Signs from Heaven

 Gospel text (Mk 8:11-13): The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore.

Reflection:

This Gospel emphasizes the meaning of a person who seek for a sign from heaven. We know that this act shows lack of faith in God. If you really believe in God, no need for you to have a sign from heaven. But human as we are, we keep on asking God for a sign. If you ask God for something, no need for you to ask for a sign. Just believe that it will given to you and surely you will receive it.

The multiplication of loaves

Gospel text (Mk 8:1-10): In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, Jesus summoned the disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance.” His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?” Still he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied.

He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets. There were about four thousand people. He dismissed them and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Reflection:

In this Gospel, Jesus perform a miracle that manifest His great mercy. He is truly a merciful LORD. His mercy to people who has nothing. He can always perform a miracle for us who has nothing to eat. When you ask Jesus to give us food to eat, do it with strong faith. God will always provide for us who has nothing. He will give you what ask and even give you more. So, do not loose hope when asking. God will provide.

He has done all things well

 Gospel text (Mk 7:31-37): Jesus left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Reflection:

This Gospel talks again the miracle of Jesus. Another man who has healed from being deafmute through the miracle of Jesus. Jesus really showed here his being God. And that, the deaf and mute was able to speak. The Gospel also showed to us that Jesus can heal any sickness and disorder. It is showed here He healed a person who has speech disorder. But the greatest effect of the miracle of Jesus is that our faith in God is always our tool to make our sickness healed and problems solved. Always have faith in God to make our life more meaningful and at peace.

Tradition vs. Belief in God

 Gospel text (Mk 7:1-13): When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)

So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”

Reflection:

In this Gospel, Jesus explains that you can always disregard tradition as long as your faith in God is real. As Filipino, we have a lot of traditions in the Philippines that we disregard our faith in God. We keep on celebrating this tradition despite that our belief in God is compromised. We must not be hyprocrites, showing that we have strong faith in God but we still practice traditional beliefs. 

This happens only because we feel we are oblige to do it because it is a tradition. We might be isolated with out relatives because we disregard traditon. We must think and choose the right thing to do in every situation.

Touching the cloak of Jesus

 Gospel text (Mk 6:53-56): After making the crossing to the other side of the sea, Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret and tied up there. As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him. They scurried about the surrounding country and began to bring in the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak; and as many as touched it were healed.

Reflection:

In my entire life as a Christian, this is my first time I knew that there were a lot people who benefited from healing through touching the cloak of Jesus. This Gospel manifests that the miracle of Jesus can be experienced by everyone as long as you have strong faith. So, never loose hope. If you are weary and laden then come to Jesus with strong faith and He will surely give you His miracle.

Rest or Continue working?

 Gospel text (Mk 6:30-34): The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place. People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Reflection:

In this Gospel, Jesus implies that we need to rest. As a busy person, especially in our daily endeavors in life, as a businessman or as a working man, Jesus requires us to rest for a while. However, when work is absolutely necessary, especially during the time of preaching we must continue to guide others just like what Jesus did.

The two miracles perform by Jesus

Gospel text (Mk 5:21-43): When Jesus had crossed again [in the boat] to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.”

He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. [At that] they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

Reflection:

In this Gospel, there are two miracles of Jesus that is presented. The touching of his cloak that made the sick woman cured from her sickness. And the other miracle, is that making the little girl alive while she was dead. The two miracles illustrate how powerful Jesus is. Jesus can perform miracles as long as we have strong faith with Him. Imagine, by just simple touch to His cloak the miracle really happened. On the other hand, the Gospel presented also a miracle of Jesus by making the dead child alive. The gospel presented as subject is a child because a child is innocent. The gospel implies that when we are innocent (illustrated by the woman) and have strong faith (illustrated by the child) Jesus can perform miracles for us.