Be of Strong faith

 Gospel text (Mk 4:35-41): On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

Reflection:

This Gospel talks about faith. Several times, as humans, we tend to loose faith in God especially during our darkest moments. Even the desciples of Jesus, also manifests small faith despite that they are with Jesus. Losing of faith is but normal. However, we need to trust God and make our faith stronger because we know how powerful God is. Jesus can command the seawaves and the wind, so, Jesus can also give us light during our darkest moments. He can always solve our problem by making our faith in God stronger. We must do our part and everything will be fine.

 Gospel text (Mk Mk 4:26-34): Jesus said to the crowds: “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”

He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use for it? It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Without parables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.

Reflection:

Don't be afraid of what we have. Even how small it is. It is a promise by God that the same is like a mustard seed. A mustard seed is so small but if you will plant that seed it will give a large tree with great branches for the birds to dwell. So, we will not be afraid of our small faith to God, if we will ask God to help and try our best to nurture it, that small faith will grow big. The same with the our resources and responsibility, if God will give us great responsibility with small resources, don't be afraid of it. Just do your best and God will do the rest.

Discover the purpose of your life.

 Gospel text (Mk 4:21-25): 

Jesus said to his disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible; nothing is secret except to come to light. Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”

He also told them, “Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Reflection:

There are two ideas in this Gospel. First, you must act according to your purpose here on earth. That is why, a lamp should be placed on a lampstand so that this will give light to all. If you have talent, you have to use it accordingly. We are created by God with purpose and you are responsible to discover what is your puspose in life. Second, this is quite unfair. Why? Those who has, more will be given and those who has not even what he has will be taken away. This thought is quite not understandable but if we think and analyze, we need to work hard so that we can receive more blessings in our life. If you are lazy then you have nothing and what you have will be taken away.

Blaspheme against the Spirit is unforgivable

 Gospel text (Mk 3:22-30): The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Reflection:

The number one enemy of ourself is also ourself. No one can go against himself or herself, otherwise, you will fail. You cannot stand if you are divided. But the most important thought about the gospel is the blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, it is unforgivable.

New Wineskins

 18 John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast, when some people came to him and said to him, 'Why is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?'

19 Jesus replied, 'Surely the bridegroom's attendants cannot fast while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

20 But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast.

21 No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.

22 And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine into fresh skins!'

Reflection:

This particular gospel is quite deep. Its seems very hard to understand. But to my mind, this can be associated with our old self and our new self. We cannot change ourselves if we keep on doing what we ussually do. We cannot associate our good self if we still do our bad habits.

We always tell everyone our blessings

 A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,

“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

Reflections:

This gospel tells us that Jesus really serious in healing the sick. Healing that we received is a blessing. Once we recieve our blessings, we always tell everyone, just like what happened in this gospel about the healing of the leper. We always bear that in our mind that Jesus is so powerful, and that He will always ready to heal us in whatever diseases we might suffer. 

We Need to Pray and Preach

 

Gospel, Mark 1:29-39

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.

Reflection:

In this Gospel, we find out that Jesus is so powerful in healing the sick. His power extends to drive out demons. But despite all of his powers, He still prayed to God and even preach to villages. These show only that we need to also to pray and it is out obligation to preach the gospel to others. Even Jesus, the son of God, does the preaching and praying. So, we have no reason not to pray and preach the Gospel to others.