Vocations Newsletter

Today’s Gospel is about the power of faith in the face of fear—emotions we all experience at one time or another.We know the story well. An official of the synagogue pleaded with Jesus for a laying of hands on his sick daughter who was at the point of death. The crowd said why trouble the rabbi when the girl had in fact died. Jesus’ response was calming. He would go to the home of the official with a message of faith. Upon entering the house, Jesus said the child was not dead but merely asleep. Ignoring the disbelievers, he took the young girl by the hand and asked her to rise. Which she did. The crowd was utterly astonished at the healing powers of the preacher from Galilee.Placing complete faith in God in the face of seemingly insurmountable difficulties is perhaps the most challenging experience any of us can have. But faith, as the Gospel shows us, is the only remedy for grief and fear. Faith is the grace that can us heal from deep hurts and sorrow, and from personal disappointments as well. Faith restores our souls, transcending moments of doubt and fear with the conviction that we are…
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Job, the apostles—and we, too—have a few things in common. At least that’s what we learn from today’s readings. In his distress Job calls on God to rescue him from his many torments. Finally, in a stormy whirlwind God does appear, not with answers but with questions. Of course, Job cannot answer any of the questions, making the point that Job must let God be God.
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“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.”Mark 4:31-32Think of today’s parable as a pause button. The story of the mustard seed gives us the needed room to exhale and remember that despite the headlines, the personal setbacks, and the wonderings why, God is still at work transforming us and our world. We are never alone.How do we know? Mark’s Gospel explains it with the story of the mustard seed. From this tiny expression of new life, a plant grows into a sturdy tree and eventually its branches and leaves become shelter for the birds of the air—and for us as well.Jesus likens the mustard seed to the Kingdom of God… plant seeds with acts of compassion and kindness and the Kingdom grows. The life of our Church becomes stronger with each planting, and this is confirmation to the world that we rejoice in our faith. So instead of getting frustrated by how seemingly great the task of everyday living is, let’s take a moment to remember that each thing…
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“I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord.”John Chapter 6, Verse 51The gift the Church celebrates today on the feast also known as Corpus Christi is an invitation from Our Lord to be living witnesses of his love and compassion. When Jesus consecrated bread and wine at the Last Supper, he said these gifts, His Body and Blood, would be given up for us—as they were on Good Friday—and that our Eucharistic celebration was to continue in his memory. The gift of faith we received is now ours to give. In word and deed we are called to give our lives, becoming the Living Bread that we consume, that heals our world and welcomes all to salvation in Christ.When I celebrate Mass and the Eucharist today, I will remember a woman who was an extraordinary example of the Living Bread—someone I will never forget. Her name was Maria Elena Moyano, a devout member of a Christian community in Lima, Peru who died in 1992. When armed guerrillas of the far-left threatened to kill people, Maria Elena organized a brave cadre of women to protect themselves. They started common kitchens and neighborhood cafes so people, especially…
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