The Vineyard Laborer

Do Not Be Afraid, Just Have Faith Mk 5: 21 – 43 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Today’s Gospel talks about two stories. One story is about the healing of the woman who was afflicted with hemorrhages, the other about the daughter of Jairus who was sick and dying. Each of these stories can stand on their own. But the evangelist Mark places them together to highlight a particular point about faith. The gospel begins with Jesus arriving on a boat by the lakeside. Mark tells us that a large crowd had gathered there waiting for him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue official,   approached Jesus, fell at his feet and pleaded with Jesus, saying: “ My daughter is at the point of death. Please come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live. “ Jesus then readily goes with him to see the child. Mark then tells us that the crowd that had gathered there followed Jesus and pressed upon him. We could just imagine the commotion and tumult as Jesus tried to pass...

His Name is John Nativity of St. John the Baptist Lk 1: 57 – 66, 80 Today’s Gospel talks about the birth of John the Baptist. The gospel tells us that John’s parents were Elizabeth and Zechariah. They were both advanced in age and Elizabeth was barren. So when John was born, the family’s neighbors and relatives knew that his birth was a miracle. The Lord has shown his great mercy toward the couple and now neighbors and friends rejoiced with them. And as was the custom, the child was to be circumcised on the eighth day and was to be given a name. Great must have been the excitement and the joy of friends and neighbors that the gospel tells us that they were about to give the child the name Zecharaiah just like his father. And when Elizabeth told them that the child’s name would be John, the neighbors wondered why, and told the couple : “there is no one among your relatives who has the name.” Zechariah, who still could not speak at that time, asked for a tablet...

The Seed Would Sprout and Grow 11 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mk 4: 26 – 34 Today’s Gospel is about two parables that Jesus said to the crowds – the parable of the seed that is sown on the land and the parable of the mustard seed. These two parables were used by Jesus to explain what the kingdom of God is like. Jesus said: “ This is how it is with the Kingdom of God. “ The first parable talks about a man who went to scatter seed on the land. The seed would sprout and grow and in time yield fruit. Then Jesus narrates the fine details of what seems to be just an ordinary seed growing up. He says: “Of its own accord, the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.” Jesus seems to focus our attention on the growth process of the seed and underscores the fact that this entire process happens “out of its own accord.” Even the man who sows the seed remains ignorant of how this process takes place.   As Jesus said: ...

Here are my Mother and my Brothers Mk 3: 20 – 35 Today is the 10 th Sunday in ordinary time. In today’s gospel, the evangelist Mark takes us to a time during Jesus’ public ministry. At the beginning of this gospel episode, Mark tells us that as Jesus came home with his disciples, the crowd that had gathered at his home was so large that it was impossible for him and his disciples to eat. Jesus must have continued to minister to the people as he arrived and did not feel the need to pause and take a break.   This of course alarmed his relatives who set out to seize him since they were worried about his state of mind, saying: “ He’s out of his mind.” Then Mark tells us that a group of scribes who came all the way from Jerusalem were also present. Apparently, they were there to observe Jesus. They must have heard a lot of great things about Jesus. And now, with their very own eyes, they witnessed the crowd, the healings and the miracles that Jesus did. But m...