14th Sunday Collect Year B

COLLECT SERIES

COLLECT

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

The Collect of the 14th Sunday Year B reads as follows

O God, who in the abasement of Your Son,

have raised up a fallen world,

fill Your faithful with holy joy,

for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin

you bestow eternal gladness.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this prayer tangible for during the week the following reflections questions emerged:

1. What does the obedience of Christ as Son mean for my life this week?

2. How will I co-operate with Christ by raising my fallen world this week?

3.  What are the areas of my life that are fallen and need to be raised by Christ?

4. What are the areas of darkness from which I need Christ to free me?

5. How will I live from the freedom of sin? What steps will I take this week?

6. How can I bring the joy that last fro ever into my internal and external world this week.

GOSPEL REFLECTION

Today's Gospel of Mark 1-6, reminds us that a prophet is despised only in his own country. Click on the link to read more about today's Gospel.  The crowds key questioning in their hearts related to the source of His teaching for they saw Him grow up in their own town and to the nature of His wisdom for it comes with a divine power to heal and re-create.

Let us think of ourselves for a moment.  Is there someone perhaps in a work situation or parish situation who is wise and forward thinking and has many great ideas?  What happens?  Instead of the group embracing the wisdom, jealousy and power play take over and inevitably the person is cast out like a leper from the group.  I know, I have had this experience often enough and have tried to stop others from experiencing it.

People generally have a perception of another person and have them in a box. It makes them feel safe and they know how to relate to them.  To a certain extent, this is healthy as we need some boundaries.   Where it becomes a problem is when people do not allow others to grow and blossom. They often do not want to grow themselves out of fear but for the person who steps out and does do the emotional and spiritual work, they may even admire the change but are not prepared to acknowledge it in a crowd situation. They fear that they may lose their status in the group. Sometimes they oppose what they themselves would actually like to do.  For some people, it is easier to tear down than build up.

So how much more would Jesus received this resistance and opposition?   Being different and having this wisdom which had a divine power to heal and recreate would have been a real struggle for people to accept especially when it was in the confines of a box of their making, from which they were not prepared to allow Jesus to emerge.

Perhaps we resist and oppose God in our relationship with Him.  He wants us to be the best version of ourselves- the person He created us to be.  Yet, we through Luke warmness, fear and resistance, bumble along without any signs of real growth in our relationship with God and with others.

So as we hear this gospel today,  let us decide on one area of our lives where we know needs change and ask God to help us not resist or fear the work required to make the change. Ask Jesus to help  us  and to let down our guards.  Give us strength to blossom forth and tap into His divine power to heal and recreate.

We may also resolve to encourage others instead of resisting and opposing them in a group. It takes courage to stand up and be counted but this is what is really required.  Let us check our emotions for negativity, jealousy and power play  and resolve to be what God intends for us.

13th Sunday of Year: Collect

COLLECT SERIES

 

The Mass: Collect Series Icon.

COLLECT

The Collect for the 13th Sunday of Year B reads as follows:

O God, who through the grace of adoption

chose us to be children of light

Grant we pray,

that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

In making this Collect tangible for our lives this coming week, the following reflection questions emerged:

1. What does it mean to me to be a child of God?

2. What is the grace of adoption?

3. What does it mean for me to a child of light?  

4. How will being a child of light be evident in my life this week?

5. Think of a present before it is opened. It may please the receiver with its pretty paper and bow. However, inside the gift itself is wrapped (covered) and as such is in the dark.  

How is my gift of myself right now?

6. What areas of darkness of error do I tend to fall into regularly. What will I do about it/them?

7. Receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation restores us to a child of light.  Why not use the sacrament this coming week. Be a child of light this week.

 GOSPEL REFLECTION

The Gospel from Mark chapter 5 has a lot to offer us.  Why not read this post.

However the key to both stories which Mark weaves in so well is ultimately of faith- faith in the face of adversity.  In relation to the woman who suffered the haemorrhage for 12 years, Mark tells us that her condition was getting worse and she had spent all she had trying different treatments. She told herself that if she could just touch his hem of his cloak, she would be healed.  She was brave because with her condition at that time, blood was a sacred thing- life giving and only meant for the temple.  She was not only putting herself at risk of exclusion but also Jesus.

We can relate to the hope-disappointment and desperation cycle of this woman.  Anyone who has a condition which has no known cure is willing to try something new and with that comes hope. Then the treatment/cream or tablets after some time of diligence on our part does not make the condition any better, perhaps slightly, but definitely not the cure we hoped. Here comes the disappointment.

Rounds and Rounds of this leads to desperation.  This woman had a haemorrhage for 12 years. If you were in her shoes, would you have risked everything for that final hope of healing through Jesus?

The other question of thought that I would like to consider as we hear this gospel is for us to consider what our illness is.  It may not be physical but it may be mental/emotional or spiritual.  Why not write a list of areas in your life that need urgent attention?   Are you willing to risk everything to take this list to Jesus and reach out for healing- will you touch His hem of His garment this week?
None of us are perfect and as the Collect says wrapped in error.

We may not be able to physically touch His garment but Jesus, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us that opportunity to reach out in faith and be healed.  In this sacrament we are no longer wrapped in error but become clothed as children of light.
If you have not received the sacrament for a long time, do not worry or be anxious. Tell the priest your circumstances, make an appointment so you do not feel worried that you are taking too long and others may be waiting.  Reach out to Jesus and touch His hem this week.

If you receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly, then keep receiving it. It builds up grace within us and helps us to be a child of light.  When temptations come, those same sins/faults etc that keep coming up, we are able to keep working on them, whilst acknowledging the grace that Jesus gives us.  Have you ever noticed that a particular fault/sin becomes less... perhaps it is a sharp word withheld that would have previously been said. It is in that moment that you realise the grace of the sacrament working in you.  Thank God for it.  You have touched His hem in that moment.

Walk as a child of light this week and let that light shine