death to defend us, protect us, and love us. Love is stronger than death. Nature is all about survival. I am amazed how flowers can grow out of a wall in a mostly cement city or animals are so able to adapt to our encrouchment. God is crazy in love with you and me. That love is for everyone. God desires that we get along with one another, whether we be Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Protestant, Atheist, Mormon or Catholic.

The most painful hurts from another come from our own friends and families, not our enemies. Only those we love can truly hurt us. And that is the true leprosy that keeps us separated. When we fail to love all and to be loved by all we get nauseated with one another. We carry the hidden puss of spiritual leprosy. Jesus came to heal this kind of leprosy. Jesus is delighted when he hears us beg,

“If you wish, you can make me clean.”

Jesus stretches out his hand and touches me saying, “I do will it, be made clean!”

All living creatures have a sense of touch. Let us be open and be stewards of our sense of touch.

Breathe in…
Breathe out…
…and experience the touch of Jesus.

How remarkable it must have been to be in that upper room with locked doors when Jesus entered the room. It must have taken their breath away to hear his voice bouncing off of their eardrums as he said, “Peace be with you.”

Then they saw with their own eyes; the nail marks in his hands and the wound in his side. Now experience his breath touching you as he breathes the Holy Spirit on you and those around you. That gentle, kind and loving breath burns away everything unclean in you and me. Wow! And ooh! And o my!

Jesus truly has reached out his hand and touched me.
Let us be true stewards of the touch of Jesus.
Receive the gift.
Nurture the gift.
And return the gift with increase!
I can hardly keep it to myself. How about you?

Love, joy, peace,

Father Ron Moses +

Touched by Jesus

Everyone is looking for you!

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.
When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you!” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

The Gospel according to Mark 1:29-19

When I was growing up, my whole family went to church every Sunday. The nine kids took up a whole pew! On the way home, we often would talk about the Gospel as we either got donuts or prepared the Sunday brunch that was usually around 2 p.m.

Crushed by Love

Many times, we would be in New Hampshire skating on Lake Winnipesaukee or in the small boat as a family. The consistent factor of all Sundays was that those over the age of 7 had the Body of Christ in their own body and soul. Missing Mass was unthinkable. Those who hadn’t received their First Communion yet were very close to Jesus in a very special way. We literally walked, splashed and played with Jesus throughout our lives.

Can you see Jesus?

When Jesus went “home” with brothers Simon, Andrew, James and John, they must have lived in a similar way. They talked about the Jewish readings. If someone got sick, everyone in the family knew about it. Jesus entered the life of the people to let them know that we are all part of an even larger family where God is our Father and Jesus’ mother is our Mother. Families need to pray and play together in order to grow in deeper love and appreciation.

Jesus healed a lot of people that day. The religious leaders were upset and jealous with Jesus. They accused him of breaking the laws because he healed people on the Sabbath. The people waited until the Sabbath was officially over before they had the courage to bring the sick and addicted to Jesus. I wonder if Jesus was somehow multiplying the loaves and fishes so that he could feed the people after he healed them.

But early in the morning, before the sunrise, Jesus took off to pray.

When is the last time you “prayed” to God or Jesus and didn’t ask for something? When is the last time you got up early to just sit with God with no expectations? How often do you simply say, “Good morning Jesus, it is great to be alive. Where do you want to go today?” Simon and those who were with him pursued Jesus until they found him. Their prayer was a petition so that the people could experience miraculous healings. “Everyone is looking for you!”

Ron and Diane after Mass

Jesus knows when we are sick. When people ask me to pray for healing for them, my prayer is usually for the person to just relax and accept their cross. I truly look forward to my death, but I also look forward to living here on earth. With regards our health, if we are honest, we sometimes are under-responsible for it. And then we are over-responsible for others’ health. Personally, I believe that Jesus is the best health insurance we could ever obtain…and it is free!

Whenever I have been sick physically, mentally or spiritually, I thank God for my sickness, my cross. It wasn’t easy when I got shingles a few years back. In some ways, it gives me time to appreciate my usually good health. I simply breathe in… and then I breathe out…

Jesus has been beside me, above me, below me and within me all my life. I have no fear when I realize that Jesus, my beloved, won’t let anything harm me. When I was in Iraq, I realized the incredible power I had. I can tell Jesus about the need for healing…and I actually do. However, Jesus usually asks me to help Him in the healing. I could see well beyond the war that the people I served would need the healing of Jesus. Once I find Jesus, he is already going on to other places.

“Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.”

We are Called to...

Jesus our Savior is counting on you and me to follow him. If you noticed, the disciples never got sick while they were with Jesus. Most of them died because they were murdered. Jesus is on a mission. If you truly follow him you will be healthy. It will require great faith. Jesus is approaching you at this minute, grasping your hand, and helping you up.

Trust Jesus.

Go with him as he spreads the Good News to all nations and peoples.

“The Spirit of the Beloved is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. God sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to Our Beloved God.”

Let us all have the best week ever as we play and pray with Jesus.
Love, joy, peace,
Father Ron Moses +

Jesus with me...always!

Ronnie